my favorite kid jacket

While it might seems like spring will never come, I am starting to sew for warmer weather, who knows, may be it will help?  At least I feel less cold.

Since even small children get bigger, my daughter had to give up her favorite jacket, the beloved Horsy jacket that I made for her a few years ago.

At the end of summer I made another version of it (unquilted) and while it took me a long time to make it, she never really warmed up to it, it was OK but not like the Horsy one.

So I have decided to give it another try.

It will be from the same pattern : Robin's little jackets by the children's corner (very easy, only 3 different pieces: front, back, sleeve), and like the first one, it will be quilted.  I will not do hand embroidery like I did for the summer one, I spent too much time on it!  I will use my embroidery machine (4x4 window).

I have downloaded these cut animal faces from "SWAK embroidery. com", it is the "kawaii cutie applique set".  I will use denim and line it with some Asian inspired quilting fabric, perfect for these big eyes.

I will keep you updated on the progress and of course Miss C.'s verdict!

PS: the Horsy jacket was not lost for everybody, it keeps on warming up another little girl who loves horses, and whose grandma promised Miss C. a ride on her horse.....now if the snow could only melt...!

Happy sewing!

what's for dinner?

After another snowy day, it is time to enjoy some delicious feta triangles, at least that is how we call them at our house.  As peaky eaters as we are, except for mon cheri and the dogs, we all like them.

So here our recipe for our beloved triangles:

feta cheese (about 1 lb, we get the costco size!)

3 whole eggs plus 1 yoke
salt
pepper
nutmeg
parsley
mint (1-2 tbsp)
filo dough
melted butter for the dough

Basically mix everything together (except for the dough).
Then take 2 sheet of dough, fold them in half to have a long thin rectangle, drop a spoon full of the mix, and fold into a triangle, folding it over itself until you run out of the rectangle, it should cover all the edges (no mixture running out).
Keep making your triangles until you run out of dough or feta mixture.  Put all your triangle on cookies sheet, and brush them with the melted butter.
Bake in a oven at 400 F for about 20 min or until golden.
Enjoy right away (well wait a few minutes to cool down!) or enjoy cold .
They keep for a few days in the fridge, when reheated they lose their crunchiness, but it is still good.
We like best just fresh out of the oven, perfect on a very cold night.
It should be pointed out that you could add spinach (from frozen chopped spinach, better if cooked before adding), and/or garlic ( I am allergic so not in mine!)

Have a nice dinner!

another big snow day!

My arms are so sore from shoveling, two snow storm in less than a week!  And it just started snowing again! I know we do not have it as bad as on the east coast, nevertheless I have a stiff lower back tonight!

It could also be from playing in the snow with the kids and the dogs, such good quality snow should not go to waste!  The opportunities to make snowmen are just too good to pass....

Of course nothing beat going inside after playing and quilting the afternoon away!  And yes I finished my mom's table runner.  I think it turned out quite cute. 

 It is about 32 by 17 inches.  It has 15 tea cups, all in a different Liberty of London fabric.

I used some spring batik for the back. 

I did cut some corners by skipping the binding, and by using fusible web to attach the handles instead of turn under applique. 

There is a machine applique stitch around each handle, so it is not going anywhere!  The tea cuts are basically a rectangle with 2 squares stitched on the diagonal, same thing for the saucer.  So it went well, the saucers do not always meet properly, some got a little "eaten", but it is supposed to be fun, and I am not into perfection, well I like perfection but not the seam ripper!

Let me know what you think of this little project.

Soon I will show you one I have been working on for a long time and it is time to finish it!

Happy sewing 

Breakfast play time

I have been having a great time making felt play food..... may be too much!

As you can see, I am now working on breakfast, the American way! Pancakes with syrup and butter, egg and bacon!

 The joy and pride of a great week end breakfast!

I have been also visiting the snack aisle, the cheese crackers look pretty good to me!

I make them using 1 inch square pieces of felt for top and bottom, and 3/4 inch cotton batting for the inside, hand stitching them, adding the "hole" in the middle.

My daughter really enjoys playing with them! And she decided to make some for herself! She made a carrot and a heart cookie.  She came up with the pattern, she did the cutting, the sewing and the stuffing, almost all by herself!  Felt might be the best way to teach sewing to little kids. She used a blunt needle and some embroidery floss.  I am a proud maman!

I have been busy making some more to sell, coming up with some packaging ideas.

Let me know what you think, I could use some advises, of course if you are interested in purchasing some, leave me you email address in the comment and I will email you back with details.

Happy sewing!

creative place

Today, I would like to share with you my sewing room, my little creative paradise!

Having recently embrace suburbia, I live in a house with formal dining and seating rooms, which doesn't go with our low key live style!  So I have repurposed these rooms into my sewing room and my daughter's play room....  We can enjoy each other during the day and I get to sew without leaving a total mess in the rest of the house (huge improvement over the previous arrangement!)

 

My table is an old computer desk and I use the keyboard tray to hold my sewing machine.  The Target shelves are perfect for in progress projects and various accesories.

 

 

On the other side, there is an armoire full of fabric, and more shelves for various books and magazine, all related to sewing or quilting. They also hold my mini embroidery machine and my serger (the best machine for costumes and PJ, the seams are so comfortable!)

And of course a place for watching a little TV! I enjoy rewatching movies when I sew, well more exactly I like listening!

I must admit it never really  looks that clean! I like to start projects and not always finished them! So it is always a little messy...   I am going to make some right now!
Happy sewing

Time to work on some quilts!

In a couple weeks, it is my mom's birthday, so it is really time to work some finger magic and make something special! I was reading some of my older quilt books, and I found a great pattern : cups and saucers from "Say it with quilts" by D. McClun and L. Nownes. What makes this pattern original and appropriate for my mom is the use of Liberty of London fabrics. My mom and I have a weakness for their beautiful flower pattern and color choices. And did I mention my mom's tea pot collection? So it seems just perfect. Since I have less than 2 weeks and it needs to be shipped to Europe, I will be making a table runner instead of a full size quilt! Now the hardest part: narrow my selection and dare to diminish my collection..... It might just give me an excuse to look for some more! Talk about addiction, I mean Need!

Happy sewing!

fete des crepes

Tuesday was la chandeleur, the official day to make crepes....

Since our counter tops have been installed today, we will be celebrating both events

with crepes, also known as the winter sun!

As a pure Bretonne, here is my family recipe, changed just slightly

 to accommodate the different type of flour that exists in the USA

6 eggs

1/2 cup of sugar

1 teaspoon of vanilla

2 1/4 cups of flour (I like the unbleached kind!)

2 3/4 cups of milk (3 if not using rum)

1/4 cup of rum (optional!)

first mix eggs, sugar and vanilla

add the flour and mix

add milk slowly and mix well, also add the rum

to make beautiful crepes, you need perfectly smooth batter, the opposite of pancakes, so there are a few lumps, strain it, very helpful if children are involved!.

then you need a nice flat bottom frying pan, I am so particular about mine, that nothing but crepes (and pancakes) can be cooked on it! It is quite large, about 12 inches, so I usually only get 12 crepes.

and to cook them perfectly it is best to use butter! A little goes on a long way and it makes it tastier. As you make them, sprinkle some sugar on it, it will dissolve with the heat and the moisture of the next crepe, making it just so delicious.

Hope you enjoy yours as much as we do.

Happy crepe day!

first blog

With the dogs snoring away at my feet, I start this new adventure.... I am not much of a writer so I feel the pressure. I like to make things, not so much talk about them, so probably more pictures than words!

I have been working on making valentine's day cookies for my daughter's dolls and furry friends. I have over done it (no one needs 5 dozens!) and now I am looking into selling some of these cookies. I have always given away my work, with great pleasure but as I am no longer employed, I find it harder to supply my creative need. Need might be a strong word, but there are so many beautiful fabrics, and Yes I do "need" this beautiful batik, I do not have this purple shade of blue! So may be we can call it addiction, but that might imply it is wrong.... which as a total addict, I will deny!