reverse applique with Dawn Cameron Dick

As I mentioned in my previous post, Catherine and I met for a cuppa on Friday afternoon; and the reason Catherine was down this way, was a Saturday class at  Midsomer Quilting (their new home in Chilcompton) with Dawn Cameron Dick. 

The class was a reverse applique, 

called " Three Mad Hares". 

Although it was called "Three Mad Hares", we were free to choose how many hares do we actually want too sew and how large.

We spent a very enjoyable and fun day with Dawn, she is lovely and a great teacher.

I chose to make two small hares.

prep work - tracing a pattern around freezer paper

When I got home on Saturday, I just had to finish the first hare,

and last night I finished the second one.

Lets just say here that this was the first time I have done reverse applique, as I was always little afraid of it, but Dawn made it look so easy.

Thank you Dawn! 

I plant to make my hares into a wall-hanging, 

with some more applique and embroidery on the borders.

©pleasureinstiching.blogspot.co.uk 2017

second West Country Quilt Show

You came with me to the first ever West Country Quilt Show a year ago, doesn't a year fly by!

 It was relatively very quiet then, in a half empty exhibition hall at the Bath and West showground.

Last Thursday was a start of this year' show and so I was curious if it would be any different.

I went early on Thursday, so I could take clear pictures of quilts on show.

It was nice to see that there was more exhibitors taking part and the hall looked more full this time, but as you can see, still very quiet at that time of the day.

Too many stall holders have put up a sign "No Photographs", which is a shame of course, so I can't show you who was there.

The Tentmakers of Cairo did not mind.

Very early I came across Jan Tillett's small stall, with beautiful examples of her work.

As you know, I am very much a hand stitcher, very rarely I drop the feet of my sewing machine!

That morning I was lucky, I got the last place on Jan's first workshop "Shimmer and Wrinkle", using shrink polyester and machine embroidery. It involved wadding, net, angelina fibres and shrink polyester, of course.

Don't look at my stitching, concentrate on the result, LOL!

Thank you, Jan, it was fun!

You can see Jan's instruction video on youtube here .

Of course, there was some replenishing of my stash going on also:

And now my favourites from the quilt show:

Happy stitching!

©pleasureinstitching.blogspot.co.uk 2013

sweet cumin

The cold weather is with us again, although very dry, it is trying to snow just a little.

But I want to tell your about a very "warm" day I had yesterday.

I like Indian food, providing it is not too hot, but when ever I looked at recipes in my cookery books, I changed my mind, when confronted with a long list of spices needed.

Not long before Christmas I was reading an article in the Mendip Times about "Sweet Cumin", a cookery school specialising in Indian, namely Gujarati food. Sweet Cumin happens to be based here in Somerset, not very far from where I live. Both my DD and my DS's partner were also interested, so I contacted Bini at Sweet Cumin and booked a day for our course.

Yesterday the 3 of us arrived in Bini's lovely kitchen for our "Weekend Family Meal" course.

In her introduction Bini told us little about her family's Gujarati background, then we talked about and tasted spices we were going to use in our cooking.

The menu:

roast chicken curry

aubergine and potatoe curry

savoury rice and yogurt sauce

After that it was hands on, Bini demonstarted and we followed,

and this is our roast chicken curry finished

a close up of my dish.

When the rest of the food was finished, it was time to sit down and taste.

Delicious!

We enjoyed our time with Bini very much.

The course was well prepared, relaxed and friendly, just like cooking in a friend's kitchen.

And we all took a complete meal home, to eat in the evening!

From my point - I am no longer affraid to blend spices, and I am now in a process of reorganising my spices and re-discovering my Indian cookery books.

Thank you, Bini, for a wonderful morning!

Interestingly, from the point of this blog, Bini studied textile design and after that was teaching textiles, until she changed direction, to share with us her food heritage and the cooking skills her mother was teaching her. 

Of course, as you and I know, textiles and cooking go together very well!

Sweet Cumin was born (if you click on the highlited name, you will be taken to Bini's website).

By the way, Bini is taking a part in the ITV's new food programme Food Glorious Food, which starts next week, and its aim is to find Britain's best loved recipe. I believe you will be able to see Bini on the 5th March, when the programme visits South West. A book to acompany the programme has already been published.

©pleasureinstitching.blogspot.co.uk 2013