Dolls Quilt - Tilda & pillow
Small & Large Tea Cosies- quilted blues
Detailed view of dolly quilt. 18" x 14"
New years resolution
Sew More
Learn more quilting methods
get fit
lose 2 dress sizes - see above
be happy!
Kx
Saturday, 31 December 2011
Monday, 26 December 2011
Happy Christmas
HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO ALL
I've been a bi slack on the blog for the last month,
not enough hours in the day, I have been setting up my own website as well as selling on Etsy & Folksy.
Sill loads of tweaking to do but its getting here.
I have finally managed to also sort out my twitter!
although I find it hard on what to write, maybe just twitter my blogging!
http://twitter.com/BLONDEDSIGN
Lastly my latest PDF Pattern if you find you need to male anything for yourself over the Christmas Holidays, can be found in these shops.
time for bed.....Kx
Sunday, 25 September 2011
I've been Clothes Making..
Tulle Net Skirt with taffeta waist tie
NY Peasant Tunic - Dress
Windsor full Taffeta Skirt
with the taffeta sash
Chelsea Bubble High Waited Taffeta Skit
With the fushia sash
Ascot Taffeta Cravat
I've finally got the clothing bug back.
Many years ago I always make my own clothes, I still have piles and piles of tweeds, tartans and suiting materials I inherited off my dad who was a pattern cutter and tailor making mainly for Army Bandsman and spent many an hour at Sandringham barracks. (anyway I diverse!)
My favorite mix of clothes has to be eccentric British way of dressing mixing tweed with shiny taffeta's, wearing a party skirt to work with ballet pumps opaque tights and a cardie.
Also I believe bridesmaids don't all want to be seen in the same style skirt as one could be almost 6' and size 8 another size 14 and just over 5', so the same style and length could make one look fab and the other not so fab! I also like the mix and match in weddings, yes themed in colours but a mix of fabrics and styles.
So I am working out a mix of styles form A line, full, bubble and more, and made to the waist hips of the wearer. Also these started party skirts as well (I made the silver grey one for me) to go out in, with my skinny black cardie.
Just working out the best for the tweeds, plaids and tartans as the fabrics are thick and do not pleat or gather nicely. A line is OK but I refuse to buy patterns as I like to work off my own so am trying to work out one less a line, shortish not mini with cute side square patch pockets, maybe even a piece of thick elastic in the back, not so high on the waist as I want a skirt that works on a Sunday with give, something to put on with your woolly tights, chunky jumper and hunter wellies (Mmm almost saved up for mine!).
Just off to make a prototype so I can wear it. Oh and in the making of the Tulle skirt as I had no pattern, it took me 4 attempts to get this look right! I takes 12m plus of net and looks far better in the flesh than the photos.
Happy Sunday Kx
Tuesday, 30 August 2011
Make - Marshmallow lollipops
Marshmallow Lollipops
Not just for kids!
Super quick and super easy
party food
One pack of Marshmallows
pack chocolate
Sprinkles
Stick the marshmallows on lollipop sticks
(I used tooth picks, but they slide down)
melt the chocolate in a bowl that is in a saucepan of hot water
put the sprinkles on plates or bowls
when chocoalte is melted dip the marshmallow in the chocolate then in the sprinkles
then stick the sticks in syrofoam, or a container filled with dried beans (for example) then cover up the beans with other sweets. or as mine were on toothpicks I stuck them in cardboard covered in Cath Kidson wrapping paper.
Then I ate them............Kx
To much time?
Last might whilst attempting to watch TV, I got side tracked into turning all 16 pages of my blondesbackyard shop on Etsy into pretty colour co-ordination sets. Don't know if it will attract more sales or put people off...
and one think I do know, I really won't have the time to keep rearranging the pages!
Unless it sells twice as much and makes me money.... :-)
Sunday, 28 August 2011
Wild Damson Jam & American Pancakes
Wild Damson Jam
I have been making this weekend, jam & pancakes. We have damsons growing in the car park at work so lunchtimes spend picking....
Follow this below easy recipe. It was my first time and always though that too much was involved, but this will change your mind.
To complete my jam I cut fabric circles using scrummy Kate Spain Central Park fabrics, garden twine and one of those label making machines for the label, but there are some fab label downloads available around.
Ingredients
1lb Ripe Damson
1 lb Jam Sugar
1/4 pint of water
(follow this so if you weight 2 1/2 lb of damsons add the same in sugar and 3/4 pint of water, also jam sugar/ preserving sugar is found with the normal sugar in every large supermarket)
Sterilising the Jars
First prepare your jars, I use any glass jars that have the metal lids, was clean in soapy water.
Place in the oven (jars not lids), turn on the oven and set temp to 140c/160c, when the oven has reached its temp switch it off, and leave the jars in the oven until you use them.
I put the lids in boiling water for a couple of Min's also.
Stick a couple of plates in the fridge so you can test the jam setting.
Prepare the Damsons
Wash, and score the fruit, place in the largest saucepan you have.
Add the water and heat gently as a simmer and the fruit will start to burst out of their skins.
Warm the sugar in the oven whilst this is happening.
Then add to the fruit, still over a low heat to dissolve the sugar crystals.
Turn up the heat to high and stirring often, boil rapidly for 8-10mins.
The boring bit, where you lose the will to live, use a slatted spoon fish out the stones, you will be doing this the whole time it is boiling, and i know a couple escaped and are in the jars!!
Test for setting, put a little bit on one of the cold plates in the fridge, leave for a min or so. It has set when you run your finger through it it leaves a track mark.
If this hasn't happened keep boiling and testing every few or 5 minutes.
Potting the Jam
Remove the jars from the oven, and ladle into the jars, I found it easier to pour into a warm jug and then into the jars.
Cover the jars with the screw lids (you only need to use those wax disks if not using the metal lids).
As the jars cool down (mine were about an hour later, you will hear the jar lids pop creating the airtight seal. (so when you open you will get the pop!)
The wax discs do this for plastic lidded jars. This will remain good to go for around 3 years unopened.
Enjoy!
And Eat with These...
Cant remember when I got this recipe but yummy all the same.
American Pancakes & Maple Syrup
Ingredients
135g/4¾oz plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
2 tbsp caster sugar
130ml/4½fl oz milk
1 large egg, lightly beaten
plus extra for cooking
Sift the flour, baking powder, salt and caster sugar into a large bowl.
In a separate bowl or jug, lightly whisk together the milk and egg, then whisk in the melted butter.
Pour the milk mixture into the flour mixture and, using a fork, beat until you have a smooth batter. Any lumps will soon disappear with a little mixing. Let the batter stand for a few minutes.
Heat a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat and add a knob of butter. When it's melted, add a ladle of batter. It will seem very thick but this is how it should be. Wait until the top of the pancake begins to bubble, then turn it over and cook until both sides are golden brown and the pancake has risen to about 1cm (½in) thick.
Repeat until all the batter is used up.
You can keep the pancakes warm in a low oven, but they taste best fresh out the pan.
Serve with lashings of real maple syrup and extra butter or your damson jam if you like
Happy Eating.
Kxxx
Saturday, 13 August 2011
Today I brought.....
This Vintage yellow cup and saucer - for 20p
Plus the Marshmellows £1.00 (only half what you see are left....)
I have been wanting to get to grips and play around with photoshop fillers for a long time and am liking bluring a little, soft lighting and colour burning.
Old Jug - £1.50
Flowers picked from my pots in the yard.
I love spotty or stripy jugs, small or large, but of course can't bare to spend more tham a couple of quid!
Vintage side plate 10p
Pink cup and saucer 20p
Flowers from the garden
I did quite a bit of blurring and soft lighting on this photo, now I know how to get those dreamy looking photo's, wonder if it will look good on pictures of me..........
Finished hand sewing last night.
Pink hot pot mat
Log cabin sewing is like meditating
Black hot pot mat
Tilda Fabrics in the blues
Blue hot pot mat
Green hot pot mat
Happy Weekend, now have mug rugs to make....
And a Gin and Tonic to drink..
Kxx
Friday, 5 August 2011
Whoop whoop
15 Entries so as promised I am giving away 2 sets of the mixed bias binding.
Using a random number picker the numbers are:
4 14
Random numbers generated Aug 5 2011 at 20:28:18 by www.psychicscience.org
Free educational resources for parapsychology, psychical research & mind magic.
Which means taking the replies in order of leaving a reply.
No 4 - Madbrilliantideas - who also likes the turquoise ones
No 14 - Lucy - who likes the turquoise ones
Congratulations - just going off to mail you.
Kxxxxx
Thursday, 4 August 2011
Purchases
Hot Pink Pom Pom
Largest I could find on Etsy
Patty Young Flora & Forna in mustard
Hot Pink Pom Pom
Largest I could find on Etsy
Largest I could find on Etsy
Patty Young Flora & Forna in mustard
All the Full Moon from Amy Butler
Maybe somebody will be able to help but getting my eyes opened to fab fabrics means I have come accoross the odd piece on Etsy for the Flora & Forna collection. I love it including the hummingbird fabrics but it looks like all the pieces left on Etsy are starting to be put in the sale.
Can anybody confirm if this is discontinued as this was only brought out in sept 2009!
or is it not a popular one.
I am going to make cushions with the fabric and edge them in the blue and pink pom pom trim. Kind of Kitsch!
I am running low on my Full moon fabrics as they are so useful to pop in with other fabrics use in pincushions buttons, brick set cushions, underside of hotpot mats........
My next mission is to stock up on Ta Dots and Dumb Dots.
I am dotty Mad but my owl tea cozies love them!
OK so don't forget giveaway on previous post
I wish there was more hours in a day
6.30 alarm (5.30 if catching train)
7.20 driving
8.00 finish work
5.30 finish work
6.15 home
7.30 try and sew, relax watch a bit of TV wash up, wash hair, tidy up, take photos, upload photos, put orders together, find lost siscors (even though I have 8 pairs), just can never find the small tiny ones for the dam threads...
11pm sleep
Tuesday, 2 August 2011
Giveaway - Mini Mix Stash
Mini Mix Stash Collection
Time for a give away!! From my blondesbackyard stores, these are 3 x 1 metre lengths. Which are perfect for binding tea cosies, place mats, girls skirt hems, pencil rolls, dolls quilts........
On Folksy they are £3 on Etsy they are $4.75 .
So first all you have to do is leave a comment below
psst. pass it on.
If I get 15 comments 1 will do 2 giveaways
If buy golly chance I get 30 comments I will do 3 giveaways
and so on.....
All you will have to do is say in your comment which colour range you would prefer from the below.
Well the sun is shining!! plus somebody left me a little comment on binding she just brought;
"YOU HAVE AN ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL SHOP!!!! I will for sure be returning!!! I found just what I need to wrap my bridal bouquet!! I couldn't be more ecstatic!!!!! I LOVE YOUR SHOP! And no need to worry...I will post this on the feedback wall as well!! Thanks for making my day!"
Super Cute
Tangerine
Bubblegum Pink
Cherry Red
Mint Green
Turquoise
Hot Pink
Lemon Drop
Lime
Also I sold Peanut the Owl Tea Cozy today.
Bye Bye Peanut
I do get attached to my Owls, but they seem to be flying the nest fast.
She is off to sunny OZ
Oh and almost forgot I will do the giveaway draw this Friday evening and post out to anywhere in the world.
Happy Tuesday
Kxxxx