Whenever my relatives make the trip from the UK here to Australia for a visit, they always bring us some UK Jelly. Unlike Australian Jelly and American Jello which comes in crystals/powder, the jelly from the UK comes in a solid block (called a tablet) in the packet. What's so good about it is that you can eat it straight from the pack! Cut into little cubes it's a super sweet ...
A Royal Baby
I love any baby news, so when I heard that the Duchess of Cambridge was in labour, I was pretty excited. Congratulations to the new family on the birth of a Prince! I imagine their time at St. Mary's hospital was very different to mine. Roman and I spent 2 nights there when he had to go on IV antibiotics for possible meningitis at 8 weeks old. Everything was fine in the end, ...
Basic Lapped Seam – Tutorial
This is a very simple seam. It works best with fabrics that don't fray, such as felt and leather. The Basic Lapped Seam is made by simply overlapping two pieces of fabric. This limits any bulk at the seam and works well with awkward seams, such as joining irregular shaped edges. How to Sew a Basic Lapped Seam - Tutorial Lay the edge of one piece of fabric over the top ...
BBQ Corn Salad
Hubby had this salad at a restaurant recently and was looking for an excuse to recreate it. We went to a family lunch today and this was his contribution. It looks like a crazy combination, but it really works. The salad is sweet and smoky, with lots of crunch! I was having a sleep in with Ted this morning, while hubby was experimenting away in the kitchen. He stuck his head ...
Walnut Crumble Coffee Slice
I had a craving for a Coffee Cake so had a quick flick through my cookbooks for some inspiration. I came across this recipe and it sounded pretty good. I liked the idea of the crunchy Walnut Crumble topping on it and it used sour cream, which was handy as I had a bit in the fridge that needed to be used up. This recipe is adapted from one in the Australian Women's Weekly Bake ...
A Couple of Birth Stories
I know a lot of people like to read birth stories and I really liked to read them when I was pregnant. I wanted to write this down while the memory was still fresh. I feel that Ted's birth story makes a lot more sense if you know Roman's too, so I've put them both down here. The pictures below are from bath time when they boys were both about 2 weeks old. I can't believe how ...
Bias Bound Seam – Tutorial
Bias Bound Seams give a quality finish to an un-lined garment and allow you to make a feature of your seams with contrasting or patterned bias tape, or to finish them neatly with a matching colour. If using a contrasting tape, make sure it wont show through to the right side. Because bias tape is used, this finish works perfectly on straight and curved seams. See the ...
A Beginner’s Guide to Knitting: Patterns
As I mentioned in Part 2 of this series, there are millions of knitting patterns out there! So where do you start? Here are a few of the patterns I first started out on. Some are easier than others, but hopefully you'll be inspired to start knitting! Quite a few of these pattern links are to links on Ravelry, which I talked about in detail in Part 2. It is free to join and a ...
Prepster Pullover aka ‘The Peter Rabbit Shirt’
Not too long ago I made a mental note to myself to never bother making a kids shirt. It seemed like too much fiddly work and I thought there were plenty out there cheap enough to buy that it seemed silly to go to the trouble. Then I came across this fabric and 2 days before Easter, I suddenly changed my mind! I'm pretty sure after the Jacket, this is my last Peter Rabbit ...
Haaaaaave you met Ted?
Theodore George arrived earlier this week and we are thrilled! He is known to all of us as Ted, Teddy, Teddy Bear, Tiny Ted, Big Ted, Little Ted and the list goes on.He decided to arrive 1 week after his due date and in the middle of the night. Tipping the scales at 4.02kg (8lb 14oz) and 54cm (21 1/4") he is a big baby but seems tiny to us. The midwife said he would've been ...
More Baby Sleeping Bags
My tutorials for making baby sleeping bags are some of my most popular posts. Go to this tutorial to see how I make my Baby Sleeping Bags/Grobags. And this tutorial shows you how you can use an old woollen blanket as batting to make a lovely warm Winter-weight bag. With the new baby due to arrive any day now, I've been making up a couple more bags. I wanted to make a ...
Sugar Free, Egg Free, Dairy Free Fruit Loaf
I'm actually surprised how nice this tastes considering it has no eggs, no dairy and no added sugar! Not bad for a vegan, baby friendly recipe. All the sweetness comes from the dried fruit and orange juice and there's not much else to this recipe. The loaf keeps well in an airtight tin and also freezes well too. I've frozen it cut into slices, so I can pull one out when ...
