Hi there. It is another sweltering day in Mid Canterbury, and everything any everyone is looking pretty thirsty. Great if you are at the beach, but spare a thought for the firefighters and volunteers in the Tasman region who will be battling the elements for some time yet.

If you can find a shady spot or a seat beside the air conditioning vent, today (like every day) is a good day for stitching. If you need added inspiration take a look at this absolutely stunning quilt. Beautifully stitched by Suzie Brown (Timaru) using Sue Spargo’s design “Fresh Cut”.

I am just putting together some starter kits for this quilt with the black wools, and you can add to this with the full range of Sue Spargo wools, threads and braids that we have in store....not to mention the books, patterns and kits.

Something else that I would like to show you this week are these very cute purse patterns and frames. I have made this little one using shot cotton and some Liberty hexagons. The frames are quite easy to attach using glue, paper string and a pair of pliers, and there are number of shapes and sizes of patterns and frames available. These make great gifts and are an excellent way to use up scrap fabric.

Next weekend we are hosting tutor Griet Lombard for her Holey Felt and Winter Garden classes. There are a couple of places left, so don’t miss out on classes that are on your doorstep and great value for money! More details on the class page of the website. Griet will also be teaching at the National Quilt Symposium in Auckland later this year.

If you fancy a day out both the Mayfield and Methven A&P Show are coming up in March – 9th and 16th respectively. Annie’s sponsor prizes in the craft sections for both these event, and it is a good chance to see what other people are working on and perhaps consider entering yourself next year.

Now...on to the recipe. This is a great one for hot summer days, and if you have a ready source of lemons it is very economical to make.

Lemon Granita

Ingredients:

• 3 cups water
• 1 cup sugar
• Pinch salt
• 1 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 ½ tsp lemon zest

Method:

Combine water and sugar on medium heat and bring to simmer. Stir to dissolve sugar
Add salt and remove from heat
Cool syrup in the refrigerator for approximately 1 hour
Once cooled, combine lemon juice, lemon zest, pinch of salt, simple syrup and club soda in a chilled shallow metal pan
Freeze until ice crystals start to form around edges
Stir to break up crystals and repeat every 30 minutes until all liquid is crystallized
Scrape the ice with a large metal spoon or spatula to break up frozen crystals and serve immediately.