Project 366: day 274

Roast beef, roast potatoes, carrots, broccoli, kale.

Project 366: day 273

Look who just came to live at our house!

We think he’ll like it here!

Project 366: day 272

I threatened to make scones yesterday afternoon but fell asleep on the settee for 2 hours instead.

I’ve managed to make them today!

Foodie Penpals September 2012

My foodie penpals this month were Teresa, my sender, and Angelique, the receiver of my parcel.

The parcel I received was really thoughtful with many lovely gifts inside! Here are the contents…

The complete box contents

Vanilla Green Tea

Mrs Crimbles Cheese bites

Miracle Matcha Health Shot

Thai Spiced Potato Cake Mix

Dark Chocolate Orange

Kallo Vegetable stock cubes

Mrs Crimbles Giant Chocolate Macaroon

Concentrated Cherry Juice

Dried fruit for Evie

The notecard

Lovely message explaining all the choices in the box

Quite a haul – I’m sure you’ll agree! I particularly enjoyed the huge macaroon and the chocolate orange!

The receiver of the parcel that I sent was Angelique who is from The Netherlands. She lives there with her English husband and son. She asked for typically British items, so I put together this box below with explanations of what everything was and why I included it…I hope she liked it!

The gift I sent to Angelique in The Netherlands

Project 366: day 271

I’ve treated myself! Should fit me nicely in a few weeks time…I could not fasten it today hehehe

Welcome to the “Make and Craft ” magazine blog tour! Win a copy of “Making Cushion Covers” by Debbie Shore.

Welcome to my blog and thank you to Katharine for passing on the blog tour baton to me from the Make and Craft Blog.

Make and Craft is a new magazine that is due to be launched on the 12th of October – have a browse over the site in the meantime. If you like what you see there are some great offers for subscriptions.

Me and my girl

I’m Helen, also known as “Aitch”. I’m a busy mum from West Yorkshire. Life is extra hectic at the moment as I am due to have my second baby on Tuesday next week!!! When I’m working I am a science teacher at a high school, I have a three and a half year old daughter who is full of life and imagination, I am a Guide and Ranger Guide Leader, I am a member of The Clandestine Cake Club and also of the Leeds “Buns and Roses” WI group. I blog, Tweet (follow me – I’m @BakingAitch) and pretty much never sit still!

My cakes – Lemon Meringue Cake

My cakes – Angel Food with Chocolate Ganache

When I started blogging and Tweeting about 18 months ago, I did more baking than crafting, hence “BakingAitch”. But lately, I have been crafting madly too! The crafts I do are mainly crochet and I sew little items that make lovely gifts, but I’ll have a go at most things.

My makes – in case I have a girl!

My makes – in case I have a boy!

My makes – childs coin purse

My makes – picnic cutlery roll

I’ve been blogging everyday this year as part of “Project 366“. This is a snapshot of something that has happened in my life that day. Sometimes its something exciting and unusual, but sometimes it’s a picture of my tea, especially if it’s just a boring Monday at work and nothing out of the ordinary has happened!!

My maternity leave started 2 weeks ago, and although I have been resting more than usual, I have been also making and sewing and crocheting more madly than ever too. With my Mum (Sue, aka @EviesGran) I have a stall booked at “Dewsbury Homemade Festival” , (follow @HomemadeFest on Twitter too) This is on Saturday, November the 10th in Dewsbury Townhall and in the town around. Dewsbury is in West Yorkshire where I live. With the baby due, we have been getting as much stock as possible ready to sell. Obviously, the baby could come at any time between now and in 3 weeks and we have no idea if I’ll be able to get on with any making after the baby is born (from past experience probably not!)

Here are some of the things that we will be selling – we hope that they will make great Christmas gifts and decorations. If you like the look of anything, you can contact me through twitter or by email. I can also custom-make items if you see something that you like, but want in a different colour or slightly different style.

For sale – pencil case roll

For sale – cupcake bunting

Crayon wrap

crocheted purse

Fabric covered notebooks

Pencil case

Sue’s makes – decorated decoupage plant pots and candles

Sue’s makes – candles can be decorated with your own photo and message.

Sue’s makes – Christmas decorations

So, back to the exciting launch of this new magazine…to celebrate, Search Press and Make and Craft have given me a copy of “Making Cushion Covers” by Debbie Shore (RRP £9.99; ISBN 9781844487301) to give away in the next 10 days.

Making Cushion Covers

My mum, Sue, was particularly happy about me receiving this book as she is a fan of Debbie Shore who she watches on a shopping channel. Sue finds Debbie’s hints and tips practical and invaluable when it comes to all types of sewing, not just cushion covers, and this book is full of these. There are many clever ideas all with step by step instructions which can be used for the projects in the book or adapted for your own projects. Any beginner or experienced sewer would find this book a great addition to their collection.

All you have to do is leave a comment below about what you’re looking forward to most about the launch of “Make and Craft Magazine” and register on the “Make and Craft” website as a member. I will pick one lucky person randomly on October the 7th at 9pm to receive the book. The book is published by Search Press and if you are not the lucky winner you can find the book here on the Search Press Website. As a special offer you can get free P&P on this book by calling Search Press on 01892 510850 and quoting “Make and Craft Blog Tour”.

Good luck with this – in the meantime, why not have a look at the Make and Craft Book Club where new books are discussed every month.

If you have liked reading this, you can discover new, interesting and contrasting craft blogs up until the magazine launch and beyond – a different one everyday. Tomorrow is the turn of Amanda Addison – visit her website here.

Project 366: day 270

What a surprise to receive this lovely gift this morning from a Twitter friend. She’s called Tracy…you should follow her! @Mukkaunit

Popular Crafts Magazine – Strawberry Swap

Strawberry!

I’ve made a few craft swaps through Popular Crafts Magazine over the last few months, including Spring Swap, Union Jack Swap, Heart Swap and Owl Swap. I had a month of for the Polka Dot Swap as I was just too busy, but thought I’d make a “comeback” for the Strawberry Swap for August and September.

I was very lucky to be paired up with Aimee – read her blog here. I had an idea in my mind of what I wanted to make and had a little search for strawberry printed fabric. I just couldn’t find what I wanted. I decided to change my plans a bit from that point. I had recently made myself a very simple, but very big pin cushion as I really wasn’t sure why I was struggling along with the tiny one I had! I decided that I would try to make my own strawberry motif to add to Aimee’s pin cushion and buy her a gift of some pins which I hoped she would find useful.

This is how I made the strawberry:

Step 1 – cut out a strawberry shape pattern from paper, pin to red felt and cut out

Step 2 – embroider little “v” stitches onto the felt in black to represent seeds. Pin to backing fabric and sew on in running stitch

Step 3 – cut a stalk shaped pattern in paper and then in green felt

Step 4 – Sew onto the strawberry and backing material with big green stitches

Sewn into a pin cushion

I was really pleased with the design that I made and decided to add it to a little make-up bag too to complete the gift.

Strawberry make-up bag

The make-up bag was lined with a floral coordinating fabric

The completed gift just before I posted it to Aimee

In return, I could not have received a more thoughtful and perfect gift! Aimee had found the fabric that I had been looking for! It was made into a baby changing mat and little matching bag to hold nappies and wipes. This could not have been better as I am due to have a baby in only 6 days from today!!! Along with a pretty wooden heart, I was thrilled with the gift.

The bag and back of the changin mat

Strawberry changing mat

Pretty wooden heart

Thank you Aimee!!!

Project 366: day 269

New shoes…

…half a size bigger than the school shoes bought just 4 weeks ago!

Project 366: day 268

Looks like we’re having a baby!