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Make It Perfect

Make It Perfect

.sharing a new pattern.

Have you noticed the scarcity of my blogging lately? I have been itching to get on here, even just to read my favourite blogs, but am restricting myself as I have deadlines looming and work to be done…

Jaron calls me the Printing Press. The last few weeks have brought a reuniting with my printer, we now get on very well and have been spitting out paper galore. I have had the monotonous task of sticking, folding, stacking, stuffing, counting over and over and over again. I find it easier if I sit down and do a few hours worth at a time and made the most of listening to General Conference sessions online tonight while I worked! Things are looking up, we have most of the display stuff ready for our both at Quilt Market and just a few finishing touches to get done now…will share some of our handy work with you as soon as I get the camera out and take some photos.

So, I feel like sharing one of my new patterns with you…want to see it?? The four new releases won’t be avaliable for sale until Quilt Market in November, but I can’t hold out that long to show them to you! The new patterns are all about Summer – fresh, bright, ready for some fun in the sun! Sorry to the American’s out there heading into winter…you can always adapt them to cooler weather – layering, cardis, etc…or just start early and get a head start on Summer 2009!!

Summer Fling
Summer fling is a Fresh, flirty top ready to take you through the warmer months. Featuring a soft, gathered neckline and relaxed-fit, Summer Fling will keep you comfortable all day long. Dress it up by tying the sash under your bust for a more fitted look, or use the sash to tie in your hair or as a belt. Summer Fling looks great with a soft, flowing skirt or a pair of jeans and is sure to be a vital part of your wardrobe this summer!

There you have it! I was really stressed about designing a women’s top, but have used some little tricks in this pattern that should make it suitable for most body types and personal styles. Without the sash around the bust, the top isn’t as fitted, depending on how you like your clothes to fit, and the elasticated neckline means that it is super easy to adjust higher or lower to your liking.

I don’t know why I decided to share this pattern with you first, because I haven’t even finished writing it up yet! But it will be ready by November! Actually, before I forget…I am looking for another person to test this pattern for me – email me or leave a comment if you are interested and I can give you more details. The only requirement is that you have it completed by 1st November to give me time to make any adjustments before I go ahead and print.

We are going to Sydney for a family holiday in a week and a half and I am sooo looking forward to it. I am pushing myself to have everything for Market ready before we go so that there aren’t any last minute things left to stress me out when we get back. I am itching to get into some skirt sewing for Lil and I before I go away too so that we have some cooler clothes to wear in the heat…I bought the Amy Butler Barcelona Skirt pattern a few weeks ago and really want to put it to good use next week. Will see how I go getting everything else done first!

I’ll leave you with some more dorkier pics of me wearing Summer Fling. Chelsea did a fantastic job once again with all of my cover pics…she is a superstar and makes my life a lot easier!

October 11, 2008
Make It Perfect

.Recipe Monday.

After never having much success with scone cooking I am happy to say that this recipe has never failed me. Quick to make too and no yucky rubbing in the butter with your finger tips…don’t be put off by the cream used in the recipe – there is no butter and the fat content is about the same anyway. Just face the fact that a scone isn’t supposed to be good for you!

The Ultimate Scone
3 cups self-raising flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 Tbs icing sugar
200mls thickened cream
125mls cold water
plain flour for dusting
jam and double cream for serving

Sift flour, baking powder and icing sugar into a large bowl. Add cream and water. Cut and fold the mixture with a spatula until it forms a ball.

Tip mixture onto a lightly floured bench. Knead lightly until mixture is just smooth and slightly springy. Do not overwork the mixture.

Press out to approximately 2cm thick. Cut into rounds using a scone cutter or dusted edge of a large glass.

Place scones close together on a baking paper lined tray. Bake in a 200 degree celsius ovenfor 15 minutes or until golden and cooked through.

Whilst warm, split and serve with double cream, fresh berries and/or your favourite jam.

October 5, 2008
Make It Perfect

.white stuff.

I finally had a go at making my own washing powder. I bought the ingredients for it a few months ago and they sat in my laundry, patiently waiting. I don’t like having more than one bottle/box of something opened at a time, so I made myself wait until I had finished my bought box of powder first.

I was super easy. I have seen a few variations of making your own washing powder around, but I opted for the trusty food processor method. Everything in, quick whiz and it was done. I didn’t grate the soap though as I already had a box of partly used lux soap flakes so I put those in instead.

I haven’t done the maths, but everyone swears that it is way cheaper than buying your own. Guess it depends what brand you usually buy. Takes a bit of getting used to only putting 1 tablespoon of powder into the big machine, but it seems to wash just as well as anything I have ever used. The only down side is that it doesn’t really have a smell…maybe just a bit of a soapy smell. You can put essential oils into the machine if you want to, but the no smell factor doesn’t really bother me.

Washing powder
2c grated pure soap
1c washing soda
1c borax
500g bicarb

grate soap – everything in food processor, whiz till fine
use 1tbs per load
(and yes…because of the copious amounts of Tupperware that I own thanks to the old demonstrator days, I store my washing powder in a veg-out…designed for potatoes and onions! It works really well actually!)
P.S. In the events of moving I just realised that I forgot to draw a winner from my last competition (okay….bribe!). Thanks so much for all of the emails and messages I received, they were all very helpful!

ANDREA KING you are the lucky winner! So if you send me an email with your postal address I will send your pattern off as soon as I have finished writing them up 🙂

September 30, 2008