More fun with cushions

I speak to you all from between the sheets - unfortunately, though, I am not lying down all snuggled up in bed (more's the pity), but the great tide of bedlinen has abated (I was going to say momentarily, but I now realize it means the opposite across the Pond) for just a moment, and I have been able to sneak back to sit in front of Hermione's sister and say hello, which is very cheering to the soul of a washerwoman extraordinaire.

The moments available for me to sit plying my needle have been far and fleeting, but the project to recushion my world moves on in fits and starts. You may remember the red flowery triangle number I made with my handy dandy little Go! Baby fabric cutter, while the Princess was 'enjoying' (I use the quotation marks advisedly) her sojourn at the Lowood Holiday Camp. Of course, on her return she immediately emitted covetous noises, and hoping to keep this cushion on my kitchen sofa (where it looks very fetching), I promised to make her (another) cushion of her choosing.

And so the unicorn cushion came into being - luckily those jolly nice bods at Cico Books had sent me a book which I had been hankering after for some time - Cute and Easy Quilting and Stitching by Charlotte Liddle -  and it turns out to be a jolly nice book (just as I thought) with lots of pretty things to make. Including two cushions which meet the most exacting requirements of one of the princess class, but the sheets constantly entangling me, I have just made the unicorn one to be going on with.

You will be glad to know that the Princess is most pleased with the result - she oversaw my work very carefully, and we picked out some fabrics that we used in the cushion using the Star Delight pattern which came with the Go! Baby cutter die, and added one or two extra. Being a log cabin patchwork cushion, it is a good design for using up leftovers from other projects, although I did buy a fat quarter of a figured white fabric for the background to the unicorn.

Cute and easy unicorn

You will see from the pictures that we did not follow the instructions exactly - Princess Bunchy vetoed the rosette, and I somehow forgot the lacy edging to the embroidered panel, but luckily no one noticed (I was probably thinking about sheets). We used ordinary embroidery floss rather than cotton perlé as suggested, just because of what I already had in my stash, and all the buttons and beads were from stash, too. The tail was made by plaiting embroidery floss and folding the plait in half to make a double plait, which I then couched down with little stitches and beads.

Why is my unicorn facing the other way?

If you make this cushion, I would suggest doing the log cabin in the normal way by cutting long strips to  width, and then trimming after sewing. The pattern suggests cutting the log cabin strips to fixed lengths, but I found myself in a bit of a pickle when I got to the outer long sides because my strips were not long enough (which I think could well have been due to my inefficiency, as I was a little, shall we say, distracted at the time). It makes a lovely big 18in/45cm cushion, and we (the royal 'we') are very pleased with it.

Lecien fabrics (I think)

There are several other projects in this book on my to-do list - I have just acquired some fat quarters for the tea cosy pictured on the cover.

Moda Fig Tree & Co Strawberry Fields (and another)

I also love the pincushion idea, which I might make as a little present for myself.

And then there is the rosette cushion for Princess Bunchy - I have the rectangular cushion pad (after much searching, I have found that John Lewis is the best place for a really wide range of cushion pad sizes), and the ceremonial selection of fabrics will be undertaken shortly.

And if you know a baby, there is a wonderful pattern for a pair of the most heavenly pair of baby shoes that I have ever seen in all my born days - enough to bring on those broody feelings.

Very cute baby shoes

The only proviso I would make about this book that it is not a learn-to-sew type of book suitable for an absolute beginner - the projects are not difficult, and the instructions for appliqué and embroidery are very clear, but it does help to have a little experience - and actually this is what makes the book more interesting for me, as it goes beyond the run-of-the-mill projects that I have seen repeated in so many books.

So all in all, I think Cute and Easy Quilting and Stitching is a sewing book worth having - there are plenty of things that I will make, and there are some really lovely ideas for embellishments that could easily be used for other projects. It really is a bit different and thus I have found it quite inspiring.

And now, the sheets are calling . . .

Holiday fun: fabulous brownies on the beach and the wedding dress of the year

It seems to me that Geoffrey Chaucer was wrong about April being the month that folk go on pilgrimages: hearing of the epic length of the queues on the M25, I find myself thinking that August is the month in which folk undertake their peregrinations. And, quite unusually for me, I have also been doing a bit of peregrinating, too, and yesterday found myself on a girly visit to the Big Smoke, a place I tend to avoid in high summer. But off we went to Buck House to see that dress: for me the high points were the video of Sarah Burton, the designer, explaining how the royal wedding dress was designed and constructed, and the wonderful paintings by Rembrandt, Poussin, Winterhalter et al; the low points were the queues to get in, the queues for security, and the general overcrowding which made it difficult to stop and study things. And at £17.50 for an adult, £10 for a child it is not a cheap day out - being of a Frugal Turn, and the Great Wen being so very full of the most wonderful things which are completely free of charge, I rarely pay to see the decorative arts, and in my rustic innocence have no idea how these prices compare with other attractions, but it is certainly a lot more than I am used to paying.

Unfortunately for me, there were also long queues for the cafe in the garden, so I did not get the chance to sample the tea and cake - my fellow pilgrims regaled me with tales of the magnificence of the royal garden party teas, to which I being insignificant and anonymous, and on one occasion, a married, rather than unmarried, daughter, have never been invited (sob).

But all is not lost: this week I have had the chance to sample copious quantities of the most magnificent cake (and baked by a princess and a fairy goddaughter), so opportunities to expand my waistline have not been wanting.

I received in the post an utter chocfest of a book called Fabulous Brownies, written by Annie Rigg, and published by Ryland Peters and Small, who very kindly sent me a copy to review. 

And I have to say that for chocolate and cake lovers, they are pretty fabulous brownies to eat - not only that but the book provided two days of fabulous holiday activity for Princess Bunchy and Fairy Goddaughter. 

The recipes are divided into four categories: Simple (everyday variations on the brownie theme), Pretty and Indulgent (which would be good for special tea parties, or dinner party puddings), and Kids. 

Not only does the Kids section appeal to children in terms of look and taste, but the instructions are very straightforwardly written and easy to follow, so that two girls of 11 and 12 could be left to themselves in the kitchen to create the cakes and their mothers could sit in the garden undisturbed and have a Good Natter - which to me constitutes the ideal holiday activity for children. 

We of course did not neglect our offspring entirely - we were always on hand to taste the results and offer advice and encouragement from a safe distance, whilst we put the world to rights and caught up on many months of news and anecdote.

So if you want to keep your children quiet and amused this holiday time, Fabulous Brownies could be just the answer: just take my advice and put pinnies on them first, because the kitchen did get quite chocolatey (as did their faces, hands and Princess Bunchy's trousers).

We then took the brownies (and the children) to the beach: the sunniest, warmest evening ever spent on Knitstable beach (before the grey skies set in again). I actually had to remove my socks and plimsolls, and found no reason to don my great big granny cardigan, the last word in festival chic (I bought it at the Big Green Gathering, so festival wear it is). 

Fish and chips, Brownie Owls and Brownie Wheels, and a bottle of rosé as the sun set over the sea and the gulls wheeled and cried overhead - what more could any of us want? 

I have also done a little light sewing. I am unable to cope with anything too demanding in the dog days so I just ran up a trio of cushions for a ballerina who has taken to loft living.

You might notice from the picture that these cushions are not in a loft but reclining on a bench: they were very nearly kidnapped en route, the Amy Butler Love fabric being so enticing, but I am happy to say that they made it up the stairs and are now enjoying the high life.

So there's what we did in the summer holidays: a bit of stitching and a bit of travelling, up to London and down to the beach - don't tell me I don't lead the high life, too . . .

A little stranger

I don't know why it is, but every time that I have to pick a giveaway winner, the weather takes a turn for the worse. This afternoon it is blowing a complete hoolie, just perfect for blowing little bits of paper right across the garden, and whipping up the sheets (yes, more sheets to iron) so that they cast a long shadow.

So I hope that you will all sympathize with me, cutting up 160 something bits of paper, and folding them all up neatly, and then battling the gales outside - I promise you not one of you got lost until after the draw when things fell apart rather.

Mad Dog was not available to do the draw this time, having been taken off by the Ploughboy to chase rabbits. And in spite of her strict régime, the vet tells us that Teddy-Face is still not as svelte as she might be, so not being sure of the calorific content of paper, we needed another contender. I turned around, and lo and behold! (it's getting to be a habit round here), there I found a little stranger.

Being a particularly little stranger, I thought a particularly shallow dish would be best, and one quite broad in the beam moreover, and the Little Stranger does not have quite such a snouty snout as the Mad Dog.

She was also a little slow on the uptake and much as I would love to give you all an Accuquilt Go! Baby fabric cutter, there is just the one on offer, so turfing all of you onto the grass was not really a way to make progress.

As fast as I piled you all back in, the Little Stranger nuzzled you back out, and then Teddy-Face joined in the party, no doubt on the prowl for extra calorific intake.

After one heave-ho too many, I decided that a jump-off, or possibly nuzzle-off, was the fairest option. So everyone who was on the grass was scooped up into another, more confining bowl, and we had another go.

Having satisfied herself that there were no treats to be had from this receptacle, the Little Stranger picked up a paper in her mouth and trundled off - and thus we had a winner.

The Head Chef swooped to retrieve that winner, at considerable risk to life and limb, as the Little Stranger was quite unwilling to give up her prize and snarled most ferociously.

But all's well that ends well: the Little Stranger found something far more interesting to bite, and dropped the little piece of paper by the wayside.

Before I reveal that lucky person, my commiserations to all of you who didn't win this time. Remember, as a consolation prize you can click on the picture below and Accuquilt will give you two PDF booklets of patterns for quilts and blocks suitable for cushions, etc. There are patterns for all levels of skill, and if you are signed up for the Accuquilt newsletter, they do send out special offers and discounts on the cutters and dies. (I think there are going to be a few dies on my Christmas list this year - I rather fancy some strip cutters for some log cabin work I have planned, so I might just sign up the Head Chef as well.)




So after all the cutting and folding and battling the element, here is the winner: susan I will be emailing you shortly. Congratulations on your win - all thanks to the Little Stranger.

From decorative to productive: a garden story

(If you are looking for the giveaway, you will find it in the post below - it closes tomorrow (Sunday), so this is your last chance to enter.)

It might only be the first week in August, but here in the sunny south-east where one would have expected a high summer air about the place, the garden is taking on more of an end of summer feeling - and as I look out of my window at the grey skies and raindrops, the weather is definitely not summery at all.

Sunshiney sweetness in a jar

Luckily we managed to capture a bit of sunshine in jars, in between the showers of June.

Marigolds on the wane

So although many of the flowers are past their best, and the marigolds are running to seed faster than I can deadhead them, there are lots of edible bonuses to make up for the decline in prettiness.

Sweet juicy plums

It has been a difficult year for growing, with sunshine and drought in May, too much rain and not enough sun in June, and a cold, grey July. 

Green runner beans

But somehow the green fuse has ignited and the kitchen garden is keeping the Head Chef well supplied with produce, and the B&B guests have been able to enjoy the fruits of his labours outside.

Courgettes yellow and green

I like to grow both green and yellow courgettes - I am not sure that there is a huge difference in flavour, but the colour combination looks lovely on the plate.

Stubby little cucmbers

We have multicoloured and multi-shaped cucumbers, too - small, stubby green ones (Marketmore by name).

Lemon cucumbers

And little, round yellow lemon cucumbers - both sorts have so much more flavour than the long thin green ones in the shops.

Rather measly garlic crop

They make for a heavenly tasting tzatziki mixed with homegrown garlic and homemade yogurt - and I can pretend that really I am on holiday in sunny Greece, rather than working at home in grey and damp Old Blighty.

Lovely red tomatoes

In the absence of a Mediterranean climate, the polytunnel has proved its worth this summer. The outdoor tomatoes are ripening only very slowly, but the indoor ones have more than made up: plum, cherry, salad and beef tomatoes, we have them all - even aubergines, too.

More plums

We have plums to make spicy plum chutney (the recipe is here), and jam for our B&B guests to put on their toast. So many guests have asked to buy our jam over the past year that we are busy making extra quantities to keep up with demand.

And there is still lots of lettuce - the successional sowing has been a great success in keeping up supplies. What else? Kohl rabi, and carrots, beetroot and herbs, onions and potatoes - and apples for jelly and juice for those hearty breakfasts the Head Chef serves up so skilfully each morning.

And next on the preserving agenda is hedgerow jam: there are blackberries in the hedgerows, and elderberries ripening fast, so even if you don't have your own garden, perhaps you might be able to scavenge some from the roads and fields - the recipe is here if you want to make your own.

So the preserving pan beckons, and a very interesting book to look at, thus I must bid you all adieu.

On the Go! Baby again: a giveaway and some free patterns for you

Do stop and join me for a little - you may read something to your advantage, as they say. You will have to bear with a bit of show and tell first, and then comes the exciting bit.

The absence of Princess Bunchy on an adventure has given me a teeny, tiny bit of time on my hands in between washing and ironing the bedlinen at our little cottage B&B (go on, come and stay - you know you will enjoy it!), and I find myself in a distinctly cushiony stage in my life. You may remember that last weekend I was having some fun with a great little gadget called a Go! Baby fabric cutter which the kind people at Accuquilt sent me to try out, and I made a patchwork cushion which the princess pounced on.

Well, her absence from by the side of my dear Rose has enabled me to make a cushion for myself (or rather for my sofa, as I would prefer not to be sat upon).  One of the dies I received with my Go! Baby cuts 4-inch quarter-square triangles, and came with a free pattern for an 8-inch hourglass block.

Four of these blocks very conveniently make a 16-inch square, perfect for a cushion - and what is even more perfect is that by fan-folding my fabric into four layers I could cut 32 triangles in one pass through the machine. So two passes through the cutter (one for each colour) and I had all 64 triangles for the cushion - and I think this is where the Go! Baby really does come into its own.

The fabric was two fat quarters from Leila's shop (and I had some left from each fat quarter), and then I backed the cushion with some blue check left over from the Dorothy dress. All those red triangles remind me of the kitten heels on those ruby slippers which were quite a task to find.

And don't tell the Head Chef, but today when I found myself ten minutes early for an appointment, and sauntered into my favourite sewing shop to, er, kill some time, in a fit of Go! Baby-induced cushion madness, I sauntered out of the shop again with three unconscionably tempting retro fabrics which would look oh so nice on my sofa (and would enable me to try out another of Accuquilt's free patterns which you can find if you click on the picture - you can download two PDF booklets for free).

Now for the really exciting bit: Accuquilt have very generously offered up a Go! Baby fabric cutter plus three dies and appropriate cutting mat, to be despatched to one of you, dear readers! (No, I can't quite believe it myself - a prize worth over $200.)

I will tell you how to enter, but first, and most importantly please, please, please make sure that you have an email address in your Blogger profile (on the top left of your Dashboard, click 'Edit Profile', make sure you have ticked the 'Show email address' box, and entered an email address). You will not get spam by doing this - I certainly don't. And it also means that I can reply to your comments - if I have never replied then you probably have not entered your email in your profile, and are thus a 'no-reply blogger'. For every giveaway I have done, 'no-reply bloggers' enter, and if I can't contact you by email then you can't win. If you are not on Blogger, just put your email address in the comment box.

And that is the end of the finger-wagging, now I will tell you what you have to do.

1a. You must be a Follower - you can start following now if you like.

1b. Go to the Accuquilt site here and pick out which three die cutters you would like if you win.

1c. Come back here and in the comment box tell me which cutters you have chosen.

These three steps will give you one chance to win.

2. If you would like a second entry, grab the photo below (Right click and save to your computer) and put it on your sidebar with a link back to this blog - come back and tell me you have done this.

3. For a third entry, do a blog post about the giveaway, and come back and tell me.

I will leave the giveaway open until the end of next week, and then see what exciting person I can find to do the draw - entries are open internationally, so wherever you are, do have a go! baby (sorry, I just couldn't resist that one . . . ).