Murphy's law

Good day to you all !

I am just back from 3 days of workshops in Melbourne 

Apologies if you have messaged or emailed me as I was flat chat and had zero time to respond to ANYTHING 

This is brief as I DO have people that NEED responses and I am also off to Teach this am at Hobby Sew Top Ryde.

I was very excited to receive an email late last week telling me that not only was I one of 66 artists profiled in the Uppercase Compendium - I was also to have one of my pictures of my wedding ring quilt in progress on the cover.

Murphy's law would be that this quilt was chosen for a cover. 

Funnily making this quilt, it was when I was having a moment with lots of thoughts in my head and I wanted to mindlessly sew. 

I wasn't concentrating on fabric design choices or placement and truthfully my seams aren't all matching either. 

It feels like a true reflection of how I felt at the time and I am honoured to have it shown on the cover of this fantastic publication.

I have also just finished discussions with Quiltsmith in Sydney to teach this quilt 

31st Jan 2016

Give them a call to book in

Like a typical creative person I have agreed to do a workshop on a class for a quilt that I haven't finished!

I have a pretty tight deadline and hope to have it on display hanging in the shop mid November..... Wish me luck !

Anyway apologies for briefness - I need to dash to teach my Hobbysew class.

If your waiting on advice/ instructions/ general replies I will get onto it after my class today !

Thank you

Xx Siobhan 

Bee's Knees

The last 4 weeks have been crazy 

Crazy good - not crazy bad

 School Holidays 

- which included a trip to Avoca with a few other families for almost a week

- A lunch with Better Homes and Gardens Australia to launch the Better Homes Live show

10 Kids + 10 Quilts = Mayhem

- Shipping 3/4 kids & a husband off for a final hurrah to the snow for a few days whilst I stayed home and prepped for the Brisbane show (I crazily made 24 meters of bunting)

- Getting school ready for the big two kids 

- Then Jetting off to Brisbane with the two little kids for 8 days, for the Brisbane Craft and Quilt Fair ...........

I'm FINALLY HOME

and back into some semblance of a routine.

The Brisbane show was great, I had 21 of my 22 quilts on display from my book By The Block.

It really felt very indulgent being able to hang all the book quilts in one space (They took up a little over 20 meters of space). It was lovely for me to see them all together (minus one).

I have some pictures on Instagram and Facebook

I met lots of lovely lovely people in Brisbane - which you will see in my pictures !

My computer is being unfriendly and wont let me upload the pictures to the blog :(


I also had a quick interview with Tim Cox from ABC Brisbane Radio
On the Weekends program 10th Oct 2015
I start babbling at 2:13:35


I'm off to sort out my iphoto issue
and think of what I forgot to tell you


Siobhan Xx

tricks of the trade

I get a few questions in my classes, trade shows and book signings about my photography.

Way back when I left school I studied photography and worked as a cadet photographer - honestly at the time I didn't have what it took, I don't think I had the maturity or patience. I regret (slightly) not seeing my 4 year course through... I dropped out at the end of 2nd year and transferred across to another degree that I did finish...... much to my parents relief 

Live and learn !

Whats that saying - No such thing as mistakes only lessons learnt?

Flash forward a few years later (a few more than I am willing to admit) and I am back to it - I'm loving it. Images take time and patients and I get a kick out of it.

Today I was photographing a blood orange tart that I made. I was photographing it with the intent of blogging the recipe - hopefully in the next few days I'll get around to it.

Picture A

What I actually wanted to write about today was how I took the photo.

I like to use natural muted light, that way I don't need to mess around too much with my exposure. 

I used my fixed 50mm lens and set my camera to F/1.4* (*F stop or focal ratio).

Its worth having a read of your camera manual if all of that sounds like another language.

The next important thing is where to take your picture - as in whats in the picture.

To give you an example I have used an old door and painted it with a few different paints and techniques (picture 1)

Picture 1 - Old door painted

The top two panels I painted with a green paint. Letting the paint dry and then lightly sanding it back. I then painted white over the top of the top panel heavily and the second panel only lightly. 

I painted the bottom panel in the white, letting the white layer dry I sanded it back lightly and then added a blue layer on the bottom panel.

I chose sections of the door to photograph the tart (Pic A blue section, Pic B green section) 

Picture A

Picture B

and then used another part of the door for a nice flat textured surface shoot(picture C blue section) 

Picture C

I then used the top part of the door to picture one of my quilts hanging off it (picture D)

Picture D

I tend to be drawn to rough old surfaces, I think they are easy backgrounds to photograph? Maybe..... 

I'd love to see what you guys do and what types of areas or surfaces you use in your photos!

paste a link in the comments and I can have a stickybeak 

Xx Siobhan Rogers

Happy Days

I have JUST finished a huge huge quilt with a wicked quick deadline.... cue the bath soak for my sore neck and shoulders.

To celebrate and help me buy/ make some new things I thought I would do a flash sale on my website

link to the left of my blog

50% off almost everything! 

(excludes my pre sale book and little patterns)

Some things you will come across in the sale 

- very cool big Pom Pom trim 

- Leather zipper clutches 

and of course

- Some Quilts

Happy Shopping

Siobhan Xx

Roll up roll up

I'm looking for brands and shops that fit my style and ethos - If you think that thats you

email me

email me siobhan at hillgallery dot com dot au

Xx Siobhan Rogers

Bananas

This Banana loaf has been a regular in our house for many many years, I might have even blogged about it here before.... I cant remember!

I instagramed a picture recently and I had a few requests for the recipe - so here it is.

Banana Loaf

I use a 10 X 20 cm loaf tin - you could bake it any size or shape you like. My batter usually comes up to about an 1/2 an *inch below the top of the tin when I pour it in.

*its the quilter in me - I like using inches

Grease the cake tin with a little butter

Pre heat oven to 170c Fan forced

Ingredients & Method

3 medium very ripe bananas mashed 

1 cup raw sugar

1 tsp cinnamon powder

80g butter melted

1/2 tsp vanilla paste

2 large eggs

3/4 cup milk

mix all the above ingredients until well combined.

add in

2 1/4 cups plain flour

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

200g block of dark chocolate roughly chopped into big chunks 

mix until just combined

pour/ scrape into the prepared loaf tin and sprinkle about a tablespoon or so of extra raw sugar onto the top of the cake batter in the tin

bake for 1 hour - checking with a wooden skewer that the middle is cooked.

Turn the cake out of the loaf tin whilst still hot and let the cake cool on a wire rack.

Yummiest eaten still warm and fresh or sliced and toasted the next day.

I also had a go at making homemade Nutella.

Funnily I cant actually remember how I made it..... 

I vaguely remember that the recipe I found called for 2 cups of roasted hazelnuts, 1 cup cocoa, 1 cup icing sugar and a little vegetable oil until you get the right consistency. All whizzed together in the food processor.

 It tasted a little lacking - I added in half a block of dark chocolate and we were in business. 

I really need to mess around a little more to get the recipe right, but definitely worth a go and something for the kids to try. 

I would have liked to add coconut oil instead of vegetable oil..... but the kids in our family aren't coconut fans (insert sad face because I LOVE coconut)and I suppose it then wouldn't be Nutella but a hazelnut chocolate & coconut spread.

Let me know how you go with the cake or any tried and tested Nutella recipes you may have

Xx Siobhan 

Solid as a block

Here we go 

A little more information about my quilt and pattern in the Latest 

Australian Better Homes and Gardens

August 2015 magazine

I made this quilt way back in November/ December 2014 just before Christmas and at the same time as two other big quilts for publication....... The usual story of everything being due within days of each other, as well as the end of the school year and start of the summer holidays.

I swore the year before that I wouldn't do that to myself again...... flash back to Nov/ Dec 2013 and I had 12 quilts due for my book manuscript.

Apparently I forget stressful life events very easily and quickly!

 I'm pretty excited about this quilt - not only did I enjoy creating it BUT it was for a magazine I grew up reading. 

A close second in my childhood nostalgia excitement would be Burke's Backyard or A Country Practice and if my quilt was in an episode of either shows - Which wont ever happen as the two shows are no longer. 

I apologise to non Australians who have no idea what I am going on about.

Anyway..... I digress 

The quilt

I made the quilt front using Prima Solids from Spotlight. 

The Quilt as seen in Australian Better Homes and Gardens August 2015

and the back (pictured before quilting) is a cotton/ Linen blend.

To help my pattern writing and keep in mind I was creating three quilts at the same time, and all in solids from different manufacturers. 

I made a half square triangle of each colour and pieced it into the backing so that I would remember exactly what colours I had used when I went to double check the pattern writing.

Light green 

Khaki green

mid blue

cornflower blue

teal

airforce blue

mustard

dark purple

light purple

baby pink

coral

hot pink

white background

teal stripe binding

natural sand coloured linen backing

for the full fabric requirements and pattern please purchase August 2015 BHG Magazine

The version I have pictured is slightly different to the pattern in the Magazine as we ran out of room for instructions and replaced my blocks with curved piecing in them with solid coloured blocks.

Its an opportunity for you to change things or mix it up a little if you feel like adding in your own ideas.

I promised on Instagram my banana cake recipe - thats going to have to wait till the weekend, sorry but between teaching the last two days and a backlog of pattern work I'm behind schedule! 

and don't forget I have pre order copies of my book available on my website

If you do make this quilt or any of my quilts and you are on social media - please tag me!

or #siobhanrogers

Im off to clean and cook

Xx Siobhan Rogers

Better Homes and Gardens

Just a quick one to let you know that the Australian August 2015 Better Homes and Gardens Magazine should be in shops today 

and it has a quilt and pattern 

I designed in it

Xx Siobhan 

siobhanrogers.com.au

Lots of maintenance, design deadlines and bits happening in the shed.

I'm trying to get all my blog links working and everything on my website more efficient. Thank goodness I have the help of an expert...

and

To celebrate the end of financial year

I have 30% off all stock on my website (excluding my book and workshops)

This offer is valid until the 30th June 2015

I also have signed books available for pre sale on my website

The New Down Under Quilts has a pattern excerpt from my book - It should be in stores in the next day or so. 

How heavenly does the cover of Australian Country Style look! I don't have anything in it - It just happen to be on my reading pile!

Im off to feed family etc

but a warning that my next post I will be talking advertising!

I am finally catching up with the year 2010 and placing suitable advertising on my blog.

Thanks

Siobhan Rogers Xx

Put a flower on it

Have you noticed that flowers are everywhere.

Everywhere I look is a magnificent arrangement of flowers or using flowers, picture of flowers.........

Its almost like the put a bird on it craze from a few years ago.

I was inspired after looking through Pinterest to create a cake with flowers.

I then saw a beautiful post by Lisa from We Are Scout and that cemented my idea and what I wanted to do.

I was chatting to my long time friend who bakes lots and uses flowers lots and I was asking her where she sourced her fresh edible flowers......

Which ended up being from Darling Mills Farm  (Sydney Based)

The flower hunt prompted Mr 11 and I to do a  early morning trip on Saturday to the markets - which was freezing but lovely. 

I had to get in early - not only because they sell out of flowers so quickly but also because I had a book signing to go to! 
I was signing my book By The Block at the Sydney Quilt and Craft Fair

Which very excitingly won an award

Anyway back to the biscuits

Chocolate biscuits with royal icing and pretty little flowers, they taste beautiful and heavenly with a cup of tea.

Chocolate Biscuits

Ingredients250g butter, softened 

330g caster sugar 

2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract 

450g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder 

1/2 cup Cocoa

Pre heat oven to 160c fan forced

Beat butter and sugar in an electric mixer until pale and fluffy, then add in vanilla extract and eggs one at a time.

Beat until well combine.

Slowly add in flour, baking powder and cocoa until mixture forms a ball

*if you find the mix is too wet add in a teaspoon of flour at a time until the dough forms a ball in the mixer.

If the mix is too dry add in a teaspoon of milk one at a time until you get the right consistency.

Shape the dough into a long roll shape, wrap it in plastic wrap and place it in the fridge to rest for 30 or so minutes.

Once the dough has rested - using a sharp thin blade slice dough into 1cm thick rounds. Lay the rounds onto a baking tray and bake for 25 minutes.

you should get around 30 biscuits from this recipe, depending on the size roll you made. My biscuits were around 2.5inches(6 cm)in circumferance.

Let the biscuits cool on a wire rack.

Once cool make the royal icing

Royal Icing

1 egg white beaten with a fork

1 teaspoon of lemon juice

1.5 cups pure icing sugar

use a fork to beat the egg whites with the lemon and then hand beat in the icing sugar, keep mixing until no lumps appear.

To decorate

Dip your biscuits in face down covering the top of the biscuit, let the excess icing drip off and then place right side up on a wire rack. Place desired flowers, petals and leaves on the wet icing. 

With some of the petals I used a pair of tweezers as I found my fingers were getting a little sticky and the petals kept getting stuck to me instead of the biscuits.

Voila - Very pretty looking biscuits that are very tasty.