Hey there, well after many, many months of planning  I am busy packing the trailer and getting ready to hit the road for Nelson for the first of our workshops with US designer Sue Spargo.  It is all very exciting and a real treat to have one of the celebrities of the quilting world in our midst!  A huge "Thank You!" to all those people who have signed up for the classes and trunk shows, as without this support it simply wouldn't happen.

It has been another busy week with lots of stitching going on and I thought I would show you this gorgeous little penny mat that I have just finished.  It is called May Flowers and is available as a kit for $28.00 which includes the pattern and all the wool that you need for the project which measures 8.5" across.  If you are keen to have a go at wool applique, this is a great small project to start with.  Of course if you need the threads to go with it, we can help you with that too.

Another gorgeous hand stitching project is this stunning sashiko fabric from Japan.  This is basically the stitching equivalent to "painting by numbers" .  Using a sashiko thread, you simple stitch over the pre-printed lines on the fabric to create gorgeous traditional cloth that can be used for table runners, cushions, bed runners  or as panels in a quilt.  You will need .4 for a good size runner (or series of cushions, which would be $23.60.

Ok...moving along.  This week's recipe is sugar free (well almost, as long as you don't count chocolate) but don't be put off as it is really rather good, and comes courtesy of Jenny who is one of our regular Thursday class ladies who brings us baking treats.

Jenny's Sugar Free Slice

• 3/4 c dates or any dried fruit.   Soak this in 1/2 c boiling water and mash when softened.
• 1 tbsp honey and 1 Tbsp coconut oil or butter melted together.
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1/4 oat bran
• 1 c flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 c walnuts or any nuts (chopped)
• 1/4 c chocolate (chopped)

Mix all the ingredients together with a little milk to moisten and press into a 23cm baking dish and bake for 20-30 mins at 160 C

Take care and happy stitching

Rachel

Annie's Country Quilt Store

(03) 3076 277

www.anniesquilts.co.nz