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Thursday 23 November 2017

I have to show you this.......

What a week this has been, I was determined to get back to posting on my usual day of Wednesday, however, the force that has taken over my life this last couple of months is not through with me yet, and Gypsy took over again.  Thats not what I want to show you though........

First let's get Gypsy out of the way with this weeks blocks for the Gnome Angel sew along.


Square in a Square Bordered, only the five blocks this week after last weeks marathon 35.  I'm not so sure of the one that's top left with the double border but I will see how it looks as I'm putting it together.

That's not what I've been sewing this week though,


This is your sneak peak, section 9 which is actually finished.  You can see the edge of section eight which is not quite complete and section ten is about three quarters finished, but I will show you another day.

If you have been reading here for a while you may remember that I lost my dear mother in law Edna just over a year ago, recently her husband Jack gave me her cookery book.  I had never seen it before, it was given to Edna as a young bride by her mother in law who in turn received it second hand from someone else.


 I think it is about mid 1930's, it's a bit tatty and has what looks like paint on the front, but I will treasure it anyway because of the family history and pass it down to Emily's Mum Tina who is Edna's granddaughter.


It appears to be available second hand if anyone is interested enough to want a copy, they are not expensive, only around five pounds in the UK, mine won't be worth as much as that because there are several pages missing at the beginning, but that doesn't matter to me.

There are lots of recipes inside but today I want to share with you a section at the back.


Oh yes, this book was aimed at the new bride, so you think that's why the new mother in law Sarah gave it to Edna?  I believe their relationship was rather fraught in the early days, Edna was from Kent in the temperate southeast of the UK and came up to the cold north east, no airs and graces here, we call a spade a shovel.  For Edna with her strong southern accent it was a different world, no one could understand her very well and the northeastern dialect was like a foreign language to her.  Still, she never went back to live in Kent and towards the end of Sarah's life it was Edna she lived with and who took care of her.  Edna had no daughters but I believe she was happy with me as her daughter in law, I hope so.


What miners wife Sarah thought of this book I don't know, a salad plate?  Salad went on the same plate as the stew and Sunday dinner, why would you want a plate just for salad?


Hehe!   Oh la di dah, only the gentry had maids, I bet they had a good laugh at this one.  The only bells were at the church and the school, working folk didn't even have a new fangled telephone in those days and who had a drawing room?  One room served as kitchen and living room for most folk, and for those with a big family it was a bedroom too.

I hope you enjoyed this, I haven't even explored the recipes yet, if I find anything good I'll make sure I share.

Yes I know this is supposed to be a quilting blog, and I admit I do tend to go off on a tangent at times, that's just me I'm afraid.  I do have one snippet to add about quilting though, Janice at Color Creating and Quilting has done a review on a new Craftsy class, it's Quilting the Grid by Christina Cameli.  Do pop across and read it, especially if you struggle with quilting or are looking for new ideas, it's a great review and appears to give a great flavour of what the class is about.  I think it sounds great, just what I need to improve my quilting while gaining confidence in my skills.  I do treat myself to a Craftsy class now and again, I have a few, what do you mean you can't tell by my quilting, who said that?  ANYway, this is the one I will be treating myself to at Christmas, I could buy it now but for me a Craftsy class is a treat for myself and it wouldn't be a treat if I just bought them willy nilly on a whim now would it?  Unless  there is a Black Friday offer on of course hehe!  I have to watch the pennies now I have officially 'retired'.

THERE IS I JUST CHECKED!!!  It is SUCH a good price, I don't think I have got one as low as that before.   Yes, I succumbed, oh the shame.   I WON'T be getting one at Christmas now of course, but I am only a month early, there again I could wait until Christmas to watch it, I said COULD, if Gary confiscated my laptop, tablet and phone and locked the door of his office that is.  Sigh..........  no patience.

Just a reminder, I may have included a link to the Craftsy class but I have no affiliates and get no renumeration for anything that I recommend, and neither does Janice which is why I'm happy to mention it.  Just saying.........

Until next time,
With similes from,
Kate x

Let's Bee Social
Wednesday Wait Loss
Midweek Makers
Can I Get a Whoop Whoop?
Finished or Not Friday





22 comments:

  1. Hello Kate,
    Your blocks are looking very pretty. Love the colours!
    What a great book! Thank you for the opportunity to read about how things used to be!
    A great family treasure too!
    It was fascinating to read a little of your family history and about the differences between the people and regions of our country.
    Can’t wait to hear about food from the era.
    Hugs, Barbara xx

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  2. love your quilt blocks. Isn't it fun to read the old cookbooks and the talk of how a wife should do this or that and things are so different now - can't imagine living and waiting on a spouse as much as women used to do!

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  3. You've made great progress in the sewing room. Old cookbooks are such fun. Sounds like you've really enjoyed your new treasure. I saw Janice's review and book marked that class as one I should probably get. I think there is a quilt as you go project in my future for next year.

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  4. The Gypsy is coming along nicely! I see you have some Grunge in there too...

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  5. I love when you go off on a tangent!! I read each of these excerpts and loved them. What a fun comparison to the world your mother in law most likely lived in. You are really a good writer Kate and it makes me smile when a post of yours pops up in my feed.

    Gypsy's Wife is coming along splendidly too!

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  6. Lovely Gypsy Wife blocks this week. It's really coming together! That cookbook is wonderful. I have several in the same vein from my mom. Really a laugh to read it. Thanks for linking up to Wednesday Wait Loss.

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  7. I have my eye on that class too, and very well may buy it in short order because YAHOO! it is a terrific price isn't it? I will read Janice's review too. I was going to buy it and do the same! (in my spare time) It seems with retirement there's less of that as well as of the money right? Ah well, more time to enjoy life! I love when you go off on tangents, and I did giggle out loud at some of the wordings and comments you made as well. Poor Edna, I bet Sarah and the northeasterners thought she put on airs, even if she didn't. How I adore your fabric choices, Kate in both projects! Just a feast.

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  8. How fascinating to find Edna's cook book! I hope there are little notes written in the margins. I had to laugh at the article about what the maid is supposed to do. How much of a problem was it that maids only "peeked through the crack" of the door, so much that it had to be addressed in writing in the cookery book?? If I had a maid, I wouldn't micromanage how wide she opened the darned door, that's for sure.

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  9. Love that sneak peek Kate! That cook book gives a view into another world doesn't it? Thanks for adding the link to the class - I read Janice's review before your post and she didn't add one. It looks great! Can't wait to see your practice samples

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  10. Love all of the those bright fabrics you're using! And thank you for sharing that wonderful book - such a fascinating look back a by-gone era.

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  11. Your Gypsy's Wife quilt is going to be fabulous! And I love those old housekeeping and etiquette books - what a hoot! Oh, how I wish I had a maid...... lol

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  12. Your quilt is so stunning and bright and cheerful. I love it.

    The book is so funny to see: we just don't do the same things anymore.

    Thanks for making my day!

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  13. That book is too cool. What a special gift! My kitchen is not exactly "reflecting heaven" most of the time. Well, maybe it never does! But, I absolutely HAVE trained my maid in the same exact way! lol This reminds me of a book I just read by Allegra Goodman titled "The Cookbook Collector." Thanks for sharing that. Oh, wait -- your blocks are pretty, too.

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  14. You are making great progress with your GW, it's looking wonderful! The cook book is a delight, and special. I enjoyed reading the snippets you shared.

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  15. I do so enjoy your Gypsy Wife updates! Your colors are a feast for the eyes. Thanks so much for mentioning my class review and hope you enjoy the class when you have time to take it!

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  16. What a fun tangent! I read every word of the pictures you posted. I love old books (well, all books almost) and would probably read everything in your cookery book. It's very special that you received it, so treasure it despite the imperfections. I would add a note mentioning all the people who have owned it so that as it's passed down, the first owners are remembered. (I always tell people to keep the library cards that come with any old books they buy. The signatures add to the charm.) Thanks for sharing. And since so many others have complimented your GW blocks, I'll just say I agree with them all.

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  17. The quilt is coming along "swimmingly" as I've heard said. But the cookbook is a joyful treasure indeed. You must be sure to train your maid to your exacting expectations. And using "aluminum" pans is a must. Chris collected old cookbooks. I'll have to see what treasures lie in his box. Maybe a recipe for damsun plum and quince jam. Actually I just made my favorite rhubarb,cherry and raspberry jam today. It's a freezer jam and so tangy. I'd better go have a peanut butter and jam sandwich right now. Q

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  18. Such a neat tradition to pass down! And interesting reading! Your Gypsy Wife is looking amazing!!!!!

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  19. What a fun treasure! I love old cookbooks! Your Gypsy Wife quilt is going to be so, so gorgeous!

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  20. The gypsy blocks are wonderful and colorful, as is the cookbook...:) I also can't imagine living in those days and grateful for our progress!

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  21. I may need new words to describe your blocks because I have already used stunning, awesome, gorgeous, bright, happy, cheerful and even juicy. Salad inside a lemon skin??? I am going to take a leap here and say that the writer is not much of a salad eater.

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  22. Oh Kate! I think your copy of the book is worth MORE! What a fun item to pass along to the family. Are there any notes in the margins? That would be great. :)

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With smiles from,
Kate