snapshots

and another top

cute line up of cut glass with spring violets

freshly washed and dried

ready to cut

I have been studying.  Really.  The house is a mess, exhibit A: bench, exhibit B: dining table

cute

again

Now, I really must get some study done.  See you back here in a wee bit.
x

little tops (pin real life!)

So on Saturday I made this little top.  Then on Sunday I made another.  And on Monday?  You guessed it.  And there is still plenty of time left today too...

It's inspired by and based on this pin (click through for the tutorial).  Have I mentioned I'm on pinterest?  I can't remember.  So that makes it my first 'pin real life'!  Yay!
Jess (who wrote the tutorial for this top) has an amazing blog, and a HUGE list of tutorials.  The ones for little girl clothes have totally sucked me in!  What to make next!?

Honestly, I'll probably make another top.  Haha.
The only stupid thing is that the pink top you see above is made from vintage fabric and it has such a strong smell of mothballs (smells gross like petrol!) that I don't think I will ever want my girl to wear it.  It's been washed multiple times and hung in the sun for the last two days but it still smells.  I think it, and the remaining fabric will sadly end up in the bin...

her spring/summer wardrobe

Is going to be huge.  I just can't help myself.  My mum took this dress off me while I was busy with study and put the zip in and hemmed it up.  Thanks Mum!

And though I do love dresses, they do restrict her a little when climbing and crawling around.  So I decided some light summer tunic kinda tops would come in handy too.  Still pretty, but practical for all activities.  I'm working on one now...

stuff on a wednesday

So I guess you can tell by the amount of blogging that I handed in an assignment last week, and have been studying a little less since!  It's nice to have a break.  However, another assignment looms...about 3 weeks till it's due.  In the meantime I've made room for a little sewing.  I finally put the buttons on these dresses...

If you like the covered buttons, you should try it yourself, it is sooo easy!  Most sewing shops should sell little kits with everything you need.  I still need to try these dresses on my girl and see if they fit.  I made them in a size 1, but the pattern is an 'easy fit' one and I think they're going to be okay, even though my daughter is a solid nearly two year old.  I may need to add a bit of length though, so I have some lace just in case...

I've also been working on a dress for myself, from some fabric I scored at the op shop...

Bodice halfway finished.  Still a good few hours till this one will be finished.   But I'm hoping it will be a summer staple. 

On another note I made this for dinner last night, and it was SO good.  It's pretty easy and nice and fresh tasting.  And I keep wanting to make custard squares again!!!  So far I am resisting  xxx

cat proof (hopefully) fence

It's not that a cat couldn't easily jump over this fence, but I'm hoping they just won't bother (there are plenty of other bits of dirt to dig in).  We don't have any cats but it seems to me like every one of our neighbours has at least 7*.

So far, this plot has broccoli, red kale, green kale, rainbow silver beet (chard) strawberries, rhubarb, carrots (seeds just in), chives, thyme, and oregano.  I have lettuce and red onion seeds in trays, ready to transplant in a few weeks.  I love food from my garden!

*this may be a slight exaggeration.

edit: yes there is a gate so I can get in!  it also makes a good toddler-stay-in fence when weeding/planting.  also, the black plastic surrounding the garden?  it's an attempt to keep weeds down in the parts of the plot we're not planting. 

milo

I don't think I will ever tire of knitting this wee vest.

get your own milo pattern here

so, this is how I make custard squares

Gee, it's all about pastry round these parts lately huh?!
Let's begin.  I use store bought pastry (I often make my own short pastry but have yet to try making flaky or puff pastry...)  I cut one sheet into 9 squares (or however many slices you want) and leave the other whole.  Prick all over with a fork, so they don't puff up too much.

 Bake your pastry at about 200c till puffed and golden...

9 squares (tops)

whole sheet (bottom)

Now make a thick custard.  I use the recipe from the Edmond's cookbook.  If you don't have one, I'm sure google can help you.

See how thick it is!

Spread the custard on the bottom sheet of pastry.

Now make a basic icing - and don't forget a generous splash of vanilla.  Use this to individually ice your top squares.

Arrange your tops onto the custard.

Now slice! (In between your top pieces)

The reason I do the tops separately is because I find if you leave the top sheet of pastry whole, when you cut it into slices all the custard gets smushed out the sides.  This way they are nice and neat (I like things neat you know.)  Arrange your lovely slices on a plate.

Pat yourself on the back!  Good work.
At this point a taste test is essential, in my opinion.

Happy Sunday x

saturday

~ needing : a haircut ~

~ reading : about professionalism and ethics in librarianship ~

~ eating : chocolate buttons from the pantry ~

~ listening : to the silence of an empty house ~

~ knitting : a milo with an xoxoxo cable ~

easy dinner idea

Make an easy curry.   Mine was kumara, peas, lentils, carrots, onions and a few spices.  It needs to be fairly thick, not runny.

Cut some store bought pastry into rectangles.  Put a blob of curry on one end.

Fold, seal and make some holes to let the steam out.  Bake according to pastry instructions, serve with rice and natural yoghurt.

ps.  The spinach pie from last post, well it doesn't have a recipe I just made it up!  It was bought pastry, and the filling was made from some spinach/silverbeet/swisschard (precook this and drain well), some red/spanish onion chopped finely, 3 eggs, a couple of big spoonfuls of sourcream, around 100g of feta cubed, 100g of cheese grated, a spoonful of pesto, salt, and pepper.  I hope that helps! x

snapshot

Spinach and feta pie for dinner

snapshot

the side of the fridge

still here

Yes I am still here.  Just finished my first full draft of my next assignment (due Thursday).  I didn't want to post until I had got that far at least.  Now I just have to cull 550 words to get within the word limit!  Oh dear.
I have been doing some things, other than studying.  Here's a selection...

sewing

baking (oops!) crunchy lemon muffins and...

Paisley Jade's bar biscuits

receiving special mail from Stella!

planting (and building a hopefully-cat-proof-fence, photos to come)

and visiting the fair, where unsurprisingly the animals were a hit!

 Oh and I am reading and enjoying all your blogs in my free moments.  Just not so much time to comment anymore!  Now, back to study...
x