Scrunchies Golore

Everyone loves scrunchies!  A good scrunchie simply make my messy hair look good without any effort. I wear a scrunchie every day.

I have been enjoying sewing lots of scrunchies lately.  A lot of people think scrunchies are coming back into fashion. 

I do know that they have always been popular and never been away.  I sell ready made scrunchies on my Etsy shop and they sell well.

Scrunchies take about thirty minutes to make.  Bon Couture Designs have paper or PDF patterns for scrunchies and headbands for sale.  

New Year, New Quilt..

I have been designing a new quilt to teach at my classes. Jan - June all the blocks are pieced and July to Dec the blocks are appliqué.

I am using a fat quarter bundle that I have had for several year now. There are about twelve fat quarters. They are not my usual colours or tones but as I am trying to reduce my enormous stash.

The blocks are all six inches.  So I am going to have to make lots of blocks to use all the fabric. I love working on small blocks but I know it is going to be a challenge for some of the ladies.

Would you like to see some the finished blocks made by my lovely ladies...

Gifts

I purchased this PVC fabric some time ago with the intention of making several of nieces some bags. It was a discontinued fabric at Dunelm Mill shop. As it is a Disney license fabric I cannot make items to sell on my Etsy shop. When I purchased the fabric, I thought my young nieces would like it as it is 'Frozen Princess'.  All my nieces are princess.

PVC can be difficult to machine stitch without the correct foot.  I use a teflon foot.  They are not a standard foot that usually come with your machine.  But it well worth investing in a teflon foot.  I use it to stitch not only PVC but also faux leather.  Remember to also increase your stitch length and insert a larger size needle.  I refer to use a 90/14 universal needle.

These two shopper bags were made for my youngest twin girls nieces. I am making bags for the other girls. 

The metre of fabric cost £4 and will be able to make about six bags. The shopper bags are the largest bags.  I will upload photos of the other bags when I have finished them. 

Victoria Sponge Cake

Victoria Sponge Cake 

6 oz Self Raising Flour
6 oz Caster Sugar
6 oz Butter
2 Eggs
Vanilla Bean Extract
A drop of Milk

1.     Heat the oven Gas Mark 4.
2.     Grease two 7 inch sandwich tins.  I also line the bottom of the tins with greaseproof paper.
3.     Cream the butter and sugar together until soft and fluffy.  The mixture becomes pale in colour.
4.     Beat the eggs in a cup.
5.     Add the egg a little at a time, whisking well all the time.
6.     I like to sift my flour twice. Once while measuring and the second time whist adding it to the
mixture.  Fold the flour into the mixture gently. One tablespoon at a time.
7.     The cake mixture should be soft, light and fluffy.  I often add a small spoonful of milk if the
mixture is not soft.
8.     Add a teaspoon of the vanilla bean extract.
9.     Divide the mixture between the two greased tins.  Spread the mixture with the back of the spoon around the tin.  Make a small well in the centre, this helps the cake to raise more evenly.
10.    Cook in the centre of the oven until golden brown (about twenty minutes).  The sponge should have risen and begin to shrink away from the sides of the tin.
11.  Turn the sponges out onto a wire rack to cool.

Butter Cream

2 oz Butter
4 oz Icing Sugar
Vanilla Bean Extract

1.    Cream the butter.
2.    Add the sugar a spoonful at a time until all the sugar is mixed into the butter.
3.    Add a teaspoon of the vanilla bean extract.
4.    Place in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Once the sponges are cold.  Spread butter cream on the top of the bottom sponge.  Turn the other sponge over on the wire rack and spread strawberry jam.  Then place the jam sponge on top of the butter cream sponge.  Sprinkle with icing sugar.

Runner Bean Soup

We grow runner beans every year.  We eat lots of beans fresh through the summer and freeze a lot ready for the winter months.

Mr Daisychain likes to make runner bean soup.

1 lb Runner Beans

1 large Carrot

1 large Onion

or 1 small Leek

4 oz Potatoes

1 oz Butter

Pinch of Mixed Herbs

1 1/4 pints of Stock

1. Peal and chop all the vegetables as needed.  Make sure all the vegetables are cut into even size pieces. 

2.  Melt the butter in a large saucepan.  Slowly saute the vegetables in the pan over a gentle heat until soft.

3.  Add the stock and herbs and give a good stir. Season with pepper.  I do not add salt as I find some stocks are salty.

4.  Simmer on the gentle hear for about half an hour or so.

5.  Puree the mixture.

6. Sieve the mixture.  Do not be tempered to miss this step.  Some runner beans can still be 'stringy' even after cooking.

7.  I like to add a drop of milk before I reheat to serve. 

7. Reheat and serve with flat bread.

Any vegetables that needs using can be added.

This soup freezes very well.

Tromboncino Fritters

Tromboncino,  also known as zucchetta or tromboncino courgette, is a type of squash most often used as a Italian summer squash.

 

I love courgettes but Mr Daisychain is not a lover of courgettes.  Mr Daisychain's sister gave us a little seedling several months ago. It has now taken over the raised bed and producing lots of fruits.

I have found lots of recipes that have courgettes as an ingredient and very few that uses tromboncinos.  So I have replaced the courgettes for tromboncinos.

Tromboncino Fritters

1/4 to 1/2 tromboncino grated

5 smal plum tomatoes chopped

1 small onion chopped

1 tbsp mixed herbs 

4 tbsp of flour or more if your fritter mix is too runny.

2 eggs

Chorizo or bacon chopped

Salt & pepper

Vegetable oil

1. Mix the courgettes, tomatoes, chorizo/bacon, onion, salt and pepper and herbs  in a bowl. Add the eggs and stir the mixture until all the ingredients have combined.

2. Add flour to bind the mixture together. 

3. Heat oil in a shallow frying pan until fairly hot.
4. Spoon the mixture into the pan. Cook for 5 -6 minutes on each side, until golden on a medium heat.

This recipe is very flexible as you can add any vegetables or ingredients that need using or to suit your taste.

Enjoy.

My word for 2011

Where did the last year go? 2010 was meant to be my year for finishing all my UFO's. I have many projects that need to be finish, I am well into double figures. Another New Year has passed and the log cabin quilt is still not completed. I have lost count how many years it has waited for me to finish the quilting.

I am going to list the UFOs on the sidebar as I finish them. Why? I need to be open and honest to get me motivated or 'shamed' into reducing my UFO stash.

My word for 2010 was 'clutter'. I wanted to declutter my sewing and studio rooms as well as my house and life. I have not made any progress decluttering but will continue to try again this year.

My word for 2011 - 'Frugal'. Make do and use what I have! No unnecessary spending and selling what I do not use or need anymore. It is no use trying to keep things I do not want or use, it is just plain waste.