Hi there. Well, July was certainly a busy month at Annie’s albeit a very wet and wintery one! Since we last chatted we have been to Melbourne and caught up with lots of suppliers, designers and friends at the Quilt and Craft Show. Many of these very talented designers/tutors were very keen to come and teach at Annie’s...so watch this space!

On our return we hit the ground running hosting Bernina educators Julie and Rebecca for the Road Show. It was great to be able to show off the brand new Special Edition B770 and B475 machines featuring the Kaffe Fassett designs. If you missed seeing these it is not too late, as pre-orders are still being taken now for delivery in September. Check on the link below, and if you are keen to try the machines we do have the same models in the shop here that you can test drive. Kaffe machines are the same price, but there are lots of add-ons that do make them extremely good value and very tempting!

https://www.bernina.com/en-NZ/Home-New-Zealand

It is all go now with just 8 weeks until the National Symposium in Wellington at the beginning of October where Annie’s will be a merchant. Let us know if you are looking for requirements for your classes as I have been in contact with many of the tutors and can help you out with supplies.

You can still register for classes and lectures, although if you just want to visit the merchants mall or check out the exhibitions there is no charge. A full program is on-line if you click the link below.

https://www.quiltsymposium2022.co.nz/register-here

This week I thought I would show you this cotton linen panel ($28.00) from Zen Chic which gives you lots of options for bags and pouches. I have teamed it up with some writing fabric for the lining and plain black for the binding, along with a zip and the ByAnnie clear vinyl to make a collection of pouches which are ideal for organising your projects or as a quick project to make as a gift. Although not essential a Teflon foot for your machine (Bernina foot #52) definitely makes the job easier when you are sewing vinyl or leather.

https://www.bernina.com/en-NZ/Accessories-NZ/Presser-Feet/General-sewing/Zigzag-Foot-with-Non-Stick-Sole-52C

A very cool gadget to add to sewing box is Blade Saver Thread Cutter providing a second use for your old 45mm rotary cutter blades that you have accidently tried to cut through pins with! The blade is held in place (safely away from fingers) by the flower shaped holder and stands upright when in use so that you can easily cut you hand sewing threads or snip your chain pieced units for your quilting project. When not in use, the whole thing packs down into the base unit. These are $35.00 each and come in pink, orange, green, blue or purple.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2x1_8KHxRS4

In last week’s newsletter I mentioned about the Fibre Arts Tour that I am taking to the lower North Island at the end of January next year. Places are filling up, so let me or Jane (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) know if you would like to see the full itinerary or if are keen to join us on what should be an amazing trip visiting, quilt stores, a winery, boutique artisans, with some hands on workshops in a package with great food and accommodation.

Now..on to the recipe...this is a great ‘no fuss’ feed the family type dish with ingredients you have on hand.

Potato Moussaka

• 5-6 large potatoes
• 500 g lean beef mince
• 2 large onions
• 2 tablespoons flour
• ½ tsp each of ground cinnamon and allspice
• 1 tin Italian seasoned tomatoes (or plain crushed tomatoes and add ½ tsp oregano)

Topping

• 2 cups unsweetened plain yoghurt
• 2 large eggs
• ½ c grated cheese
• Ground paprika to dust

Cut the potatoes into thin slices and either microwave or cook in a pan with a little water until just tender.

Brown the mince and onion in a large fying pan on high heat with a dash of oil. Add in the flour and spices (and any extra veges that you think you can sneak in without anyone noticing). Cook for a couple of minutes and then add in the tinned tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper.

In a oven proof dish layer the mince mixture and the potato slices. To make the topping, whisk all the ingredients together and pour over the moussaka. Dust with paprika and cook uncovered for about 30 minutes at 180 C.

Have a great weekend and don’t forget to check out what we are up to on Facebook, and Instagram

Annie’s Country Quilt Store

03 3076 277