bags more

I made two more bags this afternoon, the blue one is much the same as the last one I made but with different handles. The top one is from the 1970's Daisy Chain fabric I bought earlier in the week. Both have cotton wadding between the layers to make them more sturdy. 

I just found out that my son will have some photo's in an exhibition of punk fashion in The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York...will show you when they are exhibited :)

bargains

As you know I like to find myself bargains in charity shops. In between my pilates class and the toddler group I help run, I popped into our local Oxfam and bought these two little beauties. 

The Sylvia Snail cushion cover panel is one that was designed especially for Oxfam to sell back in the 70's. There were a few panels designed and also tea towels so I am now on the look out for more. 

The fabric in the bottom photo is a piece of 'Daisy Chain' by Jonelle Duracolour, another 70's design. Just pondering what I will be making with it. The colours are so much brighter than my camera has portrayed on such a dull day.

sharing a shake

just had to share this one :)

lemon mousse

this is a quick, easy, delicious desert

Ingredients serves 4

284 ml double cream

1 lemon, juiced and zested

60g caster sugar

2 egg whites

method

Whisk cream, lemon zest and sugar until mixture begins to thicken

add lemon juice and whisk again until thickens further

(don't let it go too stiff or you wont be ale to fold in egg whites)

whisk egg whites until they form peaks and fold into cream mixture

spoon into 4 glasses and chill

decorate with zest

ohio star quilt

I've managed to make five blocks so far for my Ohio Star quilt. I pieced two by machine but the rest by hand...I do prefer to join small pieces by hand as I feel I have more control. I now need to cut out some more ready for another batch of blocks. 

craft bag

I picked up these handles and beautiful vintage sear sucker fabric in our local Oxfam shop which is doing a promotion on sewing and knitting at the moment.

I added this patchwork fabric which I have had in my stash for years, and some wadding....

and made this

its is reversable and I am quite pleased with it :)

I went back down to the shop the next day and picked up another pair of handles so I will be making something up with those too

snowy walk

So here in the UK we have had lots of snow...maybe not as much as bloggers from Canada and the USA, but lots for us none the less. 

Yesterday morning, after visiting the farm shop, hubby and I went for a stroll to the windmill. It was cold but beautiful. We stopped off at Ashridge for a hot chocolate and the cakes we had bought previously. We spotted some black deer on our drive home and couldn't get a photo so I took this one from the internet

kitchen aid cover

My daughter has a cobalt blue Kitchen Aid mixer and so for Christmas I made her an apron below..she loved it and as I had a little of the fabric left I thought, for her birthday, I would make a cover for her mixer. Life is pretty dusty where they live in South Africa. I used my mixer for measurements and had to add other fabric to make it big enough and also line the cover so she can reverse it if she wants to.

a busy week

I have just returned from a few days in Devon helping my daughter while her husband was away on business. 

We had fun...I told the twins if they were especially good and helpful getting ready for school each day and laying the breakfast table the evening before then I would take them to the village shop and buy them sweets before I left.They rose to the challenge 

Here they are examining and chatting about the sweets they chose :)

Gilby loves to help Mummy unpack the vegetable delivery that arrives at their house each week

 Below is a lovely treat that hubby bought me while I was away. I have been looking for one to have in the sitting room with sewing  stuff at hand...he found this in the Oxfam shop which delights me even more, knowing that he didn't spend much on it

 I found this lovely piece of vintage fabric in the Oxfam shop in Kingsbridge 

crochet

I'm doing a bit of crochet, using up odd balls of wool, until I have my quilt top finished when my evenings will be spent hand quilting...really looking forward to doing that again it seems so long since I did any.

The colours of this crochet are a bit bolder than they look here, not quite so pale.

these are the days I am waiting for.....

Nothing quite like playing on the beach in your pj's on a lovely summer evening. Can we just skip the snow which is about to hit the UK please?

(photo's courtesy of my son in law) 

Ohio Quilt

First block of the Ohio quilt...need to unpick that right strip and get those points sharper....

aprons

I have been making more of these aprons. The yellow one is from up cycled vintage curtains and the beige one is made from a beautiful 100% linen fabric which is so soft and lovely to wear. Of course they look great on my lovely model and friend but the good thing is that they fit most sizes.