A Spoonful of Sugar

Fathers Day Craft

2013-05-22T13:20:00.001+08:00

Even though Fathers Day isn't celebrated in Australia until September, I couldn't resist making this Fathers Day craft project. The business shirt gift bag would be fun to make for Fathers Day, a graduation gift, or a male birthday. It can be hard to come up with handmade gifts for men. Even if you purchase a gift, you can still give it the handmade touch by decorating a plain gift bag.

Materials:

plain gift bag
two sheets of double sided scrap booking paper
two small buttons
needle/thread
plain shipping tag
dymo embosser label maker
ribbon
mini peg (clothespin)
washi tape
double sided tape

Instructions:

Cut a piece of scrap booking paper the same size as the gift bag. Cut a slit that is 1 1/2 inches in length in the middle of the top edge of the paper. Fold the paper down to create a shirt collar.

Using some scrap paper, cut a template for the tie. Trace the tie template onto scrap booking paper and cut out.

Position the tie on the "shirt". Stitch around the tie using black thread in your sewing machine.

Stitch a button on the corners of the collar to hold the points down.

Adhere the shirt and tie to the front of the gift bag with double sided tape.

Add a message to the shipping tag with label maker. Tie some striped ribbon around the tag. Cover the front of the peg with washi tape and use to attach the tag to the gift bag.

This fathers day craft was inspired by Fathers Day envelope from Bits of Everything.

For more Fathers Day craft ideas check out:

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Winner of So Pretty! Felt

2013-05-22T08:48:00.001+08:00

Congratulations to Eden H who won our recent giveaway and has won a copy of So Pretty! Felt by Amy Palanjian. We have sent you an email Eden.

Thanks so much to everyone who entered.

Date Roll

2013-05-18T22:07:00.001+08:00

When flicking though an old Australian Women's Weekly cookbook, I came across a recipe for Date Roll that I used to bake a long time ago. Date recipes are always a favourite - they are tasty without being too sweet. I love the shape of a date roll, as it slices up nicely and it perfect to eat spread with some butter. Date Roll can be sliced and frozen, and is a great addition to a lunch box.

Date Roll

Ingredients:

1 cup chopped dates

60 g (4 tablespoons) butter

1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed

3/4 cup water

1/2 teaspoon bicarb soda

1 egg. lightly beaten

1 cup self raising flour

1/2 cup plain (all purpose) flour

Method:

Combine dates, butter, sugar, and water in pan. Stir constantly over heat without boiling until sugar is dissolved. Bring to the boil, remove from heat. Transfer mixture to a large bowl. Cool to room temperature.

Grease two nut roll tines. Stir soda, and egg into date mixture, then sifted flours. Spoon mixture evenly into tins. Bake in moderate oven for 45-50 minutes (175 deg C/350 deg F). Stand rolls in tins with lids on for 10 minutes. Remove lids and turn onto wire rack to cool.

Adapted from Cakes and Slices Cookbook. Australian Women's Weekly, 1991.

Date Roll is an old fashioned favourite. Hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

{Sponsor Love}

2013-05-18T17:52:00.001+08:00

Here is a roundup of great products from our sponsors that caught our eye this week.

Madelyn Shirt Pattern (USD $10.95 pdf pattern), Violette Field Threads

Ziggy Chevron in Candy (USD $9.50 yard), XO Gigi Fabrics

Tilda Fabric (AUD $28.00 for two half metre cuts), Mimmis

Basket of Flowers Sewing Box (AUD $11.00 for ePattern), Stitching Cow

Baby Whale Print (AUD $24.95), Antipodean Love

Watermelon Striped Grosgrain (38 mm wide) (AUD $2.60 per metre), Ribbons Galore

Cath Kidston Floral Wallet (AUD $39.90), Mimmis

Nagorie Feather Pads (USD $3.50), Fleuriste Craft Supply

Bake Bowls Bake Sale, Riley Blake (USD $8.50 for 1 yard), Chit Chat Fabrics

One of our long time sponsors, Miriam from Mimmis, has recently opened up an online store. That is great news for all of us that don't live near her bricks and mortar store in Forest Hill, Queensland. Now you can buy some of the lovely gift items, haberdashery, vintage and hand made items. Take a look at her lovely store - you won't be disappointed.

We appreciate the sponsors who choose to advertise with A Spoonful of Sugar, and would be thrilled if you supported their businesses. Check out the Sweet Sponsors over in our sidebar. Click through to find more great products.

If you have a business that you would like us to promote to our lovely readers, refer to our advertising page or email us (aspoonfullofsugargirls@gmail.com) for more details.

Craft Stores in Paris

2013-05-17T19:30:00.001+08:00

One of the fun aspects of travelling is exploring craft and fabric stores in different countries. We always manage to find some inspiring supplies to remind us of our travels. In addition to exploring cooking stores in Paris, we enjoyed some craft shopping in Paris.

La Droguerie
9 et 11 rue du Jour
75001 Paris

La Droguerie is located very close to Metro station at Les Halles and is easy to find with its bright coloured signage. It had a great range of Liberty fabrics, yarn, ribbons and trims, beads, buttons, and sewing pattern books. It was quite busy the day we were there, and was a lovely store to browse in.

Des Fils et une Aiguille

1 rue Chabanais

Paris 75002

Des Files et Une Aiguille is located near the Metro station at Pyramides. We had a bit of trouble finding this store as rue Chabanais wasn't marked on the free tourist maps. We asked at our hotel and they printed out a detailed map for us. It was a short walk from the Opera Garnier.

It is well worth finding if you have a love of embroidery, cross stitch, and quilting. It has a delightful range of fabrics, ribbons and trims, buttons, embroidery threads, kits, and books. We really enjoyed browsing in this delightful store. Definitely worth a visit while you are in Paris.

BHV

52, rue de Rivoli
75189 Paris

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BHV is a large department stored, located near the Metro station - Hôtel de ville. It is a short walk from Notre Dame.This store offers a lot for craft and baking enthusiasts. You will need to explore 5 floors to find:

Craft Department - this section has supplies related to decoupage, jewellery making, scrap booking, paper crafts, rubber stamps, painting etc.

Haberdashery Department - for fabric, yarn, and haberdashery supplies

Baking Department - cake tins, baking supplies

Book Department - great selection of craft and cooking books.

DIY Department - for all your DIY needs.

Unfortunately we didn't make it to the Fabric District in Montmarte (at the foot of the Sacre Coeur) this trip. If you are after fabric, Marche Saint Pierre is a good place to start. It has floors of fabric, and there are other fabric stores in the same street.

Now that we are home, we are looking forward to using some of our Parisian supplies in new craft projects.

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Winner of XO Gigi Giveaway

2013-05-17T07:25:00.002+08:00

Thanks so much to everyone who entered our recent giveaway to win a $40 Gift Voucher to XO Gigi Fabrics. The lucky winner is Deborah. (We have sent you an email).

Check back on June 7 for another opportunity to win a gift voucher from XO Gigi Fabrics.

Carrot Cupcakes

2013-05-15T21:46:00.000+08:00

You may have noticed it has been a little quiet around here over the past few weeks. We had a wonderful trip to Paris and since arriving home have been busy with work commitments and school work. The jet lag impacted on our creative flow but we are slowly getting back into our groove. We have some crafty projects and tutorials in progress and plan to be sharing more in this space from next week.

I had a day off work today and have spent it pottering around at home. I really enjoy having the occasional go slow day, where I take time to enjoy the simple things in life.

I baked up a batch of carrot cupcakes They are a delicious, rustic looking cupcake, topped with vanilla icing. It is the muscavado sugar and cinnamon which give them a lovely flavour.

Carrot Cupcakes

Ingredients:
50 g (1/4 cup) dark muscavado sugar
50 g (1/4 cup) golden castor sugar
175 ml (3/4 cup) of vegetable oil
2 eggs
225 g (2 cups) plain (all purpose) flour
3/4 teaspoon bicarb soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch of salt
150 g grated carrots (approx 2 medium carrots)

Icing:
4 tablespoons butter, softened
250 g (2 cups) icing (confectioners) sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
2 teaspoons hot water

Makes 14

Preheat the oven to 180 deg C (355 deg F).

Beat the sugar and oil together and then add the eggs one at a time. Add the flour, bicarb, and salt. Mix. Fold in the grated carrot. Spoon the mixture into the muffin cases and bake for 16-18 minutes, Cool on a wire rack.

Combine icing ingredients in a bowl and mix well until combined and smooth. Add more water if required to get the right consistency.

Spread the cooled cupcakes with icing.

If you enjoyed this recipe, check out our other Carrot Cupcake recipes:
Maple Sweetened Carrot Cupcakes
Carrot Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Icing

{Book Review and Giveaway} So Pretty Felt by Amy Palanjian

2013-05-14T07:11:00.001+08:00

Felt is one of our favourite craft mediums - it is colourful, it comes in different thickness, and it doesn't fray. If you love felt as much as we do, you will love So Pretty! Felt by Amy Palanjian. It is new publication from Chronicle Books, that includes 24 stylish projects to make using beautiful felt. The projects are elegant, varied and most can be easily made in an afternoon. Most of the projects are suitable for beginner crafters, and some would be fun to make with older children who love to craft.

The projects have been designed by 12 creative contributors who have all used felt in their own unique way to create a wide variety of projects. The projects include sweet jewellery and accessories such as necklaces, earrings, hairpins, corsages, fascinator; pretty pillow; clutch; pincushion; garland and more. The felt really shines and has been used to great effect in so many creative ways.

Rosette Hairpins

The book contains a helpful Tools and Techniques section at the front of the book that covers all the basics to get your started, as well as helpful tips for working with felt. All the templates used in the projects are included. Most are full sized but some need to be enlarged. All the project instructions are really clear and easy to follow. The projects are all beautifully photographed and styled.

Scrappy Garland

If you love working with felt, you are sure to find some projects to inspire you in So Pretty! Felt. The hard part is deciding which project to make first!

To read other reviews on So Pretty! Felt, check out the other stops on the blog tour - listed below:

Monday, May 6 – Whip Up & Bugs and Fishes

Tuesday, May 7 – Mom Inc. Daily & Studio DIY

Wednesday, May 9 – Coquette & Studs and Pearls

Thursday, May 9 – The Sweetest Occasion & Ambrosia Creative

Friday, May 10 – West Coast Crafty & One More Mushroom

Saturday, May 11 – Mod Podge Rocks

Monday, May 13 – Handmade Charlotte & Fabric Paper Glue

Tuesday, May 14 – MINT & A Spoonful of Sugar

Wednesday, May 15 – Positively Splendid & Hart and Sew

Thursday, May 16 – Rouge and Whimsy & So You Think You're Crafty

Friday, May 17 – Aesthetic Nest & Dollar Store Crafts

If you would like to be in the running to win a copy of So Pretty! Felt, you can enter the giveaway below. Giveaway is open worldwide until May 20. Winner announced here on May 21.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Crochet Time

2013-05-13T21:25:00.001+08:00

Autumn has finally arrived here in Perth, and we are enjoying cosy nights in front of the TV, delicious soups, slow cooked meals, and crochet. It has been a while since I worked on any yarn projects, and it is relaxing after a day at work to sit and unwind with some crochet in hand.

I have started a crochet rug, using some lovely Inca yarn (Patons). It is 50% wool, 30% acrylic, and 20% alpaca. Inca is a nice thick yarn which crochets up really fast using a 7 mm hook. I made the first square in one sitting.

The Inca Home pattern booklet includes three designs to make Crochet Slippers, Knitted Blanket, and Crochet Rugs and Cushion.

What yarn projects are you working on?

Check out our Crochet Love Board on Pinterest.

Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post. Australian Country Spinners sent us a supply of Inca yarn and the Inca Home pattern booklet. All opinions and photographs are our own.

Happy Mothers Day

2013-05-12T10:53:00.003+08:00

We would like to wish all of our lovely readers who are mothers, grandmothers, and mothers-to-be, a very special and happy Mother's Day! We hope that you are able to celebrate with your families.

We wanted to share some more lovely photos of Monet's Garden in Giverny, taken on our trip to Paris in April 2013. It is so colourful and inspiring.

Love all the pretty spring flowers.

Have a beautiful day!

If you currently follow us using google reader, you may wish to swap to Bloglovin when google reader ends on July 1, 2013. Click on the link to Follow my blog with Bloglovin.

Mother's Day Recipes

2013-05-11T08:30:00.002+08:00

Nothings beats a home made gift or home baked gift for Mum for Mother's Day. We love to give gifts from our kitchen - such as baked goods - cookies, slices, cupcakes; jams; flavoured coffee/tea; etc. Here is a collection of 15 of our favourite Mother's Day recipes. Hope you find something that would be perfect for your Mum!

Mother's Day Recipes (Click on the title under the photograph to be taken to our original post with the full instructions/recipe).

Strawberry Jam

Lemon and Passionfruit Butter

Vanilla Flavoured Coffee Beans

White Chocolate Caramel Slice

Lemon and Coconut Slice

Brown and Sugar and Cinnamon

Browned Butter and Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate and Vanilla Swirl Cookies

Maple Sweetened Carrot Cupackes

Coconut Cupcakes with 7 Minute Frosting

Hope you found some Mother's Day recipes to inspire you this Mother's Day. For more Mother's Day gift ideas, check out our favourite 15 Mother's Day Craft projects. A hand made gift is always appreciated.

For your daily sugar fix you can subscribe or follow us on facebook, twitter, google plus and pinterest.

{Sponsored Giveaway} Win a $40 Gift Voucher to XO Gigi Fabrics

2013-05-08T18:22:00.003+08:00

It is time for our monthly giveaway, generously sponsored by the lovely Gigi from XO Gigi Fabrics. Gigi has had a wide selection of lovely new fabrics arrive over the past few weeks. The fun Paris in White print (pictured above), caught our eye. We are already designing the perfect project for it. It brings back memories of our Paris trip.

We are also big lovers of gingham fabric and Gigi stocks a wide range of medium gingham prints by Riley Blake.

The Ballerina fabric would make a cute ballet bag for a little dancer.

The colourful Mustache fabric is fun and modern.

Important XO Gigi Links:

XO Gigi Fabrics Store

XO Gigi Blog

XO Gigi Fabrics Newsletter

XO Gigi Fabrics Facebook

If you would like to be in the running to win this month's $40 Gift Voucher to spend at XO Gigi Fabrics, log in to the Raflecopter giveaway box below with your email address or facebook account and follow the steps. Do as many of the giveway options as you wish - if your already follow A Spoonful of Sugar or XO Gigi Fabrics on facebook/pinterest, just click the button below for an automatic entry.

Giveaway is open world wide until May 15. Good Luck! The winner will be notified by email and announced here on our blog on May 16.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Cooking Stores in Paris

2013-05-08T17:06:00.001+08:00

Here at A Spoonful of Sugar we are passionate about baking and cooking. While in Paris we spent a day browsing through cooking stores and buying a few supplies for some French inspired baking. We were like two kids in a candy store - seriously, we had never before seen such an extensive range of cake tins, moulds, cookie cutters, and baking supplies - it was almost overwhelming! Many of the stores catered for baking professionals/pastry chefs - it was so much fun.

In case you are planning a trip to Paris, we have listed some of our favourite stores here.

First up we explored the stores on rue Montmatre (Metro: Les Halles; RER: Châtelet/Les Halles). These stores primarily cater for professional chefs and had commercial grade supplies.

Déco Relief

6, rue Montmartre, Paris. 75001.

Deco relief specialises in chocolate moulds and cake decorating supplies.

Mora

13, rue Montmartre. Paris, 75001

Fantastic selection of chocolate moulds, tart moulds, baking pans, and cookie cutters. They have a great selection of cake and cupcake decorating equipment, and cake boxes.

La Bovida

36, rue Montmartre. Paris. 75001

La Bovida is a lovely store that has a fantastic range of baking tins, moulds, cookie cutters etc. Lots of food and cake packing supplies - cake boxes etc.

A. Simon (no website)

48 and 52, rue Montmartre

A Simon is located in two separate stores, located next to each other. There is a great range of kitchen and cooling utensils.

LibrarieGourmande

92-96, rue Montmarte. Paris. 75002

Librarie Gourmande is a large book store specialising in cook books. The range of titles was amazing. The English books are located upstairs.

On our last day in Paris, we discovered a lovely cooking store next to our hotel, inside the Gare St Lazare train station in a big modern shopping mall.

Du Bruit Dans La Cuisine
Gare St Lazare (Inside the Train station)
rue St Lazare, Paris, 75008

{source}

Du Bruit Dans La Cuisine has a great range of cooking utensils, baking supplies, gourmet food, cook books, and home wares. There was a cooking demonstration in progress at the rear of the store.

Alice Delice
Alice Delice is a chain of cooking/homewares stores in France and Belgium We visited the store in Amiens.

The Paris store is located at Bercy.
Cour saint émilion, Chai 7/9
75012 Paris (Bercy Village)

{source}

Alice Delice had a great range of baking supplies, cake tins, home wares and more.

Department Stores
We also explored the baking sections of Le Bon Marche, Galeries Lafayette (Maison Store), and BHV. These all had a good range of baking supplies, not as wide as the speciality stores, but still worthy of a look.

If you are planning a trip to Paris, don't forget to checkout our favourite craft stores in Paris.

Winner of Southern Fabric Giveaway

2013-05-08T14:15:00.003+08:00

Congratulations to Susan who is the winner of our Southern Fabric Giveaway. (We have sent you an email).
Thanks to everyone who entered and to Southern Fabric for sponsoring the giveaway.

Mother's Day Messages

2013-05-06T13:55:00.004+08:00

Mother's Day is such a lovely day to celebrate Mums and all that they do. Where would we be without Mums?

If time is running short and you need a Mother's Day message in a hurry, here are some free Mother's Day ecards and printables that we have found. (If you wish to pin the image, please pin from the original source). In a range of styles and colours, you are sure to find something to suit your Mum's individual style.

Social eCard from Magshop

Love this Mother's Day eCard generator- you simply choose an image and a greeting, and then share with your Mum via facebook, twitter, pinterest or email. Great range of images and greetings - from sweet to sentimental and everything in between.

Mother's Day Printables from Yesterday on Tuesday

Love the vintage look to this sweet collection of Mother's Day tags and printables from Yesterday on Tuesday.

Mothers Day Cake Banner from I Heart Naptime.

Dress up a Mother's Day cake with this sweet bunting style cake banner from I Heart Naptime.

4 Printable Wine Bottle Labels from the Graphics Fairy

These free Mother's Day printable wine labels would make a great gift for mum. You can find them at The Graphics Fairy.

Mothers Day printable from The Painted Arrow

Love the delicate colours and flowers on this Mother's Day tag from the Painted Arrow.

Mother's Day Printable Collection from Hostess with the Mostess

The black and white palette on this range of printables is really eye catching. Especially love the treat labels that can be used on a package of home baked treats. Check out the full range over at Hostess with the Mostess.

Mother's Day Printable from Boutique Cafe

This printable poster from Boutique Cafe would make a great gift for Mum. Pop it in a frame for Mum to display all year round. It is a great Mother's Day message.

Mothers Day Party Printables from Amanda's Parties to Go.

Are you planning a Mother's Day part with your extended family? Amanda's Parties to Go have a delightful range of coordinated Mother's Days printables.

Thanks so much to these talented bloggers for sharing some great resources. Hope you find the perfect Mother's Day message for your Mum.

{Sponsor Love} Mothers Day Gift Ideas

2013-05-06T07:57:00.000+08:00

Still looking for the perfect Mother's Day gift for your Mum? Check out this roundup of great Mothers Day gifts from our lovely sponsors.

Marmadale Fabric by Bonnie and Camille (priced from USD $4.99 half yard. Pre-cuts available), Southern Fabric

Jill Main "Robin" Jewellery Stand (AUD $64.95), Antipodean Love

Eco Bakers Twine Hot Pink 219 metre spool (AUD $20.00), Ribbons Galore

MegaMat Pinnable and Cuttable Mat 40 x 72 (USD $131.00), XO Gigi Fabrics

Block of the Month - Garden Dreams (AUD $90 ePattern, $126 Pattern), Stitching Cow

Martha Stewart Crafts Self-Inking Stamp Designer Starter Set (USD $23.95), Chit Chat Fabrics

Petite Patterned Shabby Rose Trim (USD $3.30 per yard), Fleuriste Craft Supply

Emmaline Misses Maxi Dress Pattern (USD $10.95 PDF Pattern), Violette Field Threads

Chevrons in Medium, Riley Blake (USD $9.50 per yard), XO Gigi Fabrics

Want to advertise your store to our lovely readers? A Spoonful of Sugar averages 175, 000 page views per month. If you have a store related to craft, baking, gifts, home wares, DIY, or similar, and would like more details on our advertising options, please email us at aspoonfullofsugargirls@gmail.com. Rates are small business friendly.

Historial de la Grande Guerre, Peronne, France

2013-05-04T14:20:00.000+08:00

As part of our French trip, Sarah and I, together with some of our extended family went on a three day tour of the Somme battlefields. Our tour included attending the ANZAC service at the Australian National Memorial at Villers Bretonneux . We went to honour my grandfather who volunteered to serve in the AIF in WWI and WW2, including duty in Gallipoli, France and Belgium as part of the 28th Battalion.

Historial de la Grande Guerre, Peronne

As part of the tour we visited the Historial de la Grande Guerre in Peronne. The displays showed what life was like for soldiers in the front line trenches, and included artifacts from French, Allied, and German soldiers. Many of the items were in attractive floor displays. (I accidentally sent off an alarm when I got too close to take a photo - oops!)

I was drawn to the hand made items in the soldiers kit - probably made by mothers, wives, and sisters of the soldiers. You could see the care that went into making all the practical items.

A pouch to hold spare buttons for the uniform.

A cutlery roll, including a can opener and a mirror.

Knitted balaclava, neck warmer and scarves.

Sewing kit with the inscription Gott mit Dir! (God With You)

Red Cross pillow

Medical kit containing various scalpels and instruments.

It is hard to image what life was like for the soldiers who served during this period. It is important that so much of this history has been preserved.

Lest we forget.

Winner of Large-Block Quilts

2013-05-04T13:59:00.002+08:00

Thanks to everyone who entered our recent giveaway to win a copy of Large-Block Quilts by Victoria Eapen. Congratulations to our winner, Becky Greene. (We have sent you an email).

Mother and Daughter Trip to Paris

2013-05-02T22:23:00.001+08:00

Sponsored by Magshop Mother’s Day Promotion

Monet's Garden, Giverny

There is a special bond between mothers and daughters. When I was 16 years old, my Mum and I had a wonderful holiday away together. Now that Sarah is 16, we wanted to have a special trip together. As we are slightly obsessed with all things French, Paris was our chosen destination, and what a wonderful time we had!

Eiffel Tower / Champ de Mars

We love living in Perth but it is an isolated city. Our nearest city is over 2000 km away, which means that if we want to go anywhere outside Western Australia it usually involves flying. To get to Paris, we flew an 11 hour flight to Dubai, and then another 7 hours 20 minutes to Paris. Fortunately we love flying - who doesn't love sitting down and having your meals brought to you while you get to read and watch the latest movies? Sarah first flew to Paris as a 1 year old when we spent a year living near Versailles, so she got used to long haul flights at an early age.

Sacre Coeur / Notre Dame

We have travelling down to a fine art. To make our trip more comfortable and enjoyable we always take a few travel essentials with us. A neck pillow, headphones, antibacterial wipes, snack/chocolates, book, and a cardigan/jacket. We always treat ourselves to a magazine from the airport newsagency before we depart. Magazines are great to read inflight. If you are tired, they are often easier to read than a book, and they are fun to share. Spending time choosing the best magazine helps to fill in some time at the departure area.

Newslink at Perth Airport

This trip we selected Gourmet Traveller and Dolly. Sarah has a subscription to Frankie Magazine and fortunately the latest issue arrived just in time for her to bring that along as well. The April issue of Gourmet Traveller has some amazing recipes that we can't wait to try now we are home. It also reviewed a new Parisian bistro that we dined at during our trip.

One of the many things we love about travelling is browsing through local bookshops and newsagents. Last year for my birthday, my family bought me a subscription to Marie Claire Idees, a French craft magazine. The subscription has now ended, but I was thrilled to find the May issue in Paris. Although I have limited French, the photos of the projects are so inspiring and I can usually work out the project instructions.

Marie Claire Idees, Mai - Juin 2013

Mother's Day is fast approaching and a magazine subscription makes the perfect gift for your Mum! Best of all, it is a gift that lasts all year. It is always a treat to receive the latest issue of your favourite magazine in the letterbox. Magshop have a special promotion running for Mother's Day. If you purchase or renew a subscription to one of 15 titles you will go in the running to win one of four health retreat escapes at The Golden Door. You will be sure to find the perfect magazine for your Mum.

{Sponsored Giveaway} Win a $25 Gift Card to Southern Fabrics

2013-04-30T06:26:00.000+08:00

We would love to warmly welcome Southern Fabric, one of our newest sponsors. Southern Fabric is an online fabric store that has been in operation since 2004. They are located in Georgia, USA, and ship worldwide. Southern Fabric specialise in fabrics from Moda, Freespirit, Riley Blake and Westminster.

Here are some of their latest fabric ranges:

Boho by Urban Chiks is a modern, colourful range.

Esprit De Noel by French General is a classic line featuring lovely fabrics in the red and cream palette.

Aspen Frost by Basic Grey is a bright and cheerful Holiday line which would work well for Christmas sewing.

Posh Pumpkins by Sandy Gervais is a lovely range in autumn (fall) colours.

While you are at visiting Southern Fabric, check out the sale section. Freshcut, Coquette and Funky Monkey lines are all reduced.

Important Southern Fabric Links

Southern Fabric Facebook

Southern Fabric Blog

Southern Fabric Pinterest

Southern Fabric Twitter

To be in the running to win a $25 Gift Card from Southern Fabrics, leave a comment below letting us know what you have planned for your next sewing/quilting project. Giveaway is open worldwide until May 6. Winner will be announced here on May 7. Good luck!

{Book Review + Giveaway} Large Block Quilts by Vickie Eapen

2013-04-26T11:00:00.000+08:00

{photo credit}

Vickie Eapan, the quilter from Spun Sugar Quilts, has just released her first quilt book, Large Block Quilts. The book includes 16 Quilt designs made from large blocks that are quick and easy to construct. They would be perfect for when you need to make a quilt in a hurry or for charity quilts. The designs range from modern to more traditional. Many of the designs would be suitable for those larger scale prints in your stash. The designs all combine prints with solids for a a more modern look.

Some of our favourite designs include:

{photo credit}

{photo Credit}

One of my favourite designs was the Lantern Lights Quilt (pictured above). It is a design that works well with medium scale prints. The printed fabric used in the block is 2 1/2 inches in width so would be the perfect project to use a jelly roll. The left over printed fabrics make for a colourful scrappy binding.

I constructed a Lantern Light block from Bliss fabric, Moda (refer below). The instructions are clear and include helpful diagrams for ease of construction. The block, which measures 18 1/2 inches square, was assembled in under 15 minutes (not including the cutting time). This block is perfect for a beginner quilter as there are no tricky seams to match up.

So if you are a time poor quilter, the projects in this book will be right up your alley. They are all quickly assembled. The hard part will be deciding which quilt to make first!

To read more reviews of Large Block Quilts, check out the other stops on the Book Tour:

4/20 Vickie Eapen www.spunsugarquilt.com

4/21 Me & My Sister http://www.meandmysisterdesigns.com/blog/

4/22 Natalia Bonner http://www.pieceandquilt.com

4/23 Kathy Brown http://theteacherspet.typepad.com/theteacherspet/

4/24 Jen W http://misspunkiepie.blogspot.com/

4/25 Carol Lewis http://carolscraftblog.blogspot.com/

4/26 A Spoonful of Sugar http://www.aspoonfulofsugardesigns.com/

4/27 Kate Spain http://katespaindesigns.blogspot.com/

4/28 Stefanie R. http://littleladypatchwork.blogspot.com

4/29 Stitch This! Martingale’s blog http://blog.shopmartingale.com/

To be in the running to win a copy of Large Block Quilts, leave a comment below. Giveaway is open worldwide and the winner will be drawn on May 3, 2013 and announced here on the blog. Good Luck!

Snickerdoodles

2013-04-21T09:00:00.000+08:00

If you enjoy plain, soft and chewy cookies that have been rolled in cinnamon sugar, you will love these snickerdoodles. Sarah baked them and they are a family favourite. They freeze well and are great in lunch boxes for a sweet treat at recess time.

Snickerdoodles

Ingredients:

2 3/4 cups of plain (all purpose) flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter

1 1/2 cups, plus 2 tablespoons, sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Method:

Preheat oven to 175 deg C (350 deg F). Sift together flour and baking powder into a bowl. Put butter and 1 1/2 cups sugar in bowl of electric mixer. Mix on medium speed until place and creamy, about 3 minutes. Mix in eggs one at a time. Reduce speed to low and fold in flour mixture.

Mix cinnamon and remaining sugar in a small bowl. Shape dough into small balls and roll in cinnamon sugar. Place on baking tray lined with baking paper.

Bake cookies for approx 12 - 15 minutes. Cool on sheets on wire racks.

Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart

Mother's Day Crafts

2013-04-19T09:00:00.000+08:00

With Mother's Day coming up on May 12 in Australia and the USA, it is time to start planning some Mother's Day crafts to make as gifts for your Mum, Grandma, and other women who do a fantastic job. In Australian primary schools, a Mother's Day craft stall is very popular. Kids take in a few dollars to buy a little something for their Mum. So if you are looking for a gift idea to make for your Mum or a craft idea that you can whip up for the craft stall, here is a round-up of some Mother's Day Crafts that you can make. Click on the link under each photo to be taken to the full tutorial.

Flower Tape Measure Cover

Pretty Pillowcases

Crocheted Scarf Pattern

Gathered Round Basket - 3 Sizes

Home Sweet Home Scrabble Picture

Time For Tea Teapot Cosy

Pretty Drawstring Pouch

For more ideas and inspiration, check out our round-up of Mother's Day Craft projects from last year. A hand made gift is always appreciated by Mum's.

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How To Freeze Chives

2013-04-17T09:00:00.000+08:00

We have been freezing some of our herbs so they can be used in our winter cooking. So far we have frozen some Basil and Mint, and have been enjoying using them in a range of dishes. We have a big pot of garlic chives that we wanted to freeze next.

To freeze chives, simply cut a big bunch from the plant. Wash the chives well, and remove any damaged stems. Dry well on paper towel (kitchen towel).

Tie the bunch together with bakers twine and place into a ziploc bag. Roll the bag up to remove any excess air in the bag, and freeze.

When you are ready to use some chives, simply slice off what you need and return the rest to the freezer.

We like to use chives on pizza, in casserole and soups. It is great to have a supply on hand.

If you enjoy growing and using herbs, check out these posts:

How To Freeze Mint

How To Freeze Basil

Rosemary Oil

Coat Hanger Cover {Tutorial}

2013-04-15T06:50:00.002+08:00

Coat Hanger Covers make a great home made gift and are perfect for hanging special garments in your wardrobe.

Plain wire coat hangers are functional but not very pretty. They seem to multiply in our home. They can be easily dressed up with some pretty fabric, broderie anglaise trim, and felt flowers. This is a fat quarter friendly project and is suitable for the beginner sewer.

We think these pretty coat hangers would make a lovely Mother's Day gift. Make a lavender sachet to hang inside the cover to repel moths and freshen your ward robe.

You will need:

fat quarter of quilting fabric for the cover (20 x 22 inches; 50 x 56 cm)
scrap of coordinating fabric for the flower
1 yard (1 metre) of broderie anglais trim, pompom trim, or similar
co-ordinating felt (or felt flowers such as these from Fix Design Crafts).
small button
6 inches (15 cm ) of plastic tubing
card
spray starch

Method:

To cut the fabric for the cover, lay out the fabric and place the coat hanger on top. Cut around the coat hanger as shown in the photo. Leave 1/4 inch seam allowance on the sides and top of the cover, and leave 2 inches along the bottom of the cover. Cut two for the front and back of the cover.

Overlock along the top and bottom edges on the front and back of the cover.

Pin the front and back of the cover together with right sides facing. Stitch together along the ends and angled sides of the cover, using a 1/4 inch seam allowance. Overlock the edges.

Turn the cover out the right way and press. Turn under 1/4 inch along the top opening, and press. Pin the trim along the bottom (open) edge as shown. Stitch in place. Press the trim so that it sits flat.

Trace a circle that measures 3 inches in diameter onto a piece of card. Cut a circle from the co-ordinating fabric that measures 3 3/4 inches in diameter. Moisten the edge of the fabric circle with spray starch. Using the card as a template, press the edge of the fabric over the card to crate a circle with turned under edges for the appliqué.

Cut flower shapes from the felt. Layer the felt flowers and stitch onto the centre of the circle using a small button in the centre. Pin the flower appliqué to the centre of the coat hanger cover, and hand stitch in place.

Cut a length of plastic tubing and cover the top of the hanger.

If you enjoyed this project, you may be interested in our Dust Cover {Tutorial}.

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