Xmas crafts

Xmas has come and is nearly out the door! My crafts were mainly towards small gifts for family and friends. I made a few garlands, two cat toys and a small tote for my sister. Didn't take any photos because they were very simple presents... I would rather show off a detail of my hexagon blanket (above) which I am loving making, although it is taking forever to get to a size that is in any way acceptable. And my origami (below), just because. It's one of those crafts I can pick up at any time and just mindlessly fiddle with. I have made so many of these cranes - I thread them together and leave them in a window at work. This is the only one that I've kept. For now! I may give it to someone along the way. The paper was a paper bag from a tin can store. I love just picking any old paper and making these simple cranes.

In other news - the start of 2015 will be marked by 4 quilts. I have 4 babies coming in the first half of the year that all need cute quilts or blankets. The first is a little girl in February. Then a set of twins, boy and girl, in March. And finally a baby boy in May. The twins' mother has already asked for a set of quilts for her kids and I am all too happy to oblige. I made a crochet blanket for her first boy, but I am thinking fabric quilts for all these kids to come... It's just quicker...

And then there were 3

There are days when life just sort of sucks the life out of you. I was doing fine today, the day was lovely and warm and smiling, as days are known to be once in a while. It didn't even feel like winter. Spending time with my hubbie, feeling full of energy to get to the fabric stores, loads of ideas swimming in my head, lots of projects I want to try out, a little hungry to get home, have dinner, start working on... something, anything. And then... I get to my car and it was blocked. Well isn't that nice? I look around and the gentleman of the store in front makes that sad empathetic face. That face that says "Oh well..." He comments that he has never even noticed that these spaces are meant only for motorbikes. It doesn't help me much. I call the number to get me unblocked and then patiently wait for more than an hour to get it unlocked for a small fee. Small = 126 euros. I am gutted. It's a lot of money for a mistake. I parked in this place because someone was leaving and I parked in their spot. I didn't even see the sign.
I am gutted. And now I am just so sleepy and have absolutely no energy whatsoever. The fabrics I bought are just sitting here in front of me. All projects I had in my mind have just disappeared. All I want to do is get into bed and sleep.
(I'm glad I finished the third and last sun on Monday)

Sunshine

Made these. They are simple crochet doillies sewn around a small yellow pillow, adding the rays as I go along. Baby gifts for Christmas (let's hope they are well received by little baby hands and fingers)
Just one more to go, then on to other endeavours.

M&M

M&M is the nickname for a friend's little girl, on the way, soon to arrive...
I found a lovely flannel panel at DotQuilts and fell instantly in love, which was a bummer because I was already midway into a blanket for her. I readjusted my view and put the first quilt aside and worked on this beautiful piece of fabric. I'm nearly done. Just missing the border.
I have found it is way too blue! I hope the little girl is ok with that...

My Godfather's Recipes - French Crepes

Ingredientes:
110g farinha
1 ovo + 1 gema ovo
3 dl leite
1 c. sopa óleo
pitada de sal

(Melanie's instruction)
1. Colocar a farinha numa tigela. Fazer uma depressão no meio e colocar o ovo e a gema no meio. Com uma varinha de varas, ir misturando devagar, adicionando o leite até fazer uma mistura líquida.
2. Juntar uma pitada de sal.
3. Usar o óleo para pincelar a frigideira e aquecer muito bem antes de juntar uma colher da mistura. Deixar a mistura espalhar-se pela frigideira de forma uniforme.
4. Quando estiver mais consistente, com os dedos, gentilmente tirar a massa da frigideira e virar. Ir virando até estar completamente cozido.

My Godfather's recipes - Scones

Godfather's Pukka Pad

Ingredientes:
500g farinha
20g fermento (baking Powder)
140g manteuga
60g açúcar
120g passas
mais ou menos 250ml leite

1. Pesar a farinha e o fermento para dentro do balde da máquina.
Cortar a manteiga (fria, mas não demasiado rija - tirar do frigorífico algum tempo antes de usar) em pedaços para dentro da farinha.
Adicionar açúcar e passas.
2. Misturar tudo na máquina a baixa velocidade (#1 ou 2) usando a pá até a manteiga desaparecer e a mistura parecer areia.
3. Adicionar o leite com a máquina em movimento (#1) até a mistura ficar homogénea - não deve ser demasiado húmida; adicionar um pouco de farinha se necessário.
4. Estender a massa com cerca de 2 cm de espessura, cortar e pincelar os topos com mistura de gema de ovo e leite.
5. Coser no forno a 190º mais ou menos 15 minutos.

This has got to be just a little bit exagerated... One of my "nephews" will be 3 in a few days. I bought the cute superman t-shirt and then... went mental and made a superman cape. Oh well...

Babies everywhere!

This quilt is fast becoming my most difficult project. I was in the first stage, piecing together the quilt squares when my sewing machine went and died on me. Either I put it on hold while I waited to get the machine fixed or I would need to take action some other way. So, it has been done entirely by hand... For now, I've finished the quilt top and this embroidery piece. I need to get the sandwich done. I was thinking of quilting it, but I've decided to go with just a sprinkle of stitches, as I've done before. It's quicker and, as I haven't got the sewing machine fixed, I will need to do the binding by hand too...
The backing is to be done with the cat fabric in the background. Baby David will just have to wait a little longer...