Insulated bottle carrier

This project took me a few attempts and I almost ended up giving up on a few occasions! What I thought would be a quick evening project turned into many evenings! This was probably because of my limited sewing knowledge but in the end I was rather pleased with this and plan to make one for myself for our next summer holiday!

It is an insulated bottle holder. I later added a strap and used a bottle that has a bit inside you can remove and freeze to help keep the drink cold too. It was for my lovely mother in law who currently lives in Singapore.

 This material had sparkly gold on the flowers too.

I was following instructions from this website up until step 8 as I didn’t add a bungee elastic at the top like she does and added the straps later.

This was because I encountered a problem when it came to sewing the two tubes together as it didn’t fit on the end of my sewing machine so I did it by hand instead. To attatch the straps I used one strip of nylon webbing and stitched it on the outside of the bag only going through the top layer so the stitches weren’t visible on the inside.

These would be great for kids when out and about so they can carry their own water too!

Tie

Thinking of things to make for the women and kids was easier than it was for the guys! I ended up making two ties. I thought they would be easy to make, and once I got my head around which way to cut the material they were! I had fun making them and learnt some new sewing skills along the way.

I followed a brilliant pattern which I printed from this website. It’s a few pages long and you cut and join the pieces together before you cut your material so you end up sewing three long pieces together. I stormed ahead excitedly to realise I hadn’t read the instructions properly and wasted some fabric and time here!

Moon cake

This year I was able to spend Christmas in Singapore. It’s a hot 30 degrees most days and nights. 
A favourite sweet treat of mine here is something called Moon Cake. It’s a sweet dense filling traditionally made from lotus bean or red bean paste wrapped in a thin layer of pastry. Sometimes they have one or more whole salted egg yolks in the middle as a symbol of the full moon. During the festival people give  them to family and friends for good luck. The hungry ghost, or moon cake festival is on the 15th day of the 7th month in the Chinese calendar  which falls in July or August. 

  On the right is me, Emily Tan and on the left is also Emily Tan! She is my grandma-in-law and is a remarkable woman! We spent a lovely afternoon together whilst she taught me how to make these. 

  
You will need a moon cake mould, the one in the picture is a traditional wooden mould but you can get plastic ones. 

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. 

To make the pastry:

• 185 grams golden syrup
• 50g peanut oil
• 1 tsp alkaline water 
• 233g plain flour 

•Note – It needs at least 5 hours to rest. 

Filling:

•  1 kgpacket of lotus bean or red bean paste. 
• Toasted melon seeds (optional) 

Method:

1. Mix golden syrup, peanut oil and alkaline water together
2. Slowly add this to the flour  
3. When completely mixed cover with a clean tea towel and leave for at least 5 hours

    4.  Cut the dough into 8 40-50g                pieces (smaller/ larger mounds may need more or less dough) 
 

     5.  Cut the lotus bean or red bean paste into 8 pieces of 120g and roll into balls – mix in toasted melon seeds of you wish. 

     6.  Roll the dough into a ball and then flatten out into a circle, like a pizza base! 

     7. Place the paste into the middle of the dough and gently wrap around the paste making sure it’s all covered evenly. This took a bit of practice on my side! 

   

        8. Place the dough ball and put inside the mould, press down firmly with your palms to get a clear indentation. 

      9. Next you have to knock the cake out of the mould! We placed a stack of newspapers down to protect the floor as you do have to hit quite firmly. This again took practice.   

Ta da!   

     10. Place on a baking tray on parchment paper and bake on the top shelf for 5mins or until light brown. 

      11. Remove from the oven and brush with egg yolk, return to the oven for another 5-8 minutes until golden brown.    
 

Wait until they are completely cooled then cut into 4 quarters and eat with a cup of tea. Store them in the fridge to keep them fresh.

You can probably buy the paste from a Chinese supermarket or have it ordered in. 

This is one cooking lesson I will always treasure and look forward to passing it on to my children. Thank you Emily x 

Crayon and paper wallet

A handy crayon holder to keep in your bag when out with children with another pocket for paper.

I followed a pattern for this one and swapped the crayon and paper pockets over as the fabric pattern I wanted was on the other side. But forgot to swap the tab, so it opens from the left! Oops. Live and learn!!

I made this for my nephew and the material is thick and durable. I added wind down crayons so the fabric wouldn’t get marked over time.

I sewed my material with a larger seam inside as the fabric was quite bulky and then my A5 paper didn’t fit properly! So make sure you check your measurements carefully.

I followed this pattern (with my adjustments) as it’s got really clear directions and photographs. I used Velcro to close the wallet instead of a popper.

A satisfying project that can be made from left over material and it doesn’t take too long to do once everything is cut out.

Mug bag

This was one of my more challenging  projects but really good fun. I think I’m going to make myself one too!

There is also a little pocket for a tea bag 😀

I didn’t come up with this pattern, but I did use a popper instead of a button to close the mug bag.

To make your own you can follow the pattern here. A brilliant tutorial. I’m only a beginner so I needed to read it a few times and have a practice, but overall a fairly easy pattern to follow. The possibilities of fabric combinations are endless. I used three different ones.

Cushion cover

This is a simple cover to make and is great to personalise with a hand stitched design.

This was one I made for a Christmas present. I was looking for material with a bike on it and couldn’t find it so decided to do my own!

To make the cover you will need to first measure your cushion in inches.  Then add 1 inch to the width (for a seam allowance) and for length multiply by 2 and add 6 inches. (For an inch turn over and 4 inch overlap)

So if your cushion was 17inches –

• Width = (17+1) 18 inches
• Length = (17×2+6) 40 inches
• Material will be a rectangle 18×40″

1. Fold over each of the two short edges by .5″ and iron then another .5″ and iron
2. Sew along the edge to make a neat hem
3. Lay the fabric pattern side UP and place your cushion in the middle.
4. Fold up the material from the bottom first, then down from the top over the cushion
5. Line the two sides up and pin, making sure the opening is straight on both sides (with the pillow inside)
6. Carefully remove the cushion from the envelope opening
7. Sew up the two edges
8. Turn right side out and iron

I used a cross stitch hoop to keep the material tight and an air erasable pen to draw the image of a bike onto the material and hand stitched using a simple back stitch. I drew it in stages as it took me a while and the pen ink was dissapearing!

Once finished iron the hoop mark out and fill with your cushion.

Cute bunny!

Here is one Christmas present I’ve made that I can share as my 6 month old won’t see it!

I was pretty pleased with myself to be honest with this one. I had to hand stitch it as my machine kept eating the material but it didn’t actually take that long. I used some scraps from a soft blanket I had previously recycled for cushion covers to make the little bunny and used a pattern I found on Pinterest.
A cute little stocking filler if you have a chance. You could always change the ears to make a cat or dog too!

Find the pattern and brilliant tutorial Here.

I used some handy videos on you tube to see how to do the face stitches and just stuffed it with squidgy stuffing (polyfil I think).

I have a feeling I will be making more of these at some point too! 😊

Puffy cheesy biscuits.

It’s been a while since I blogged. A combination of trying to hand make all my Christmas presents and two little ones to entertain! It’s been fun but I will start much sooner next year. Possibly March! 

You’ll have to wait until Christmas to see all my makes so surprises aren’t spoilt. 

Today My two year old and I made these super easy puffy cheesy biscuits! 

  

If you have any spare time this weekend do make some as they are so easy and taste amazing. They are calling me from the kitchen as I type! 

Notes: I only had 4oz of cheese and they still tasted great! If it’s too sticky just add a bit more flour as you go. 

Ingredients: 

• 1 cup of flour (about 120grams) 
• 4 tablespoons of butter 
• 4-6 tablespoons cold water 
• 8oz of grated cheese (cheddar -but any works)

How to make: 

Set your oven to gas mark 6 and don’t forget  grease your trays. 

1. Grate your cheese – my mini chef helped me with this which is probably why I had less! 
2. Mix it in with the butter 
3. Add the flour in small amounts until blended well
4. Add water a tablespoon at a time until you end up with a dough to roll out 
5. Roll out and get cutting!
6. Place on greased tray and bake for about 10mins. They should puff up a little bit.
7. My favourite step to any recipe – eat! 

These are great for lunch boxes or snacks on the go. 

For a slightly more ‘grown up’ version you could make them with chunks of Brie and small pieces of bacon and have a cranberry dip. Or Pancetta and parmesan. Perhaps add some herbs or mustard. Possibly cut them into straws or twists instead of people shapes! 😊

Childs reversible bag

This was one of my first items I properly sewed with my sewing machine. It was a present for a friends daughter. Very simple to use and the perfect size for little children to carry necessities- a plastic chicken on one occasion I was told!

I used two fat quarters for this and iron on interfacing to give to the bag a bit more durability and strength.

I followed someone else’s instructions and pattern. Find it here. I drew out my own template from hers. It’s such an easy to follow project and perfect for a beginner.

They are also cheap to make as they don’t use much material. I have already made another for my niece.

If you already know what to do with a sewing machine you could enlarge the pattern and use it as a base for an adults bag too.

These would make lovely party bags or favours for younger bridesmaids.

Croissant bread and butter pudding with peaches.

  
Not wanting to waste croissants from a breakfast with friends I decided to make a bread and butter pudding. I used cinnamon and nutmeg which gave off a lovely Christmas smell and topped with peaches for a fresh sweetness. 

Ingredients

• Croissants x6 
• 3 eggs 
• 1 cup milk (260ml ish)
• Teaspoon of vanilla 
• Teaspoon cinnamon 
• Half teaspoon nutmeg 
• Tablespoon brown sugar 
• 1 tin of peaches (drained) 

Get cooking! 

1. Grease a dish and put in ripped smaller pieces of croissant 
2. Mix together milk, eggs, vanilla, nutmeg and cinnamon 
3. Pour over croissants – push them in the mixture so they are all soggy. Add more milk if needed. 
4. Pour over peaches and sprinkle with brown sugar 

 

You can leave it in the fridge overnight and cook in the morning for a very indulgent breakfast or put it in the oven gas mark 6/ 180 for 30-40 minutes. I made it when my children napped in the afternoon ready to cook once they went to bed! 

Delicious with cream or ice cream – even for breakfast!  😉