SUMMER: PRESERVING (AND SEWING)

Some Quick Change Trousers from this book, a first birthday gift for a gorgeous baby in our lives.  I love this fabric and I  chose this colour-way because I think its the perfect accompaniment to her strawberry-blonde hair and peaches n' cream complexion. She's so very beautiful. Last night I dreamt that I had rolls of this stored in my fabric cupboard...ah, to dream. What was more important this week was that I had enough of this fabric in my hands to sew these pants....

 

Is that a princess on your knee? (well, it will sit on her knee eventually, when she grows)

This summer I've embarked on preserving for the first time with the help of Sally (the first time excluding a poor attempt at strawberry jam some plus five years ago!). Using the techniques she outlines, along with her basic recipes, I 'played' with making some jam combinations of my own. I was inspired by some some large, productive blackberry bushes located a short walk away and my twelve (!) year old niece who makes wonderful preserves and all the great summer fruit currently available. Now we have...

raspberry and strawberry jam

nectarine jam

plum and peach jam

blackberry and apple jam

Elsa picking blackberries with a big cousin

Popping in a few under-ripe blackberries increases the pectin levels and improves the consistency

My first batch - raspberry and strawberry jam (I was a little excited)

Though I don't love jam myself (true), there's something wonderful about having a
cupboard full of  jam for the kids and Dada and to give away as gifts.

My Mum's never made jam but Dad dabbled in preserving, sometimes jams, but mostly chutneys and relishes. I think he would've enjoyed the blackberry and apple jam, perhaps more for the fact that we picked the blackberries. He was very interested in all kinds of flora, including fruit plants and loved to get out and about amongst it.

This week, I enjoyed a date with the littlest one...while Elsa is at her creative dance class, Rafael and I have taken to sharing time at this wonderful park on the river and a drink at the cafe overlooking it. We chatted away with the sound of Kookaburras laughing in the background and Sulphur Crested Cockatoos squawking overhead. So, inevitably perhaps, we chatted mostly about the birds. I love this weekly one-on-one time, something that his big sister and I enjoyed frequently before he entered  the world, and still  enjoy during his daytime sleeps whenever we can. With Elsa starting Kinder next week, I'll be savouring our day-time dates even more than usual and enjoying more one-on-one her little brother.

The river cafe