fabric card

another scrappy card ,,, quite addictive

Easiest Ever 2 cup fruit cake

 

the easiest fruit loaf ever..  yes really.... even i cooked it first time

2 cups AllBran or similar hi fibre bran bits
2 cups fruit
2 cups sugar
2 cups milk

soak overnight ( or till its mushed if you cant wait)

add

2 eggs (or 3 if you have used big cups rather than the US cup measurement )

and mix


add

2 cups self raising flour ( or plain plus 3 or 4 tsp of baking powder - again depends on cup size)

mix to a batter and fill a 2 lb loaf tin - or 2 smaller ones - or really whatever is available (i put a piece of greaseproof on the base to make lifting easier but it would probably been OK without)


cook on lowish oven 170/180 till cooked - approx 1.5 hrs - but i checked with a skewer after an hour and then turned the oven down a bit

all very --ish ish but results are great!

crazy patchwork thanks card - gift card

pleased to say this is somehting from nothing.  yes i used new cottons but the rest has been saved from the bin....tiny scraps and even the card base was something i received as packaging... i feel there's always something a bit extra when a pleasant object is made instead of being sent to landfill.. hopefully the recipeint will use it again as i put a letter in the fold with a message










of course the money is new - or is that recycling too?

After ...

had a lovely play with my box of itty bitty scraps for the stems and the small bits box for the flowers - went with simplicity in the end - various machine embroidery  stitching and freemotion - the leaves didnt add anything . sometimes it's good to know when to stop.

the upshot is that - Now ... much prettier and i got to use some tiny scraps and the fancy stiches on my machine.. feel happier to use it now too .Win - Win

Before -- Recycling Bags

Had this bag for some time - 2008 actually as you can see from the face ..but although utalitarian not pretty ..so a plan with some scraps for a facelift ....... i have the idea for fabric flowers and leaves and grass........

Pieced 4 inch squares!

it's funny because it looks a whole lot better than in the pictures...the colours really flow into each other

and you know how it is --no matter how much you look at something ;;;]]]~}#}]]]]]]]]]]]](that was the dog typing!) you don't realize till it's all sewn together that the piece has an odd piece of pattern on it!!

the line on the orange square looks like a Biro mark but is in fact just the slightest of pattern...that surprisingly you don't notice how definite a line it is when looking at the whole fabric......how did i not notice that BEFORE i pieced it?  ...hopefully it will be disguised by some quilting (fingers crossed) so that my eye is not immediately drawn to it!!

ah well - i'm now thinking about a border

Seams pressed open

This is a first for me - pressing my seams open - usually i don't bother - but i will see how long i keep it up and if it makes any difference to the quilting

4 inch squares organised for piecing

i had to really concentrate on getting the right edges together - luckily i realised at the beginning that i needed a system to keep the rows aligned

4 inch squares layout

this is what i am using as inspiration - its from our garden a few years ago - put into PhotoPlus and viewed with a grid - Just like patchwork!!



Anyhoo - this is my interpretation,  just a flavour - but i think that the colours flow so i am happy with it





now - how to sew it up - firstly to assemble in piles to keep the right order

monocrhromatic texture

this shows the texture on the squares.  the dark green was a door curtain when my daughter moved into her place.  it was covered in paint splatters - but even though i really didnt like it  i kept it in for use as a paint throw- but it really adds pop to this and i already like it on my oven gloves - reuse reuse and reuse - its surprising how things look so good in another setting after a good wash!

birdy visitors?

a pair of blue tits are weighing up whether this will be a suitable home - i know last year they looked but never occupied - fingers crossed for this year though as it is really interesting to watch the constant feeding during the summer like when the robins moved in to their robin box with the baby robins

4 inch squares

i have decided to just improvise - no particular plan only a simple 4" square quilt made of solid colours - well monochromatics anyway. i have just picked out from my stash the colours i think will go together - just on how i feel - and started cutting and adding to the pile with another complimentary colour.

Very happy with it so far .. i expect i will try and be random in the placement - and my plan is to be more organised and press the seams properly - as i must admit i am not always too hot on pressing!

this is the life!

bright tote - obsessions

i think i see a theme - if i find something i like - i can't stop at 1 or 2 !!

see here and here for proof!

my new mirror

not to everyone's taste - which is how i ended up with it :-) - but i really like it!!


 

lap size colour wheel

the back and front are 100% Upcycled- the paint smudges on the back only add to the charm - honest ;-)

this is the third time i have made this quilt - this time i quilted with a stipple with variegated thread rather than the straight lines of last time

here in black and here how i did it originally (now gracing my bed)

comfy oven gloves

with having time off over the Christmas break i have had time to potter - i also realised (when i kept burning my fingers) my oven gloves were past their best - and for some reason i tend not to think of making bits for myself - however several burnt fingers later here they are.  i really like the square quilting and they are just the right thickness - they have cotton covers and poly filling - but that's fine and heat  resistant enough.  Already in use and working well with the jam tarts!