Playing the Glad Game

This week (well, the last seven days, since this week is only two days old) has been trying. Ruby's selective deafness has increased, her apparent need/desire for sleep has decreased. The sleep deprivation has had a negative effect on my tolerance levels for the selective deafness, and that combined with a notable lack of interaction with adult humans has left me feeling a more than a little irritable.

In light of these circumstances I have decided to be Pollyanna this evening and play the Glad Game, so, rather than dwelling on the things that are not so great, these are the things that I am glad about....

I am glad that spring is here.

I am glad that it's warm enough for Ruby to

play outside with bare legs.

I am glad for paper and paint and blu tack and a great

big wall of the small girl's art.

I am glad for good food (and a little proud of the fact that I have survived for five months with no bigger pans than this one).

I am glad for the small girl who can always make me smile

even when I am decidedly annoyed with her.

I am glad for the strange wall of brightly coloured religious art of

which I have finally become quite fond.

I am glad that the aforementioned small girl is finally, angelically asleep.

I am glad for wine and chocolate.

And I do feel better after that. Maybe Pollyanna was onto something.

World's simplest skirt.

Right. So. This is about the easiest thing to make in the world ever. It literally took an hour. It's made from a rectangle of fabric, and one piece of elastic (well, ok, there are two little heart shaped pieces for the appliqué as well, but let's not split hairs).

I measured madam's waist and cut a length of elastic accordingly. I decided how long I wanted the skirt to be, and added about 10cm to this length (to allow for the elastic casing and the hem). This is the length of the short side of your rectangle, and the long side will be double your waist measurement.

Sew your two short edges together, finishing the seam however you prefer (I used a french seam because my rescue machine doesn't allow me to adjust the stitch length of my zig-zig, and because a serger is little more than a distant daydream). This will leave you with a wide tube.

Hem the lower edge of the tube. Fold over the upper edge to make the casing for the elastic, tucking the raw edge under itself and remembering to leave an inch or so open so you can get the elastic in. Rookie error that, stitching your elastic casing closed before the elastic is in it. Never done it myself of course. Ahem.

I topstitched along the upper edge of the casing too, just 'cos I thought it looked nice, but don't feel like you have to. I'm not the boss of you. Thread your elastic through, stitch the ends together, making sure that it is not twisted, and sew up the gap in the casing.

Voila! You made a skirt. Wasn't that easy?

So easy, in fact, that I felt a little unsatisfied by it and decided to appliqué a heart onto it. There's nothing stopping you from making one in grown-up size either....

Pretty pointelle pyjamas

So, I was rather taken with this pretty thermal-pointelle-type fabric (that's the, ahem, technical term, obviously) printed with tiny flowers that came in my little bundle of goodness....

....and because madam went to bed tonight without playing silly buggers, meaning that I had a whole peaceful evening to myself, I thought I would make a quick pair of pyjamas. I also have my eye on this tutorial for a nightie made of the same fabric, which looks pretty similar in design to the peasant blouse I made from this tutorial at indietutes, but that will have to wait for now.

I used an existing pair of pyjamas as a template, and had to adjust a little along the way as the fabric was veeeerry stretchy and my original pattern would have been miles too big, but save for a few cock-ups along the way, such as cleverly forgetting to readjust the tension and stitch length between gathering the sleeves and sewing them on, and then wondering why the blighters were practically falling off, it all went pretty smoothly. It wasn't until I got as far as the final hem of the top that I cottoned on to the idea that zig-zagging was the best way to stop the hems from looking all stretched out and wobbly (I know, I know, more technical terms; I do apologise). Hence the elasticated legs to disguise this wobbly stretched out-ness prior to this epiphany, but I think they were rather a happy accident. They look a bit like little bloomers.

I'll try and get the small girl to model them in the morning, and add them to my list of things to turn into tutorials. Ah, promises, promises.... x

Peasant Blouse from Indietutes

So, after UPS and I passed like ships in the night a whole four times, this lot finally arrived this morning and I am so excited about all the lovely things I am going to make.

I decided to start with this pretty little peasant blouse from indietutes. Rather embarrassingly, I don't have an iron here, and, oh, how you would have laughed to watch me pressing those seams with my hair straighteners.....

Looks good to me though. Little poser.

And I think the small girl likes it.

Spinach and goat's cheese muffins

I first made these a while back when I was rooting around in an empty-looking fridge trying to produce a meal. They are really, really good, though I shouldn't say so myself. I made them for our lunch today, so I figured I may as well take a few pictures and stick the recipe up here, because they have gone down really well with a few people I gave the recipe to. They are a great option for baby-led weaning, but just as popular with grown-ups.

Ingredients

3 eggs

2 oz (1/4 cup) of butter, melted

6 oz (3/4 cup) wholemeal flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 bag spinach, chopped

4oz (1/2 cup) goat's cheese

Cheddar, grated, for sprinkling

EDIT: I made these again the other day, but didn't have any spinach or butter, so instead I used a 1/4 cup of olive oil and a grated courgette (zucchini, for those of you in the US of A, or anywhere else that isn't trying to pretend to be french) and they came out just as good. I may consider working on some more adaptations...

Preheat the oven to 190ºC (350ºF)

Beat together the eggs and melted butter.

Roughly mix in flour and baking powder (it will be lumpy - don't panic, and don't overmix!)

Add goat's cheese and spinach and stir until just mixed.

I also add a dash of milk at this stage. When I remember.

Spoon into the muffin cases or whatever you are using – I used these little silicone loaf tins that I got for christmas that are the best thing to be made of silicone since Pamela Anderson took boob jobs too far – and sprinkle with cheese. Stick 'em in the oven for about 25 minutes, or until they are golden and firmish to the touch, and a skewer comes out clean. You know the drill.

Now, this is where the illusion is shattered, and you realise that this is not Blue Peter. Not only did I forget to sprinkle the cheese on top and to add the dash of milk, but in my enthusiasm I must have overmixed it all because they really didn't rise very impressively. They still tasted okay, but not up to the usual standard. So, take heed of my mistakes – this is why we beat until just combined.

Happy baking x

Upcycled t-shirt dresses

So, there are several hundred things I am supposed to be doing, but instead I am here, posting pictures of a few of the things I have made with my rescued sewing machine. As I mentioned before I got a bit carried away with a bunch of thrift store t-shirts.

The first one I made is still my favourite, but I don't have any pictures of it, and it is currently in the wash, so you'll just have to use your imagination. They are all a variation on a theme though, so here are a few of the others, not particularly well-photographed but I promise I shall work on that.

This one makes her look like a pink Charlie Brown.

Here it is in action.

I love this one, particularly the ruffle on the bottom. My friend sent me this video clip when he saw it, and I now can't not think of that when Ruby wears it. I may have to teach her the song.

This one is from a t-shirt given to me by a friend with a bar in the east village. Marginally more effort went into this one, as I went to the trouble of removing the sleeves before cutting it all up and then refashioning them into little puff sleeves, rather than just cutting the bodice and sleeves in one piece as I have with the others. It gives it a different look, a bit more polished, but to be honest I like both versions.

Tutorial coming soon.

The archive.

Since I thought the blog would look more interesting with more than one post, I decided to stick up a few of the things I made last year. I did start with proper patterns (well, one proper pattern), but it turns out I am not nearly biddable enough to follow them properly, and far too inclined to decide that I know better then the professional pattern-makers.

This was the first and last thing I used a pattern for. I think it actually still fits her, but the colours have faded loads with all the washing and wearing.

These are some jammies I made for the small girl, with a wrapover top. I was suckered in by the pretty pretty fabric but they ended up a bit too delicate to be practical. You live and learn.

My parents got remarried last summer after 12 years apart, so I made this dress for Ruby so she could be my mum's something blue.

With a bit of trial and error, a few pairs of shop-bought knickers mutilated and dissected for research purposes, and miles upon miles of foldover elastic, I made these knickers (and about 741 other pairs) for myself and for friends. Well, mostly one friend who ended up with a very well-stocked knicker drawer. You know who you are, Miss T. They are comfy, in an 'I really want to wear these every day' sort of way. If I had a nicer bottom I'd show them in action, but I do not. Lucky for you.

There are loads and loads more bits and pieces, most prominently dresses and pyjamas for the small girl, but I'm thinking that since I plan to put up many more pictures of the things yet to be made I'd better avoid overkill at this point, so that's all for now. x