New Hat

I had been waiting for seemed forever (o.k a few days) for my new hat pattern. It is from Make it Perfect and called a Sun Kissed Hat. Perfect for girls with their long hair poking through the join at the back. I just love it. It sort of looks like a bonnet. Its feminine and just perfect. AND the brim is nice and large so will keep the sun off her face. Can you tell I love it??

The fabric is Amy Butler, from her Gypsy Caravan range. Very much loving the big flowers. Girlie without being over the top. It goes to an extra large so I might even make myself one. BUT I will use different fabric. I am planning a hat for Greta in the same fabric and it would be very tragic for us to have three matching hats. Even I wouldn't go that far.

Tx

More Storage Bags and a Skirt

I can't fit any of my clothes at the moment and making do with a few maternity clothes that I can still use. Last night I was a bit over them. I don't want to go out and buy a whole bunch of new things but I am getting rather limited. The maternity clothes are too big or dresses which mean it is difficult to feed in. My normal clothes are still too small. I was looking at stuff and came across a cute shirred skirt. I made it, but it didn't look that nice on me. It had a sort of ruffle thing at the top that just looked funny. I think the fabric I used wasn't stiff enough so it kept flopping over and I just knew I would never wear it. I just extended the shirring to the top. It's an improvement and to be fair nothing really looks that nice but it looks a lot better.

I used a light weight fabric and since we are coming into summer I think it will be quite nice. I made it long, down to the ankles pretty much. I figure I can shorten it when I feel like showing off my legs a bit.

Ryan got quite a bit of lego for his birthday, it is sitting in its boxes. It starts to spread over the floor and I am sure bits are going up the vacuum cleaner. Now he has one for his Police lego and one for the fire station. I just love these bags from Make it Perfect. Super quick and simple. Love them!

Its only 930 am and I have done my sewing projects for the day... Guess it means I can work on my next quilt now ;)

Tx

Blueberry Muffins

Ryan has a play date tomorrow with one of his friends from school. The other mummy is coming over too. So I of course want to bake something fresh for the "date". I made a batch of blueberry muffins. It was a new recipe. I think I like them. I can't taste one properly, trying to move baby weight after all, so that will be done tomorrow. They smell good.

Blueberry Muffins:
2 cups flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 sugar
100 grams butter
1 cup milk
1 egg
1 to 1 and 1/2 cups blueberries

Place all dry ingredients in one large bowl. In another melt butter, then add milk and egg. Beat together. Then mix the wet mixture with the dry ingredient. Fold together and add the blueberries, try not to over mix.

Should make about 12 muffins of a medium mix. Bake for 20 mins at 180, yum!!!

I am planning on having with yogurt. I can't wait. I love to eat!!!!!!

 

I added a tiny bit of embellishment to a stretch in grow. It is a little ruffle. I love it. Simple, but I think rather cute. It is for the next size up, so maybe a little bit later, when Greta is a bit bigger, I will post a photo. It might be a quick go to baby shower gift. A couple of them would be rather cute I think.

Tx

 

 

Blackberry and Lemon Loaf

I found this recipe in an old Dish magazine. I love Dish, a good New Zealand foodie magazine. Doesn't do much on the baking side but has loads of dinner type recipes. I found this loaf recipe and I knew I had to try it. I got the kids into bed, Blair was doing a bit of working from home so I thought perfect time. Plus Blair had been to the supermarket and got me the ingredients I needed.

I haven't been eating a lot of baking and certainly nothing after dinner. So I felt a bit like a rebel having coffee and loaf late at night. It was so yummy. It was nice having something lemon without coconut. It will be going on the bake again list.

Blair also took the kids to the movies yesterday. When Greta was sleeping I dug out an older project and worked on that. I really don't like having piles of half done projects. So I backed this one and quilted it. Only the binding to go. I only didn't bind it as I have been scrap busting and have no bigger pieces left. I used flannel of the back. Years (and years and years) ago I brought a whole bunch of fat quarters, was planning on making one of those raw edge flannel quilts. But I never really got the urge. Over time the quarters have been used for other projects and the rest were tucked away. Well I "found" them the other day. I was thinking about what to do with them, I remembered this quilt and used them for that instead.

The larger green piece is left over from a quilt I had quilted at Donna's. It was just hanging about too taking up space.

I am so pleased to be making a dent in my scrapes. These truly are scrapes too. I don't have a beautiful stash of fabrics and fat quarters, I have bins of scrapes, left over from other projects. Now that I have used pretty much all the flannel fat quarters I have no quarters lying around. It's rather sad. How can I be a quilter with no stash!

I used more of the puffy batting. I am rather chuffed with how this looks. I am getting the hang of this quilting. Sure it is just basic quilting, straight lines and all. But it really cuts down the cost of a quilt if you can do it all yourself.

I have a whole bunch of these Star Wars flags left over. Especially now Ryan has gone off Star Wars...Again! I just stitched one on basic stretch 'n' grow for Greta. Now the kids are lining up for their own ones! Even Ryan. Of course I will make them one, I have about 20 flags left over. Also thinking about a bunting quilt, just have to think about how I want the flags to sit. I have pinned a few on Pinterst so just have to come up with my plan.

Sun is finally shining, kids have already been outside playing. Hockey is flavour of the day.

Tx

Little Apples Top Done

So as I said in my post yesterday, I kept it nice and simple. I just couldn't cut it. I couldn't. I think because I had such a small amount of each print I didn't want to mess any of it up. Plus I had seen a few quilts like this online and I thought it looked really nice. I love the red and blue together, I just love all of it.

I was quite impressed how large this quilt is. It is a cot size or lap size. I was worried that the charm pack would make a small quilt. The sashing is only 1 inch. But if I had too, I could put this on Adele. I am not sure how I am going to back this one. Maybe a nice bright red. Its almost summer to feeling rather bright and cheery, the sun is shining, we are off to the beach after work and school holidays start for us.

The plan for this quilt... Once it is all finished I am going to leave it at the beach so it will be one less thing we have cart over. The big kids all have a quilt there so it only is fair Greta has one too.

Time to get packing, not long to the school run.

Tx

Oh No I have WIP

I am usually so good, so to have so many WIP I feel bad.

But it is all for a good cause, well sort of. First WIP is a quilt I am making for a friend. She is about to have a baby boy, November I think. She made me a stunning crochet jacket and matching hat for Greta. Naturally I wanted to make in return. I had a bit of the Dr Seuss fabric left over so I came up with a new design and have started that. I would have finished it but I broke my needle, had no spares. Plus I thought I had more white fabric, I didn't so I have done half the blocks, sewn together all the middles and just need to get some more white. It is going to be so colourful. I am liking it already! That is all the colour blocks done, 10 I think.

 

I finally decided what to do with my Little Apples Charm pack. Since I had done everything I could do on the Dr Seuss I started doing this at 8pm last night. Sure I could have gone to bed and caught up on some sleep but no I started sewing! It is going to be a super simple quilt. I love the fabrics so much that the thought of cutting them was just not an option. I have spent hours looking at ideas online. In the end I am just using white and putting sashing around the squares. Yes I have enough white for this project but not enough for my other quilt. I always get worried when using a solid that if I don't have enough in one complete piece of fabric that there might be a small variation in the colour. I am sure there wouldn't be but better to be safe than gutted!

 

Plus I have a cross stitch to do, finish the playsuit for Greta and make Ryan some more toy bags.

 

 

I am even in the process of doing some long awaited sewing for Silly Goose. Starting small, a couple of wraps. So lots going on right now

 

Tx

Batman Cake

As you all know, Ryan couldn't make his mind up over a Batman Party or a Star Wars Party. I did the Storm Trooper cupcakes for the family dinner (that he said looked like pirates, but you tried hard mum) and a Batman Cake for his party.

I used fondant icing for the first time. I am pleased with how it turned out. I asked a few friends what to do and used good old YouTube. It amazes me every time I search for something on YouTube. There really is such a source of information on there.

The biggest mistake I made was rolling it too thin. It ripped when I put it on the cake and then I couldn't get it off. So the cake had two layers of icing. Made the top super flat! Making the Batman emblem was a bit tricky too. I had a different design in  mind but it would stick to the bench top so in the end I used a solid Bat. Ryan was happy, I think.

It was a rather full on day with a quite a few kids all charging around. It was meant to rain and thank goodness it didn't! So I was able to encourage them outside and I think the rain came for about the last 5 mins. Such a relief.

Adele is off to a party today so it will just be Ryan, Greta and I at home. Blair is going to take her. Hopefully be nice and relaxing.

Tx

Storm Trooper Cupcakes

 It my son's 6th birthday tomorrow! Unreal, I can't really believe I have a six year old. That seems so old. Both of us.

He swings from Star Wars to Batman all the time. Tomorrow night we are having the grandparents over for pizza and cake. So I am planning Star Wars for tomorrow night and Batman for his party. I seem to have this desire to overcommit to everything lol.

 I was on Pinterest ages ago and I randomly came across these cupcakes. I hardly ever go on it, hours can go past very quickly. It's great for ideas and finding new things. But really is a brilliant time waster. So when I found these I pinned them and really wanted to have a go.

They were so simple, but so cool. The heads are marshmellows with a face drawn on with a marker. The silver cupcake wrappers I found in the supermarket and black icing. Easy. AND I have a friend who was a pastry chef and she gave me the best tip for black icing. If you buy the cheap food colouring from the super market, the black will turn out a dark grey colour. But if you make chocolate icing and then use the black food colouring it will be black! Brilliant.

I am planning on putting one in Ryan's lunch box so when he opens it up at school he will get a birthday surprise and then the rest of the troop will be his "birthday cake". There is about 20 of them.  He is having a party on Saturday and I am planning on a Batman Cake. It will either be a Batman Cake or a Black mess cake. Here's hoping the vision in my head matches what I end up making.

Tx

Finally Finished

Before I had Greta, you may remember I was making quilt tops. A whole bunch of them and rather quickly. This of course meant I have a whole bunch of unfinished quilts. Over the last couple of days I finished one of the quilts! Now I have a finished quilt, two quilt tops and a half made top to go. I want to finish them so I can make a start on the "Lucy's Crap Shack" fabric I have.

I am rather pleased to say that I made this whole quilt from my stash. All I had to buy (ok so not completely I guess) was some batting. But this was a good thing as it meant I had used all my other bits and pieces and had no scraps left. Well done me he he he

For the backing I usually use flannel, but we are starting to come into summer and I had two large pieces, the green and the orange, but not enough of either piece to do a whole back. Since the quilt is rather colourful I thought it would go rather well with the front. Then the binding, I had some other fabric picked out, but then I found the coloured dots. I wasn't sure if I would have enough, there is a few joins on the sides, but I think the joins are worth it as I think it works a real treat!

The batting was different from what I usually use. I went for a puffy batting and I like the way it feels. Like a spongy cloud. I quilted it very basically and the puffy batting makes the coloured parts really stick up and I like it!

So now I want to keep this one too! My friends that have found out their baby's gender are having boys so far. Whilst this was meant to be neutral I think it is rather girlie. If I manage to put it away then I know I will gift it, that's what I was made for.

All is going well with Greta, sleeping, feeding, pooing. Doing all the things a baby should be doing. And really that is all you could ask for :)

Tx

A Bunting Skirt

Adele has her first kindy disco tomorrow night. For some reason I thought it was next week. At coffee group today one of the mums asked if Adele was looking forward to the disco. I had promised Adele a new outfit as when Ryan had his first disco we made a big deal. Of course less than 24 hours to come up with an outfit required a lot of quick thinking. So I made a skirt, I was going to do a top to go with it but now, as it is nearly 8pm, she will have to wear one of her current tops.

I had some really dark denim and a little bit of the blue fabric left over from Greta's play suit. I made a basic elastic skirt and then attached a bunting to the bottom. The fabric has glitter all over it and Adele likes buntings so I am pretty sure she will like it. Though you never can tell. She is getting to that age where she is starting to get her very own strong likes and dislikes.I am pleased with it. It didn't take too long to make. I was going to sew down the triangles but I have decided to leave them. They flutter around a bit when you move the skirt. Like I say, I like it!

I have put it in her room on the mannequin, a bit of a surprise in the morning for her. I hope it fits!

Tx

Getting my crafting mojo back

I haven't been at the machine for a while. I made Greta a wrap a while back. But nothing that required a great deal of thought. I still have my blue floral quilt to finish, thats about when I lost it. It required a lot of thought and I was making so many mistakes. Its all sorted now, well the maths is, but I still need to finish it. I am sure I will get round to it soon. I don't really like having half finished projects.

One of the books I brought a while ago had some super cute baby clothes. I really wanted to make some but I wanted the baby to be born first. I don't really know why, but I like to make things for the kids when they are actully here. Silly I know, I could get a whole heap done but thats just how I am.

Over the last week I have slowly worked on a little playsuit/overall thingee for Greta. I didn't want to go into town to get supplies so I found some fabric I have had for the longest time ever. Each piece wasn't big enough to make the whole thing but I had a half metre of the two fabrics so I could make it contrasting and, well, cute.

I used the book

 The girls clothes are all sort of based round a similar bodice so once you can do one then the rest will be pretty easy. I am not sure if the author meant to do it that way, but I like it. It is a nice book, inspiring and I am planning on making a few things, especially a pair of the bloomers.

 

 I am planning on putting some silver ric rac around the hems. I think that will be rather cool!

 

 This is a size 3 months so I am looking forward to Greta getting a little bit bigger to fit the outfit.

And I am quite pleased to have made some thing. Now if only I could be so enthuastic about doing some exercise and not eating like a piggy ;)

Tx