I Cherish...

Orange and Almond Cake

2011-11-13T18:25:00.001-08:00

If I'm out at a cafe and looking for something to nibble on I can't ever go past an Orange and Almond cake or slice if it's going! We've got a lot of oranges in the fruit bowl that the fickle little people are ignoring, so a Google search for an orange cake revealed a delicious sounding Orange and Almond cake on the SBS site. This makes a beautiful cake, it's lovely and moist! Here it is, well my slightly modified version anyway!

The finished product, doesn't it look lovely!

Ingredients
2 oranges
6 eggs
200g caster sugar
250g almond meal
1 tsp baking powder
Extra caster sugar for dusting before baking
Margarine or oil spray (for greasing the pan)

Preparation
Wash oranges and place, unpeeled, in a pot of boiling water for 1 hour, drain, refill pot with fresh water and boil for a further hour. Cut the oranges into quarters, remove any pips and then use a food processor to puree the whole oranges till smooth. Cool to room temperature.

The 'cooked' oranges, ready for blending!

Preheat the oven to 190°c. Break 6 eggs into a mixing bowl or blender. Add caster sugar and beat or blend together. Add the almond meal, baking powder and blend.

Ready for baking, it's a lovely and smooth batter

Grease a 20cm spring form baking pan with margarine (or oil spray) and dust with caster sugar. Pour batter into the pan and bake for 1 hour to an hour and a half or until the top is golden brown. Mine took exactly one hour.

Served with freshly whipped cream topped with orange zest.

It's been a while!

2011-06-20T19:18:00.000-07:00

So I've been a bit busy lately... 2011 started off pretty busy and so I though what about adding a little more to that full plate and starting uni??? Yep, so my first unit was statistics, I had two assignments and an exam and did well on both the assignments, still waiting for my exam results but hoping I passed, it was really tough!

So anyway, I've been doing some cooking but I haven't done any sewing for months :( I miss it but I know if I start that I won't get any study done at all so for the moment it's study and cooking :)

Bella at the Park

New Fabric!

2011-02-17T23:15:00.001-08:00

I love getting new fabric that I've ordered online! I love opening the box, checking out each fabric and then later folding it all up and putting it up on my stash shelf. Here's what I got this order!

Inspiration

2011-02-17T22:57:00.000-08:00

I love to read sewing blogs, I get lots of inspiration from looking at what others are creating, this morning I came across something really beautiful, so beautiful I wanted to share it with you all.

Amy from During Quiet Time created this little beauty! Go on over to her blog and check out what's behind the door! Have a look around while you're there, she makes some gorgeous things :)

Created by Amy of During Quiet Time

Celebrate the Boy!

2011-02-15T21:13:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Nic for the heads up on Celebrate the Boy month on Made... can't wait to see what they come up with, I'm sure I'll collect a few more projects to add to the to-do list! Click the image below for all the details :)

I'm going to use this post as a reminder of all the things I want to make...

A New Pillow!

2011-02-14T19:55:00.000-08:00

There has been a lot of cooking lately and not a lot of sewing... my other half has been away and by the time night rolls around I am shattered and sewing takes up way too much brain power! Cooking is something I can do with my oldest, he loves to help me out in the kitchen.

I enjoyed making the pillow for Bella and I wanted to make another one, it was intended for Alex but I really like it... maybe it's for me instead!

After it was sewn up I was undecided on how to finish it and it really didn't look done, I thought I'd give some hand quilting a go, it's the first time I've done it and it's definitely crooked and uneven stitches but that adds to the beauty of it... right?

So here it is! I've also entered it into the Blogger's Pillow Party. There are some amazing creations there!

My Tuna Mornay

2011-02-12T06:10:00.000-08:00

This is a great dish for the whole family, my kids love it, I love it and if I swap out the tuna for chicken then my husband loves it too! It's an easy dish to make once you know the rules! I don't measure anything for this dish so it might make it a bit hard to explain but it's so forgiving that you'll be fine!

My Tuna Mornay

Cook some macaroni pasta in rapidly boiled salted water till al dente while you make the sauce.

To make the roux you melt about two tablespoons of butter or margarine over medium/high heat and when it starts to bubble sprinkle in about a tablespoon or two of plain flour and start whisking! You need to keep stirring well. You want to add in just enough flour to take the shine off the butter, add a little at a time and when it's matte then you've added enough. Keep stirring for a few minutes to cook out the butter.

Now you can add your milk, again I don't measure, just add about a quarter of a cup at a time till you get the consistency you want. Take it off the heat and add some grated tasty cheese (as little or as much as you like) and season with salt and pepper. I like to add a little mild paprika too.

Now to make it more Tuna Mornay and less Mac and Cheese I add some tinned tuna and corn, add your cooked pasta and pour into a greased oven proof dish. Top with some dry breadcrumbs (I like panko) and a little more grated cheese. Bake until it's golden brown and bubbly! Serve and enjoy :-)

I hope you give it a go if it's not something you already do, making a cheese sauce like this from scratch is a great still to learn and you can change it up in any number of ways! What about some diced bacon, capsicum, peas, cooked chicken... whatever you fancy!

Freshly Baked Bread!

2011-02-10T23:40:00.000-08:00

I've been wanting to make bread at home for ages and have tried a few recipes but they never turned out, then I found this recipe, tweaked it a little and it's fabulous! It looks like there are a lot of steps but I've gone into a lot of detail :-) This is gorgeous fresh, it's great from the freezer and it's fantastic toasted!!!

Ingredients

235ml warm water
2 tsp white sugar
2 tsp dry yeast
1 tsp fine salt
30ml vegetable oil
400gm plain flour

Method

Step One...
Dissolve the sugar in the water, stir in the yeast
Put in a warm place until the mix is foamy

Step Two...

Add the the salt and oil

Mix in the flour well, a cup at a time, till the dough starts to come away from the bowl

Turn out and knead, adding a little flour at a time, till it's no longer sticky

Keep kneading for about 10 minutes till completely smooth

Wash and dry the bowl, add a drizzle of olive oil into the bowl

Knead the dough again for another minute or two and turn into the bowl to coat with oil

Cover the dough with cling film, add a tea towel and leave in a warm spot till doubled in size

Step Three...

Preheat oven to 175°c

Punch the dough to knock out the air and knead for a few more minutes

Shape into a loaf and place in a well oiled loaf pan (9"x5")

Rise in a warm spot till 1" above pan

Brush the top with milk and bake at 175°c for around 20 to 25 minutes

It's done when it's browned on top and if you tap the base it'll sound hollow

Brush with melted butter while it's still hot for a lovely soft crust

Notes:

If the water/sugar/yeast doesn't foam up then the yeast may be no good or if it's very cold it may require longer.

If you add too much flour then it will be a bit tougher

You can also form them into balls placed just apart and bake as rolls, top with a little grated cheese and diced bacon for something special! I make my rolls with around 60g of raw dough and they back in my oven for 12 minutes.

You'll need to keep an eye on it the first time, all ovens are different so it might take longer, or less time.

My favourite sewing tool!

2011-02-10T06:35:00.000-08:00

I have a favourite sewing tool, it's a Sewing Gague, I bought it at Spotlight a few years ago and haven't been able to find spares anywhere, it's pretty small so I tend to lose it fairly often!

I found one last month at an online sewing site and it's on it's way to me (with lots of yummy fabricy goodness) from the states. And then last week I was out and about and checked out a new (to me) fabric shop and they had then too!!! Even better one of the packets had two inside, bonus! So now I have three and another on the way!

So as Lee pointed out I didn't actually say what I use it for... I use it mainly for hemming, it's super easy to get the measurements right with this little tool, I also use it for checking stitch widths on the machine. Basically anything you would use a tape measure for but this way you don't have to count out those little black lines!

Sweet Potato and Green Bean Salad

2011-02-10T00:03:00.000-08:00

It's been very warm lately and so salads are a fantastic option for easy lunches and dinners. I had some sweet potato and green beans and decided to make up a roast vegetable salad.

It's not the most attractive thing you'll eat but it's delicious! You can use any vegetables that you like (what about capsicum, red onion, pumpkin, tomato or zucchini?). I also think some nuts, especially toasted pine nuts would be great and instead of the chicken what about some cooked diced bacon?

Sweet Potato and Green Bean Salad

2 medium sweet potato, peeled and sliced
2 large carrots, peeled and sliced
2 tsp olive oil
250g green beans, topped, tailed and cut into 5cm lengths
1 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
2 tsp white balsamic vinegar
200g roast chicken
Salt and pepper to taste

I tossed the sweet potato and carrots in olive oil and seasoned and then they were baked on a flat baking sheet for about 30 minutes in a hot oven (mine was at 220c). Bring a pot of water to the boil, add the beans and once back to the boil cook for 2-3 minutes, rinse under cold water or put into ice water to stop the cooking process. You want to beans still nice and crunchy! Mix the roast vegetables with the beans and dress. Add the chicken and serve!

Mini Donut Muffins

2011-02-08T20:08:00.000-08:00

I seem to be doing more baking than sewing at the moment and I think that's because the kids help me in the kitchen and I can only do sewing when they're asleep!

Liss from Frills in the Hills is responsible for this recipe and it's a good one! Check out her site, lots of great recipes there!

Mini Donut Muffins
Makes 30 mini muffins or 12 regular size

1 3/4 cup plain flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp mixed spice
1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
1/3 cup canola oil
3/4 caster sugar
1 egg
1 cup milk

15g butter, melted
2 tbsp caster sugar + 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder

Preheat oven to 180c
Mix plain flour, baking power, mixed spice and cinnamon powder in a bowl
Mix oil, sugar, egg and milk in another bowl
Add wet mix to dry mix and just combine*
Spray oil your muffin trays (either mini or regular sized)
3/4 fill your muffin cups
Bake for 12 minutes for mini muffins (or till a skewer comes out clean**) and 25 minutes for regular.
Remove from oven, brush with melted butter and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar

Suitable to freeze!

*It's really important to make sure not to over mix your muffin batter, if you over mix your muffins won't be light and fluffy!

** When cooking things that rise don't open the oven door for the first half of the cooking time or you might find your treats not rising properly!

Broccoli Nuggets

2011-02-08T06:18:00.000-08:00

Got kids? Do they love broccoli? This is a great recipe to get your kids to eat and enjoy broccoli!!! I've put a recipe before with amounts but to be honest I just wing it! It's a really adaptable recipe, add other veggies like grated zucchini, grated carrot, chopped roast chicken, whatever you like!

Broccoli Nuggets

Broccoli, cut into florets and cooked till tender (I boil)
1 egg
1/2 cup tasty cheese, grated
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1 tbsp barbecue sauce, optional

Once your broccoli is cooked and has cooled a little then go nuts chopping it as fine as you can. Add an egg and mix it through, you can add more or less cheese depending on what you prefer, also try a little Parmesan for something different! Add enough breadcrumbs so it's not 'wet' any more but still holds together. Form balls of mix together and flatten into nugget shapes. Bake in a 200c oven on a sheet covered with baking paper. Bake for 20 minutes, turning half way.

Home Made Apple Pies

2011-02-05T20:42:00.000-08:00

These are very simple apple pies made using my Home Made Shortcrust Pastry.

Apple Pie Mix (makes filling for four mini pies)

1 Pink Lady apple, peeled, cored, quartered and sliced thinly

Lemon juice, one lemon wedge is enough

Cinnamon, to taste

Caster sugar, to taste

Brown sugar

Butter

Roll out shortcrust pastry portion gently on floured surface, adding more flour if needed to stop sticking. Roll out to roughly 12cm round. Add 1/4 of pie filling in centre, add a very small sprinkle of brown sugar and a dob of butter if you like, fold up the edges and gently pinch to make it hold. You can brush with a little beaten egg, melted butter or some milk to make it more golden!

Put onto a lightly greased tray and refrigerate while oven heats to 200c. Bake for about 15 to 20 minutes or till lightly golden brown! Just keep close and keep checking them to see how they are going, depending on your oven it might take a little more or less cooking time.

Serve hot or cold with cream, ice cream or just all on their own delicious appley goodness!

You can also freeze them once assembled, place in the freezer on a baking tray covered with cling film, after a couple of hours you can either cling wrap them individually or place into a zip lock bag. You can bake from frozen but just need bake for a bit longer. Easy!

Sweet Shortcrust Pastry

2011-02-05T18:20:00.000-08:00

I love to cook and my little man also loves to help me in the kitchen, he wants to help with everything and is an excellent helper (and fetcher!). This morning I decided that I bought too many apples this week and we've got more than enough for eating and some cooking! So what about a home made mini apple pie?

This is my tried and true sweet shortcrust recipe, it's so easy to make!

Sweet Shortcrust Pastry

250g plain flour
125g butter, cubed and very cold
75g caster sugar
1 egg yolk
1tbsp water, very cold

Put the flour, butter and sugar into a food processor and mix till the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the egg yolk and water and mix. The mixture is ready when it comes together on one side of the processor, you may need to add more water a dribble at a time to make this happen.

Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead till just smooth. This is enough to make one pie case or 10 tarts. I like to divide mine into 50g batches (I love, love, love my digital kitchen scales!) and they can be wrapped individually in cling wrap and frozen for later use! If using now then wrap and chill for 30 minutes before use.

Golden Syrup Dumplings

2011-02-04T01:49:00.000-08:00

I came across this recipe today and was determined to give it a go, every time I've heard of it I've thought that it sounds like it's worth trying but never got around to it so tonight was the night!

I did a Google search and this is the recipe I used, it's a combination of a few different recipes...

Dumpling

1 cup SR flour

30g margarine

1/2 cup milk (or just enough to make a stiff batter)

Sauce

2 tablespoons of Golden Syrup

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 cups water

Put all of the ingredients for the sauce into a saucepan and bring to the boil.

Rub the margarine into the flour till it resembles fine breadcrumbs and holds together when squeezed

Drop balls of the mixture into the boiling sauce and cover

I cooked mine for about 10 minutes (turned over at 5 minutes)

Serve topped with cream or ice cream!

Pretty yummy, they went down pretty well with the smalls which is nice, an easy dessert to whip up quickly and I like that it can be done in small batches!

New Shorts for the Little Girl

2011-01-31T00:51:00.000-08:00

I love cuffed shorts so when I saw the Oliver + S pattern, Puppet Show Tunic and Shorts, I was sold! This is a great pattern, elastic waist, cute gathered pockets, leg hem cuff and some gathering at the side of the legs. I chose Tonal Kaleidoscope in Pink from the Gypsy Banadana Range by Pillow and Maxfield to make these shorts and the colour and the pattern work beautifully!

This was a simple pattern to make, the instructions are easy to follow and the finishes are fabulous! I can see myself making these shorts again in a few different prints, such an excellent summer basic!

My First Sew Along - Done!

2011-01-27T20:48:00.000-08:00

I finished my first sew along! The Rachel Wrap :) I'm really happy with how it turned out. It's a little big on Boo but still looks super cute! I love this Sandi Henderson fabric, the combination is divine!

I can see this pattern for a winter shirt with warmer fabric and longer sleeves! It might even be a great pyjama pattern!

More blocks!

2011-01-25T08:27:00.000-08:00

I made a couple more blocks tonight, I could really see myself making a quilt out of the disappearing 9 block because it was really easy and looked complicated! The wonky log cabin block came together easily (I especially love all the pressing to one side, so neat!) but I would recommend getting a larger square ruler to make it easier.

I apologise for the photos but my camera has gone AWOL and I'm using my old one, I've asked my 3 year old a few times but no joy... it was on the dining table on Saturday morning and I haven't seen it since :( How long do I wait for it to turn up before I go and get a new one???

Rachel Wrap Top Sew Along - Picked Fabric and Cut Pattern!

2011-01-25T01:40:00.000-08:00

The Rachel sew along started today and I've drafted my pattern and chosen my fabric. Choosing the fabric was way harder than drafting the pattern. The instructions were easy to follow and although I think the pattern might be a little on the large size for my little girl it's better than being too small right? I'll be cutting out my fabric as soon as the little ones are in bed, 1 hour 44 minutes and counting!!!

The pattern pieces ready to go... Front, Back and Sleeve!

Meadowsweet by Sandi Henderson - Love, love, love this fabric!!!!

Another Block

2011-01-24T04:55:00.000-08:00

Another Quilts for Queensland block! Donna at Blue Mountains Girl made one of these Spinning Stars for Quilts for Queensland and I knew I wanted to do one too. She's got great taste in blocks and fabric :) Here is my version. Ain't she cute! Here's how to make one yourself.

Keeping things tidy!

2011-01-24T00:41:00.000-08:00

My sewing things are a little out of control so I spend a few hours today sorting and folding fabric! All my yardage is done using this method and my fat quarters like this. I used the second method to fold my fat quarters, they aren't all the same size but I like that they are all tucked up and won't come undone! Maybe sorted better means they'll actually get used!!!

I don't have a before photo (have lost my camera!) but here's an after for you, still not perfect but I'm keeping it real!

Quilting Fabrics

Quilting fabrics on top shelf and other fabrics below

Fat Quarters!

2011-01-21T05:38:00.000-08:00

I finished my first block for the Quilts for Queensland! I'm pretty happy with it, the colours are more vibrant in real life, the orange with the pink really pops!

Perfect Box Pouch

2011-01-21T04:11:00.000-08:00

What a great tutorial from Modern Quilt Love!!! This is the cutest little pouch and really easy to make, definitely the easiest zipper project I've tried so far. I've got fabric cut for another one and that should only take 30 minutes to sew up!

My First Sew Along!

2011-01-19T07:02:00.000-08:00

It's the Rachel Wrap!!!! I'm going to join a sew along on Craftiness is not optional. It's the first sew along I've joined, I hope I can do the pattern justice!

Orange Brownie - Yum!

2011-01-19T04:21:00.000-08:00

I found a recipe on a blog this week for Orange Brownies and knew instantly that it would be tried, so much so that I actually wrote it into my recipe book where I put all my favourites - that's the first time something's gone in before it's actually been tried! My eldest and I whipped them up after dinner tonight and they are a hit! Super easy, all the ingredients, except the flour, dumped in a bowl and then beat till smooth and then add the flour.

Orange Brownies

Preheat oven to 180°c and grease a 9" x 13" pan.

Blend together:
2 cups sugar
1 tsp salt
225g butter, softened
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp grated orange zest

Add:
1 1/2 cups plain flour

Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown and set.

While baking prepare glaze:
1 cup pure icing sugar
2 tbsp orange juice
1 tsp grated orange zest

Let the brownies cool completely and then spread over the glaze. Let it set and then cut and enjoy!

I baked mine in an 'edge' pan, it's the first time I've used it. It was a gift from my little sister, she brought it all the way from Canada for me. I'll be using it from now on for my brownies, normally the middle brownies are a little gooey and the outside ones a little too done but in the edge pan they all seem to be perfect!

It's got the tick of approval from eldest and myself, a keeper for sure! I liked that it actually wasn't too sweet, the texture was gorgeous and the orange zest delicious! I'm going to slice it up, cling film it (ceran wrap from my friends across the Atlantic) and freeze it. I'm sure it'll all be gone in a matter of hours otherwise! As it is there is a very real danger of it becoming dinner tonight :-)

A Binding Flange...

2011-01-18T21:11:00.001-08:00

What an awesome idea to add a little somethin' somethin' extra to a quilt! I love it :)

A simple zipper pouch!

2011-01-18T19:58:00.000-08:00

I made this from a tutorial (can't remember which one now - doh!) and I think it turned out pretty well. I'm not very good with zips but it's only practice that will help right. I've got all the components cut for a couple of Modern Quilt Love's Boxy Pouches, as soon as the chidlets are off to bed tonight and the husband is fed I'll be in front of my machine! Can't wait :) This fabric is California Dreamin by Jenean Morrison. I think I need the aqua colourway too :)

My first ever Mug Rug!

2011-01-18T19:33:00.000-08:00

I've had a mug rug on my list of things to do for a while so the arrival of my new fabric was as good a time as any to play! It's a pretty simple design, just a little 9 block with a kona yellow around it. It's inspired by this amazing creation in Nicey Jane, mine is a very poor cousin indeed!!! I love this fabric range, it's Party Dress by Bo Medell. I especially love the stripes for binding!

I followed Kerry's binding tutorial from verykerryberry and it's wonderful! Definitely easy to follow and I think I did an OK job, I need to do a little more work on the corners but I'm still happy :)

Check out flickr for inspiration!

My fabric has arrived!

2011-01-16T18:25:00.000-08:00

The fabric I ordered from Hawthorne Threads has arrived :) I got 30 yards of fabric, plus 2 fat quarter bundle packs and a scrap pack!!!

Now to find some time away from the chidlets and do some sewing!!!

Blocks for Brisbane!

2011-01-13T18:40:00.000-08:00

The lovely Corrie from Retromummy is organising 'Quilts for Queensland' for flood victims. You can make blocks, either 1 or 100 or a quilt and they will be distributed to the flood victims in Queensland.

Such a worthwhile cause, please get involved if you can!

Fabric Giveaway... Follow the Link!

2011-01-12T01:13:00.000-08:00

Red Pepper Quilts is giving away a Fat Quarter Bundle of Amy Butler's Soul Blossoms!

Fabric Giveaway... Follow the Link!

2011-01-11T23:46:00.000-08:00

Quilt Dad is giving away some gorgeous Pat Bravo fabric, follow the link to check it out!

A gift for a little Girl turning One!

2011-01-10T00:59:00.000-08:00

I stitched up a gift for my cousin's little girl who is one today. The cupcake stitching is my own design and is sewn onto the front of her birthday card, I made the Kokeshi Stuffie which is a free download from Melly and Me. I love her patterns, definitely keen to try another one of her stuffies, I think either the elephant or the giraffe!

Fabric Giveaway... Follow the Link!

2011-01-09T06:50:00.000-08:00

Head on over to Fussy Cut and see what the fuss is about!

Block Inspiration!

2011-01-06T16:52:00.000-08:00

I came across an amazing site, Quilting Bee Blocks. They have links to a squillion Quilting Bees! Also there is a list of Block Tutorials. Oh I hope that I can create like this one day!

(Credit: Melissa)

(Credit: sewgirly!)

(Credit: LilysQuilts)

A Little Birdy Told Me...

2011-01-05T20:42:00.000-08:00

to get stitching and here's the finished product! I really like it, I love aqua and red as a combination. Don't look too closely at the stitching, this is the first time I've done this sort of stitching, cross-stitch and long-stitch are a totally different kettle of fish. Most of it I did hanging out in the play room with the kids, my son was thrilled to help me with my 'threading'.

Here it is before stitching, I traced the design from laptop to paper, then from paper to fabric with an erasable marker! How very high tech of me! I think I need to get a transfer pencil :-)

A Pillow!

2011-01-05T20:27:00.000-08:00

I wanted to make a pillow for my daughter to put in her cot, she won't sleep under the covers but instead piles them up at the end of her cot and uses them as a pillow! I found the Eden charm squares at a fabric shop and fell in love, the colours are girly but not too cliche. I love the combination of birds, flowers and fruit. Perfect!

This is the first pillow I have ever made and it just sort of happened! I like the end result, enough detail without being too fussy! So, now it's entered into the Blogger's Pillow Party.

Fabric Giveaway... Follow the Link!

2011-01-05T18:47:00.001-08:00

Look at what the lovely Corrie at retromummy is giving away! Anyone is welcome to enter. Good Luck!

Getting Stitching!

2011-01-05T17:47:00.000-08:00

I found the cutest little design on Craft Pudding... We'll see how it goes!

Another Giveaway... Follow the Link!

2011-01-04T22:45:00.000-08:00

It must be giveaway day today! Blue Elephant Stitches is giving away some fabric and cute pin cushions on her blog... head on over and check it out!

Fabric Giveaway... Follow the Link!

2011-01-04T21:56:00.000-08:00

Hawthorne Threads are giving away a full fat quarter bundle of Amy Butler's Soul Blossoms! Open to International customers too :)

Sew! by Cath Kidston

2011-01-04T19:33:00.000-08:00

I bought a copy of Sew! by Cath Kidston before Christmas and have finally had time to finish something! The book comes with everything to make the bag on the cover, the fabric is already cut and all you need to do is sew it up! I used the button hole function on my new machine for the first time and I do love my one step button hole! I even used the machine to sew on the buttons. I'm very proud of myself! It's the simple things :)

Ick, photographer I am not! Must learn how to take better pictures... the sooner the better!

My First Ever Quilt!

2011-01-04T16:50:00.000-08:00

I made my first ever quilt last year... it's a little doll quilt and the pattern is inspired by Crazy Mom Quilts Ragged Square Quilt. It was pretty easy to do, good for a beginner and my little girl seems to like it, it lives in her cot :) It's been washed so it's all crinkly and soft!

I used light weight denim and cotton print. It's not perfect by any means, it was sewn on my old machine which is no where as good as my new machine.

Book Giveaway... Follow the Link!

2011-01-04T15:56:00.000-08:00

Red Pepper Quilts are having a giveaway! Head on over to check it out, this one is open to everyone! Good luck :)

Cooking Giveaway... Follow the Link!

2011-01-04T15:40:00.001-08:00

Prudent Baby is giving away a gorgeous set of Matryoshka Measuring Cups by Fred M. Head on over to enter! You need to have a US address for this one.

Fabric Giveaway... Follow the Link!

2011-01-03T19:30:00.000-08:00

Have you seen fabric by the talented Ann Kelle? I love her prints, the colours are so crisp and clear, the designs so simple but so perfectly balanced!

Fabric Shoppe are giving away 3 bundles of fabric from Ann's new line on their blog!

A Winter Cape

2011-01-02T23:24:00.000-08:00

Something else I just added to the list of things to make in 2011... a winter cape for my little girl. She'll be 2 in July! Oliver + S have a new pattern coming out in March this year and it looks adorable!

Some Christmas Purchases

2010-12-31T21:26:00.000-08:00

I was travelling at Christmas and other than a little hand sewing I didn't do any other sewing (and had major withdrawals!) but I did buy a few things to tide me over till I got home.

I got a few new quilt patterns...

Little Patchwork Village Wall Quilt by Rosalie Quinlan, 48" x 48". A nice mix of quilting and stitching. The little pictures to stitch are just gorgeous!

Pretty Teds in Bed by Calico Farm Designs, 39" x 47". I'm going to do one for my little boy and one for my little girl. Not sure on what colours yet but thinking colours like dark purples, aquas, hot pink, lime greens??? Love this cute pattern. It's so sweet!

Chubby Chicks by Black Mountain Quilts, 60" x 60" finished size. I bought some Moda charm squares (Bella print) to make this one, just need to pick the 'green' colour to match the charm squares and I'm off!

My first oliver + s pattern, Puppet Show Tunic, Dress & Shorts Pattern. I especially love the shorts in this pattern, I love the cuff on them! Fingers crossed that it's an easy pattern to put together!

Lunch Bags! A Design Collective book with fabulous designs for lunch bags and sandwich wraps etc. My sister has already put in an order for some snack bags :)

The Practical Guide to Patchwork by Elizabeth Hartman. Run out as quick as you can and get a copy of this one. Especially if you are just starting out quilting. It's a fantastic book, very easy to follow and I love that each of the quilt designs are sorted by difficulty and have various options for different colours or designs. I can't wait to make the first of (hopefully!) quilts from this book!

A resolution for the new year...

2010-12-30T22:30:00.000-08:00

I think I'd like to try and take better photographs in the new year... I love to create but am terrible at making sure I take photos of the things I make and when I do the quality leaves a little to be desired!

Here looks like a great place to start!!!

Blogger's Pillow Party

2010-12-30T21:32:00.000-08:00

Stiched in Color is having a pillow party in 2011! To join in the fun go HERE and see what it's all about. I already had plans to make a pillow to match a quilt I made my mum for her birthday so I'm in!

Hello little mouse!

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How cute is this little lady!

Mouse Tutorial!

Christmas is coming soon!

2010-10-28T00:39:00.000-07:00

I love Christmas and am excited that it's almost time to get ready! I found a great idea for some gorgeous decorations and made up one in some very non-Christmas colours :)

This is my inspiration from Zakka Life...

And this is my take...

I Cherish...

Orange and Almond Cake

It's been a while!

New Fabric!

Inspiration

Celebrate the Boy!

A New Pillow!

My Tuna Mornay

Freshly Baked Bread!

My favourite sewing tool!

Sweet Potato and Green Bean Salad

Mini Donut Muffins

Broccoli Nuggets

Home Made Apple Pies

Sweet Shortcrust Pastry

Golden Syrup Dumplings

New Shorts for the Little Girl

My First Sew Along - Done!

More blocks!

Rachel Wrap Top Sew Along - Picked Fabric and Cut Pattern!

Another Block

Keeping things tidy!

Perfect Box Pouch

My First Sew Along!

Orange Brownie - Yum!

A Binding Flange...

A simple zipper pouch!

My first ever Mug Rug!

My fabric has arrived!

Blocks for Brisbane!

Fabric Giveaway... Follow the Link!

Fabric Giveaway... Follow the Link!

A gift for a little Girl turning One!

Fabric Giveaway... Follow the Link!

Block Inspiration!

A Little Birdy Told Me...

A Pillow!

Fabric Giveaway... Follow the Link!

Getting Stitching!

Another Giveaway... Follow the Link!

Fabric Giveaway... Follow the Link!

Sew! by Cath Kidston

My First Ever Quilt!

Book Giveaway... Follow the Link!

Cooking Giveaway... Follow the Link!

Fabric Giveaway... Follow the Link!

A Winter Cape

Top 100 tutorials of 2010!

Some Christmas Purchases

A resolution for the new year...

Blogger's Pillow Party

Hello little mouse!

Christmas is coming soon!