I've Joined Another Swap

Uh OH I've Joined another Teesha Moore swap - I haven't received the ones from the first one yet! 

Mine however have been received and I've have lovely feedback. Thank you girls sew glad you liked them and the little extras.

I need some more patches myself as I don't have enough to make my journal cover yet so there is method in my madness! 

They are also ideal to make by hand with my now very limited supplies of craft items since most of it is packed away. All I have left is my scrap box and a few buttons and beads etc. Makes one be very creative! 

I'm looking forward to seeing who I've to make them for. Only one partner this time and 3 patches again.

I will of course post on here the comings and goings of all this.

Teesha Moore Patch Swap - Part 2

I had two partners for this swap - this is for the second one, AngelaDawn

Again I I sent a few little extras for a surprise

AngelaDawn was a little more difficult to choose fabric for as she didn't have colour preferences on her profile I just hope I picked some things she liked.

A pretty butterfly one

A vintage style one with a bit of fabric left over from the bag I made and posted earlier on the 12th February 2013

and this one for her love of flowers.

I can't wait to receive mine. I dont know who or where they are coming from.  It's so exciting!

Teesha Moore Patch Swap - Part 1

I mentioned earlier that I had joined a swap on swapbot for Teesha Moore patches.

Well I duly sewed and stitched and posted them off to their recipients on Tuesday 12th February. Both have flown over and now at there new home in America.

This was to 2 partners and this one went to, BennysMumma

with a few little extras for a surprise

 her profile said she liked black and red & white combination so hopefully this one fitted that.

She also said she liked purple so hence this one.

and this one is a bit of a surprise - I just liked the pattern and stripe combinations. Hope she does too!

I can't wait to receive mine. I don't know who or where they are coming from.  It's so exciting!

Multi Seeded Flapjack / Granola Bars

After packing a few more boxes I rewarded myself with a baking session. 

There was a a very good reason to this. This recipe is a great way of using up lots of the little bits you get leftover from your other baking. I don't know about you but I have loads of packets & jars & boxes with just a few grams/ounces left in the them.

This is meant to be a healthy recipe and is loaded with good stuff but it also contains quite a goodly portion of sugar, syrup & butter etc so not what I would call a low calorie munchie - However it is extremely yummy.

I'll give you the proper recipe here first and then I'll tell you at the end what I actually put in it today.

100g Unsalted Butter

150g Golden Syrup

150g Light Brown Sugar

Melt these together in the microwave

1 Teaspoon Vanilla Essence

200g Rolled Oats

30g Pumpkin Seeds

30g Sesame Seeds

30g Sunflower Seeds

30g Pistachio Nuts

30g Whole Almonds

60g Chopped Dried Fruit

Add every thing else - easy peasy!

Spread and press down well into a lined tin 25cm x 35cm (10" x 14")

Bake at Gas No. 5, 180 C for bake for 10-20 minutes (if you use a smaller tine & make them thicker they will need more time.) until golden brown.

Leave for about 10-20 mins in the tin to set before slicing, but do it before it gets cold

 * * * * * * * * * 

Here's what I put in today:

100g Unsalted Butter

150g Golden Syrup

150g Soft Light Brown Sugar/Light Brown Muscavado Sugar

90g Mixed Seeds (sunflowers seeds, sesame seeds & pin nuts)

80g raisins/sultanas

50g coconut shavings

50g mixed peel

1 Teaspoon Vanilla Essence

200g Rolled Oats

80g mixed whole almonds, pecans, walnuts - roughly chopped

I have in the past also used dried cranberries, apricots, cherries, crystallised ginger etc so anything goes really.

 

It's hard not to eat it at this stage!

I'm rather proud of this bowl. It's recycled and was formerly the door of my old washing machine!

When baked & cut up it makes about 36 bars 

 

May have to take a few in to work tomorrow so I don't eat it all myself!

A-Symetrical Knitted Bag

I have, in vain, tried to find the pattern for this whilst packing up. Maybe it will come to light when I unpack some day soon, hopefully. If I ever find it I will post it.

A knitted bag made from cream cotton, fawn wool, a  Liberties boucle wool and a marl wool.

Using various stitched: moss, brick etc.

Decorated with Random, odd vintage buttons. A god way of using them up. Can't bear to part with them but never know what to do with them!

I then lined it with calico, added a zip and further embellished it with a cotton tassel to match.

Very Chic!

Birthday Gift Bag from SewGorgeous

Talking of bags I had a lovely surprise one birthday to receive this beautiful little bag made by SewGorgeous

It uses a matching pair of crocheted doilies. 

It is lined and decorated with ribbon, beads and a little Suffolk puff (yo yo) and mother of pearl button in the centre.

Both sides are the same

Inside is also a little pocket that does up with a small popper and has another mini doiley on for decoration.

It fastens with a popper and has a gold metal chain for a shoulder strap.

A very pretty spring or summer bag.

Summer Vintage Style Bag

Sew Gorgeous managed to be given a large stash of scraps from a locate quilter. Amongst the pile were the remains of a couple of dresses that included the pockets and trims etc.

I was inspired by these to make a bag. I used calico for the base, edged in spotty trim. All of the fabric, pockets and flap for the fastening apart from the calico & the red lining came from the stash.

Front of bag

Back of bag

I added two handles using the spotty strip and some red gross grain ribbon.

Two inside pockets - one small...

and one a bit bigger.

I lined the inside with bright red fabric and another strip of the spotty trim.

I then had lots of fun adding a load of Suffolk puffs (yoyos), vintage buttons, bows, etc.  I love the prints on the fabrics.

I think it looks a little like Cath Kidston style although it wasn't meant to!