Sunday, July 03, 2011

WQ newsletter

Wholly Quilts July 2011 Newsletter

G’day

On days like today it is easy to tell that my studio was purpose-built as a church (keep em cold and keep em awake). Have you ever tried using your computer with gloves on?

Even with 27 quilters squashed in here last week to celebrate the local club’s birthday and mid-winter the space took some warming.

I have just put the binding on my latest quilt. It is called ‘bush shapes’ and shows the colours and shapes of our lovely native bush. Putting the binding on any quilt comes with such mixed emotions – it is the end of something you have been nurturing and yet it is a time to now step off on another project (or two :). Now what can I do next?

My daughter has commissioned a quilt for a friend, there are one or two PhDs to work on, I have a stack of fabrics just begging to be made up and another pile of scraps calling me. Then there is a pattern lurking on the edge of my brain (fairly treacherous territory there) or an oldie that needs miniaturising and making with scraps. Never enough time!

Life in the Pumpkin Patch continues apace albeit slower, colder and muddier. Two weeks ago the shortest day came upon me. We had been enjoying such mild fine weather it was difficult to think that suddenly we were actually past the cusp of the year and heading for summer, Christmas et al. Anyway I got out there emptied the spuds out of the spud bed (obviously), weeded, turned the sod and planted my garlic and shallots and I can’t believe that the bed has lots a lovely new shoots already. Frosts of the last couple of days will, hopefully deal to the slugs n snails currently enjoying my cabbages and things though there is plenty of green stuff to go around.

And I have been doing lots with my lemons including getting a batch of limoncello under way.

The Chopping Block went into overtime with a very ‘lemony’ retreat last weekend. We had biscuits with lemon icing, Moroccan cous cous with preserved lemon, lemon dessert on Saturday night, lemon cordial, lemon squeezed in the gin you get the idea. I even picked a bucket full and gave them away and still lemons sit prettily on the tree.

As it seems to be the season thought I’d share another lemon recipe – a Lemon Pickle.

Puree two whole lemons (pips removed), 5 large onions with one cup white vinegar.

Add to a large pot with 3 (more) cups white vinegar, 1 cup lemon juice, 3 tsp salt, 5 cups white sugar, 1 tsp turmeric, 4 tsp horseradish (or you can use wasabi), finely grated rind of 2 lemons, 5-6 cloves crushed garlic and 2 tsp ground ginger.

Bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer 45 minutes of until reduced to spoonable consistency. Makes 6 medium jars and is great with cold meats, fish or chicken.

Regards

Natalie