This and that

Lately (and for some time to come) I have been alternating between sewing up a storm and grading/commenting on student papers. Sorry to say I can't show either on this blog.

I'm on the verge of getting an overdose of tea (oh, this brings me back to the days I studied like mad before exams), but I'm having fun! Last night I decided I needed something to soak up some of the tea, so I made a batch of bagels dough for a slow rise in the fridge over night. This is the very first time for me. I remember my Mum making bagels years ago, and concluding "they were not worth all the hassle!" - but I decided to give it a go on a small batch.

They didn't come out the perfect shape and they got a bit dark since the last minutes in the oven flew by a bit too fast, but the taste.... mmmmmm! I'm happy with my first attempt ;o) This is the recipe I used:

• 25 g yeast
• 5 dl cold water
• 2 tbs melted butter
• 2 tbs golden syrup (I only had dark, but it worked well)
• 2 tsp salt
• ca 800 g regular flour

Mix well and leave covered in the fridge overnight (10-12 hours). Knead the dough and make 12 "rings" and leave them to rise for 20-30 min. Boil them in sugar-water (2 tbs sugar pr liter water) for ca 2-3 min, place on a baking sheet and add poppyseeds/sesame seeds/sunflower seeds, bake in the oven at 225C for ca 20 min.

Hugs and stitches from Anne Ida

A little finish

Thank you so much for all the comments on my Imagine quilt! Unfortunately I haven't been able to respond to all of you, but know all the nice words are truly appreciated!

There haven't been much sewing here since I finished it. A few log cabin blocks in brushed cottons for a soft version of Carrie Nelson's "Raise the Roof" are half finished



And I have been playing with some of the leftover scraps of Circle of Quilters fabrics and made this needle book for someone special ;o)



The stitchery on the cover is from a Gail Pan pattern for a tad smaller needle book. And compared to Gail's pattern I have turned the pockets - made two small and one large - and added a clip for a small pair of scissors.



...and a little certain someone just had to be the centre of attention - you wouldn't think he's normally camera shy *lol*

Hugs and stitches from Anne Ida