Found it at the library

 

Found this great book in the entry of the library when they were displaying a few knitting and crocheting books.  The little monkey on the front was calling me to come and have a look see.

Knitted Wild Animals is a collection of the most adorable animals that you can knit yourself. 

The author is Sarah Keen who is a freelance designer and experienced knitter.  There are some really cute animals to make in this book that any child would love to receive and cherish forever.

 

The hippo has to be my favourite!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’m still learning to knit and read patterns but found the instructions to be very easy to understand.

Have you been to your local library yet!

Happy Reading!

My next challenge

 

Here is my next challenge and the biggest pillowcase I have ever made to date.  We threw out the old cushion base for the day bed awhile ago and used a queen size foam mattress cut in half. 

I picked up some outdoor fabric from Ikea at a bargain price, now just to make the cover with it.  I think I will just do the envelope style and will have to wait till the little man has a nap so that I can lay it out on the floor to cut and pin.

Wish me luck!

Over at Bits & Bobs 4 Bubs

 

I have done a little tutorial over at my other Blog, Bits & Bobs 4 Bubs!!

Have a great day!

Link Party Likes #24

 

Lots of goodies to be found amongst the Link parties last week.  Here are a just a few of the ones that I liked:

1. I have a few more cushions to make around the house so couldn’t resist this blog post by Southern Lovely. I love it when someone thinks outside the box and there are some beautiful place mats out there, you know the one’s you don’t want to by cos you don’t want to make it dirty.
2. Where can I get me some of this Washi Tape.  I have noticed a few posts around using this stuff but I have never seen it in the craft shops.  Ginger Snap Crafts has a great tutorial on how to use washi tape to make this checkboard clipboard.
3. And if I can’t find the washi tape in the shops I can always head on over to Nifty Thrifty Things to make my own.
4. Miss G has decided that she is no longer a dress kind of girl and needs to wear a skirt everyday so I think I might have to make this lovely skirt over at The Life of Jennifer Dawn.
5. Themed birthday parties are a very big thing with the kids so what do you do with the table cloth that you bought especially for the party after it’s finished.  Well why not make an art smock out of it.  You can find the tutorial over at Vixen Made.
6. When picking up some library books the other week the Librarian mentioned that she does Quilling and was thinking of holding some classes in the library at the end of the year.  I have dabbled in paper toll before but never quilling and thought it was a great idea.  So it was lovely to see this butterfly picture over at Wesens-Art after just having this conversation.
7. Homespun with Love has a great post on how you can have a herb garden in your own home. I’m thinking about putting some herbs in hanging pots, especially the ones that don’t like a lot of sunlight.
8. And Just 2 Birds has got me in the mood for the weekend.  It’s our 8th wedding anniversary next week and we are heading out for dinner at our favourite restaurant Cactus Jacks and catching a movie.  Can’t wait!!

So there you have it, some more great posts and blogs that you can head on over and checkout.

Happy Surfing.

There Here!

 

The invitations are finally here, time to plan a party.  Can’t believe my little man will be 1 next month.  The year has gone to fast.

Tutorial Time!!!

 

OLD BEAN BAG TO NEW FLOOR CUSHION

A very good friend of mine gave my girls 2 Barbie bean bags that her own two girls had grown out of.

The were practically brand new and the girls loved them.  We would snuggle up together on those cold winter mornings under a blanket and watch the cartoons.

But now they are looking very sad and unloved and my girls don’t sit on them anymore.  Plus they need more stuffing.  So after I picked up 2 metres of an owl pattern curtain fabric I thought I would retire the poor old bean bags and make the girls floor cushions.

To make the cushions I cut a piece a fabric at 23 inches wide by 51 inches long with the extra 1 inch being for seam allowance.  I want the cushion to end up a 20 inch square that is 3 inches deep.

For the closure I am using a couple of open end zips that I picked up at a charity shop ages ago for a steal.  I want the opening to be 15 inches wide so I marked and sewed across the bottom of the zip and cut off the end leaving about an inch extra and then I used my zigzag stitch, as wide as the stitch can be and secured the other end.

Next I folded the fabric with right sides together, marked in 4 inches each side (this is so I have room to make the box corner) and attached one side of the zip to the fabric.  For a great tutorial on how to sew on a zipper click here.

Now here is where I attached a handle to the pillow.  As this curtain material is pre-hemmed I just cut off the end folded it in half and sewed it together.

I wanted the handle on the side of the cushion so I folded the material in half length ways and then measured down and marked about 23 inches. Then I folded the handle in half, marked and then matched this to the mark on the cushion. Now I just turned each end of the handle down and pinned it to the cushion.

Next I sewed both sides together.  Don’t forget when you are sewing completely around the cushion that you either leave a hole for turning the cushion out the right way and then hand sew it closed or just leave the zipper open part of the way.

Before I turned the cushion cover right side out I flattened the corners our and measured 1.5 inches down the middle, marked and sewed straight across to make the boxed corners.  I did this to all four corners.

Now to just cut off the corners, turn it right way out and fill it with the Styrofoam balls from the old bag.  And how did I do this, well I used one of my litre jugs.

And here she is.  One more to go!

And here it is in use lol!

Happy Sewing!!!

New Tabs

How do you like the new changes I have made around the blog.  I hope you like them. There are two new tabs appearing on the page, Tutorials and Recipes. 

This is so that you have fast and easy access to all those yummy recipes and can find any of my old tutorials instead of running through the timeline.

I have yet to still add more of the tutorials but its off to do the school run and then the tutorial for today.

See you soon!!!

What’s on the Menu

 

Standing in the checkout line the other week I picked up the latest copy of New Idea.  I don’t normally buy these kind of magazines anymore but when I flicked through and came across the tagine recipes I just had to buy it.

I just love cooking in my tagine and the Lamb & Date recipe sounded real good.  And so I had to make it.

It was very yummy.  If you don’t have a tagine this recipe can be cooked in your slow cooker or in the oven for a couple of hours.

Want to make it, well here is the recipe.

Lamb & Date Tagine

(Serves 6)

• 1 deboned lamb shoulder (1.25kg) well trimmed and cut into 3cm pieces
• 2 tsps ground ginger
• 2 tsps ground cumin
• 2 tsps ground coriander
• 1/4 tsp ground cayenne pepper
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 medium onions, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, sliced
• 1 cinnamon quill
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 2 small vine-ripened tomatoes, cut into wedges
• 1/2 cup pitted dates, halved
• 1/2 cup Turkish apricots, halved
• 1 tblsp honey
• 1/2 tsp saffron threads
• Pistachios, to garnish
• Cooked couscous, to serve

(now I didn’t have apricots so I just added a little more dates.  I also did not have a cinnamon quill or any saffron threads.  I used ground cinnamon and powder version of saffron.  And I didn’t use lamb shoulder, I used the Lamb forequarter pieces).

1. combined lamb, ginger, cumin, coriander and cayenne pepper in the a large bowl, season and marinate in the fridge for 1 hour or overnight. (I marinated for an hour)
2. Heat 2 tbsps of the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat.  Add lamb in two batches.  Cook for about 2 to 3 minutes on each side, or until browned.  Transfer to a 3.5 litre capacity tagine.  (did this in the base of the tagine as)
3. Heat remaining oil in same pan.  Add the onion, garlic, cinnamon and cook until soft.  Now add your stock and bring to the boil. Transfer to the tagine with the tomatoes. Place tagine lid on and simmer on very low for 1 hour ( now I found that the tomatoes ended up way to soft for my liking so next time I would add them after an hour).
4. Add dates, apricots, honey and saffron, cook for a another hour or until your lamb is tender and the sauce has thickened.
5. Garnish with pistachios and serve with couscous. 

And there you have it.  Enjoy!!!!!

Found it at the Library

 

Create 25 wearable garments from just 8 simple patterns, that is what ‘Simple Modern Sewing’ by Shufu To Seikatsu Sha is all about.

This is a new book to the library and one that I personal don’t think I would make anything from but I just love looking through these new books to see what the latest thing is.

In the first half of the book you will see each pattern and how you can make 3 different versions of that particular pattern.

Then at the back it illustrates how you lay the pattern on your fabric and then how to sew it all together.

Patterns are provided at the back on paper.

What’s new at your library

Happy Sewing!!!!

I’m on Facebook !!!

 

As you may have already noticed I have been making a few changes to the blog.  I hope you like them.

I have also now put Eat. Craft. Sow on Facebook.  I thought it was about time I stopped torturing my family and friends with all the craft, cooking etc feeds that I get from all the pages I like along with all the posts from Pinterest, Twitter and Bits & Bobs.

So click here to head on over and checkout the new page.  Oh and Twitter will be next.

Have a great day!!!!

In the garden

I love our big old tree that is beside our house.  It's huge and so are the branches that come down.  We have had a few near misses and I tell you they would have done some serious damage.

We have had someone out to checkout the tree some years ago and they told us that the branches that are left should not come anywhere near the house.  But anything is possible.

What I love most about this tree is all the wonderful birds that come to visit or setup home in it's branches and the holes left in the trunk after losing a branch or two.

Today while checking out my protea that has flowered I turned to see what was making all the noise in the tree today.

We have our resident cockatoo's that are with us all year round and there were a few Corella's squawking into a hole that is usually a nest for some Gala's. 

Just love living out here.

Pinned it!!!

 

Every morning after checking emails, my Facebook pages and the Made It store I always jump on Pinterest to see what I can find and what everyone else is pinning.

I just love this site, my inspiration board.  I thought I might share what I found today.

 

 

Do pin? Would love to know some of your favourite finds.

Happy Pinning!!!!

Linkup Party Likes #23

 

Well there goes another week and how have you all been.  At our house we all seem to be getting the flu.  My poor little man had it first and with a runny nose and a terrible chesty cough he still manages to give us a big smile.

(this picture was taken by my sister a few weeks ago.  Didn’t fancy turning everyone off with a picture of him with a runny nose lol)

I have decided that I am going to change a few posts around so that I am not late with any tutorials that I have planned.  Trying to get them done during the week is just not happening.

I’m thinking that Sunday works better for me as then I have daddy at home to help me out with the kids so that I can get things done.  I also want to be able to do a few tutes on anything that I like in books that I find.

But back to what you have all been up to.  I have noticed this time round that there are a few links to DIY’s in the garden which is great.

Here is what caught my eye:

1. What a great way to recycle an old wooden bed frame.  First it was a stage for the kids and now they have turned it into a raised garden bed. Awesome, Pondered Primed Perfected
2. Another great idea and something that I have been planning to do to my veggie garden beds only with netting, is this little green house over at Love and Laundry.
3. Andrew and I hunted around for an old rocking chair for the nursery before Jorja was born and ended up buying a brand new one, oh well.  Just love this revamp over at Aprons & Ambition.
4. Another lovely remodel is this cane chair at The Cards We Drew, makes me think of Spring.
5. An no I have delved into the land of sewing quilts just yet but I love this pattern over at Sew Sweet Cottage
6. Soap in a pouch, this is a great idea and definitely one that I will be making for the kids to use, especially when camping.  I found it at Vanessa’s Values who found it over at Whimsy Love.
7. And last but not least, this French bread recipe is one that I am going to try especially as I have started to bake my own bread on weekends with the bread machine.  You can find the recipe at Just 2 Birds.

So there you have it, some great new things to try and fantastic blogs to read.

Have a great day!!!!

Very Late Tutorial Wednesday (lol)

 

Hello everyone, how was your weekend.  Mine was busy with attending a baby shower, working in the garden, Granny coming to stay and a very sick little boy who has started walking!!!

So I hope this tutorial was worth the wait as it has been something that I have been wanting to make for the girls for a while.

Every time we visit the library I always think to myself “I must make the girls a library bag” and I wanted it to be something that was handy but not in the way so I decided to make them a library bag wallet.

Yep that’s right, a drawstring library bag that folds down to a wallet and I can put in the console of the car and have it handy when we next visit the library.

So here it is:

Library Bag Wallet

The finished bag measures 16 inches by 16 inches and the pocket measures 8 inches by 9 inches.

So you will need to cut your main fabric as 32 inches in length plus 3 inches for seam allowance (35 inches in length).

The pocket I cut as 8 1/2 inches by 9 1/2 inches, I used a 20 inche long zipper and I cut the cord/ribbon at a length of 36 inches.

 

Now to get started:

With the main fabric for the bag, I serged all sides first but if you don’t have a overlocker you can use the zigzag stitch or just cut your fabric out with pinking shears.

Now to sew the zipper to the pocket first. With the fabric that I cut out for the pocket I first ironed a seam of 1/4 inch all the way around:

Then with the zipper I  sewed across the end so that it will not come apart:

(some photo’s were taken using my mobile as the batteries were flat on my camera. Sorry for the poor quality)

Then I opened the zipper all the way out:

 

Normally when sewing a zipper to fabric you sew the material with wrong side facing up and then you iron the fabric down and top stitch, but  I am sewing the zipper all the way around, that is why I have ironed the seam down first (hope that makes sense).

With the seam now ironed down, fold the fabric in half and mark the middle.  The following picture shows how the wallet is going to look once the zipper is on:

Half of the zip goes on either side of the fabric.  Now I found it easier to pin it all the way around and then sew it  on because if you don’t have the bottom and the opening directly where you have marked the middle of each side then the pocket will not be even and it will not zip properly, like this:

FAIL

So start with the bottom of the zipper and then work it all the way around. Sew zipper on using your zipper foot:

 

 

With your finished pocket it is now time to stitch it to your library bag. So with right sides of fabric together measure in 3 1/2 inches by 3 1/2 inches in at the corner, pin and sew the pocket to the top fabric only.  I only sewed the sides and bottom so that the top was left open to be used as a pocket when the bag is not folded away:

To finish the library bag, first I folded the bag in half, wrong side facing each other and sewed one side only together.  Then using my hem ruler I marked the top seam for the cord to be threaded through 1 1/2 inches down and sewed.

After you have done this pin and sew the other side of the library bag together but start about 1 inche below where you sewed the top seam for the cord to thread through:

Now to thread the cord through.  I found it easier to thread the cord using a safety pin but first I placed a small amount of sticky tape around the end (a bit like making the top of a shoe lace) then put the pin through the sticky tape:

Now to just tie the ends together and here you have it a library bag that folds down to a wallet and here is how to fold it:

 

All ready to go to the library:

Well I hope you like the tutorial and it was worth the wait.  If you have any questions I will be only to happy to answer them for you.

Happy Sewing