Driving

There has been lots of driving this week (and promises to ourselves that the driving at Christmas has to stop) and it is not over yet. Chris and I have been making Christmas playlists for the car consisting of non traditional Christmas music. This has been our favourite Christmas song this year.



The house packing has started. The panic is setting in. I don't think pictures of packing boxes will interest anyone so I will be back if there is any craft to show.

Twins

I often get asked 'What is it like have twins?' Which I don't have an answer too as I don't know what it is like to have children and not have twins. So it must be odd for a twin to be asked what it is like to be a twin when they don't know what it is like to not be one.
I have just finished the book One and The Same by Abigail Pogrebin about her life as an identical twin and interviews with many other twins. Thanks Amanda for the recommendation. If you are a twin, have twins or know twins this is a great look at twin relationships. It definitely raised more questions than it answered about how to raise twins.

I have been sewing for Christmas presents so i can't show pictures yet, but I have nearly finished and just have to make new dresses for the girls for Chirstmas Day. Grace and Amelia wanted dresses out of this gorgeous fabric I bought from Corrie.
The prettiest Liberty for a dress for Evie.

Another Dress

A dress for Grace based on the one I made Eva yesterday. Not bad, but still needs a bit of tweaking.

The quilt tops are building up so time to baste and quilt.

Cross Over Dress

A new dress for Eva. I wanted something quick to make, that didn't need a zip or buttons so I drafted a pattern and this is what I made. A simple cross over top dress. A little big, but great for hot days. I used bias binding for the arms which I might rethink when I do another one. Actually I might add some sleeves. I think I might try to add some elastic around the waist instead of gathers too (like these dresses).

Poor Evie has another big lump on her head. She runs so fast and is often so busy looking in the other direction.

Sewing and Cooking

The last of my wholesale orders are done. Lots of hats including these. Now I have about a week to do all the sewing I had planned for Christmas presents. Once again I have left everything to the last minute.

I have managd to do some Christmas baking with the girls yesterday. Biscotti (the recipe is in Handmade Help recipe book) and some Christmas shaped biscuits. All packaged up ready to give away for all those little thankyou presents you need at this time of the year.
I forgot to take a picture of this skirt, another fisher skirt, when I made it and I seem to be wearing it all the time. So the girls took some pictures this morning (yes not ironed!). It is such a comfortable pattern. I have another one cut out waiting to be sewn.

Cassatta Part 3

The last layer of the cassatta needs 1 litre of softened ice-cream, a few drops of almond essence and about 2/3 rds of a 100g packet of slivered almonds. Mix them all in and spread on top of the chocolate layer. Sprinkle the rest of the slivered almonds on top and freeze.
When it is frozen you can remove the tin, cut and eat!

Cassatta Part 2

For the second layer of the cassatta. Leave a litre of vanilla ice-cream out until it is soft but not liquid. Melt about 150g of choc chips or chocolate (I do love the 70% Lindt!) with about 1 tbsp of butter. Fold it through the ice-cream with 1-2 tbsp cocoa and some vanilla essence. Spoon onto the cherry layer and put into the freezer to freeze.

Just finishing a few wholesale orders and then hopefully I can started on the Christmas sewing. These creatures are headed to Retrospections in Cammeray in Sydney.

I found a bit of time yesterday to finish this quilt top using Rouenneries fabric by French General.

Cassatta Part 1

Cassatta has been a pretty big part of our summer for as long as I remember. I think this recipe (or a similar one) was originally in a Women's Weekly Cookbook nearly 30 years ago. So yes this is a very 1980s dinner party recipe . This version is really so easy to make, the only thing is you have to plan ahead so the layers have time to freeze. The bottom layer is cherry.
You will need a packet or two of glace cherries chopped up. Marinate in 2 (quite large!) tbsp of brandy for 10 minutes.
Whip 300ml of cream and 2 tbsp of sugar.

Fold through the cherries and spoon into a springform tin lined with baking paper. The springform tin is important or you are never going to get the cassatta out at the end.
Next (hopefully tonight) will be the chocolate layer.

Bridgetown Christmas Fair

My friend Emma, who is always full of amazing ideas, suggested earlier this year that Bridgetown needed a fair full of local products. I'll admit I was a bit skeptical, but she was right. She roped a few of us into helping her realise her vision and yesterday this is what our town hall looked like. Packed full of stalls and people. So packed full of stalls that the night before I had more than a few panicked moments trying to work out how to fit them in.
Quite a few stall olders wanted to be out on the list to get a table next year so I think it might be a possibility that there will be another one next year.

Handbag Pouch Tutorial

I spent yesterday playing with some Grandmother's Flower Garden Laminate from Quilt Fabric Delights. The bottom of my handbag is a bit of a mess, lots of pens and pencils floating around and I can never find the lip gloss when I need it. The laminate was perfect to make a little pouch to put all those things in.

First of all I ironed it on the wrong side to remove the creases. I ironed it on a medium heat quite gently and the creases disappeared.
I cut a piece 15 inches long and 5 inches wide.
I ironed under about 1 cm (I am not sure why as I don't think it will fray much). I used a rajah cloth so I would not melt the fabric. Grab a zip. It doesn't matter what size as they will all be too big and will need to be shortened. Because pinning wil leave holes in the fabric. I used some hair clips to keep it in place.

Sew on the zip to each end.

Turn inside out and pin the sides. I pinned very close to the edge so any pin marks would end up in the seam and not be seen. Open the zip so you can turn it back the right way at the end. Sew the seams. I sewed over the zip a couple of times.

I used pinking shears to finish the seams and cut off the end of the zip.

Turn in the right way. Poke out the corners carefully. I added some ribbon to the zip to make it easier to open. Now my bag is a little tidier.

This fabric is much easier to sew than I thought. It is lovely and soft and I think I will be getting some more to make little raincoats for next winter.