busy...

Having decided on a new project I have been getting on with it... and I have managed 9 blocks so far this weekend... back to the fray!  but just now they are kind of secret... You will have to wait!



Having made damson jam, it is always good to share a little.. so two pots trotted off to a new home, with nice wee hats on their heads, and a cosy little basket to sit in for the journey..  The recipient loves owls, so I found a few to go with her jam...

I even lined the little basket the jars went in with some owls.. 

I think another time I would make the dividing flap attach to the sides of the basket, so it did not fold down, but this was an experiment, and I was quite pleased with the result.. 

Then another friend did not possess a hottle bottle... and sometimes the comfort that a hottie gives just cannot be replaced by any other source of warmth... As there is a small one also in the household, it felt right to make a hottle bottle cover for both Mum and Small... 

I wonder who will win which one?

I know the dinosaurs are intended for Small, but you just never quite know!




These hottle bottle covers are a quick and easy make. Can you tell I had fun?

Wednesday works..

 Managed to finish this side of a bag, which has been planned for sooo long, I have another in the planning, too- more of that when I get there.. eventually.

And then, the Stash bee block for August also happened. The brief was, to make a churn dash block, with blue as the 'dash' , and 'low volume ' for the rest.











 Of course, I made a fundamental error, and sewed the wrong side to the right side... so the seam ripper came out to play. More than once.

And having decided to use a light blue, rather than a deeper blue, I was a bit hard put to get a good contrast. This will have to do.









On the plus side, we ( I ) made the first batch of damson jam last night.
 our own damsons.
I counted them in.    90.

I counted the stones out.  91.   where did the extra one come from??

So the tally so far this year is,
Raspberry, tayberry, gooseberry, damson, courgette and ginger, and redcurrant jelly!

The first flowers are on the 'vine' tomatoes, and the cucumbers are swelling nicely. And... I picked ( and ate) the very first of our own raspberries for this year.

 

A full cupboard of preserves, and enough to give a few away. Very satisfactory!

So how is your harvest?

 

Harvest begins

First lot boiling

about half the crop..

dripping through

 We have one redcurrant bush. That is all. Just the one.
I love redcurrant jelly. I would eat it with sweet or savoury, on rice pudding, in yogurt, with lamb, or chicken, or spread on bread. Love it. So, how much redcurrant jelly can you get from just one bush?

I do not yet know. We picked 6lb 12 oz. From one bush.

I have boiled up 3lb, and it is dripping through the jelly bag. I have boiled up the remaining 3lb 12 oz, but that will have to wait until I have sorted the first lot, so I can use the jelly bag again.

next lot on the boil

So, in the next few days, we shall have new red jewel like jelly. That's good!





  and we have started picking damsons. Sweet and delicious and just gettiong on with themselves, with very little attention from me.
There is about 1lb 12 oz here, we should double that in the next day or two- any that evade eating raw- they will become jam too. You cannot beat home made jam!



And DD2 has been busy too. She and her Dad went picking raspberries at the PYO this morning.
Result?

All this jam.

And himself has gone in quest of jam sugar and lemons and ginger for making our delicious courgette and ginger jam. I love getting that store cupboard stocked with home made goodness.

Yes, I am trying to make you jealous!