Radio blah blah

When I was in the US mid May this year I had the opportunity to talk to Pat Sloan - you can listen to it now on the American Patchwork and Quilting podcast

Im in the last 10 minutes of the podcast

Hope I don't sound like a twat! 

My book

and 

I'll be at the Sydney Quilt and Craft fair signing books at the Can Do Books area

Wed June 17th 11:30 - 12:30

Fri June 19th 10:30 - 11:30

Sat June 20th 1:00 - 2:00

I have also listed other shows and book signings I will be at on my website

http://www.siobhanrogers.com.au/

and just for the fun of it I have added in a picture of pikelets.

If you follow me on instagram you will know how much of an average mum I can be at times (insert laughter) I was tired last night... 

Home on my own with four kids, 8pm and it was raining outside. I was cleaning up after dinner and realised we had no bread and very little milk for the next day which would mean breakfast and school lunches would be a challenge. I did however have eggs and flour.... thank goodness, and at least a cup of milk. 

Voila my mums 1971 pikelet recipe saves the day yet again.

Now I really should go to the shops before we have a repeat no food for lunches/ breakfast experience tonight

Xx Siobhan Rogers

Never thought I'd utter the words

"I cant this week I'm doing some book signings......"

which if your my good friend of many years your response is hysterical laughter and a few jibes. 

This week I will be at the Sydney Quilt and craft show at Glebe Island

I will be at the Can Do Books stall, signing copies of my book By The Block

Wednesday June 17th 11:30 - 12:30

Friday June 19th 10:30 - 11:30

Saturday June 20th  1:00 - 2:00

I am also just in the process of working out the logistics of going to the Tasmanian, Melbourne, Canberra and Brisbane shows. 

Let me know if your a shop or guild and would like a visit.

Here are a few flash back photos from my trip to the US recently - where I did have a book signing and also had the fun experience of seeing my book on the shelves of Barnes and Noble in New York.

As usual I had my quilts with me and photographed a few of them around NYC.

Taking the air

Work, kids and family logistic can make it very very hard to actually talk to people. I might see them fleetingly or text daily but to actually sit for hours and talk...... That rarely happens.

I was fortunate enough on the long weekend (Queens Birthday in Australia) to catch up with friends that I haven't quiet been able to have a conversation with for sometime or so it felt.... and the country air and beautiful scenery didn't hurt either

I feel refreshed and ready to get some work done. Friends are good for the soul.

of course I packed the boot with quilts! Im never one to miss an opportunity.

Pictured below are two courthouse step quilts - both a little different in pattern widths and colours but similar construction. 

One of the patterns is in US Spring Modern Patchwork magazine (top quilt) and the other pattern is available  at Spotlight stores in Australia (bottom quilt).

and below my Wild Horses quilt and Kisses and Hugs quilt from my book By The Block - available in lots of places, ask your book shop or library to get it in if they don't already have it.

If your after more pictures from my weekend away check out my Instagram pictures or Facebook

Siobhan Xx

Travelling

Well Hello !

I am just back from the US - I was at Minneapolis Quilt Market to do some school house speaking and book signings.

I also did a radio interview with Pat Sloan! I'll keep you posted about when that interview is available and post links.

Quilt Market was great - I caught up with lots of great industry people and found some wonderful inspiration with fabrics, art and patterns.

I then took a little side trip to New York (as you do)

Check out my instagram pics for a look at what I was up to.

Whilst I was away 

Sew mama sew had a tutorial on this quilt and a give away of my book, check it out 

My book seems to be in stock in the US. 

Australia is getting stock any moment now, the Australian distributors are just waiting on the shipment to arrive. 

Fingers crossed the books will come soon as I am booked to do some book signings at the Craft and Quilt fair in Sydney on the 17th June and I cant do a book signing if we don't have books in Australia!

I do still have a few copies available in my online shop

I'm off to catch up on a million emails and prepare for my classes this week at Hobby Sew Top Ryde

Xx Siobhan R

Cake day

 The Autumn weather makes me bake....

No one is complaining 

My latest cake of the moment is a simple pound cake, I have played around with a few recipes and this is what I have settled on.

Everyone is a little fussy in our house, some like plain and no fruit others like fruit but

only cherry.... you get the picture.

Fusspot central - all my own fault. 

Luckily this is a simple recipe and a smallish cake so making a few doesn't really bother me.

 They keep well in an airtight container and my school morning teas are sorted for the week.

left to right
Rhubarb with lime zest, Blueberry, Cherry - On top is plain

Pound cake

Ingredients for one cake

1.5 cups plain flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

120g butter

1 tablespoon finely grated lemon rind

1 teaspoon vanilla paste

1 cup caster sugar

2 large eggs

125ml milk

*Fruit of your choice

Pre heat oven to 160C fan forced

I like to get all my ingredients measured and in separate bowls ready to go, this helps if I am making 3/4 cakes at a time,

Beat the butter and lemon rind together in a mixer for a few minutes - you want the butter pale and creamy.

Add in the cup of sugar, beating for a few minutes.

Scrape down the sides of the bowl from time to time.

Then add the vanilla paste.

Add in the eggs one at a time and beat until the mix is pale and smooth. 

alternatively add the flour/baking powder and milk - mixing well.

Grease and line a loaf tin

pour the cake batter into the tin. 

*If you are adding fruit to the cake I pour in half of the batter and sprinkle the fruit in and then pour in the rest of the cake batter.

bake for 60 minutes or until a wooden skewer comes out clean.

Allow to cool for 15 or so minutes before turning the cake out.

Let me know how you go

Xx Siobhan 

Celebratory freebee

HI All

I have a few advanced copies of my book

By The Block

available to buy in my online store (I did have 11, now its down to 6 copies)

I am throwing in a celebratory fat quarter of my text fabric (RRP $12)

Australian stores are expecting delivery early June and the USA seems to have stock coming in now - Let me know if you 

have seen it anywhere !

I have been using the hash tag #bytheblock and #siobhanrogers 

on Instagram or facebook

I have a few interviews coming up about the book and great bloggers doing reviews - more on that later. 

I am also in the midst of planning my trip to International Quilt market in Minneapolis 

where I will have a school house, book signing and more interviews and a quick trip to New York before heading home and 

getting back to work.

I have a quilt and pattern in the latest Spotlight Patchwork 4 magazine using the Prima Solids range. I use a nifty little trick to make 4 flying geese in 1

and last but not least I have a quilt in US Mag - Modern Patchwork magazine

so many good projects in this one - I highly recommend it

The computer wont let me upload a pic of the Modern Patchwork Mag quilt.....

No idea why........

Anyway Im off to mother my children etc


Xx Siobhan 

and then I did all this stuff

Our Autumn school break is just about to end.... Insert sad face.

We drove up to family in Brisbane - where it was a little bit warmer and the ocean temp was a beautiful 25C.

Back home now and to being productive, chasing work and completing work for me, the year is going awfully quickly.

I am also in the midst of booking and planning my trip to Spring International Quilt Market in Minneapolis, where I will be doing a schoolhouse for my book with Interweave and some book signings.

Let me know if there is anything in Minneapolis that I should check out!

also possibly heading to NYC for 3 or so days after market...... not definite yet. Just looking into Logistics and possible trunk show.

My Book is currently available to buy in most book stores and quilt shops - Its only just started shipping in the last week - If they don't have it in ask them to get it!

I also have a magazine bed size quilt pattern in US Modern Patchwork magazine. Its made 100% out of Cotton and Steel fabrics - the back being a lovely soft voile. The long arm quilting was done by Kim Bradley.

I'm off to tend to kids and get ALL the school stuff ready :-/

Xx Siobhan 

back on the tools

It feels like an age since I had my big guns camera out and taken some real photos........ I have been preoccupied with writing, family and a little teaching/ sewing.

I was at a wedding last weekend out in the country and my husband was the official photographer - he let me assist! 

The hall was beautiful and between the bride and event stylist it was filled with great photo opportunities.

The two pics below are actually from the day after the wedding when the hall was being cleaned up. Such pretty autumn light.

Take a look at Instagram for more pics.

We stayed in a beautiful house at Canowindra called Marlow House.
I will get around to posting more pictures of the house - It was beautiful!

The quilt in the picture below is from my book By The Block - which is due out any day now.

Yes I did bring some book quilts with me on my weekend away .....

I was lucky enough to score a huge basket of figs from a friends farm - thank you farmers Mel & Percy! 

I used all the very squishy ones straight away and made some burnt fig and vanilla jam, the medium very ripe ones I made a cake and the ones that had a few days in them I shared with my baking friend 

The fig jam was easy-ish

I had 2kgs figs with 1kg white sugar and one vanilla bean.

I cooked them on a high heat, stirring until it reached 104c and put it into sterilised jars. The 2kgs made around 5 jars.

The cake was a bit of an experiment that thankfully was yum and worked!

Fig, almond and maple Syrup cake

perfect for this coming Easter weekend

I used a 24cm/9.5 inch spring form tin

  

Ingredients

   2 cups skin on almonds 

4 eggs - separated

    1 cup caster sugar 

1 tsp Vanilla paste  

1/4 cup vegetable oil   

1 teaspoon baking powder   

1/4 cup maple syrup, and more to sprinkle on top   

2 1/2 cups mashed ripe soft fresh figs*

1/2 cup plain flour  

pinch teaspoon salt 

 5 - 8 figs sliced for the top

*trim the top off the fig and mash up with a fork in a bowl

Method

Line your spring form tin with baking paper on the bottom and sides and set aside till needed.

Roast the almonds in a hot oven until they begin to colour- usually around 5-10 minutes(be careful not to burn them)

Put the warm almonds in a food processor and pulse till its a course mix - not fine like almond meal, I like my almond mix to still have almond chunks in the cake and give it a nutty texture.

Turn your oven down to 180c fan forced

Beat the egg yolks and sugar until pale and creamy, add in the vanilla paste, oil, maple syrup and mashed figs - mix until just combined.

Using a clean bowl whisk the egg whites till stiff peaks form.

add all the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, salt and almonds) to the wet ingredients. Gently fold with a spatula.

Add a third of the stiff egg whites to the cake batter and fold through carefully - Then add the rest.

Spoon the cake batter into your prepared lined tin, tap the tin on the bench to let the cake batter settle. Arrange your sliced figs on top of the cake batter and bake for 90 minutes - check your cake after 40 minutes to double check its doing ok.All ovens can be a little different.

The cake will be very dark on the outside but not burnt when it is cooked, and a wooden skewer inserted into the middle should come out clean. Whilst the cake is still warm pour on some extra maple syrup. Let the cake cool completely in the tin before you remove it.

 Served with some double cream and 

a pot of tea = Heaven

Let me know if you bake it and how you go

Xx Siobhan Rogers