ELDERFLOWER CORDIAL

Now that elder trees are blooming it's time for making elderflower cordial. I always buy it made, but this time my neighbour brought a recipe and lots of elderflowers and taught me how to make it. I'm addicted to it!!!

There are lots of elder trees around where I live and they'll be blooming from now until about mid july. I feel like I want to keep making cordial as much as I can! here's the recipe I followed if you want to try it. People normally use lemons, but we used oranges as well.

Ara els saücs estan florint i es el temps de fer xarop de flor de saüc. Normalment sempre l'he comprat ja fet, pero la meva veina m'ha portat una recepta i moltes flors per fer-ne i ara en soc totalment adicte!

Hi ha molts saücs per als voltants on vivim i floreixen a partir d'ara fins mes o menys mitjans de juliol. Em sembla un desperdici quan veig tots aquests arbres florits sense poder fer el xarop cada dos per tres. Aprofito ara que puc! aqui teniu la recepta que he seguit per si en voleu fer. Normalment la gent nomes fa servir llimones, pero nosaltres hem fet servir tambe taronges.

INGREDIENTS

25 heads of elderflower

1.5 kg of sugar

1.2 l water

40gr citric acid (you can buy it in pharmacies)

2 lemons

2 oranges

25 caps de flors de sauc

1.5 kg de sucre

1.2 l aigua

40 gr d'acid citric

2 llimones

2 taronges

1. Choose elderflowers that are fresh and white avoiding older creamy yellow ones. 

Shake them to remove any unwanted creatures.

1. Escolliu flors fresques i blanques evitant les velles i de color groc cremos.  

Agiteu-les be per treure els animalets que no volem.

2. Place the sugar and the water in a stainless steel pot and warm them slowly, 

stirring to dissolve the sugar completely. then bring to the boil.

2. Abocqueu el sucre i l'aigua en una olla d'acer inoxidable i calenteu-ho per a que el sucre es disolgui. Remeneu be i porteu-ho a punt d'ebullicio.

3. Add the flowers, bring again to the boil and remove from heat.

3. Afegiu-hi les flors, porteu a punt d'ebullicio un altre cop i apagueu el foc.

4. Add the rest of the ingredients, stir well and cover it. Leave it in a cool place for 24 h.

4. Afegiu la resta d'ingredients, remeneu be i tapeu-ho, deixant-ho reposar 24 h.

5. Drain the liquid and store in sterilized glass bottles. 

5. Col.leu el liquid i aboqueu-lo en ampolles de vidre esterilitzades.

6. Dissolve the cordial in cold water at 1:10 and enjoy. 

Keep it in the fridge for up to 2 months (if it lasts that long)

6. Per prendre'l cal diluir el xarop en aigua freda 1:10 i disfruteu-lo.

Guardeu-lo a la nevera fins a dos mesos (si es que us dura tant).

Hi ha alguna beguda casolana que us agrada fer? 

voleu compartir la recepta?

Is there any homemade drink that you like making? 

would you share the recipe?

An elder tree down the road

Un saüc pel camí de casa

And if you're wondering how the little button is doing...

Well... it's been tougher than though for the last 10 days. It seemed he had 

a lot of wind and the poor fellow couldn't settle at all. It got worse and finally

we know now that it is reflux, for which he's taking an antiacid and it's

already working very well, what a difference! I hope from now

on he can rest more easily (and so can we)

I per si us pregunteu que fa el botonet... doncs hem passat 

uns 10 dies bastant durs. Va comenc,ar amb molts gasos que el 

feien estar molt inquiet i ara fa poc hem descobert que el que te

es reflux. Per sort esta prenent un antiacid que ja ha comenc,at

a fer efecte, i quina diferencia! Esperem que a partir d'ara

pugui descansar millor (i nosaltres tambe)

International Quilt Festival of Ireland

Last saturday I decided I venture to town... I just got my Manduca and knowing that Conor feels so cozy in it, I thought I would have a chance to see the quilts at the International Quilt Festival of Ireland.
He slept all the way to town, complaint a bit when I put him into the carrier as he doesn't like being disturbed, and then fell asleep again while I was making my way to the University grounds.


There were a lot of people! I couldn't really take many photos of the quilts I liked, but I managed to take a few. Some of the work was absolutely amazing and my photos don't pay credit to the actual master pieces... but still, you can get an idea.


Conor was quite a hit among the crowds. I suppose carrying a baby attracts more people than if you had him in a buggy... Some women were surprised he was only 3 weeks old and I got the impression they thought I was a bit mad to have him out and about... Don't worry ladies! He was happy as Larry, warm and cozy and dreaming away...!


El dissabte passat vaig decidir aventurar-me cap a la ciutat... Ja vaig rebre la Manduca que vaig comprar i com que sabia que al Conor li agrada quedar-s'hi ben adormidet, vam anar a veure els quilts al Festival Internacional de Quilts de Irlanda. Es va passar tot el trajecte dormint, es va queixar quan me'l vaig posar a sobre perque no li agrada que el molestin, i va tornar a endormiscar-se quan anava caminant cap a la Universitat.

Hi havia bastanta gent! No vaig poder fer gaires fotos dels quilts que m'agradaven, pero tot i aixi vaig poder fer-ne algunes, encara que no donen credit a les obres d'art que hi havia. Alguns eren impressionants.



En Conor va tenir bastant d'exit tambe... Suposo que quan portes un nado a la motxil.leta atrau mes que quan el portes al cotxet. Algunes dones es van quedar ben sorpreses quan al preguntar-me els deia que tenia 3 setmanes. Vaig tenir la impressio que els semblava una bojeria tenir-lo fora de casa tan aviat... pero  cap problema senyores meves! que anava ben a gust, calentet, adormidet i probablement somniant amb colorins, teles, fils i agulles...

There was a hall with various stalls from quilt shops, magazine editors, the Western Branch of the Irish Patchwork Society, there were even two fellows in giving massage... I thought it was a bit cheeky to charge 15 euros to go into a "market" but well... I did spend some extra money to buy a few notions...

Hi havia un mercat en una sala gran on podies trobar llibres, teles, etc, representants de la branca oest del club de Patchwork d'Irlanda, fins i tot dos nois fent massatges, etc... Penso que es van passar una mica cobrant 15 euros per fer-te entrar en un "mercat" quan saben que compraras alguna cosa. I si... vaig tornar a obrir la butxaca per comprar un parell de cosetes...

There were different themes for the quilts that had been submitted. Chocolate was a good idea...

Hi havia diferents temes per fer els quilts que s'havien d'exibir. La xocolata va ser una bona idea!

A SHOP ONLINE... - UNA BOTIGA ONLINE

Com va l'activitat costuril? jo he pogut començar a fer unes quantes cosetes, amb moltes interrupcions pero puc anar fent a poc a poc. M'he topat amb una cosa interessant aquests dies...:
Patchwork-Oase es una botiga online on podeu trobar teles, patrons, eines per a tot allo relacionat amb el patchwork. Ara han inaugurat una nova cara amb un diseny diferent i tenen un nou stock de teles, doneu-hi una ullada quan estiguin llestos que val la pena!
Fins aviat!

So how's your sewing going? I have finally managed to start a few things, between a lot of interruptions but slowly getting there. These days I've come across something interesting...:
Patchwork-Oase is an online shop where you can find fabric, patterns and notions for all your projects. They'll be launching a new look with new design and features and even new fabric. Keep it in mind as it's well worth it!
Happy sewing!

TUTORIAL: TEA WALLET - TUTORIAL: ESTOIG DE TE

Thank you all so much for all your nice comments on Conor's arrival! We're settling in well, bit by bit and taking one day at a time... Conor is doing great, putting on weight, more than average! I'd say living surrounded by cows might influence my milk supply...
The nice heat wave that we had here is gone and now we're back to the typical Irish non-stop drizzling rain... ah well, more time indoors then, cozy fires and maybe a little bit of time for a couple of stitches (????).


Before Conor was born I made that tea wallet and I took pics of every step for a tutorial, so here it is as promised. I hope you make lots and show me the result! you can add your link in a comment in this post, I'd love to see what you make.

Moltissimes gracies per totes les vostres felicitacions! Ja estem ben instal.lats a casa i ens ho prenem tot amb calma, a poc a poc. En Conor esta molt be, segons la infermera que ens visita s'ha engreixat mes del que un nado de LM normalment s'engreixa... deu ser que totes les vaques que ens envolten per aqui influeixen la meva produccio!
La onada de calor que vam tenir ja ha cabat i ara hem tornat a la tipica pluja irlandesa de txirimiri constant... que hi farem, mes temps a casa, a la voreta del foc i potser amb una mica de temps per fer algunes puntadetes (????).

Abans de neixer el Conor vaig fer aquell estoig per a guradar bossetes de te i vaig fer fotos de cada pas per un tutorial. Doncs be, aqui el teniu! Espero que en feu molts i me'ls ensenyeu...

MATERIALS

lining fabric: 

3 pieces measuring 7"x 5"

1 piece measuring 7"x 6.5"

outer fabric:

1 piece measuring 7"x 6.5"

1 elastic

1 botton

tela interior:

3 peces de 7"x 5"

1 peça de 7"x 6.5"

tela exterior:

1 peça de 7" x 6.5"

1 goma

1 boto

 1. Press the 3 pieces by half lengthwise so they measure 7"x 2.5".

1. Planxeu les 3 peces per la meitat per a que quedin 7"x 2.5".

2. You can add an appliqué or/and your tag on one of them.

2. Podeu afegir un aplicat i/o la vostra etiqueta en una d'elles.

3. Topstitch on the folded side of each piece. These will be the pockets.

3. Feu un reput a la part doblegada de cada peça. Seran les butxaques.

3. Place one piece onto the remaining lining piece (7" x6.5"), 

leaving a space of 1" between the top of the piece and the top of the pocket. 

a. Sew the bottom of the pocket onto the main piece. 

b. Now align the second pocket onto the first pocket, leaving a space of 1 1/4" between the top

of the first pocket and the second. Again sew the bottom onto the main piece.

c. Align the third pocket leaving the same space between the two tops, this time you don't need to sew the bottom as you'll sew all the pieces together later.

3. Col.loqueu una de les peces a sobre de la peça que medeix 7"x 6.5".

a. Deixeu un espai d'una polazada

entre el marge de dalt i el marge de la butxaca. Cosiu la part d'abaix de la butxaca a la peça gran.

b. Col.loqueu la segona butxaca sobre la primera, deixant una polazda i quart entre les dues parts superiors i cosiu la part d'abaix per fer la segona butxaca.

c. Feu el mateix amb la tercera pero aquest cop no cal que cosiu la part d'abaix ja que

ho cosireu tot junt mes tard.

NOTE: the gauge in the picture is showing the wrong measure, it should be 1" between the top and the first pocket and 1 1/4" between pockets. 

 NOTA: la foto mostra la mesura incorrecta, hauria de ser una polazada entre la part superior i la primera butxaca i una polzada i quart entre les butxaques.

4. Sew from bottom to top at the centre of the pockets.

4. Cosiu verticalment al centre de les butxaques, des d'abaix fins a dalt.

5. Now take the outer fabric and place the elastic on the centre-left side, inwards.

5. Ara agafeu la tela exterior i col.loqueu la goma al centre del costat esquerre, cap endins.

6. Place the pockets piece facing down onto the right side of the outer fabric and sew all along

leaving a gap of 4" at the bottom.

6. Col.loqueu la peça amb les butxaques mirant cap abaix, sobre la part del dret de la tela exterior

i cosiu a 1/4"per tot al voltant deixant un espai d'unes 4" a la part de sota.

7. To reinforce the elastic, stitch back and forth a few times.

7 Per reforçar la goma, feu uns quants repunts.

4" gap at the bottom.

espai de 4" a la part inferior.

8. Cut the corners before turning the wallet inside out through the gap.

8. Talleu les cantonades abans de girar l'estoig cap enfora a traves de l'espai que hem deixat.

9. Press and topstitch at 1/8" all around, closing the gap at the same time.

9. Planxeu i cosiu a un 1/8" de marge aprofitant per tancar l'espai de sota.

10. Sew a botton on the other side, being careful 

not to sew it throughout he pocket (as it happened to me...)

10. Cosiu-hi un boto a l'altra banda, anant en compte de no cosir la butxaca! (com em va passar a mi...)

and fill in with your favourite tea bags...

i ara l'ompliu amb les bossetes de te que mes us agradi...

Do you like tea? Have you got any favorite flavour or blend?

My favorite tea blend is Nambarrie. 

My husband is from Belfast (where the Nambarrie headquarters were) and this is the tea he grew up with, along with plain chocolate digestives...mmm

Us agrada el te? hi ha alguna barreja en especial que preferiu?

El meu te preferit es aquest, Nambarrie. El meu company es de Belfast (on hi havia originalment la fabrica) i va creixer amb aquest te, juntament amb galetes deigestive de xocolata...mmm

you can only find it in Northen Ireland and Scotland, 

so it is quite an expedition when we need to buy more! 

Nomes es pot trobar a Irlanda del Nord o a Escocia, aixi que

es tota una expedicio quan n'hem de comprar mes!