Phew - the last one.

Finally, I've finished making my last Christmas present.

 Another cross stitched lavender pouch to my own design.

The details, for those of you who are interested.

Material: 100% Belgium Linen (32 count)

Thread: DMC (shade 498)

Beads: Swarovski

Cream  Ribbon

Lavender - purchased from Daisy Gifts.co.uk

 *

I'm churning presents out like Santa's workshop.

Good morning all.

It's a beautiful morning here today.  Everywhere is covered in frost and the sky is a brilliant blue.  

I've been visiting a few of you this morning, and it sounds like the snow is still causing quite a few problems for you still.  Fingers crossed that things start to improve soon.

So, what have I got to show you today?

Another Xmas present finished, ready to be nicely wrapped  and put under the Christmas Tree.

I started this pattern exactly the same as my last one, with the star shape in the middle.  However, this time, rather than draw a design out on graph paper first, I thought I'd just let it evolve.
This is the result. 
It reminds me of those thick jumpers people wear when they go skiing, and it looks quite Scandinavian in design. I'm beginning to think that I may have some Scandinavian blood in my background.  

It measures about 11cm across and this time around I've attached some Swarovski beads to each corner, which look very pretty.  I'm now thinking of creating a design just using beads - perhaps it will be too much, but you don't know until you try it do you?  I've done bead-work in the past, but I'm not sure whether my eyesight will cope with it these days.

Here are the details if your interested:

Material: 100% Belgium Linen (32 count)

Thread: DMC (shade 3809)

Beads: Swarovski

Red Ribbon

Lavender - purchased from Daisy Gifts.co.uk

* * * * * 

I also started, and finished, another leaf pattern scarf last night.

This one is destined for one of Violet's little chums.

(Sorry the photo isn't very good - it's difficult trying to take a photo of yourself).

This scarf is also knit in Rowan Big Wool.  The colour is called Glamour (Shade 00036).  I hope the 3 year old likes it as much as I do.  It's a fabulous colour.

Both of the Leaf Pattern Scarves I've knit over the past couple of evenings have only required one ball of wool each.  So, if any of you out there need last minute Xmas presents, then I can highly recommend knitting a scarf using this simple, but effective, pattern. 

Wishing you all a lovely day.

* * * * *

A catch-up

Sorry I've been absent for a week or so, but I can assure you all that I have been kept very busy.

Before I start boring you all with what I've been upto, let me just say a very big thank you for all your heartwarming comments regarding my previous post.  I've been doing alot of thinking about those projects and have decided that I'm going to get them all out of their carrier bag for good, and get them out on display. 

Over the past few days I've been spending rather alot of time on the computer, checking out all of the potential nursery schools for Violet - no easy task I can tell you. 

 Lots of coffee has been drunk, lots of sweet things have been consumed and lots of headache tablets have been taken. 

What a sodding nightmare this has been, and it still isn't finished.  I've whittled it down to 5 schools and have made arrangements to go and view all of them.  I was hoping that I'd be able to do this over the peroid of a couple of weeks - the other half finishes his job this Friday and has just over two weeks off before starting with his new employer - so this would have been the ideal opportunity. Things are never that simple though are they?  I've only managed to arrange one viewing for next week.  The others have had to be arranged over the coming weeks, the last one being 20th October.

Violet will be starting at a 'Two's Club' this Friday, for a couple of hours.  Even though she is a very socialable child already, I thought it would be the perfect activity to do prior to starting nursery.  I know she'll love it, and the good thing (for me, rather than for Violet) is the fact that I have to accompany her and am responsible for her whilst we're there.

On the making front, I've finished yet another Lavender Pouch.

Check this one out.

I think this is my favourite so far.

Do you remember me showing you my original design???

I then stitched this.

I didn't want the back of the Lavender Pouch to just be bare linen, but I also wanted to keep with the same sort of theme - what better thing to do, but reverse the pattern that I'd already stitched.

Then it was just a case of sewing it all together, and attaching a cute ribbon.

Hope you like it.

The flat we currently rent is all very cream and lacking in colour - we aren't allowed to put any pictures or posters on the walls, so it all feels rather impersonal - so, to add alittle bit of colour to Violet's room, I decided to make her some bed linen, and started with a pillowcase in some Amy Butler fabric.

I love, love, love it and wish it were on my bed.

It's uber bright too. 

The pillowcase was made using just under a meter of fabric (it's about £10.40 a meter), so I have plenty left to make a couple of make-up bags for Xmas presents, all I'll need to buy are two zips.

I can't wait to get started on a duvet cover to match the pillowcase.  Though rather than do the whole duvet in the same material, I'm thinking that some applique in the same material might be more suited to a little girl. You'll have to watch this space though, as you know I'm not the most skillful of person with the old sewing machine.  Nor the fastest.

I've been quite disappointed in myself over the lack of books I've managed to read this year.  I'm not the world's fastest reader, but I thought a book a month would have been achievable, even for me.  I'm ashamed to say that I've only managed to read 7 books in just over 8 months. I must try harder.

Whilst I'm on the subject of books, I've decided that I'm going to open up a Book Box on my sidebar.  This will have a list of books that I'd like to pass on to other folk.  If you want one of the books that will appear in there from time to time, then all you need do is email me which book you'd like and your address and I'll send it to you.  After you've read it, please feel free to keep it should you so wish, or pass it onto someone else, it's upto you.  The only condition will be that these books are not for resale. Does this sound like a good idea to you?

***********

If you want to see what Louise won in my surprise giveaway.....

...... pop over to Louise's lovely blog.

I'm sure that you all guessed that one of the surprises, included in the giveaway, would be a cross stitched lavender pouch. 

Here's a close up of the one that I sent to Louise.

Material - Belgian Natural Linen (32 count)

Thread - DMC (dark purple)

Chart - can be found in Silhouettes in Cross Stitch, by Julie Hasler

In the book, the pattern had been used as the base for a tea tray.

I know my gran, and possibly my mum, would have used a tea tray, but I'm not quite sure whether people still use them these days.

I've been asked to make a couple of lavender pouches for my aunt, who wants to give them to friends as Christmas presents.  It's lovely to be asked to make something for somebody else.  I just need to decide on the designs I'm going to use.

I was hoping to make as many Christmas presents as I could this year, but time is slowly slipping away and I haven't even started on anything even remotely Christmas related yet. 

Last year I made some truffles and they were a very big hit.  I always assumed that truffles were difficult to make, how wrong was I?  They were so simple and utterly delicious.  I'll go and search out the recipe I used and share it with you all. 

Sorry to mention Christmas when it's only August - it's just been on my mind.

*

And, on a totally unrelated note:

At the weekend Violet kept asking her dad and I for a song called 'Honey Bee', but we didn't have the foggiest which song this could be.  This morning enlightenment dawned when 'Imma Be', by the Black Eyed Peas ,was played in the car. 

She's a very big Black Eyed Peas fan.  I should have known - bad mum!

*

A Ta Da moment

I've finally found the time to sew together my latest creation.

People call these 'Ta Da moments' I believe.

So, Ta Da......

Another Lavender Pouch.

You're probably really bored with these by now, aren't you?

It's turned out great.  I'm so happy with it.

This one is destined for my brother and his wife's first Wedding Anniversary at the end of this month.

It's a bit of an unusual gift, but it's useful in the way that it keeps your undies smelling nice.

After yesterday's post about how woeful I had become over losing my blog template, I spent the evening playing around with some of my photos over on Picnik.  After a little tweaking I've finally created my very own blog header.

It'll take some getting used to, but I think it looks rather cheerful.

What do you think?  Hope you like it too.

It makes it feel more personal now that I've actually used one of my very own photos (it's that beautiful Click yarn you can see in the background). Now that I've learnt about sizing etc, I think I'll be changing the header every now and again.

Hope you're all enjoying your day.  We've been baking.

Remember to leave a comment on Saturday's post, if you haven't already, for your chance to be in the draw for a surprise giveaway.

Cooking & Stitching

The weather was on the crappy side yesterday; so after taking Violet to buy some new Schleich animals, and popping into Pets at Home to look at the real life fish, guinnea pigs and rabbits (I very nearly bought one for Violet, they were so cute), I came home and decided to cook something from this months BBC Good Food magazine. 

It was soooooo delicious that it would be extremely selfish, and rude, of me not to share this recipe with you.

SAUSAGE ROLLS

12 sausages
2 slices white bread, whizzed into crumbs
2 tbsp chopped sage (I used dried sage because I had some in the cupboard)
500g pack puff pastry
3 tbsp caramelised onions (I used M&S)
flour for dusting
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 tsp sesame seeds

Heat oven to 200c (180c fan)
Remove the meat from the sausage and mix it together with the bread crumbs and sage.
Halve the pastry into 2 rectangular blocks and roll each block lenghways only until you have 2 thin sheets, about 20 x 45cm.
Thinly spread the onions in a strip over the pastry, leaving a 3cm border along one edge of each sheet.
Divide the meat along the onions, shaping into a smooth roll.
Brush just the border with the beaten egg. 
Folder excess pastry over the meat and press to stick to the eggy border, trim this edge, tuck under slightly to hold, then brush all over with egg.
Scatter with sesame seeds and slice each roll into 5.
Bake on a baking sheet for 35-40 minutes until golden and cooked through.

Once cool, freeze in bags. defrost overnight in the fridge.

The other half even tried one when he came home from work and gave it the thumbs up, which is a great result because he's so picky when it comes to food.

* * * * * * * * *

I meant to say a very big thank you to eveyone for all the great compliments, which I received for the Strawberry Lavender Pouch  I posted about recently. 

Some of you asked if the pattern was my own design.  Unfortunately not.  It's one, which I've had it in my possession for a very long time though.  I'd cut it out of an old magazine of my mums.  I just had to wait for the right project to come along in order to use it.  In the magazine the pattern had been used as an edging for a pinny - just check that ladies hairdo out.....

What do we think, 80's????

The Lavender Pouch I've stitched for my brother's 1st Wedding Anniversary just needs sewing up.  Hopefully, I'll get chance to do this later in the week, so will be able to post a photo very soon.

I've also started yet another one - can you tell how much I like stiching these?

I don't want to give too much away about this one though as it's destined to be part of a giveaway I'll be doing for my 100th post, which is only two post away.  Oh my gosh!!!!

There'll be lots of other goodies added to the haul as well, so I hope you'll all enter for a chance to win.  I don't have that many followers, so the odds of you actually winning are very high.

I took this photo of the sky from out of our living window the other night......

..........it was beautiful.

Wishing you all a lovely day. 

Jill x

Let battle commence

Do you remember that Lavender Pouch I embroidered for my Fairytale Swap partner?

Here's a photo to jog your memory just in case you can't.

I was sooooooooo very, very chuffed with it when I'd finished.

The other half also made very encouraging noises when I showed him the finished article, and my jaw almost hit the floor when he said I should make some more.

So, not wanting to disappoint him, I've been busy stitching away...

Adding some of this.....

And created this.....

Me likey very mucho.

But, its destiny lies in someone elses knicker drawer.

You may be wondering (or maybe not) why I entitled this blog post 'Let battle commence'.  The reason being, that I had to use that darn sewing machine again.  I felt a tad calmer about it this time.  I thought we could be friends, or at the very least, come to an amicable agreement that it wouldn't bugger up my embroidery and I, in turn, wouldn't throw it out of the flat window.

As you can see, it's not perfect, but it's turned out OK.

I just need to mention a few things whilst I'm on the subject of making these Lavender Pouches.

Firstly,  if you are wondering why I haven't showed you my Fairytale Swap gifts.  They never materialised. Unfortunate, and a little disappointing, but hey ho.  Life's far too short to get pee'd off about such things. 

Secondly, when I initially had the idea of making a Lavender Pouch,  I didn't appreciate how hard it would be to actually find any dried Lavender to put in it.  I scoured Florist Shops, Garden Centres, Craft Shops, Hobbycraft - nowhere sold the blessed stuff.  I was beginning to give up hope, until I eventually found some in the National Trust Shop at Baddesley Clinton.  But, the price!!!!! oh my goodness, was shocking.  But, I was desperate, so purchased two TINY bags.  This time around, I wasn't prepared to pay extortionate prices, so I asked the advice of The Linen Cat.  She makes such wonderful things, including Lavender Bags.  She told me where I could buy tonnes of Lavender at very reasonable prices, which is available here for any of you who may be interested.

I'm already onto making Lavender Pouch number 3, which will be a first anniversary present for my brother and his wifey. 

Me and that sewing machine are going to be seeing a lot of action betwixt now and Xmas time.

Buona sera

x