a (late) chrocheted nativity scene

so, i was going to post about this before christmas (which would have made a lot more sense than now), but life / holidays / christmas itself got in the way. so here is my (late) final post for 2009.

i got this fabulous macrame nativity scene book for my birthday. it is so, so much fun. unfortunately though, i have no idea how to macrame - so i borrowed a friend's crochet hook (i didn't have any small enough) and decided to crochet the nativity scene instead. however, i since i started this the week before christmas, it's going to be a bit of an ongoing project...

still, i am pretty pleased with how mary, baby jesus and the manger all turned out!

oaty, grainy, honey bread

this is my second favourite bread - its a new one that i have made a couple of times now and i am loving it, so i thought i would share...

oaty, grainy, honey bread

1 1/4 cups water

2 tbs milk powder

2 tbs butter

2 tbs honey

1 1/12 tsp salt

2 cups wholemeal flour

1 cup white flour

1 1/2 tsp yeast

1/2 cup oats

1/4 cup mixed grains

1/4 cup pumpkin seeds

i throw it all into my breadmaker and put it on the dough setting (my wrists are dodgy and unfortunately not up kneading it myself) and then i pop it into a bread tin for the second rise.

once it has doubled, bake at 180 degrees C, for about 40 min.

mmm, fresh bread!

more crocheted stars

as i predicted, i am love love loving making these stars...

(although a confession, most of the yellow ones here were actually made by the fabulous sayraphim at another of our crafternoons)...

and how fun are crocheted christmas decorations!! 

check out the fabulous tree pattern from michelle at the fabulous royal sisters


crochet really is addictive, isn't it? (but in a good way...)

another of these skirts (with a how-to)

so, you may be starting to worry about me and these skirts (i know i am). ok, ok, i know i have already made and posted about these skirts twice (here and here). so far. so i thought when i made another of them the other day, i would add a how-to, (my justification of being able to post about them again). so here it is, made from the great op-shopped fabric i bought a few weeks ago. 

this is a seriously easy skirt. it takes a very short time to make. the front is straight and it has a draw-string at the back. the measurements here make an aust size 12-14, but it is easy to make bigger or smaller, just change the width of the sides... and lengthen or shorten as desired (although, being a fairly straight skirt, you would have to take that into account). still to be easy easy easy, just follow the instructions below:

basically, cut two rectangles - the front being smaller than the back - and the draw strings

front: L = 24", W = 20"
back: L = 24", W = 27"
draw strings: L = 26", W =  3" (cut two of these)

hem the bottom of each (or cheat and make it even easier, like i did, by just using the selvage as the hem). then sew up side seams right sides together (i start from the bottom to keep the hem in line).

fold over about 1 and 1/2" at the top and iron flat.

then sew in a little rectangle of interfacing (or use iron-on interfacing - even easier). make sure that you sew it on the skirt side, rather than the inside (i hope that makes sense- here's a pic). it goes right in the middle of the back of the skirt. 

then make two button-holes into the interfacing - like this. (its where the draw-strings will come out). 

 once you have done this, sew along down the folded top. 


next make the drawstrings - fold them in half lengthways (right sides together), iron and then sew the up (leaving the ends open)

turn them right side out (i used a knitting needle to help)

and iron flat. 


then its just a matter of threading them through your neat little button holes and sewing them firmly to the side seams.

and you're done!


phew - have a cup of tea and enjoy your fabulously easy new skirt...

look, i can crochet...

ok, so its not very good, but i have to say this is my first ever crochet by pattern - and i am really proud of it...

big thanks to the lovely michelle at the royal sisters, for her easy to understand grandma twinkle star tutorial (found via the very talented and much more even crocheters miss muggins and kate).

more stars to come!

we made a christmas tree...

what fun!

much credit to the engineer who did much of the drilling (for the branches - they thread through) and for a number of key aesthetic decisions (like the use of an old tomato garden stake for the trunk). now i just need to make a few more decorations for the bottom few branches...

my creative space (with a fabric stash confession)

i am always amazed at the beautiful, neat and organised fabric stashes there are out there. (which are often showcased as part of kirsty's wonderful creative space meme). as i've mentioned, my creative space tends not to be as neat as other peoples'. but so far i have avoided talking about my fabric stash. its also not so neat. particularly like this week, when i was fossiking through to look for some fabric for one of this week's projects. in my defense, my fabric stash actually lives in the big plastic box, and usually i am able to squash the lid on...

recipes and chocolate

i wonder if i should be worried. see there seems to be a chocolatey theme to all the recipes i have posted. i'd like to set the record straight - i do make non-chocolate based things too. and i'll prove it. right after i post about the choclate mousse i made... this is basically the chocolate mousse from the cadbury website. there only difference was that i used 200g of lindt mint chocolate (as this was what i had in the cupboard). i had always wanted to try making mousse, and this was such a big hit. it made 10 of these teacup sized mousses (and believe me, that was really all you could eat). the recipe below is my version, based off the cadbury one.

Choc-mint mousse
125g cream cheese (note - don't buy the cheap stuff - my mistake)
1/2 cup caster sugar
1 egg
200g (2 blocks) of lindt mint intense chocolate
600 ml of thickened cream, lightly whipped

1. Beat the cream cheese, sugar and egg together until smooth.
2. Break the chocolate into little bits and melt in the microwave.
3. Add the melted chocolate to the cream cheese mixture and stir through until well combined.
4. Stir in the cream, again stirring until well combined.
5. Divide into 10 teacups.
6. Pop in fridge for a couple of hours 'til chilled.
7. Serve with strawberries...

mmm, chocolate mousse...

op-shop goodness

so, there's been lots of busy-ness 'round these parts, but very little crafting. but even when there's not time for crafting, i can usually manage a little bit of op-shopping... i love love love this fabric - and i have such plans!

more thread sketching

its pillowcase and thread sketch central 'round here (you may have noticed already). i've been making more pillowcase veggie bags, and a request came in for a peg bag... i had to peg it both sides in this pic (simply to get the photo right), but it actually has a tab at the top for pegging to the line. i am so in love with thread sketching (and we have the wonderful gina to thank for it)

my creative space

it feels a bit like it has been all show and tell round at marjoryjane recently - i seem to be finishing projects left right and centre. so its almost nice to post my creative space with a still being finished project, its actually a project i have been finishing for about the last 12 months - but i really am starting to get there with it. its now tantilisingly close to done. i am loving stencil art - a new skill i am still learning, but its so so much fun! (and for a little bit of show and tell from last time i creative-spaced it up- you can find my finished sheet skirt post here) as always - join in with kirsty...