Clearing the craftroom - Giveaway

I am seriously clearing and tidying up the craftroom and my quilt shop (aka the garage) So instead of selling the excess I have decided to host some giveaways over the next few weeks. This weeks giveaway is ....


Melly and Me bag pattern - Hopscotch.

This has never been used. I have unzipped it and looked at the instructions but am just not going to make it.
So put a comment on my blog and make sure I know how to contact you and this could be yours, to keep or give away yourself.
This will be drawn in the evening on Wednesday and then could be winging it's way to you.

Upcycling - using second hand sheets

Last night I got on the finishing streak of upcycling various second hand sheets that I obtained from the Op Shop for $2-3 each.
I have been making duvet covers for our single beds as we just don't have enough in the winter when washing does not always dry. I like to use plain sheeting and am a big fan of natural materials, so it has to be 100% cotton and generally white. Then we don't need a top sheet to the bed as the cover operates as a duvet cover and sheet. Makes it easy for the boys to make in the morning and we don't get the whole - sheet down at their feet - scenario.
I made two white duvet covers last week and last night I made a purple one for Eli. It is his favourite colour.
By mistake I deleted the photo of the main finished duvet cover (and it is in the wash now).

Instructions; - sew four straight seams to make a duvet (takes 30mins max)


1. Get two single sheets or one double / queen (so that there are two layers and lay them on the floor. Make sure that the nice stitched top end of the sheets are both at the same end and if you have a wrong and right side then put them right sides together. As this means the bottom of your duvet is already made and thick enough to take either domes or buttons as closure.

two top ends of the sheet which will become bottom end of the duvet. All ready for buttons or domes.     

2. Lay an existing correct fitting duvet cover over these two layers. Put the bottom of the duvet in line with the top of the sheets and one side of the duvet in line with one of the sides of the sheet. This way you only need to cut to fit down one side (allow 3cm seam allowance) and along the end of the duvet.

3. Stitch both sides together starting at what will be the bottom of the duvet (that nicely finished top of the sheet. Then stitch along the top seam. This will make sure if you have cut it a bit wonky you can correct it, but the bottom opening of the duvet will still look professional as the seams will match.

4. Turn the duvet through so that the seams are all on the inside. Then iron those seams. Go back to the sewing machine and start on one side and sew to the top - sew with the side of the machine foot running in line along the edge of the duvet - , turn and sew along the top, turn and sew down the other side. This is called a french seam and means that you do not need to zig zag or get your overlocker out as it seals the original seam inside itself. It also gives a really good finish to the duvet making the edges always look sharp.

The finished look of the french seam

5. Close the bottom two edges of the duvet whatever way you prefer. Make buttonholes on one side and sew on buttons or use domes.


One finished duvet.

Pre Dinner Pirate Show

Last night, while waiting for the roast to rest, we were regaled with a pre dinner pirate show by the boys.

Introducing Elijah Schulz as Captain Burabaz and Jakob Schulz as Mumtan. (those were my lines and then I was instructed to sit in the audience)

We had a fine display of swordsmanship, lots of swashbuckling, a treasure ship commandeered and a great finale. Unfortunately they also killed the audience several times.

Baked cheesecake

Last night at 9pm I started making these miniature baked cheesecakes. I used lime and lemons to flavour it as I find that cuts through the dense fat of the cream cheese. Only I then had to stay up till about 10.30pm waiting for them to finish the cooking part.

I love baked cheesecake and I am going to be with the girls for a quilting session tonight, so this will be our sweet treat. As you can see from other blog posts I often use the baked cheesecake with other flavours - the last few tries were blackcurrants and redcurrants from the garden. Click here to see - I was impressed with them when I made them!

Anyone have any answers on the biscuit base for cheesecakes? I used 50% more butter in my base than the recipe (an Alison Holst recipe I have adapted) but the base still crumbles apart. At least the base is not the rock hard, can't get a spoon near it, kind. Tips anyone?

Feijoa and Ginger Jam

I am in the kitchen making Feijoa and Ginger Jam. This is my own recipe that I developed as I could not find one in any of my recipe books etc. Doing reading from some Victorian cook books and the Earnest Adams cookbook I realised that Feijoa's really have no setting agent due to them being low in acid (though apparently quite high in pectin). So using "pectin" or jam sugar but wont help this to set, what will is some acid. I use the juice of a lemon and a bit of tartaric acid for this;

Feijoa Jam

1 kg of Feijoa pulp - some years I use a potato peeler to peel them but this year I just scooped the flesh out using a spoon.
900g sugar
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
1/2  tsp tartaric acid
75g chopped up crystallised ginger

Clean your jars and lids and put them into the oven at 100oC to sterilise while the jam is being made.
Put all ingredients into a pot on very low heat and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Turn the heat up and have the jam at a rolling boil. Stir occasionally. When it has reached setting point (I put a dish in the freezer , once cold I put a tablespoon of jam on the dish. If you can run your finger through and the jam stays separated it is ready). Cooking time tends to be around 20 minutes. Put into jars and place lids on immediately.

This jam comes out more like an English conserve as I do not mash the fruit or cook it so long that it pulps.

Enjoy

Make a gorgeous cushion from a shirt

I have just finished making a lovely cushion from a second hand linen shirt. I bought the shirt for $2 specifically to do this. The inner is a Fairydown feather inner - 16x20inches.








Here is how I did it:

1.Get a cushion inner the size you want. Have a shirt in the material, colour and style you want. Make sure it is a button through shirt not a pull on.

measure shirt for cutting

After cutting

2. Place the cushion on the well ironed shirt (buttoned up) and cut out around (so that you are cutting two layers at the same time) - don't forget to allow for seams. Or measure your cushion size, add seam allowance and then cut that out of the shirt

3. Sew the top seam only so that the material becomes a oblong.

4. Add all the embellishments that you want. Sew them along the full length of the material and then it will cover both sides of the finished cushion.

Front

Back - with a perfect opening 

5. Fold the trimmed material in half along current seam line - right sides together. Sew around the other three sides. Then unbutton the buttons, turn inside out and press. Viola your finished cushion. With a perfect opening, professional button holes all matching up - without having to do the hard work yourself.

So thick and still snowing

up to the top of the gumboots

Goodness the snow is like I have never seen before. It is still snowing - now been snowing for 8 hours and no sign of let up. Thick , still and beautiful. The kids have great up to now to the point that I have been able to get half way through my annual H&S review. Goodness knows how long I will have four kids - I very much doubt my sisters plane will get in from Rarotonga tonight.
We have all been back out in the snow several times but Albie finds it too cold. My daft boys are out in t-shirts having snow fight. They have no sense!!! (but do come in when it is getting too cold for them).

I have never seen snow settle on a clothesline!

trying to show how big the flakes are

50mm of snow in my rain gauge and still snowing!!!

Well the snow is just get bigger and thicker as the day goes on. We have just been out catching flakes trying to get the biggest. So far the biggest is about 5cm across. I have never seen snow so thick.

There is 50mm of rain and snow in my rain gauge and still it is coming. We have had some fun outside though Albie was incredibly unimpressed when he got hit in the face by a snowball that Jakob threw.

Since then we occasionally pop outside but generally are occupied doing other things. Albie has been into the guns and swords with Jakob. Montana-Rose and Eli have been crafty.
Whether Anna and Mark will get to fly into CHCH from their holiday in Rarotonga will remain to be seen.

My little box of treasure

My mother in law gave me this treasure tin on Friday night. I could not for the life of me work out what it was. Then I opened it. Oh glorious glorious buttons. Amazing old ones, all sorts of styles and sizes. What a fantastic gift. There is a story to this. When they moved house (just a couple of months ago as their old house literally fell to bits in the Christchurch earthquakes) they cleared all their bits and pieces. And that included her sewing things and her buttons. I shrieked when I found out. I went through the rubbish bin outside (I mean how desperate was I!!!) and managed to retrieve some, but for the main all her buttons etc had gone to the tip. Oh how I groaned.

Anyway she was out with her tramping group on Wednesday and one of those ladies was permanently moving to Wellington. She too was having a clean out and lamenting that there was no one to give all these collected and useful things to. My mother in law quickly piped up that she had a very willing recipient in mind. And it was me.. oh lucky me... I just love getting treasure like this.

In the kitchen making Feijoa Alcohol!!

Last year I had a glut of Feijoa's from our lovely tree. After preserving, making jam and all those industrious things I had little ones left over. Now I make Lemoncello a lot. It was from a class I did once with Ruth Pretty out at Michael le Richards house in Governors Bay.
So I played around a bit and yes Feijoacello is fantastic!!! Straight on ice, or ice with dry lemonaide or if you want something really alcoholic then with a dry sparkling wine as a top up.
In winter or in summer this gives you a heavenly taste of the feijoa season to come.

To make Feijoacello - my recipe

300 - 500g feijoas
Juice of 1 lemon
3 cups water
4 cups sugar
700ml Vodka ( I use 40% proof but you can use the cheap 20% only keep it in the fridge after making)

Wash the feijoa's and if small cut in half, if larger cut into 3. Put all ingredients into a bowl and stir for the sugar to dissolve. Muddle the fejoa's (that is get a cup or rolling pin or something to give them a bit of a bash). This bruises the skin and releases more of that feijoa flavour. Cover in plastic wrap or put the bowl into a plastic bag and leave on the bench for 48 hours. Strain and put into sterilised containers.

enjoy

In the sewing room - boys shorts

These shorts are for Eli. A couple of weeks ago he had a rugby game in Oxford. On the way home we visited the Fairy and Patchwork shop in Cust. I did not find any material for me but.. Eli found this dog material for him. I bought 1/2 metre for some shorts (what i had not looked closely at was the words are directional and I just had enough material to squeeze the shorts out of). I tried to convince Eli that they would be great as summer PJ shorts but no.. Mr determined said they would be great as shorts to play in.

I cut the shorts out (using an old pj shorts that I chopped for a pattern) that night and then made them when I was away in Hanmer Springs with the girls. Only I get home and Eli told me they were too long and the logo I had put on was too girly. So a trim and a new logo and they have been happily worn ever since. Boy it is good to see something different as boys clothes are sooo samey.