Chocolate Chunk Biscuits

Do you watch River Cottage on TV? (set in Dorset, UK). I do, but I must admit I shut my eyes when something is killed, then chopped up to cook and eat.... I'm a scardy cat, if I had to do that I would be totally vegetarian. I like to pretend meat just comes from the supermarket.

I love the baking and growing of veges and the community on River Cottage. I really liked Hugh's quick and easy chocolate chip cookies they are a real treat...... I do love easy baking and this recipe is very quick to make but I think extremely bad for the hips!

If you want the recipe for River Cottage 10-minute Chocolate Chip Cookies you can find it on the River Cottage  website.  I use any type of chocolate whatever is on special (but usually good quality and palm oil free, and not always dark chocolate). I must say these cookies taste even better the next day if you manage not to eat them all at once, the chocolate flavour deepens......

By the way I must say it is such a gorgeous day here, the suns shining and it is so spring like.....I  just love it!  My sewing machine has been sitting on the dinning room table for two weeks just to be admired and not used....Oh I'll have to motivate myself!

These are flat 'cow pat' looking cookies
I love the nice crunch you get. But best of
  all these cookies taste good frozen too!

My calico cover is a real 'blast from the past'. I made it years ago and it's very old now....So it  just sits on top of my freezer. I used a painting of a cat for inspiration, but I've forgotten now where I found it. I know it was in a book......Oh those were the days when I just created things, now it seems  to be more of a chore, where did I get all that energy?

I  thought I'd take a pic so my effort can stay ageless in cyberspace. Sadly now there is mildew on the  satin white pussy tummy and it's all rumpled with a few more dirty marks too. I can't wash it because it would never be the same....

To make this: I used fabric paint, wool, satin. calico, corduroy,
embroidery thread, velvet, and sequins for the butterflies,
fluff for the caterpillar and pink felt on the paws....

Pixie Hat

It was so hard trying to catch this little tot to get a pic of her Pixie Hat but I did manage to get a dark blurry one. Her sister's pic just ended up a blur of red not fit to be published...so I gave up on that idea.

This cute Pixie Hat is knitted in 8 ply Merino and Cashmere on 4mm needles. This woollen yarn is so soft....I asked my mother to knit the two hoods, she knits tighter than me and I was being lazy. But I did make the ties and sewed the hats up.....This patterns sizing is for 2 to 10 year old children (one size fits all) and is very easy pattern to follow. It's just a little bit big for this one year old, but she can still wear it as it ties under the chin....

Genevieve Pixie Hat pattern can be bought here... 

This little 'pixie' is tap dancing on the tiles
between my clothes airers

Twin Needle Twist

I have wanted to learn how to use a twin needles for a while. House of Pinheiro has a good post on using twin needles so I followed the instructions over there. I also looked on You Tube for a Bernina Activa to see if there were any tutorials on twin needles. Click here to view a video on using a twin needle on the Bernina Activa.


My first efforts were a total disaster  'practice makes perfect' right? I soon sorted it and all I needed to do was put both my threads through the same side of my tension disks. Once I did this my efforts were good....I  think though I  need to loosen the bottom tension a bit. But I'm not to sure how to do this though. More practice I think!

Twin needle sewing on the
Bernina Activa 220

Being Frugal is so Easy

It's Friday and I'm being frugal again, it's Frugal Friday...
This is very easy project which probably doesn't need a tutorial. But it's good way to save some of your grocery dollars...I hate paying out for cloths, sponges just to dust or wipe my bench. I now make micro/polar fleece cloths instead. They work just as well as the bought ones and wash up nicely too.

Cloth size: 15" X 15" (80cm approx)

Fabric: Polar fleece, I bought a couple of metres for $10.00

Materials needed: Polar or Micro fleece, overlocker, thread, scissors, measuring square, template, Rotary cutter, pen

Make template out of board and lay it 

on the fabric. Then cut around it with a

 rotary cutter. You can also trace around 

 the template with a pen and then cut out the

 fabric with scissors if you prefer...

Cut out double thickness or as many layers 

as your rotary cutter can handle... 

Now overlock the squares, you can use a contrast

cotton if you like. You can leave them as they are
 too...But I prefer them edged it gives the cleaning
cloth some class!

Use woolly nylon on the lower lopper of
your overlock/serger. I'm using a
  3 thread overlock stitch

Curve the corners as you overlock the
squares

I use a close overlock stitch to finish the edges

but you can also use a wider spaced stitch.

I prefer the closer stitch...

All finished with curved edges ready to fold

 Put away and ready to use....

Learning to use the Hump Jumper

There is a teaching video I at  S N Designs Co for learning how to use your 'Hump Jumper'. You can also find more information on the Hump Jumper and other sewing products on Sandy's other  website. The Hump Jumper can also be purchased here too. SN Designs Co. ships internationally as well...