There are 2 little people in this house

And they just got one hell of a frowning for THIS.... there are 5 separate balls of wool, 3 socks and what I would expect will be hours of untangling in this mess.

little projects.

Just a quick visit today, HEY, better than no visit at all, which seems to be the norm!

I have knitted a shrug for Moo. It was such a quick knit, very quick, I got change from 100gms. I must try to make the most of this while she is little enough for there to be such thing as quick knits. It is finished now and just waiting for me to run the ends in and I will share some photos. Until then, here is a quick peek at the divine colour...




Also this is something I am working on for my sister in law. Best get cracking! these mornings are starting to get a little crisp and they will be needed soon ..

Be back soon... ...ish

The Academic's Munchie Buster

There are only so many websites a girl can look at in an attempt to avoid study before she gets bored and needs a snack.... Enter "The Academic's Munchie Buster", a super dooper moist and rich, chocolate self-saucing pudding. It is made as a single serve, in a big coffee mug or any container you want. It is quick to make... but once it is cooked, the rule is you have to study while you eat it! Deal? deal? DEAL!


Ingredients
2 squares of chocolate (crumbled or chopped up)
1 tablespoon of vegetable oil
1 egg
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons of cocoa
2 tablespoons of self raising Flour
100mls hot water (from the tap is fine)

Method
Place the chocolate and oil in the cup or bowl you wish to cook the pudding in, and microwave for 30 seconds on high.

Give it a quick stir to blend, if there are sections that are not totally melted it doesn't matter.

Add egg and mix well (the choc/oil mix should only be warm, not so hot to cook your egg, but it is best to check..)

Add the flour, 2 (1tbsp reserved for sauce) tablespoons of the sugar and 2 (1tbsp reserved for sauce) tablespoons of the cocoa, mix well.

Pour the warm water on top and sprinkle over the remaining sugar and cocoa and give a gentle swirl to mix it.

Microwave on High for 2 minutes.

It will rise quite a bit and bubble as the sauce settles to the bottom so you really do want a big cup.

When it is done, top with some cream and HIDE to eat it...

Enjoy, and get back to your studies.

No bullet points this year.

There seems to be so dang many people posting new years resolutions. I don't want to. Sure I have tried to set new years resolutions in the past, both you and I know I didn't keep them. By the end of January I cling to them as they become painful chores. February sees them become twinges of guilt. June.... What new years resolutions??

I do see the appeal though. I am honestly finding it hard not to say to myself in my head "this year I will..." and it is probably best I restrain because honestly when I think of it, all my declarations really only bring forth an image of me being some demented reincarnation of the perfect 50s house wife.. making more clothes, baking more, meals from scratch, my perfectly renovated 50s house and sure I want to do all those things but public announcements made in bullet point format are not going to get me that.

So it has been a while since my last post. I do have some Xmas wears to share with you, some baking, and I am sure a few other things.. they will come later. For now I just want to share my op shop purchase... a whole whopping fifty cents worth
To be honest though, I cant see myself using any patterns really soon except for maybe the sun hat, it is divine. I hope to attempt one for Moo very soon :D Otherwise, some of the designs will make great starting points for a few of my on ideas.... hmm.... Talk soon guys

OHHH yeah!!!

I have not knit a stitch in months... untill last night... ohh those needles felt good in my hand and I forgot how much my heart sings when I see that project grow...

So Last night I picked up Ginny. She has been left in a incomplete state for some time, during which Uni has ruled all my non family time... I need to make room for my textiles too... for my mental health you know!
so here is Ginny. JUST shy of 50%

here comes another commitment

In 2002 I trained in acrylic nail application. I worked in a salon and then from home, but eventually with a little one under foot it became too much and I finished up. I don't think I have done a set of nails in, ohhhhhh, 3 or 4 years! until my brother's girlfriend insisted I do a set for her. Boy'o'boy I forgot just how much I enjoyed it. So with some prompting from those around me, and with quite a bit of interest from people about becoming a client, I am starting up again.

Sooo.... here goes again, from next week I will be working from home as a Nail Tech. I am quite excited about it. I really enjoy doing it. Times will be flexible and heaven knows the money won't go astray....

"Threaded Gems"

Friday was mum's 50th birthday (Happy birthday mum!) and so being that all birthdays with a zero are pretty cool I thought it was quilt time. (this is the quilt mentioned in my previous post).
The last quilt I made mum was for her 40th if I remember correctly. That quilt was made as a bed topper and so while well loved does not get the "drag around" use I like to see my quilts get. This quilt is made as a lappy quilt. I like my quilts to be used continually, under them in winter and on top of them in summer. If this quilt is but a scruffy rag by the time mum's next zero birthday comes around I will be more then happy. Quilts should be used and loved and if some trashing happens in the process, such is life.

The name for the quilt came to me while I was quilting it. The very simple rows of stitching through the coloured squares looked (to me at least) like a string of beads.

This quilt was ubber fast to make. I think I have forgotten just how fast a quilt can go together when it is a simple strip peiced design and simple quilting. It also helps that this one is a smaller size, my quilts tend to grow and end up massive. As I mentioned before, mum's birthday was on friday, and on the Monday prior, I had not started, but that evening when kidlets were in bed I put rotary cutter and ruler to fabric and it was done by friday evening :D I am happy with it.

Vital Stats.
Name
-"Threaded Gems"
Finished Size
-156 X 180 cms
Pattern Name
-"Sunshine and Shadow" - I think!
Top Fabrics
-all 100% cotton
-13 X 20cm prints
-2m cream
Batting
-100% wool
-Upcycled wool felt blanket
-This blanket actually used to belong to my mums
grandmother (my great gandmother) - very fitting re use.
Backing
-100% cotton sheeting
-2m
Binding
-Remainder of backing
-Quilting
-Line quilted by machine

Perfect Points.

Perfect points really are the (dare I say it?) single most important element in a 'good' quilt.

I was working on a quilt today. Now this quilt is by no means my normal 'style'. It is very reminiscent of the 1930's quilting era. In fact the design is very similar to the "Shadow and Sunshine" design that was so loved in the '30's. The colours are not really my 'thing' either, they are not '30's repros but they do have that '30's feel to them. They are small prints, floral an the like... very '30's. So while I worked on this quilt who's design and fabric palette was not appealing to me... it made me smile. why? because perfect points give me inner peace!

Thinking about why I was so happy every time I opened out another freshly sewn seam, it was obvious. A quilt isn't made wonderful by using hideously expensive designer fabric, a beautiful piece of fabric is one that makes your heart sing and when you know it just has to come home and live with you. It doesn't matter who's name is on the selvage, we cut that bit off! A quilt isn't made wonderful by the expensive pattern, or by the intricate pattern. It wont matter if your quilt has thousands of minuscule pieces, not if they don't have perfect points! the simplest designs when pieced with perfection will outshine an uber expensive, million piece quilt if it is poorly pieced.

So this is why I smile when I open seams on this quilt. Not because of the expensive fabrics, because they aren't. They are run-of-the-mill, Spotlight quilt section cottons, but the person receiving this quilt will love them. I don't smile because I am working on a piece that is a triumph of patience... but because the simple, humble quilt I am making, I am making well.

Now I don't claim to be a master quilter.... not by a long shot.... But I am very particular about precision in quilting because this can make or break them. Some may call me OCD about this, and they are probably right, I don't care.. When I say perfect, I like perfect. I accept that there will be the odd seam that may be a few threads of the fabric out. I will allow these to exist, but with hesitance and annoyance. anything beyond that, and I am talking about a full stitch of your machine, so say 2mms out, and it is time to find the seam ripper. So, over 6 square metres in a queen size quilt, and I am going to stress about 2mms... YES. Yes I am. It all contributes to the final effect, and that 2mms here.. there... it adds up. It adds up to a sloppy and haphazard looking quilt, certainly not what your hours of work aims to achieve.

In short if you are going to do it people, do it well. It will make you smile. It will be your inner peace, and then you will realise that perfect points are chicken soup for the quilters soul.

ahhh nice....

Hmmm... not so nice..... Seam ripper, Stat!

Fancy dress.

This Saturday just gone we had a fancy dress party to attend. Brynach asked to go as the joker, which, at first, seemed way too much work and tried to talk him out of it, but alas, he was determined... The Joker it had to be!

So with some thought, I set to work. I had some green fabric and whipped out a litte (rough!) tie. I had some purple fabric, so a little pair of elastic waisted pants, pressed down the centre to give the look suit pants and a simple collared shirt, made with long sleeves but no cuff and lengthened at the back and cut to shape to make a set of tails, split and all....

Add to that a white shirt from the cupboard, some green hair spray and face paint, oh and a $5 silly string gun and Taa daa!

I think he really looked the part and somehow took on the evil persona quite well after some part food consumption..

...

I have been creating..... .....Just not blogging... must begin my catch up mission