day 167: paper piecing for a mug rug

a mug rug for my mum to use during december :)

day 167 and i am going to try and use my new found skills in paper piecing (a type of quilting) to make a christmas mug rug for my mum.  the one i made the other day is getting SO much use i definitely need to make one for everyone!  i found this paper piecing pattern from azpatch for a candle on pinterest and thought it would be perfect for my mum's mug rug.  the pattern is pinned to my christmas is coming board.

i printed off the pattern and enlarged it slightly to make it easier for me to sew!  the next job was to find some fabric and cut pieces to fit each numbered space.  then it's a case of sewing in the order of the numbers and then finishing the quilting process by something dee call sewing in the ditches (i think that's what she said anyway!).

the finished mug rug :)

outcome:  not too bad for my first effort at paper piece quilting on my own!  i was so engrossed in the process though i did forget to take photos along the way, so today their are only after shots!  i am really enjoying starting to quilt and i think it has made a huge difference starting off with some small things and using this method ... so much easier than trying to match large squares together!  i can't thank my dear friend dee enough for helping me learn this technique, you are such a sweetie my lovely friend :)

my thanks to azpatch for this wonderfully free paper piecing pattern that enabled me to make the cutest christmas mug rug for my sweet mum :)

day 166: chocolate banana cake

the very large chocolate banana cake, unfortunately right
after this picture the battery in the camera asked to be
charged and i couldn't get another picture of it cut with
the dusting of icing sugar :(

day 166 and i am back to the kitchen today in another attempt to fill my baking tins!  today we have some very ripe banana's to use so i went to pinterest to find a banana something to make.  it took me quite a while to find a recipe i had everything for ... does everybody put sour cream or cream cheese in their banana cakes?

i eventually found this chocolate banana cake recipe from joy of baking.  i had all the ingredients and in the second paragraph it had this to say:

Chocolate Banana Cake is a snap to put together. Fifteen minutes is about all you need. It is more like a quick bread in that you do not use a mixer, just two bowls.

yes indeedy, that was me sold and printing out the recipe after pinning it to my recipe must do's board.

i did exactly as the recipe suggested and it was done and in the oven in ten minutes.  cakes do not get any easier than this to make!  35 minutes later a very large looking cake came out of the oven and my hopes of tin filling were beginning to take shape.

it is a very runny mixture

into the tin for baking

and out of the oven this beautiful looking cake came
35 minutes later

outcome:  this is a superb light, very moist chocolate cake with a hint of banana taste.  the texture is definitely that of a banana cake but the taste of the banana is subtle.  the family loved the cake.  i didn't frost the cake with anything except a dusting of icing sugar and that turned out to be a good decision.  it really doesn't need anything as it is quite rich for a light cake.  definitely doing this cake again, especially when i need something sweet for large groups :)

many thanks to joy of baking for testing this recipe from best summer weekends cookbook by jane rodmell.  the cake was delicious and has filled a baking tin for today at least!

day 165: berry cookie bars

the slice ... before they ate it

day 165 and i am into the kitchen today to do some baking for the tins.  monica from lick the bowl good has come up with another mouth watering recipe for cranberry cookie bars ... they look so very very delicious!  unfortunately there are no cranberry's in this mothers cupboard so i am making these bars with frozen mixed berries instead.

this recipe does call for the heavy machinery to be lifted out of the cupboard but as the bars looked so good and i had all the ingredients i figured it would be worth it.  the only changes i made to the recipe were using the frozen mixed berries instead of cranberries and i didn't sprinkle with the additional sugar.  apart from those minor variations, i followed the recipe and they were in the oven in ten minutes.

before baking

after baking

before the eating took place, just as well they took the
photos ;)

outcome:  i am assuming these were awesome.  you will notice on my side bar in the blurb about me i mention that i have the full support of my family in this 365 undertaking.  i put these bars into the oven and realised i hadn't left enough time to get them out before i went to play netball so my sweet husband said he would take them out at the right time and take some pictures for me to post with ... perfect.  when i returned home i found the baking tray on the table HALF EMPTY ... apparently these were so good warm, my support crew went ahead and ate half of them!  mental note, double the recipe the next time i make these as they didn't even reach the tin let alone fill it :)  the recipe doesn't make heaps but even so they were so tasty even i had two pieces!

thanks to monica from lick the bowl good ... i think ... my visions of filled baking tins didn't quite happen but i do have a really happy family and it is all thanks to her wonderful recipe!

day 164: fabric bucket

the finished fabric basket ... this one is about 9" high 

day 164 and today i had the best day sewing at a dear, dear friends.  dee and i made fabric buckets today for my pinterest creation ... i tell ya, there is nothing better than spending the day chatting about crafts and crafting!

a while ago i pinned these fabric buckets from 2 little hooligans to my sewing diy board and today we decided was the day to make them ... so we did!  the tutorial from christina is fabulous and we were done with our two buckets in just over an hour.  christina even provides you with a pattern to print if you want to create a nest of three buckets.  dee had a large picnic plate that we used as the base and for the sides you just measure the circumference of the plate and the height of the bucket is to your pleasing.

the red gingham one is mine and the one with the
cool retro lamp shades is dee's ... next up you add the lining

lining added and the bucket is all but
complete with just the heading stitching to do

my completed bucket, just needs some felt holly don't you
think?

outcome: OVER THE MOON!  these buckets were a joy to make and the final outcome is so awesome!  i plan to make many more in the next couple of days.  the red gingham one i made today is going to have a felt holly attached to it to make it a christmas one!  i also plan to make two sets of nesting buckets as christmas presents for family they worked so well!  my house will soon be littered with these buckets as they are so useful and you can make them purpose sized for your needs ... how cool is that :)

a very big thank you to christina for this brilliant tutorial on making fabric buckets, they are simply a joy to make and so incredibly useful.  her site is amazing, full of fantastic crafting and wonderful eye candy as well!

we were done so quickly with the fabric buckets, my sweet friend dee, had time to teach me paper piecing for quilting.  i had the BIGGEST thrill today, i ACTUALLY quilted a mug rug, complete with a christmas tree.  AND the mug rug even works ... check that out!

i still find it amazing that i quilted this mug rug today!
i couldn't have done it without you dee, thank you
so much my friend :)

i'm off to find more christmas mug rugs to pin to my boards so i can make one for each member of the family!

day 163: christmas spirit advent calendar

the hanging of the advent calendar!

day 163 and i am making another advent calendar today.  this advent calendar is all about counting down to christmas and making sure each day brings the whole family something to celebrate during december.  for me this is particularly important for those members of my family who work each day and sometimes miss out on all the fun preparations the kids and i do during the day!

i got this great idea of a "doing" advent calendar from pinterest (of course) and their are plenty of versions and ideas making the rounds and several i pinned to my christmas is coming board.  the ideas i particularly liked were from all things simple and the crafting chicks.  i can't use the winter activities but it did make me think of a few summer activities we could do as a family instead.  below is a list of the things we are going to do during december (and i made sure they were well matched to the book advent countdown as well!):

• EVERYBODY write to santa (this will be done after dinner as a family, it's actually already a family tradition we have done for years, the kids think the adult letters to santa are hilarious)
• make something for two friends and drop it off to them
• make eggnog loaf and decorate the tree (we always do this as a family as everyone has their own ornaments to hang as we each get a new one on christmas eve)
• watch it's a wonderful life
• make a hot chocolate bar
• fish and chips at the beach
• go to franklin road to see the christmas lights
• make christmas tarts
• enjoy the santa parade
• do some baking together and gift to the neighbours
• build a gingerbread house
• make pancakes for breakfast
• drive around to see the local christmas lights
• play a game of petanque
• get your santa hats we are off to the parade
• roast marshmellows on the brazier
• make a christmas pizza in the pizza oven
• go to the new release christmas movie
• watch a christmas movie of DAD's choice!
• watch a christmas movie of GRANNY's choice!
• decorate gingerbread men
• go to dunkin donut's for a christmas donut
• go to the garden store and plant something red in the garden
• make a holiday gift for the postman from all the family

i loved the garland advent calendar the crafting chicks came up with for their countdown and decided to use that idea of their's as well.

you need small envelopes, pattern paper, mini pegs, and
some ribbon

and from right to left this is what i did to make each
day's envelope tag!  

i had some help hanging it up in our classrom!

outcome: well the garland looks great, the activities are sorted, now we just need to wait and see if it has the desired effect of giving everyone a big dose of christmas spirit through the holidays.  most days these activities will take place after dinner so the whole family will be their to participate.  i am really hoping this will spread goodwill and cheer to not only those i live with but also our family and friends ... until the 25th though, this creation is definitely pending!

my sincere thanks to the crafting chicks and all things simple for their wonderful advent ideas, it certainly lifted my christmas spirit just reading them!

day 162: handmade gift exchange at craftaholics anonymous

the handmade gift :)

day 162 and today i am participating in my very first handmade gift exchange.  before pinterest i had no idea such things even existed!  this handmade gift exchange at craftaholics anonymous is the one i told you i had signed up for a couple of weeks ago and today's creation is making it happen!  linda has organised over 900+ people into handmade gift exchanges ... for that reason alone i adore her, let alone the fact her website is full of AMAZING inspiration!  this inspiration was pinned to my gift wrapping and gift ideas board on pinterest.

my gift partner is michell, another new zealander who lives in gisborne.  this is a totally intimidating process for me as michell has a gorgeous blog, sews amazing quilt blocks, and to top it all off she does heaps of craft exchanges.  enter me the novice!  clearly i can't sew for this girl (i'm still working on the straight line issue) so i went with a paper gift.  i ended up making a vintage style photo album for michell so she can fill it with her christmas photos.  i noticed she had a christmas countdown on her blog and hoped this was a sign she was into christmas (actually her blog was where i got the idea to put my own christmas countdown on ... thanks michell!).  the album is full of  flaps and places to attach photos and also tags for journalling.  i did end up also putting in a little vintage christmas cushion (image thanks to the graphics fairy).  i made the cushion a while ago and it seemed to go perfectly with the little album. both things have gone into the little gift bag i made on day 160.  i really hope she finds them useful and a little something different to what she normally receives.

the photo album

inside the albums

the cushion

all packed into the gift bag :)

outcome: pending!  i will send them off today (my sweet mum purchased a mail bag for me as it's no spend november!) and hope that she likes them.  entering into this has been somewhat terrifying but it is such an awesome way to meet crafty people and make new friends.  what could be more inspirational than meeting more lovely crafters and seeing all their lovely ideas.  this is something i NEVER would have found or done had i not been addicted to pinterest!

a very special thanks to linda, a fellow craft addict who has organised this handmade gift exchange.  it has taken me way out of my comfort zone, but it's something i think is totally worth doing in order to connect and make new friends with fellow crafters .... and for that reason, the experience has been awesome :)

day 161: felt flowers of the easy kind!

the very pretty, very easy felt flowers :)

day 161 and we are organising for a garage sale this weekend so i haven't had too much time for crafting today.  lucky for me crystal at little bit funky came up with a 20 minute craft for me to complete today :)  these felt flowers look amazing and i instantly thought they would be great to have for gift toppers during december.

i made several different sizes as i wanted to give all the different types a go and see which i liked best. i made from 1.5" x 9" to 4" x 12".

the starting felt pieces

then you simply fold them in half and cut at intervals not
quite through to the other side.

then you roll the cut felt and hot glue a piece onto the
bottom that will be trimmed into the circle as the base
of the flower

to the smaller ones i added some leaves :)

a closer look at the completed flowers:)

outcome: awesome!  these were completely satisfying to make and also a little addictive!  it was really cool to see how the different widths of fabric changed the outcome of the flower. i REALLY like the smaller width flowers and their tighter petals, they look so cute :)  if you have felt hanging around, you need to seriously try these, they are so easy and so completely adorable ... now, for all the projects i can use them on, not to mention the gifts i plan to top them with.


a big thank you to crystal at little bit funky for her 20 minute craft felt flowers, i was really pushed for time today so i truly appreciated this short, but totally inspiring and very doable tutorial.