This weekend

 

Sewing

I read a blog post on Tilly and the Buttons, reporting back on some kind of online sewing-geek discussion where someone had introduced the concept of setting aside (or finding) just fifteen minutes each day for sewing. Finding time to sew is defo proving to be a problem, so this idea was exceptionally timely and appealing. This weekend I finally FOUND that fifteen minutes, and made myself one of my tunic tops out of some remnant fabric that I picked up at Arthur Toye's for $5.

Bit difficult to tell here but the stripe is navy blue and white. I ran out of fabric for the back, which necessitated as substitution and meant I did something even better - making the back panel from a leftover piece of fine white silk/cotton. The top took longer than fifteen minutes to make but because I'd let myself have that little amount of time, I actually managed to sew, for the first time in weeks! I also have plans for some new skirts. I'll make fifteen minutes to start those some time this week.

Baking

Christmas mince pies! The mincemeat is leftover from last year (!) but given that it is entirely preserved in oodles of booze and has been living in various fridges throughout its lifetime, I'm taking the risk and rolling with it. I had Ange and her daughter Bluebell over for afternoon tea and plied them with the pies; I think that Bluebell maybe ate three altogether? Which isn't bad for someone with a single tooth. Every mince pie convert is a-ok as far as I'm concerned.

I also made some chocolate butter cookies from the Smitten Kitchen cookbook. Great book incidentally - and extra good because I actually tend to have most of the ingredients. Not in love with the cookies themselves so much, but Shannon was a fan - I figure probably because they're simple and straightforward. Like him.

Looking at the pics on the blog, I think half the issue is that I didn't roll out my dough thick enough. Will try again next time.

My sewing room/office/library

This didn't happen this weekend but I'm still kind of settling in the new space- which makes it new and exciting ALL THE TIME. Gloriously, I have a room that's completely set aside for MEEEEE and my projects, and (because we have no cupboards of any kind) all the linen. I'm going to make it amazing before I share pictures though (I tried to take a photo before but OMG embarrassment, that will not pass any Pintrest tests).