Schoolgirl Pleated skirt

by Little Chickadee Patterns.

I fell in love with this skirt when I saw the pattern. Maybe the rebel in me likes to make school uniform style clothing with a free license to use whatever fabrics I like...and I can tell you that I will never chose school uniform plaid!

This was pretty quick to sew up and I think that it is a super-cute little skirt! It will be a pain to iron but sigh! What is a mummy to do in the name of a daughter's fashion?







And the icing on the cake- the little goddess was actually happy (yes, happy) to try the thing on. She even did a happy dance to celebrate.



Now, you just know that she will refuse to wear it tomorrow...

Easy, quick and yummy scroll base recipe

What more could you want in a recipe?

This is so fast to throw together. No rubbing in. Just mix and roll out. Great base for cheesymite scrolls. I layer it with barbecue sauce, cheese, ham, tomato and whatever else is going. Roll them up, cut into slices, brush with beaten egg or milk. Cook for about 20 minutes in a 200 degree oven.

1 and 3/4 cups plain flour
1 and 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
pinch salt
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup milk

Double the recipe and pop some in the freezer too.

Be Afraid!

Be very afraid!

Yesterday our 6 year old wanted to know what words have no rhyming word to them. Hubby and I looked at each other across the table, half relieved that it hadn't been "where do babies come from?" or "why is the sky blue?".

The other half of us kicked into action. Not that mummy wants to show up daddy or that daddy wants to prove that he's smarter than mummy (but he is still a little ticked off that I scored higher on the IQ test 10 years ago than he did. 3 children and 7 sleep deprived years later, I know darn well who'd score higher if we repeated that test today!) But we do a have a bit of a competitive relationship, always have.

On this one we came out equal. He thought purple and I thought orange- and whacko, what do you know? We are both right. If anyone is interested, the other 2 common words which don't rhyme with anything are silver and month. (What is it with colours?) There are more less common words (for anyone still interested , such as angst, scalp, width, breadth, depth, eighth, ninth and twelth)

Bless Mr Google! How did we ever cope at school without computers? (OK I'm old!)

Our 6 year old is very inquisitive and it's not like hubby or I are dumb but I find myself questioning my memory when he asks me a question. I've already fallen back on "let's check- daddy should know" or "we'll have to look that up" Partly I question my knowledge these days (isn't that ironic? We lose some level of intelligence during pregnancy then the kid that caused it hangs around to rub it in) and partly because I question the accuracy of my memory.

I figure, another 6 months of computer studies and my 6 year old will be helping me out.

I'd better go and brush up on my calculus, how exactly the earth does move and where the heck
Akrotiri is. If he asks me how to sew a French seam, I'll be fine but somehow I don't think I'd be that lucky.

Colette Parfait dress

Great patterns for gals with curves.

When I first saw these Colette patterns, I fell in love with them. Thought it was a shame that I wouldn't be able to wear them and would it be wrong to buy them for my now 2 year old daughter to wear when she is older?

But others have said that they would suit my figure and so I took a second look. They are divine patterns. Remind me of vintage style dresses of the 50s.

The patterns are in a gorgeous little booklet layout. Well laid out and easy to follow. I had trouble with the fit as I think I made it a size too big for my top half. But that was my problem; not the pattern's.

I top stitched around the top of the bodice though this wasn't in the pattern.

I also decided to re-invent the way you insert an invisible zipper. OK, so properly reading the instructions on the zipper packet, in my sewing book and in any one of a dozen on-line tutes would have saved me the grief but it reminded me to try that as an option next time I am doing something for the first time.

Anyhow here tis.










The fit needs more tweaking to sit better but that's something new to me that I need to work on. Meanwhile it is wearable. A bit low cut over the cleavage area so will have to shorten the straps or get a bit funky with my dress code.

Summer is on its way...

Well, it was yesterday!

A couple of unseasonally warm high 20 degree days have blessed us here in Adelaide. Anyhow, it inspired me to whip up something summery and the Sweet Halter dress from ManiMina is quick and easy. Really it is a variation on a pillowcase dress but I think a dressier version.



The green in the tie is not photographing well; it actually is a different shade of green and goes well with the lime of the main dress body.

The pattern finished the arm holes with a double folded hem edge but I used some fun bias binding instead.



Mae and I seem to have reached an "understanding" She will try something on long enough to show daddy which is usually long enough for me to snap off a photo or two then she can change back into clothes more acceptable for a 2 and 1/2 year old (!!!!!)



It may not give me the best photos but at least it doesn't look like I am torturing her to wear my clothes. The neck tiedoesn't sit as snugly on her as it should yet. I made a size 4 as I am wary of American sizing and I figure if it is too big, she can just wear it next year.

Fast, forgiving and fabulous...

...but enough about me!

(I'm not that forgiving anyhow)

Knits are wonderful. Now that I am sewing them, I can't believe how fast it is to sew up a garment. Of course, I have a lot to learn and a lot of practicing to do but I think that I have a grip on the basics.

Another Ottobre Creative Workshop 303 tee, this time with a scoop neck rather than a round neck.



(The neckline is actually a chocolate Stella which matches the brown of the sleeves but it has come up rather blackish in the photo)



I do find some of the better quality stretch fabrics very expensive. But you sure notice the better quality when you sew them, wash them and wear them. I tend to use the expensive fabric for eg sleeves or body rather than the whole garment- then it goes further!

I still have a soft spot for wovens and always will. But it is nice to have a choice.

Bloomin' heck!

(Insert a wolf whistle here for the gals)

The very talented Sam of Jetta's Nest creates the most divine goodies. My boys have appliqued robot tees already but I drool over her dolls, brooches and well, really, anything that she creates.

So of course I needed to own one of her Bloomin' Buttonhead Brooches. The lovely lady at the back is Siarah but (no offense Siarah) I have to say that my heart belongs to Lola. She is just so sassy and confident.





Thanks Sam. They are just perfect. I was going to gift one but don't think that I can part with either of them!

Happy Father's Day

to dads everywhere!

As much as I detest the rampant consumerism associated nowadays with Father's Day, (as well as Mother's Day, Easter, Christmas and every other celebrated day it seems...), the sentiment of acknowledging the love for, and contribution to your family of, your dad/husband/grandfather is a lovely one.

My son wanted to know when Grandmother's Day and Poppy's Day were. I think that we'll just hijack Mother's Day and Father's Day for those.

But, if you avoid the marketing side of today, what dad doesn't get the teensiest bit gooey when he gets the portrait of himself that his 6 year old son has drawn for him or the decorated "special shoebox" that his 4 year old lovingly glued and stuck?

“Any man can be a Father but it takes someone special to be a dad.” -Anne Geddes

Happy Father's Day 2009.

Pins and Needles

Breaking bad sewing habits, one step at a time.

It is amazing how when you get used to something, it doesn't worry you. Move into the renovator's delight and you are going to paint that unbearable Mission Brown kitchen another colour straight away- but it takes you a couple of years. Sit on the foldout stool for months at your sewing machine thinking "I must get a new sewing chair" but never actually getting around to improving the situation (or your posture).

Well, this is how I store my sewing needles:



Yes, they are in there somewhere. Among the pins, safety pins, and if you look closely, there is even a sewing machine needle in there. Darn annoying when you are looking for them as you can't find them. Darn annoying when you are pinning as you can't pull out anything but needles.
And I daresay it blunts them too.

I have seen a few of these cute little needle books out in Cyberspace recently so my TV viewing this week has been a bit of handsewing. Nice for a change. I added a snap closure to decrease the bulk when not in use.

There is heaven on earth...

and it goes by the name of "cheesecake"

Cheesecakes are a bit of a blast from the past. Made numerous amounts of them in my younger days but I think I stopped when I read one too many times the kilojoule count of a good cheesecake.

Recently my son had some and so I decided that I should brush off my recipes because it would be a really good thing to cook with the kids.

I am searching for THE best lemon cheesecake (or the best 10...you can never have too much lemon cheesecake) I thank Carla for this one. I used to make it growing up but somewhere the recipe went AWOL. The boys and I made it at the weekend. So fast, so easy and so, so yummy.

LEMON CHEESECAKE RECIPE #1

200 grams plain sweet biscuits (Marie, Milk Arrowroot, Granita etc)
80 grams melted butter (approximately)
Optional: handful of nuts to add to the base (hazelnuts, pecans etc)
1/2 to 3/4 cup of lemon juice from VERY ripe lemons
1 packet softened cream cheese
2 cans condensed milk (OK so you only need 1 for the recipe...oh, now what could you do with that 2nd can? OK So maybe you'd be sick if you ate a whole can...should I try it and see?)

Crush biscuits (with oir without nuts added) to fine crumbs.
Mix through butter and press into foil lined pie dish (I use a spring form tin)
Pop into fridge while you make the filling.
Beat cheese and milk in a bowl until smooth.
Add lemon juice and continue beating until mixture thickens. My lemons were yellow but not really ripe and it still worked but I think that the mix wold go thicker if the lemons were riper.
If you want, you can zest some lemon peel over the top.
Refrigerate till ready to eat (or until you just can't bear the anticipation any longer)

I remember making cheesecake bases by placing the bickies in a plastic bag and bashing the proverbial out of them with the rolling pin. Man, was that time consuming! But that was how we were taught at school. I have this time round plugged in the food processor and voila! Biscuit crumbs faster than you can wipe that condensed milk off your face. (My guilty little cooking secret is that I no longer rub the cold butter into the flour patiently with the tips of my fingers when cooking scones. I don't know if it is due to time constraints, laziness and the need for faster gratification or the fact that I've never enjoyed the task but I still feel like I am letting my grandmothers, great grandmothers and any other scone-cooking rellies who came before them down)

So now that I have been sucked back into the kilojoule laden vortex that is cheesecake making, last night I impulsively made another one. Well, I had to really. I have some overripes strawberries that need to be used up. Oh, the sacrifices...

STRAWBERRY (or raspberry) CHEESECAKE:

180g biscuit crumbs
90g melted butter
1 punnet strawberries (go, ahead and pop a few extra ones in. Yummmm!)
1 packet of softened cream cheese
1 tin condensed milk
3 teaspoons gelatine
3 Tablespoons boiling water
32ml whipped cream (apparently optional- I will explain)
1/3 cup lemon juice

Make up cheesecake base and refrigerate.
Beat cheese till soft then add milk, juice and gelatine.
Fold in cream and cruhed strawberries.
Pour over base and refrigerate.

This recipe came from my mum and my nan before her. They are both ladies who adore whipped cream. I made this last night without the whipped cream because I didn't have whippable cream and because I am not a fan and it set just fine. The flavour was probably more intense and I guess the cheesecake was probably a bit heavier for it but hmmm, no, it was still divine.

Yumbo!

I think for the sake of our cardiovascular systems that we will not be making any more cheesecakes for a little bit.

But I will keep you posted on the great lemon cheesecake search!