The making is done for now.....................

You know, people, sometimes I am REALLY slow to work things out. Remember the many many miles of bunting I have been making  vein recent months? Every metre was measured with a metal tape measure which kept falling off the ironing board and irritating me muchly. (Is that a word? If not, I just invented it.)

While I was making the multitude of hearts, I worked out the length of ribbon I needed, and in a moment of sheer inspiration, pinned two pins on the ironing board so measuring was a doddle. And then the "EUREKA" moment occurred - pin two more pins in the metre position. Sorted. Why on earth has it taken me so long to work this out? In an ideal world, I would have a big table with a metre rule stuck on it. I am lacking that big craft table so that is not an option. Pins. Tacks. They will do nicely, thankyouverymuch.

Please ignore the state of the cover, and look at those pins. There on the right. Sigh. After all this time, the light bulb starts flashing......

I finished the hearts this morning. 44 of them. Would you like to see them? Here you go.........

There are a great many hearts, and they look really cute. Well, I think so. Every one is machine embroidered with either Noel, Peace or Joy.

So let's wander back to the kitchen. The "work room". This is what it looks like on a cold autumn evening, in the midst of the making of many things. Yes, I know it is a mess, and the washing is off there in the distance drying in front of an air vent, and there is STUFF all over the place. Today I am starting to pack things away, because I think the making is done for this year, and I just have holes to drill in the wooden things and finish the replacement tags. It just looks like home. Busy. Cosy. Bright. But soon those counters and table tops will be ALL CLEAR.

The tags are varnished. I added a line of "stitches" around some of the white shapes and that really finished them off beautifully.

This is why my kitchen is a mess. But I have had a great deal of fun making them all. Right now those boards are in my lounge, just getting as dry as possible in the fleeting glimpses of the sun.

I forgot to take a photo of the galaxy of stars in piles. That can wait for tomorrow.

As we are in the kitchen right now, on my tour of the messy places, we can think a little about today's prompt. The best meal I have ever cooked.

Well. Once upon a time, I lived in South Africa, the place where I could order a hind quarter of beef, half a lamb, and a dozen fillets as well in one order. Meat was cheap. Here it is very expensive and no-one I know has ever bought a hind quarter of beef before.

Anyway.

Meat was plentiful in those days. I loved entertaining, and while the best meal is difficult to judge, there have certainly been some memorable ones. The one where I melted Mars Bars and served them with ice cream and it glued my guests teeth together....but I have told you about that joyous event before.  Or the one where I was draining the potatoes and they all fell into the washing up water - so I poured boiling water over them after I fished them out and no-one died. But I have told you that before as well. I loved cooking beef fillet. Once I sliced it almost in half lengthways, and stuffed it with cheese, wrapped bacon around it and BBQ-ed it. Divine,. And then there was the dinner where I did another fillet, this time you just pop it in a pan with sauteed onions, brown the meat and then you simply pour a bottle of champagne over it and let it cook a while.

Well. Champagne was also cheap back then. South Africa has a huge wine industry. I have also cooked a freshly caught large fish on the BBQ, on foil. Absolutely delicious. Now what was that fish...... Yellowtail. That was it. Drizzled with wine. Perfect. And remember that time I told you about when my oven died in the middle of the Christmas Eve sit down dinner jacket kind of party with 20+ people waiting forr their turkey? Dad and Geoff running up and down the road to my parents' home clutching turkey stuffed with duck stuffed with chicken stuffed with stuffing? The one where I stacked the microwave with everything else and hit high??

Groan.

I seem to excel at the memorable event rather than the stunning meal part.

I like impromptu gatherings, you see, with people standing in the kitchen chatting while I make something. Often the most impressive is also the simplest of recipes. Do you find that too? Thank the Good Lord for that. I love brunches,. I love the people, much more than the breathtaking meals.

And I haven't sent anyone home hungry yet!

So it is now night time, and the kitchen is clear, and so is the sewing room. Everything is packed away and the carpets vacuumed. Tools in their right places. The making is done, and the house reverts to normal again. Wait a moment - I think the "normal" for me is the chaos. I like it.

Time to hit the publish button and go and make some toast for supper. See - I can't be bothered to cook tonight. Toast is just fine. The best meal ever when I am tired!