Red Brolly

Home Sweet Home :: Rocky Road Morsels

It's been awhile since I did a recipe, but here's a lovely little treat for your next stitching gathering. Just bite size enough, without having too much. Gotta love Rocky Road...and it's very easy to make too!

And please forgive the photos it's been a bit of a hectic week...

Ok...here's what you'll need.

Ingredients

Marshmallows

Chocolate-I used milk and white, but really you could use whatever you like.

Crushed nuts- I used peanuts, but upon thinking about it in hindsight, pistachios would look great.

Glace Cherries.

Skewers

A jar, long necked bottle, foam etc- Something to stick skewers into whilst chocolate is setting.

Teaspoon

 

Method...sooo easy peasy...

 

1. Melt your milk chocolate.

2. Place a marshmallow onto the skewer, just enough so the tip doesn't point through.

3. Tip marshmallow into chocolate and swirl around a little bit to ensure there's a generous covering over the marshmallow.

4. Place skewer with chocolate covered marshmallow into a jar and allow to try. Repeat with all the marshmallows.

5. Now melt the white chocolate and chop glace cherries in half.

6. When the milk chocolate has set, get a spoon and drizzle over the white chocolate, sprinkle with crushed nuts and place a glace cherry on top. Allow to set.

7. Voila! Rocky Road morsels...one delicious mouthful, and you don't need to worry about getting chocolate on your fingers and transferring it onto your stitching.

HA! You probably wouldn't even need to stop stitching. Just grab a skewer and keep on going...perfect!

  Bronwyn...

 

 

::Thinking of Christmas presents {...Grab a cup of coffee}

Have you got your coffee in hand? Just wanted to remind you....

 

....about my Lipgloss Girls purses and bags. These make cute, gorgeous handmade gifts for someone. Very easy to make with simple stitching and applique. Most fit a 10" purse frame (not included with pattern).

 

 

 

They're really quick to make and would make a great alternative gift.

 

All available from your favourite Quilting supplies shop of course.

 

Feather your nest:: How to decorate with quilts.

:: Quilts as headboards::

From Martha Stewart.

From Apartment Therapy.

 

Another idea for decorating your home using your gorgeous quilts.

Have a lovely stitching weekend.

Bronwyn...

::Gettin' crafty with washi tape.

Remember a little while ago I gave a tutorial on how to make your own decorative tape? Plus I gave you some free designs to use?

Well I also promised to give you some crafty ideas on how to use your own tape...or even if you've purchased some washi tape. It has been a little while since the posting, I hope you can forgive me, but if you've read the previous postings you'll understand why.

Anyway...let me show you these ideas!!!!!

There's soooo many uses for this gorgeous washi tape, I didn't realise that it had so many applications. Lots of great ideas. Here's a few...

With your decorative tape you can...

This garland was made using the double sided tissue tape I showed you and scraps of fabric I had.

You could also use the tape to jazz up your pot plants by wrapping it around the tops of your pots.

Or how about this!!! The best one yet.

TA-DA! At your next stitching gathering... 

 
decorate your plates and glasses, jugs and even the table...though how you'd remove it afterwards I don't know.

Still wanting more inspiration for using this stuff? How about these....

Great hey? If you have anymore ideas please feel free to post them in the comments.

 

BRONWYN...                                                  

 

 

Some of the above images are courtesy of Marie Claire Idees, How about Orange, Martha Stewart and Pinterest. The rest are my own personal photos.

 

SECRET SANTA.

Did you all get your copy of Quilter's Companion with the "Secret Santa" quilt.  And Frank the Dog.  And Bondi the Snowman.  

  Not too late.

 Here it is- makes a great decoration for Christmas!  EAsy Applique and would look stunning on a wall or over the back of a chair or sofa.

  In newsagents now!

WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?

 This comes under the "What have I been Doing?" lately banner.

  I've just posted off a quilt to the Gorgeous Catherine at Homespun magazine which will be a new B.O.M. for early next year.

   Following the now popular trend of finding your Family Heritage and hot on the heels of programmes such as "Who Do You Think You Are" Homespun Magazine have comissioned me to design a quilt around "Family " and "Heritage".  This was No Mean Feat!  "What on earth!" I thought to myself "Do you put in a Family Heritage Quilt?"

  I Narrowed it down to what I call the "Highlights of Family" :

   1.  Births

   2. Marriages

   3. History

 So- I've designed the quilt so you can make something really special to give or keep as your family story!

  Firstly, you can write in birthdays of members of your family:

  There's room to write in names and dates under the carriage.

 

For the "Marriage" section there's a lovely little country Church with roses around the entrance archway......  And old-fashioned gardens at the door.....

 

   Of course- a Bride and Groom....... And Flower girl......

 

  And.........  Don't Forget .... The Wedding Cake!

 

  This is soo.o.o.o.o   exciting!

  There are lots of places to write in all the important dates in your family and family History.

  This quilt will be so unique to you and your family!

  And Yes! I have put in the Family Tree...

 

  This is my family tree.  On my father's side.

  These are the first Hayes's to come to Australia on the ship the "China" which sailed from Waterford in Ireland in 1839. Jane Hayes was widowed just before they sailed- and she travelled from Ireland to Australia with NINE! children.  What a feat!  No T.V. to keep them entertained.

 

  I haven't put the whole tree in- you'll have to wait for the quilt in Homespun to get the whole thing.

But there's plenty of room for you to write the names of your family members- and two hearts at the bottom of the tree for writing in the names of the father and mother.

  I've also designed a place for your own family name and two places for writing in Family Events.

  I hope this will be a quilt that you can pass down from generation to generation.

 

  Keep tuned... A Family Heritage "something" coming up!

 

      

Canberra Show.

  There's been lots of excitement in the Red Brolly Household today.

  It's THE Big Show in our Hometown of Canberra. The Canberra Craft and Quilt Fair!

  The girls are all dolled up and ready to go!

  Lots of Red Brolly patterns will be there, including:

 

 

 

  I was there on Friday- and filled the Ginger Snap Trays with all sorts of Goodies- well... Minties, chocolate eclairs and smarties for the crowds of happy sewers-

                   Hi to all the Girls that were there on Friday!  

 

 These make exciting Christmas gifts to either make and give -- or give the patterns as a gift in themselves.  A gift any sewer would love!

  Canberra Show- Today and Tomorrow (Sunday).

  Call in and see Kez and Dan at Giggle Buttons- and say "hi"!

             First stand as you come through the doors.

                   DON"T FORGET!   Happy Birthday Singer Sewing Machines.

Here's your opportunity (or excuse- who needs housework when you can sew, sew, sew!)

  Get out those machines (Singer or otherwise) and sew something this weekend in celebration of the Singer Sewing Machine Birthday!!

 

 And Remember-

                   HOME is where your sewing machine sits!

 

Feather your nest:: How to decorate with quilts.

                                                                        

This week's "How to decorate with Quilts" idea is to make a display by hanging your quilts on several long rails. This quilt display  from Pottery Barn, looks fabulous.

Instead of just displaying one quilt on your traditional hanger....have a long rail and group quilts according to a certain specification, ie geometric patterns, colours or a theme. Break up the display using quilts with solid colours. And the best part is...when you get tired of looking at the quilts, you can change them around.

Have a lovely weekend...

Ruffle your feathers {D.I.Y Ruffle love}

  
              by Urban Outfitters                                                                                      by Anthropologie

Have you noticed ruffles appearing everywhere?

Maybe it's me, but I do seem to be seeing a lot of ruffles around.

Here's some lovely D.I.Y ruffles you can make- patterns and tutorials included....!

From left to right...

Raw Ruffle lampshade by Crafty Texas Chicks

DIY Ruffle Pomander Tutorial from Ruffled

Ruffle curtain by Elle Apparel

Jazz up your flat shoes with gorgeous little ruffles from Creatively Ordinary

Embellish an old shirt with this Ruffled T-shirt tutorial from Mismatcherie

Shabby Chic Ruffle necklace by Poppy Chic

Finally something I wish I could wear...GORGEOUS removable ruffled high heeled sandals...sigh!

by ...love Maegan

 

If you have a ruffle tutorial that you would like to share please post a link in the comment section.

 

          

Sew and Tell:: {Heather Bailey}

Would you like some inspiration for your workspace?

Today, come and peek inside the studio of Heather Bailey...

Gorgeous isn't it? Here's soem things that she did that we can also do at home. See the glass jars on the top left shelf? Well, those are just ordinary jars, recycled, and then the lids have been painted red.

This cabinet was a flea market find which was bought for $150 and then revamped. What a great way to stash all our bits of fabric, and it doubles as a gorgeous display! Group all fabrics according to colour to make a wonderful and eye-catching arrangement.

 

A great way to store our ribbons...and they're easy on hand to grab quickly.

A vintage mirror which was originally gold and she repainted.

Drawers of buttons..again grouped according to colour.

A stunning chandelier hangs in the centre of her studio...

Hope you enjoyed this eye-candy as much as I did.

oh...and if any of you have an inspirational studio that you would like to share with us. I would love to hear from you.