Featuring February...

Wow!!! Where has February gone?  I know it is shorter than the other months, but this year it has flown by.

February has had me out of the house a lot more after my January hibernation.  

• I have caught up with lots of friends for lunch and chats, which has been lovely.
• Activities like 'mainly music' have restarted.  I just love my Friday mornings spent with mothers and their preschoolers.  However, the humidity the last few weeks has left me a melted glob by the end of some of the sessions - especially when I have been the leader.
• Do you make play dough?  I make a couple of batches each term for the children to create with after morning tea.  I like it much better than store tubs as it is edible - there is always someone who wants to 'taste' it = too salty and soapy for my palate!
• Recipe: there are plenty about.  I use the one on the McKenzie's Cream of Tartar tin:
• 2 cups plain flour, 1 cup salt (fine is better), 4 Tabsp cream of tartar, 2 cups cold water, 2 Tabsp oil and food colouring (a few drops for very pale, more for stronger colours)
• This recipe says to mix all ingredients then stir over medium heat for 3-5 minutes until mixture congeals.
• For a change, I have recently tried the uncooked recipe which adds boiling water (replacing cold water) to other ingredients.  It thickens up with much less effort spent stirring and kneads to a lovely consistency.  So far I think I am a convert.

• I sent off my Valentine's swap (organised through Cheryll from 'Gone Stitchin' to Noela.  Getting this ready was part of my January fun:
•  I made a passport wallet with the required 'Initial heart' on the front.  This combined many ideas from my web searches.  I kept the embroidery to similar colours to the fabric I was using - a bit 'game' for me, but I was pleased with the result.
• I knitted a couple of cloths with 'heart designs' on them - free from craftsy.
• I developed a cloth design that had the 'N' inside the heart - this was my stretch in this activity, but has left me feeling that I could now knit from a graph.  If you would like this pattern, let me know and I'll send it to you.
• To add a bit of fun to the package I included the 'necessary' chocolate plus a cute Golden Book called 'Everything I need to know about love I learned from Golden Books'.  I grew up on Golden Books and bought many for my children too.  This on takes 'love' themed pages from many different stories and combined them into this lovely book to reminisce over or discover anew.  Keep a look out for it - I got mine from Dymocks.

• I received my Valentine from Maria.  I am really enjoying embroidery at the moment and Maria's gift was an embroidered heart pin cushion in my favourite pinks - how did she know that was so me???  She used a design from Jenny Her chocolates were yummy (it's a shame my husband isn't eating chocolate, so I didn't need to share) I have done her little game square, and I know a couple of granddaughters that will give it a good workout when I share it with them.

• I have signed up for a Spring Fabric Swap through 'Sew n Swap' and will be sending 1 yard (or equivalent pieces) to USA.
• I have also signed up for 2 apron swaps, so I guess that means it has been ok to buy fabrics during February - so much for my trying to de-stash this year.