embroidered boat by 4 hands

My sister asked me to help in the making of this beautiful sailboat:

 The pattern is from Bustle and Sew

(she is also a fan!).

from Bustle and Sew.

She is quite talented at hand embroidery,

but doesn't have access to a sewing machine.

So I did all the machine stitching and embroidery,

like the sails, the ropes and the masts.

It was fun to find so many scrap pieces of fabric for the sails and the flags!

After I was done with my part, I sent it to her

to complete all the hand stitching and embroidery,

and here it is all completed:

Since we grew up not far from the sea,

we both have an affinity for sailboats.

Happy sewing!

a Guinness cake, perfect for St Patrick Day!

This weekend, we will celebrate St Patrick's day. While I do not decorate for this Holiday, I like to make something special for the occasion, like this big Guinness cake, perfect to share with friends!

I follow this cake recipe from King Arthur flour,

I just substituted  1 1/4 cup of Guinness for the liquid.

It adds a good flavor but no (or very little) alcohol as it is baked.

So it becomes the perfect cake for friends and family,

and since it is so big and rich, there is some for everybody!

The icing inside the cake is inspired by this recipe by the muse,

(but with a higher ratio sugar to butter)

that one has alcohol, but it is not necessary,

 it can be made from this caramel sauce from cup of Jo without any.

But I did put some in it, 

probably 1 tbsp, so still very little for a whole cake.

Finally I made some traditional chocolate icing for the top of the cake

following the Hershey's cocoa box recipe,

using heavy cream instead of milk.

I did not cover the side of the cake as I like the look

of dark chocolate and light icing from the inside,

it reminded me of a glass of Guiness!

Happy St Paddy's day!

a trip to Lucketts or how to wish for spring!

This weekend, after a long cold week

and more snow on Friday,

 I was ready to pretend spring was coming!

And I figured the best to feel that way was to go to Lucketts

and visit the design house decorated for spring:

and it was exactly what I needed!

One of my favorite rooms was this office with all the wood tone and the furn, 

just perfect!

The living room was inviting with a few bunnies

and some framed eggs.....

The table was set up for a relaxed lunch,

and of course. there were so cool horses....

this one was quite exceptional!

The sunroom was dressed up as a flower market

it was hard to resist it all.....

So....

I had to bring a new little friend home:

there is always space for one more bunny!
Happy day!

a vintage cross stitched needle book

When I saw this cross stitch pattern from les brodeuses parisiennes,

I knew I wanted to stitch it and I knew what I was going to make with it:

a sweet little needle book!

Previously I made a needle book with liberty of London and a blue needle book:

I used some brushstroke fabric for the spin and some vintage dress print for the back.
It is more or less inspired by my needle book with the cupcake.

For the inside, I used a patron print, that goes how so well with the cross stitch,

and some felt to insert the needles.

Happy sewing!

a far breton for Mardi Gras

Next Tuesday will be Mardi gras or Fat Tuesday. For me, it is always a fun holiday. As a kid in France, it meant dressing up and eating a lot of cakes (kind of like Halloween here)  
And now, it is an excuse to make some cake or drink some hurricanes! This year, I made a traditional cake from Brittany: Far Breton quite easy, something you would eat at home. (even if you can buy at the bakery!) This is not a fancy cake, but it is delicious.

recipe:

4 eggs

5.3 oz of sugar

4.3 oz of flour

1.5 tsp of baking powder

1 2/3 cups of milk

pitted prunes

some butter to grease the pan

First heat up the oven to 375, it is so fast to make,

you will be done before the oven is hot!

Grease the pan with some putter,

and put down some prunes

I love prunes so there are quite a few,

try to distribute them evenly.

Warm up the milk (not boiling, just hot),

in the meantime whisk the eggs with the sugar, 

then with the flour and baking powder.

Add the hot milk slowly and whisk constantly.

I like to put the mixture through a mesh strainer

to remove any egg particulate that might have formed.

Pour gently over the prunes to avoid moving them too much.

Bake for 40-45 minutes.

It will rise in the oven,

and collapse when it cools down,

totally normal,

this is not a souffle!

It tastes best cool or even cold,

so the waiting part is the hardest!

Over the years for Mardi gras, I also choose to make:

rum cakes

gratin dauphinois

galettes

and cheese pancakes.

Happy Day!