Christmas Cake

For some reason I have not made a Christmas cake for years now.
This morning I had a bit of a brainwave and thought I should make one.
So I collected all most all the ingredients together, what I did not have it went with out, but had all the essentials.
So for the last hour or so there has been this wonderful smell around the house bringing back allsorts of memories from my childhood.

I remember my mother cooking the Christmas cake, it was a family affair we all stirred and ate the mixture as she added to it, I can not understand how she had enough of the mixture by the time 4 of us had had our fill of the uncooked mixture... I guess she made more than required to allow for this.
She also made a cake for my Grandma and Grandad as it was economical to do it together as they only required a small one.
This also reminds me of the Christmas puddings.
We had a gas copper (boiler) for the laundry which she would fill with water, then mum used to make an enormous mix of fruit pudding batter and fill sometimes 10 or 12 pudding basins, tyeing them up with greaseproof paper and a pudding cloth, the placing them into the boiling copper for  5 or 6 hours to cook.
These were then passed around the family to her sisters and brothers... Mum would make them and every one would pay for their share of the ingredients and gas to cook them. This must have come about because of the depression times after the WW2.

Well with luck my cake will look like this when it is iced in a few weeks, but firstly I have to feed it once or twice a week with sherry. I also made a small one to eat now un-iced

Ann asked me where to shop in Dubai

Ann B asked me today on a comment where to shop in Dubai... for ribbons and notions for sewing.
for some reason the blog comment did not publish and I have lost it.
So incase you read this Ann :

You need to go to  SATWA  district.
Opposite the Health Clinic and Mosque there are a whole line of shops that sell fabric and notions

Any taxi will take you there

My Quilting / Sewing Machine

Yesterday I travelled to Hamilton  about an hour and half drive to the machine repairers.

The main purpose of the visit was to test drive a new machine, after looking at the pros and cons of a couple of machines and sorting out which one did what and how, I then asked a few more questions and the lady asked a few back of me and between us we decided the machine I was looking at was not suitable for all I wanted it to do.

She then suggested that I look at the Brother Innovis QC-100 a Quilting machine. I thought this machine was just a quilter with basic stitches and straight sewing but oh! no I was wrong.

 I was amazed it actually does everything any other machine does with out the embroidery unit...that is okay for I did not particularly want a embroidery unit,  I embroider by hand and would have a dreadful time if I told all the Embroidery guild ladies that I had bought an embroidery machine.

 So here it is

This is not a good picture but best I could find on the internet.

This all sounds as though it is going to be just what I need it comes with:

Knee lift, sissors, double thread ability

 a  large work table area, 517 built in stitches  but actually 127, will make 517 in combinations

Custom stitching and side ways feed, sews side ways left and right.

auto needle threading ( got to be a bonus)

Quilting patterns and stitches, auto stippling this bit is amazing, I can't wait to try it.

Auto continuous pressure system...detects fabric thickness as you sew and corrects the foot pressure

The one thing about it that is different from my old machine is it is double the size
But I have a tote on wheels that will make it transportable.

I have ordered it and it should be here in approx. 10 days ...can't wait.

My Secret Angel

Today the postman deliverd a parcel from my Secret Angel swap all the way

from  Leominster MA USA .

Thank you very much Mary Grace they are delightful things

 especially the pattern, I will make that ASAP.

I love the cute bag with it's pin cushion the fabric is just me,

This pin cushion will be added to my collection.

The sewing Machine Saga

You may remember my sewing machine saga, it kept breaking down and was in and out of the menders, well the last episode was me taking it back to them after it took a tumble from the front seat of the car to the floor, landing on its head....Well after a post mortem by the engineer, the damage to the computer is fatal, and it needs to be replaced, this will cost the price of a new machine.

State Insurance have come to the party and I get a brand new machine to replace it.  The machine that has died was a top of the range computer operated one, so will be replaced with the newest computer one...  I have to go and see the one I want one day next week to give it a trial run and make up my mind it is the right one for me.   You really don't want to know what it is going to cost... but this will be Christmas and Birthdays all in one, or seem like it..       I just can't wait.

                      

Advent Swap

I joined this swap in August

You have to gather 24 small gifts sewing related and pack them for your partner in the swap...she then opened them one each day during December just like an advent calender.

It was fun looking for so many small items, and wrapping them.

Now my parcel is winging it's way to Bell in Tasmania Australia...

I hope she has as much fun opening the gifts as I did making or finding them for her....

I look forward to receiving the same from her.. as in this swap you get to know who you are swapping with.

So I now have a lovely new friend that I have met only on the Internet.

The 25th gift to be opened on Christmas Day is something larger that you have made for your swap friend
So sorry photo's will have to wait as she will be reading this blog and I don't want to spoil her surprise.

A New pattern

Belle of the ball

Over at Hugs from Helen, she has shown us a new quilt pattern she has designed, you can be in to win this pattern by visiting and viewing her blog also by leaving a comment

I just love the delicate colours

Embroidery Exhibition and Open Day

Out came the trusty Campervan again yesterday to transport 8 ladies to Whakatane as

Wednesday was the exhibition and Open day for Whakatane Embroidery Guild

As many Guilds in the county try to attend ....at the exhibition there is always a lunch with a speaker.

The lunch is always home made and usually a large selection of food, yesterday was no exception and was delicious

There was some beautiful work on display and lots to give you inspiration.

The picture above is one such piece it was just a bit different instead of just self coloured pulled threadwork the stitcher had put some decoration on the piece, this has really inspired me to try this for myself.

There was also an inital "L " decorated in stumpwork that I admired.

So, well done and thank you to all the ladies in Whakatane we all had a great day.