WIP - Stuck In My Head!

It been a day of music for me ...

I've had "Climb Every Mountain!", aka Sound of Music, playing in my head whilst sewing up the last bits of this dress for my youngest.  The fabric is from Saffron Craig's Valley View collection and reminds me of snow topped mountains ... "The Hills are alive with the ..." - ok I'll stop now.

The bubble dress turned out just the way I wanted it to ... um ... except for the size.  Turns out it fits my oldest instead - must have got my measuring tape in a knot!  

Other than my mix up of sizes, the StraightGrain Peplum Dress Tutorial was easy to follow and I think I'll be making some more for my girls this summer (note to self - measure correctly!).

Ugh! Bluuuury photo

The other song I've been singing along to is Michael Jackson's "Black or White".

As soon as I pick up two pieces of black and white fabric the song starts playing in my head.

Wouldn't be so bad except for the fact that I ONLY know the chorus - so around and around and around it goes ... I'm starting to go a little "Insane in the membrane" - oh ... make it stop!

Your WIP at Freshly Pieced will provide a much needed distraction!

Sx

 

Sunday Stash - Elephants

I woke up this morning ...

... went to the fridge ...

... only to find ...

... footprints in my butter!

I shall send Spotlight my bill.

Admiring your stashes with guest host Kristy at Quiet Play today :)

WIP - Feeling Frayed

Another block almost completed for my MIL’s quilt.  It’s a block that I found on Don’t Call Me Betsy website.  

My MIL loves to read.  She’s that quick at reading that she’s finished the book before she opens it – that could happen (erm …)

Getting there ... a knitting picture block is next

I’ve used selvage for the book titles and still need to sew around them as they’ve only been ironed on so far using sewable Heatbond.

I didn’t do the leaning book as I couldn’t be bothered … ok … I couldn’t work it out. 

I’m going to embroider something profound below the bookshelf like “Reading is for the mind, what exercise is for the body” …  “The sky is blue” … “We need oxygen to breathe on planet Earth” … ok …  I don’t have anything profound to say …

… Except that I’m feeling a little frayed today.  You see, I’ve just started cutting into my big batch of black and white Homespun fabric from Spotlight and the white Homespun is fraying, fraying, fraying! 

Seriously, if it was a middle aged man it would be buying up big on hair loss treatment.

I usually cut all my fabric before I start sewing all the blocks together, but I’m having to change my process for this one and cut, sew, cut, sew as the poor white Homepsun is falling to pieces.  

I’m beginning to wonder if I’ve got a dodgy run of fabric – ho-hum.

So I’ve got a few of the stripy blocks sewn and have put together one whole block.  I was VERY pleased to see how the points matched … phew!  

It’s my first time using the Strip Tube Ruler, so I’m pleased to report that we are getting on just fine.

Oh and I finished the ‘XO’ quilt … it’s happily in it's new home.

Quilted and bound in 2 days flat - new record for me - so it's official, I'm a fan of the QAYG technique!

As per usual, I was so eager to give this quilt to it's new owner that I didn't take any proper photos first!  So these iphone shots will have to do.

Hope you're all having a productive WIP Wednesday?  See you over at Freshly Pieced!

Sx

Colour Clash Fun

I just popped over to visit Stitched In Color ... she's running a fun competition with Marmalade Fabrics where you choose a bunch of fabrics from their site that are bright and clash. 

If your selection is voted the clashiest (that's a word) then you win a fat quarter bundle of the 12 clashing fabrics you chose.

So where does colour clash around me?  At my 3 year old's Kindy of course!

I took a snaphot of their website - used a pallet builder to find colours, then matched (as best I could) to fabrics available on the Marmalade Fabric website.

I couldn't resist the little chicks that match the Kindy's logo :)

Mmm nothing like a bit of purple, green and orange!

It was a fun exercise and good excuse to browse the fabric range (wink, wink)

You can link up your fabric selection for a chance to win at Stitched in Color - go on ... have a bit of fun.

Sx

Almost there! WIP

It’s almost time to hug and kiss this baby goodbye.

 All quilted blocks are sewn together, sashing and borders are on.

Slight pinning overkill !

I was going to back this quilt with the same white, spotted fabric that I used for the sashing

but … being that I’ve used the QAYG technique for this one, you end up having the fabric from the front showing in the seams at the back.

I could see these seams through the proposed white fabric backing.  So I had to go fabric shopping for an alternative – what a shame (ahem).

Fabric picked for the backing is a little buy from Spotlight.  

The retro-ish pattern compliments Aneela Hoey’s Posy range nicely. 

All basted and ready for quilting in the ditch.

I must say that this Quilt As You Go technique has been fun to use so far.  I’ll see how I go with sewing all three layers together using my little Brother.

...the little sewing machine that could!

Hope you're making some good progress on your projects?  

I'll see you over at Freshly Pieced WIP.

Sx

WIP and a Tasty Treat

Finally some progress on the little Peplum Bubble Dress by Straightgrain I’m making for my youngest.  

Click on pic to get the free tutorial

I picked up those scissors and started cutting (with one eye closed because I couldn’t bear to watch!)

Yes I’m a little chicken when it comes to cutting into fabric that … 1. I love and 2. Is a tad on the pricey side.

I have the bodice sewn up so far.  I decided to line the bodice as I don't trust my bias binding and top stitching capabilities that the pattern calls for.

I managed to sew in an ‘almost’ invisible zipper – I did a little happy dance when that baby went in!

That money is the decorative top of our sewing kitchen table

Now I’m up to the bubble skirt part and should have that done in no time (…she says).

The Monday just gone was my last quilting class for this term and someone always bakes a little something special for the last class.  This time it was a DIVINE … wait for it … Rhubarb and Ginger up-side-down cake.  

Oh my goodness it was delicious.  We all chorused “recipe please!” – but sadly we will have to wait the whole two weeks of term break to receive said recipe.  

Two weeks!? I can’t wait two weeks!  So I turned to my old pal Google to see what he had to say about the situation and he turned up some pretty good results – but my pantry couldn’t keep up and was a little lacking in ingredients.  So, because I’m so impatient industrious I decided to improvise

IMPROVISED INGREDIENTS

Rhubard (bottom/top)

2 cups of Rhubarb – chop in approx. 2cm pieces

2 tbs butter

½ cup caster sugar

¼ cup brown sugar

Cake

2 cups of Self Raising Flour

1 cup sugar

115g soft butter

1 cup milk

1 medium egg

2 tsp ground ginger

½ tsp bicarb soda

IMPROVISED METHOD

Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celcius (I have a fan forced oven)

Line a round 18cm cake tin with baking paper

Melt butter, caster sugar and brown sugar in a pot

Once melted pour into bottom of cake tin

Arrange rhubarb on top of butter/sugar mixture in cake tin (make it look pretty as it’s going to be your top). 

Boil the milk in a pot (I used the same pot as I melted the sugar/butter mixture in).  Once boiled, take off the heat and set aside while you start on the cake batter.

Beat the egg with a fork in a cup, then set aside.

To an electric cake mixer add the SR flour, sugar, ginger and soft butter all together and mix to combine.  (Don’t worry if there are a few lumps of butter, the warm milk will sort those out)

Add the egg and mix to combine

Then add the warm milk.  Turn up the speed on your cake mixer and continue to mix the batter to a pouring consistency.

Pour into the cake tin over the top of your rhubarb.

Back in the oven for 45mins (your cooking time may vary depending on your oven – just check with a skewer to ensure it’s cooked through)

Once cooked, remove from oven and allow the cake to cool/stand a little in the cake tin.

Once cooled place your plate over the top of the cake tin and flip!

Fingers crossed it will look a little something like this …

LOL! It's the same colour as my kitchen bench top

oozy .. gooey ... sweet ... bitter ... gingery (that's a word)

Cut a big slice and share with friends, a cup of tea and a good dollop of gossip :)

We did a spot of gardening on the weekend (now that we are happily back in our home) and the kumquat tree has gone bananas!

We have so much fruit this year ...

... and I have absolutely no idea what to do with it?  Any ideas?

Linking up with Freshly Pieced for WIP - nice to meet you guest host Stacey!

Sx