Saving daylight

Hello Daylight Saving! You snuck up on me this year, and it doesn't feel quite warm enough for you yet (its snowing in the mountains today!) but I love the idea of longer days and warm nights in the garden. The kids all planted a different vegie crop way back when we turned over more of our garden to vegies and we are starting to harvest some at last for homegrown salads. Mr J has been watching his broad beans closely for the last month and finally last night some pods were big enough for harvest. New baby broad beans are so delicious, especially compared to the sometimes bitter older beans. A's radishes were perfect too, this is our second sowing after we finished D's crop.

I was thinking the other day as I walked out of the library with a haul of great books, and a happy feeling inside, about the simple things in life that make me happy. Eating our own produce is high on that list, so I'm really glad I got round to making it more of a priority this year and using more space in the garden.

Another plant we grow and use is our ornamental grape vine. Inspired by my Greek sister-in-law when those beautiful new leaves come out each year I make a batch or two of dolmades. These are so simple to make, just collect the new soft leaves before they harden up. Blanch them for four or five minutes and then fill and wrap your raw mix of short grain rice, tomatoes, onion, cumin, mint, salt and olive oil. Arrange them closely in a pot seam side down and then cover with a plate to keep them flat. Fill the pot to slightly over the plate with water or vegetable stock and simmer for half and hour. The rice cooks inside the little parcels. So moreish!

I'm still sewing away, up in my cosy attic with the rain beating against the window, listening to podcasts and drinking tea, more simple pleasures!

my creative space - sewing machine

I have been making up for lost time this week, sewing some cushions I've been meaning to sew for a month and finishing some other special pieces to go into the shop next week. I promised an update and a sale ages ago and I am finally getting organised to follow through. It is Flower Press's fifth birthday soon too so I want to celebrate that as well!!

When in the process of cutting fabric fate delivered a pillowcase sized offcut on my cutting board I also whipped up this lego pillowcase for Mr Flowerpress who has mentioned a couple of times that he was the only family member not to have a bespoke pillowcase. He loves it and I was reminded how quick and easy my pillowcase tutorial really is. I'm thinking of making more for Christmas presents. Wouldn't they make the perfect reusable wrapping for presents. Christmas stockings in our family come traditionally in pillowcases, so it seems quite apt.

swallow

Its been a while... as usual the school holidays have swallowed me up and changed my routine for a couple of weeks. And as usual we packed our bags and set off together for a bit of adventure and a change of scene. Last week saw us out west again, staying with Mr F's lovely Mum, eating ourselves silly, taking in the beautiful spring blossom and bulbs, putting a coat of clay mix on his sister's straw bale project and picking up rocks by her country creek.

And whoosh, it's October. I'm hoping I can squeeze a bit of making into this last speedy part of the year. I did spend a little time tidying my creative space last week before we left so I'm hoping it will be quicker to get back to all that when I have time!