Sunday 22 September 2013

Procrastination central

I know. This blog has languished neglected of late. My apologies, but looking after a household of invalids while rehearsing a variety concert is enough to keep anyone busy.

Recently: I learnt to make jam in the microwave, and made a small batch of strawberry jam by myself and assisted with a large batch of mulberry. Blueberry jam may be just around the corner.

6 mice are finished and another two are WIPs.

I plan to make a diagonally striped top very soon - I've figured out the alterations needed to the pattern and hopefully can get it one this week. It's a Kwik-sew pattern but I can't remember the number just now.

I also made mulberry muffins using a variant on the blueberry muffin recipe I worked out last year. Nice!

Sunday 8 September 2013

Mice and Food

Firstly, the room that contains both the computer and the sewing machine has been undergoing a Major Reorganisation, hence both the lack of updates here and the lack of dressmaking lately. All is now (hopefully) back in place, and certainly there is much more available light in the room, so I think we might have got it right!

Now on to what I have actually been doing:

The mice progress. Lizzie and Darcy mice are basically complete. Jane mouse is finished except her arms aren't attached yet (sorry Jane!) because I'm waiting until I've done Bingley mouse so they can be doing something cute and couple-y like having linked arms. Bingley mouse isn't even started yet - although I had very good intentions in that line, but I was sabotaged by having chosen a yarn for his breeches that SAID it was DK but actually knitted up Much Much Smaller.

Take note: Lincraft brand DK acrylic is a thin DK.

However, I was able to use the too-small Bingley-breeches for the Artful Dodger (irritating, as I had been going to try out the child mouse pattern for him, but oh well) and he's coming up quite nicely. Fagin is also underway - my eyes were watering a bit whenever I looked at the colours I had picked for him, but he doesn't look too clash-y now.

Oh yes! I downloaded the Dickensian Party Mice pattern from Alan Dart's website - it's a companion piece to the Dickensian Mice Sirdar booklet and has indoor clothes rather than outdoor, so includes things like frills for the ladies skirts and necklines, and gentlemens' frock coats. Very useful!

In the cooking line, I made strawberry tarts to this recipe for Fathers' Day afternoon tea - very nice flavour but mine came out much too big - I only got 6 where the recipe says it makes 8. Also I used my old faithful pastry recipe, but for once it wasn't a great success. :-( Next time I'll try the honey/spice version and see how that goes.

I've also done some experiments lately in jellied fruit, by which I mean fruit in jelly. Mulberries (courtesy of the M-I-L-E) in Blackcurrant Jelly and Strawberries (from the farm stall down the road) in Purple Grape Jelly. I regret not getting photos of either of these, because they were very attractive, but they vanished before I could. I think that means they were a success!

I also made apple, pecan and cinnamon mini-muffins yesterday - the first batch were slightly overcooked but very tasty - second batch were fine.

Now I'm off to try to get the pink shirt finished. I fear I may have left it too late though - the weather is rapidly warming...