Christmas Pudding Day

Sunday I finally made the Christmas pud.  I only make a small one each year as there's only my dad and mother-in-law that eat it.  I have a special recipe that I make each year which isn't quite traditional as it contains beer.

Here's the little beauty after it's been steamed ready to have fresh baking paper cap and be stored away ready for the big day.

Progress has been made on the ruffle dress, the collar is finished and completed with three small buttons to close it - just the hems to do now.  But I realised I need another top/dress for a work party, I have a lovely piece of satin that a work friend gave me for my birthday and this needs to be made into the work party outfit to show her how much I appreciated the gift.  The birthday cake needs to progress.  Daughter has promised to help me with making the chocolate cake and perhaps the icing, in return for me highlighting her hair.  At nearly 13, I think she is finally beginning to show some small signs of being a girl, although wearing a skirt is still very much out of the question.  But it could be worse, I could have a daughter who wants to wear very inappropriate outfits.  As well as this I have two sixth form open evenings to attend with son, not to mention getting the rest of the christmas shopping and wrapping up things that need to be distributed early, so apologies but blog posts will be a bit sporadic.

The ruffle dress begins

I've been busy stitching again.  This time it's a fabulous fitted dress with a ruffled front and zips fitted into the sleeves. It's made in this lovely burgundy cotton and I was a bit worried that the cotton would be too stiff for the ruffles, the pattern stated wool but I didn't have any.  It's to be worn to my nan's party, so with everything else happening I needed to get it started.  I've sewn the main seams and now it's waiting to be have the collar and seams hand finished - hopefully will be finished at the weekend.

Bake me a cake

Thanks for the comments to the last blog on cake recipes.  I asked at work as well as there is a fantastic lady who specialises in baking and icing cakes.  Every one seems to agree that the Delia Smith Christmas cake recipe is a good one.

Here's my version of it.  It seems to have come out well and I certainly hope it tastes good as it's going to be the bottom tier of the 100th birthday cake.  

I'm going to be amazingly busy for the next few weeks what with the cake and the preparation for Christmas. I've started on my dress for the party, which is a rather smart red day dress with a gathered and ruffled front, and next weekend I'm making the Christmas pud.  Then there's the chocolate top tier of the cake to bake and both cakes to ice by which time Christmas will be well and truly upon us.

Anyone have a good fruit cake recipe?

We have a VERY special family occasion coming up next month, not Christmas but my Nan's 100th birthday (I hardly dare mention it in case something bad happens) and I have been asked to make and ice two cakes for it.  A chocolate cake and a fruit cake.  Whilst I'm not an expert at cake making, I've made the kids loads of novelty birthday cakes over the years and I iced my brother's wedding cake. I have a well tried and tested chocolate cake recipe, which I have used lots for kids birthday cakes, but I don't have a well tested fruit cake recipe.  If anyone can point me in the direction of one I will be grateful.

There will be more on the progress of the cakes and other crafty bits associated with this event in the next few weeks.

We wish you a merry ......

No I'm not going to use that word, as I think November is way too early.  However I have a lot to fit into the next few weeks and before I know it that  time of year will be upon us.  So I am being organised this year and spent a happy afternoon creating cards form old wrapping paper and cards and some other bits in my card making stash.  There are about 28 in total which is a good start but I'll need a few more. 

Woolly Kimono

A few months ago in my Burda magazine there was a lovely kimono pattern, but I never got round to making it.

 In the pattern book it was made from lace with a satin lining but I didn't have lace or satin and quite frankly that didn't seem very warm with winter just round the corner.

 I did have a long piece of navy marl knitted fabric.  I got it as a bit of a mistake, I wanted a different fabric which I bought on the internet in a sale.  Then the seller told me there wasn't enough of my first choice fabric and so I chose another fabric to make up the quantity.  Then in the end, due to flaws in the fabric, I ended up with not enough of my chosen fabric and a huge quantity of the navy marl.  C'est la vie.

Then this weekend in my panic that I won't have enough warm clothes for winter, I realised that I could make the kimono.  So I set to work....

 and as the pattern was very simple I soon had another nice warm jacket cum cardi.

As it's not very warm in my house tonight, I'm wearing it right now.

More winter clothes need to be made soon.

Winter warmer

 Remember this wrap from the 6 September blog? (link)

I finally finished it earlier this week and I have been itching to put it on the blog but haven't been able to get any decent pictures in the evenings because of lack of light.

Here it is.  It's a bit skinnier than I wanted it to be so it can be worn as a wrap or a scarf.

 I love the texture of the bouclé yarn. 

and I did have enough yarn to make the long tassels.  I mixed the bouclé wool with some normal yarn from my stash so they are really long and full.

I'm beginning to feel that I might just about be ready for the coming winter cold.