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

Warning! No Colour Zone

My order of Prima Homespun black and white fabrics have arrived in the post ... all 7m of it ... hence the online order.  I don’t think my kiddies would be patient enough at the cutting table for this lot.

7m I say!

I don’t think I’ve ever bought that much fabric in one hit before?  Have you?

Another thing I don’t normally do is wash my fabrics before I use them – but – I think in this case I might have too as I’m worried that the black will bleed into the white.

For those that do wash their fabrics … do you use soap powder and softner? Or do you just wash with plain water?  You’re advice is greatly appreciated!

Now to start my plan of attack to finally make this.

Linking up with Finding Fifth for Sunday Stash.

Sx

Here's a Finish!

I actually started this quilt and gave it away pre-blogging, so I apologise in advance for the lack of construction photos.  But I just had to share this quilt with you as it’s one of my favourites so far.

 The quilt was made for a little friend of ours that we affectionately call “Pooky”.  She is a delight of a little girl who loves pink, purple and princess castles (well, who doesn’t?!)

She spends a fair amount of time having sleep overs at her Nanna’s house because of her Mum’s work schedule, so I thought I would make her a little something special to snuggle into on those nights.

I recently stumbled across Chasing Cottons Quilt Designs and immediately fell in love with her Sand Castles quilt pattern – you can buy it here. 

Chasing Cottons Quilt Designs "Sand Castles"

So I bought it (yay for me) and headed down to Spotlight to stock up on fabric.

Left over fabric scraps used in the quilt

As it’s quite a bright and zany quilt, I decided to stick with the same sky fabric through-out (the pattern suggests using different fabrics).  

I also used a sand coloured fabric with little ladybirds to tone it down a little (or she’ll never get to sleep!) and tie it all together.  I didn’t have enough fabric to do the pieced border, but I think it turned out fine without it.

Peek-a-boo Hubby's toes :)

Pre-blogging photos with my picture-taking shadow!

I had so much fun making this quilt, it’s bright and cheerful and just brings a smile to my face every time I remember handing this quilt to Pooky and hearing the squeal of delight she let out.  Just makes it all worthwhile doesn’t it?

Linking up with TGIFF hosted by Blossom Heart Quilts

Sx

WIP – One stitch at a Time

We had a little “Incident” around these parts that involved an ungodly hour, a drunk driver, his car and our house.

Whilst restoration work on our home has been happening, we have been set up in temporary accommodation which makes sewing and blogging a little difficult.  But I have had one saving grace … my love of cross stitch.

There is a silver lining in every cloud (they say) and it just so happens that the temporary accommodation that we are calling home has a lovely winter sun spot in which to sit and happily stitch.

I’ve taken advantage of said spot and am now ¾ through the 1^st of 22 pages of counted cross stitch.  I think this will end up being my life’s work, but what a peaceful life it shall be …. fingers crossed!

Stat’s:

Aida 14 count

Final width = 218 stitches

Final Height = 275 stitches

Total stitches = 59,950 (eek!)

Floss used = DMC

Amount of colours = 46

Jpeg picture converted to counted cross stitch using this website

The picture was chosen for my Mum.  It’s of a chap called Babur … he’s a relative of Genghis Khan and his life story is quite amazing.  He’s known as the 1^st Mughal Emperor. End of history lesson lol!

Hopefully I will be back next week with another instalment of my MIL’s quilt. 

Until then, we'll keep taking advantage of this beautiful winter sun.

I hope you find your sunny spot to sew.

Linking up with Freshly Pieced for WIP Wednesday.

Sx

WIP Within A WIP

Time seems to be slipping through my sewing fingers … I find that always happens when I start a project with a deadline – do you?

Any-whooo … I've almost completed another block for my MIL's quilt.  As she is English I've made a Union Jack to add to her story quilt.

It’s  a paper-pieced block (my first ever!) and I really enjoyed the process.

I used this template to make it.

My hubby liked it too (being English of course) and asked if I could make a WHOLE QUILT out of these little babies – hmm I'm not sure if I enjoyed the process that much?

Now to sew all the bits together

It’s a tiny little block so I think I’ll add a white border so that it matches a little better with the Apple Pie block I've already done.

Hmm, now that you have my attention paper piecing … what will you do with me?

Linking up with Freshly Pieced WIP Wednesday.

Sx