Change of Venue

I've now opened my bricks and mortar shop and had to change the name due to availability.  So you can follow me now at my new site  Hope to see you all there!

Janome Pro 5000Q

Well, what a difference a day makes.  On Monday, the shop I had really wanted to lease came available again!  It must be fate.  So I will be bricks and mortar after all.  I've just bought 6 of these beautiful babies for my sewing cafe in Sandgate!  I can't wait to start offering Stitch & Stuff workshops and classes at my Annie Rose Quilts shop.  David at Cooper's was just great.  Though I'm not sure he wasn't fibbing when he told me they had taken delivery of 500 of these on the first of September and I just got the last six.  Bit of sales pressure talk, me thinks.

Sewing Cafe in Kent

Whoa!  Where did the time go?  For me it's been spent on a very steep learning curve while I've been exploring a new business.  Having eight weeks of post-surgery time off work has given me the time I needed to pursue a re-occurring plan I've had to start up sewing classes in my local area.  I've been down the road of looking for premises and all that entails...insurance, business rates, etc etc.  I soon learned that without a lottery win that just wasn't going to happen.  So I have decided to start on a smaller scale by just hiring school and church halls and offering sewing courses for children, for teens and for adult beginners.  If I can ever get semi-permanent premises I would love to have a 'sewing cafe' where people can come to work on their own projects or attend workshops.  I am taking the plunge and purchasing 6 brand new Janome sewing machines.  I'm also setting up a website (not live yet) selling lovely Moda, Oakshott, Clarke and Clarke and Art Gallery fabrics.  I plan to continue to add new lines.  The website is proving to be the most challenging of all to get going.  I'm not the best at techie stuff.  It's very exciting times, but the saddest thing is I'm spending all my time planning and no time sewing.  My Janome has just been away for a service and it's still in the box!  I must let it out and try it out.  Did I mention that in preparation for all my stock arriving I have had to completely turn out every cupboard and make space.  Big boot fair at the end of this month!!  Although I do have a location for holding stock and completing orders.  I have been one busy girl!!!!  The ride is just beginning.  So if you live in the Folkestone area why not sign up for a class or two?  You can email stitchandstuff@sky.com for more information about class venues and start dates.

Quilt Labels

I've always struggled with how to label my quilts.  I have been creating my own on the computer and printing onto transfer paper.  I've kept them very small with just my name and transfered them on to a cotton tape to sew diagonally across a corner.  But when you have made a very special quilt for gifting I think it really deserves to be more specific.  I've seen labels done using iron on bonding to stiffen the fabric then just writing the details with a Sharpie marker and sewing on - I like this method, too.  I was going to try this method. THEN  I discovered Think Your Archie's method on Flickr.  This one takes the cake!!!  She tells me she designs them on the computer, too, and prints to transfer paper.  I must ask her about the type of transfer paper she uses.  I've had some problems with mine peeling - may be I have ironed too much or too little - I think it can be tricky.

Sew little time...

I have been spending entirely too much time in blogland.  I think my cat has run away and my partner doesn't bother coming home for dinner - what dinner?  I barely tear myself away from here to feed myself.  I'll just share two of the million treats I've found:

One to envy: Deb's gorgeous sewing room and all the lovely items produced there.

One to emulate: Julie's extremely useful binding tutorial

Banana Bread

Rosa Lily  hadn't heard of Banana Bread so I thought there my be others who hadn't experienced this lovely, easy to make treat.  Believe me, I'm not a baker, and even I can do this one.  This is a recipe from my Book of Favorite Recipes compiled by Messiah Lutheran Church Women Galva, Illinois which I've had since 1978!  Flipping through it's pages are like re-visiting the lovely ladies at church from my childhood days. Believe it or not there are four banana bread recipes.  Of course, I choose my Aunt Ruth's.  How's that for nostalgia?  Sorry, I'm not able to include delectable Nigella Lawson photos  - you just get the recipe.

Just mix together 1 cup sugar and 1/4 cup melted butter add a beaten egg, a teaspoon of vanilla flavoring and 3 medium bananas, mashed (the horrible black ones that no one wants to eat and would be at risk of getting thrown away).  Sift together 11/2 cup plain flour, 1/2 tsp. baking soda, 1 tsp. salt and 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional). 

Combine the dry mix with the wet and stir only until the flour is moistened.  Pour into a loaf pan.

Bake in 190 degree oven for approximately one hour.    Lovely, moist and slightly healthy.  Well, there is fruit!

Let me know if you try it!

OK When your fruit basket looks like this it's time to make banana bread (and learn the difference between fruit and chocolate.)  Guilty.  UK folks, don't get excited, we don't have pretzel M&M's yet, my lovely sister sent them to me.  We DO HAVE Willie's Delectable Cacao which contains no soya if that's the kind of thing your after.