Boo!

Love the internet. 

Ideas for Halloween buns? Yep, many. 

Instructions for red velvet cupcakes? Take your pick. 

Ever made a meringue? Nope, but delia online will show you how. 

The result - BOO!

24 Halloween Ghost buns for Sam's School fundraiser.  Think they might go down quite well...

A Realistic Time Frame

So, you wanna know what I used all that bias tape for?  Oh.  Well, I'm going to tell you anyway - I finally finished a quilt for my Mum's birthday and it only took me 15 years to do it.

Yes, 15 YEARS.

You see, I have this idea for another quilt and I had to have a little chat with myself about the one or two (and the rest) unfinished projects that are taking up space in the loft.  This was one such project, so a bit of a concerted effort and it's done. 

The main reason for the ridiculous time frame for this one was because it was completely hand quilted.  I mean, honestly, who does that?  I think the batting was too thick and the whole machine quilting process just seemed to go very badly wrong so I went old school on it.  Which looks great, but I shan't be doing that again in a hurry. 

Hope she likes it!

I Wanna Be Like You-hoo-hoo

Jack (in the car):  Mummy?

Me: Yes?

Jack: I am going to drive your car.

Me: Yes, when your older you probably will drive my car.

Jack: Yes, when I am big and fat like you, I will drive your car.

(and yes, that really is a red leather covered child seat)

Today's Homework

Now that I have a child in school, I am starting to learn lots of exciting new things.

Sam's homework over the weekend was to find various Autumn berries and seeds, so one slightly damp Sunday afternoon walk later and I now know what an Ash tree (and its seeds) looks like and likewise a Sycamore - the Holly, Conker, Hawthorn and Blackberry were not news to me I'm pleased to report.

We thought we knew what a Beech tree (and its nuts) was, but Google sadly proved us wrong when we got home; one for us to keep an eye out for over the rest of the week.

I was pretty interested in this little nature study, Sam not so much, but he did like printing the pictures, cutting them out and gluing them to his homework sheet, so that's something.

Simple Things Please Simple Minds

Turns out making your own bias binding is pretty simple.

 

I am pleased.

(the ease of this is thanks mainly to Dana at Made for her excellent tutorial and the magical little gadget)

Sick

Bloody hell but tonsillitis horrible. And this is the second time I've got it in less than 2 weeks. Thank goodness for the miraculous power of antibiotics otherwise I would be writing off yet another day to wooziness and razor-bladed swallowing, but even so I am completely furious to be properly poorly yet again.

Many many plans for doing have had to fall by the wayside. Am now longing for the desire to actually do something rather than sit around watching crap telly and feeling sorry for myself.

Tomorrow will be better.

Made Something!

Finally finished something!

One of my favourite blogs is tiny happy and I love the foraging bags Melissa made for her little girl. She completely rocks delicate embroidery and natural-looking style but when I made something similar for Sam I didn't really pull if off (looked a bit rubbish).

Needless to say, despite its randomness, he loves his treasure bag and it is full to the brim with pine cones and feathers and stones and charcoal and crumpled leaves and forlorn flowers and bits of stick and shells and... well, all the things that he has to keep forever and ever.

My design has evolved somewhat to be rather more primary coloured, boxy and appliqued and has become my go-to choice for birthday presents for all small people of my aquaintance. Enough people have been delighted with these gifts (not plastic tat, hooray!) that when a new shop opened near us called 'Look What Mum's Made' I decided to make a few samples and see if they would like to sell my Treasure Bags. Got to be worth a try right?

It's taken rather longer than I expected but I have finally finished 4 bags to take along in the next few days and see if they would like them. Fingers crossed...