What has happened in two short generations?

What do these items have in common?

1.  Bananas
2. Strawberries
3. Ice Cream
4. Asparagus
5. Olives
6. Cheese
7. Tuna
8. Butter
9. Milk
10. Cream - and you can throw in the pastry
11. Chocolate
12. Beer
13. Salmon
14. Any seafoods which involve tentacles

At first glance there doesn't appear to be any connection, apart from them all being food or drink.  In fact they are some of the foodstuffs which I can't use if I was cooking for a family gathering.  They are foodstuffs which will cause some sort of allergic reaction to at least one member of the family.  Well, maybe not 5 and 14 which certain adult male family members cannot stomach - I know, I know - where did I go wrong?

With dairy allergies, kidney stones and migraines, serving up a meal with these ingredients could not happen without booking up the whole ER ward in advance.

In the past few days I have been discussing this with my daughter and my best friend and they pointed out that once you bring friends and their families into the equation, about the only thing you could safely serve would be a lettuce leaf, minus the dressing of course.

What has happened in two short generations to bring on such an epidemic of food allergies?  At the risk of sounding like an old fogy, when we were children we didn't encounter anyone with a food allergy, apart from my mother who couldn't tolerate certain brands of chocolate which triggered a migraine attack.  Now it's rare not to have a family member with some sort of allergic reaction to a particular food.

Thank goodness there are always solutions.  Dairy substitutes can easily be found in the supermarket and I have a ready supply of them in my fridge if I need to whip up a cake, pastry or slice.  And at Easter our granddaughter doesn't miss out on her share of Easter Eggs, thanks to dairy free chocolate.

But it is a concern and I wonder what will happen with the next generation.  Maybe their immune systems will kick in and there may be a little more balance to the whole food chain problem.

If Marie Antoinette was in our midst today, I'm sure she would declare, "Let them eat lentils".

Blue

It's mid-summer, although looking out the window today you could be forgiven for thinking it was winter.  However, ignoring the grey skies, summer in Sydney usually means blue.  Blue skies, blue harbour.  Beautiful.

I guess that's why the last few dresses I have created are blue.  I have had the delightful knit skirt fabric for some time, waiting for inspiration.

It's so easy to wear and is currently available in my MadeIt shop and will be for sale in my Etsy shop on Friday.

This little number is another dress ideal for summer.

I can't show too much of this dress, as it is currently being photographed for my shops.  But you get the drift - I am really enjoying working in these beautiful, cool colours.

Hello Baby

If you are one year old and you are reading my blog, two things are obvious:

1. You are remarkably advanced for your years;
2. You have incredibly good taste.

Do you like this little dress?  Quickly, go and fetch Mummy, or better still Grandma, because I only have one in stock.

Imagine all the goodies you will be able to store in that pouchy pocket.

Are they here yet?  Point out how lovely you would look, even from the back view.

Do you have a big sister who happens to be two years old?  How could she (for which read Grandma) resist this stunning chevron striped dress? It's the trend of the season.

And it's fully lined.

Where do you get them?  Why, right here.  But hurry.

New seams

After the frenzy of sales in the lead-up to Christmas, I cheerfully and thankfully walked away from my sewing machine for the next few weeks to recover my sanity.

 
But now I'm back refreshed and ready for a new year.  This fabric I fell in love with as soon as it arrived on my doorstep just before Christmas and although we were away for a short break interstate, my mind kept turning over ways to use it.

It's now finished and on its way to the States to be worn by my favourite little model, and snapped by her very talented photographer mother.  It will be available in both my Etsy and MadeIt stores in the next few weeks, so keep an eye out for it.  There's another dress hot off the machine and on its way to the States, but I'll leave that for another day.

Look at this beautiful Etsy Treasury created by the delightful Chrisy of Art Decadence.  How happy was I to be included in this lovely collection, because yesterday it made it to the Etsy Treasury Front Page.  Pardon me while I secretly hug myself.

Hot Fudge Sale

To make room for my new 2013 range, I am offering a discount of 15% on all items in my Etsy shop until 25 January. Please note this does not include shipping. 

It's so simple. Go to my Hot Fudge shop and select as many items as you desire.  Once you have finished shopping, go to the shopping cart, click on Apply shop coupon code above "Item total" to enter the coupon code HotFudge813Sale and it will be applied automatically to your order.

Remember, the offer is only current until 25 January 2013 and while stocks last, so don't delay.

Tell your friends - this is a wonderful opportunity to add to your children's wardrobe.

Summer ... when it sizzles

Was it only a few weeks back that I was complaining of the cold and wondering if summer would ever come?  In the past week the southern parts of the country have been devastated by bush fires and here in Sydney the forecast for tomorrow is 43 Celsius, or 109.4 Fahrenheit.  I guess it has arrived.

Christmas was such a happy day, with the family gathered at our daughter and son-in-law's home for a day of celebration.  The house traffic became a little frantic, with brand new vehicles breaking all the road rules.

Thankfully there were some quieter moments.

On Boxing Day we headed north to Brisbane to catch up with the Queensland branch of the family.  Some very kind friends advised that they would be away after Christmas and offered their house to us over that period.  Queenslanders are wonderfully friendly and giving - or is it simply that we Fudges are so adorable?

Friends had organised a lunch so that we could catch up on a year's events (emails don't quite have the same effect, without the laughter and tears to accompany the stories).  A stunning day, in the company of old friends, with superb food and a view from the balcony of the Brisbane River.  Perfect.

Our final day in Brisbane was such a happy time.  We met up with the family for a picnic at South Bank, followed by a visit to the Gallery of Modern Art to take in the 7th Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art.

The Asia Pacific Triennial never disappoints.  The wonders abound for young and old alike.

What a clever way to introduce children to the joys of art.

Tiny creations were there to be discovered.

And sometimes in large numbers!

Being children of the 21st Century, the Junior Fudges gravitated towards the graphic art programme.

There's nothing like discovering a hole in the wall, particularly when it's not of your doing.

On our way back to the ferry we passed by the South Bank beach, which was so tempting on such a warm day.

We are back in Sydney with such happy memories of our Christmas and New Year in two cities, both so close to our hearts.  And now to the sewing room.