Sunday 27 April 2014

This Week

Has been a week of....

 

...birthday celebrations for both myself and G...

 

 

...loving every stitch of my Pink Milk inspired stripy blanket. This one is for my Miss M...

 

 

...enjoying early evening beach walks with my little family...

 

 

...sewing another skirt. This one is for me - a nice little comfy summer skirt. I love the tiny hearts on the fabric. I am looking forward to the weather being warm enough to wear it...

 

 

...planning what I am going to make with my new fabric. G gave me this for my birthday, it is 2 metres of soft cotton lawn and I adore the pattern, I just love floral prints. I think I would like to make a Sorbetto top for myself with it. Has anyone used this pattern before? Any tips will be very welcome...

 

...trying to decide what to do with this gorgeous crochet trim. Also a birthday gift from G. I'm not quite sure what I will do with this yet but I think I may use it to embellish something for Miss M...


So it has been a busy week with work etc but when I look back at the weeks photographs, I can see that there were lots of lovely things happening as well with a fair amount of crafting time too which always makes me happy!

X

 

Tuesday 22 April 2014

Feeling Floral

 

Lots of flower brooches I have made recently...

 

 

My new floral tea cup and saucer. I love this so much, it's so delicate and I adore the fresh pretty, yellow rose design...

 

 

Flowers on my kitchen table. A bright and cheery bunch from my lovely mum and dad...

 

 

Roses given to me by my sweet friend after G cut some logs for her wood burner for her. G was given some beer which he preferred to the flowers...

 

 

Miss M has been busy decopatching with some floral papers. She enjoys getting busy with paper, brush and glue! She has decorated a wooden letter M for her room...

 

The schools have gone back today after the Easter break so I have spent the morning catching up on all the little jobs I didn't get done whilst Miss M was off! Now I am going to sit in the garden with a cup of tea and my current crochet project...

 

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Thursday 17 April 2014

Happy Spring Week

 
We are in the second week of the school Easter holidays here and happily I have also been off work all week.
 
I have enjoyed spending lots of time with my little family...
 
We have been out and about and even managed a picnic this week! We have also been enjoying walks after dinner each evening and the weather has been so lovely that even just being in the garden has been a pleasure. Miss M and I have done quite a lot of crafty activities together too which has been great - I love to spend time with my best girl making and baking. We made an Easter tree using some twigs which we collected on one of our walks. I crocheted a few flowers to hang on the branches and Miss M decorated it completely on her own with the flowers, sweet little chicks, ribbons and colourful eggs. I think she has made a really good job of it and it looks so pretty on the kitchen table...
 
I still have the sewing bug and have sewn another skirt with a bunny appliqué as a gift for my little niece. I am still loving this tutorial so much...
 
We made an Easter cake this morning which Miss M has decorated...you can tell that we really like the fluffy little yellow chicks in this house! We are having lunch with friends today and will be taking the cake with us as a little gift to them...
 
So that has pretty much been our week! I am working for all of the Easter weekend but G and Miss M have plans to do some egg painting and have an Easter egg hunt in the garden. I feel that I have had a good week though so I don't feel that I am missing out too much! I just love spring, I think it may be my favourite season of all...
 
Wishing you all a lovely Easter!
 
X
 
 
 

 

Saturday 12 April 2014

Easter Rocky Road

 
 
This afternoon Miss M and I made Rocky Road. We love Rocky Road in this house and G and Miss M are especially fond of the white chocolate kind which I make now and again using a lovely recipe from Madelief.
 
Today, we decided to use some chocolate mini eggs to make an Easter version. We have tasted it and it has been declared "delicious"! In my opinion it is especially good with a hot milky cup of tea...

There are lots of recipes all over the internet, but this is how we made ours....

Ingredients

75 grams mini marshmallows
120 grams rich tea biscuits
150 grams sugar coated chocolate mini eggs
400 grams white chocolate

Break the biscuits up into small pieces - Miss M loves putting the biscuits in a plastic bag and breaking them up with a rolling pin. Mix together the biscuits, marshmallows and mini eggs in a bowl. Meanwhile, melt the chocolate by placing it in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water. Add the melted chocolate to the dried ingredients in the bowl and mix together well. Transfer the mix to a lined baking tray (or use a silicone one like I do and nothing ever sticks) and refrigerate for 2-3 hours. When set, cut into pieces using a hot knife.

Thank you for the lovely comments about my recent makes - they are very much appreciated!
 
Hope everyone is having a great weekend!
 
X

 

Monday 7 April 2014

I think I am perhaps a little obsessed...

 

...with sewing these little skirts! I can't seem to stop. I have fabric to make another two...even Miss M has said, "I think that's enough summer skirts now Mum!" I may have to start making a few for my two year old niece instead.

I am particularly happy with how thrifty these little skirts are as the fabric I bought from the fantastic Remnant Kings in Glasgow was less than £3 per half metre. I think the prints are so pretty and quite Cath Kidston in style too which is always a winner for both me and my Miss M.

As before, I used the fantastic and simple pattern from here.

 

I can't believe it is the final of the Great British Sewing Bee this week. I will be so sad to see this series end, I have loved it and have found it so inspiring. I am really looking forward to watching it snuggled up with Miss M tomorrow night...we are hoping for Chinelo to win! Who gets your vote?!

 

X

 

Thursday 3 April 2014

Daisy Blanket

I finished this wee blanket a few weeks ago now and almost forgot to show it to you! I decided to make it into a baby blanket in the end to give to a friends baby girl...

 

The pattern for the daisy in the middle of each square was from Cute & Easy Crochet with Flowers by Nicki Trench - I don't think I will ever tire of this book, I adore everything in it. So after making all the daisies I simply crocheted a 3 round granny square around each one. I made 36 squares in total which turned out to be a good size for a baby blanket. I joined the squares together using double crochet...I have to admit that I don't enjoy this part although I do like the effect it gives. I really must learn the join as you go method!

For the border, I did 2 rounds of double crochet and then added a simple shell edging. I love adding borders to my blankets, I think it really finishes them off nicely.

I'm not really sure what brand the yarn was that I used as it was all yarn I had in my stash, but I have a feeling it was probably Stylecraft Special DK.

 

I am pleased to say that this little blanket was very well received! I really enjoyed making it too.

 

There has been less crochet than usual happening around here, as is I have rediscovered my little sewing machine and a new love for pretty fabrics...there may be a few sewing posts to come!

 

Happy weekend everyone!

 

X

 

Tuesday 1 April 2014

A few pretty things

 

Some tiny flowers collected on our walk on Sunday looking sweet in an egg cup...

 

 

Pretty fabrics to make more summer skirts like this one for Miss M...

 

 

Lovely swap gifts from Deb at a World of Imagination. I was also given a sweet card and a little recipe book which I forgot to photograph. Thank you very much Deb, I love all my gifts and thank you to Jo from Three Stories High for organising the swap...

 

 

A bunch of bright and cheery mixed flowers...

 

 

A floral tea cup and saucer, a recent find which I am so pleased with...

 

Pretty things to brighten up this grey and dull day!

 

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