Hi there.  Well it has been a full on week with great hospitality from the organisers of the Sew Marlborough Mini Symposium.  This is a big undertaking for the organisers, who are all volunteers and give up huge amounts of their time and energy to make it all happen – so take a bow people for a job well done!

The Mini Symposium has become a tradition (alternating with the National Quilt Symposium) and held in the South Island every two years, bringing quilters together from all over the country and from as far away as Western Australia.  It is a great event, and I hope another group or Guild will be encouraged to take up the challenge and we get to do it all again in 2018!

In the meantime make sure you sign up for the National Symposium in Christchurch next year.  Preparations are well underway, and it is promising to be an amazing event.  If you are quilter/fibre artist/crafter and you are not there, you are missing out!

http://quiltsymposium2017.org.nz/

By the time you read this I will be in Sydney as Robbie and I are heading off to a conference.  Yes, it is a fairly hectic schedule at the moment, and we are very lucky to have great staff in the shop who are able to take care of everything.  Don’t forget to ask them about the great savings on the ex-symposium machines which continue until the end of July –Bernina 570 (save $1,300) and Bernina 350PE (save $600).  There is also a great deal on the 700D Bernina overlocker (save $400).

In the meantime, I thought I would show you another wool project from Sue Spargo that I have just finished recently.  This is the Allium Sack and is designed to store your growing collection of thread spools.  A girl can never have enough thread (or fabric, chocolate, shoes, or wine!)

I have put this together as a kit to include all the wool and cotton fabrics, batting, Velcro and the large two sided storage pouch which is $259.00.  It is available as a pattern ($23.00) and the storage pouch is available separately for $69.00.  As your thread collection expands, additional pouches can be added into the bag as they Velcro in.

There have also been some lovely new Quiltmania books arrive in store including this one from Linda Koenig called “Ratsburg Road Quilts”.  Packed full of gorgeous quilts with a vintage/antique timeless look.  A gorgeous book to drool over…..even if you never make anything!

Anyway, on to the recipe…..

Passionfruit and Pineapple Loaf

• 125g butter
• 1 c caster sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 ½ c self-raising flour
• 1/3 c plain flour
• 170 g can passionfruit pulp (or 5 fresh passionfruit)
• 225 g can pineapple pieces in juice, drained

Preheat the oven to 180 C and line a large loaf tin.  Beat the butter and sugar until pale and creamy, then beat in the eggs one at a time.  Fold in the flours and fruit and spoon into the prepared tin.

Bake for 50 mins or until a skewer comes out clean.

You can then make a syrup using an extra ½ c sugar, ¼ c water and 2 tsp vanilla.  Cook this together in a small saucepan until the sugar is dissolved and then pour over the hot cake.

Cut into slices and serve with coffee/tea or as a dessert with cream or icecream.

Take care and happy stitching,

Rachel