About that resolution...

...the one I made at the start of the year?



On my latest project I discovered that when experienced tailors and seamsters bang on about taking triangles out of your seam allowance around curves to allow for a better curve to the over-all project they aren't kidding around. It really does make a difference! Who knew?

Pink & Yellow Prefold Nappies

I have just this very minute finished ironing some prefolds that I have made for friends who are expecting.



I've never used them, nor seen one in person, so after googling and examining a bunch of different tutorials I dove in.

I pulled out some of the flannel sitting around in my stash, which just happened to be pink and yellow (that being what was on sale). Found some REALLY cute cotton print that matched the colours. Pulled out some old towels donated to me by my MIL, and acquired a couple of microfiber car towels (that 'pull' the moisture away) for the padded panel.
Baby-To-Be has no determined gender, so hopefully I won't get too much guff about the pink if it ends up threatening to shrivel baby's penis by its abstract femininity or somesuch.



I have no idea if what I've ended up with are newborn or toddler size, I cannot draw a straight line to save my life, and that has sadly translated into sewing. So they're somewhat wonky (for that authentic "handmade!" look), very adorable and delicious, my first prefolds!
Now to find some instructions on how to fold them, to include a printout of for the Parents-To-Be.

Little Piggy tunic

I hate most little boys' clothes in shops.
I hate the restricted colour palettes. I hate the lack of cute prints. I hate the boring lack of imagination in the basic design and shape. I hate graffiti-esque designs. I hate attitude slogans that proclaim your child is violent, materialistic, misogynist, or aspiring to be any and all of these things.
So I'm working on making my son some of his own wardrobe. To mix things up a little.


It's a start.

Adventures in Cooking

As my friend Jenni says "I am NOT a Domestic Goddess".


In my case, people are even less likely to get confused than in hers, as I am also decidedly not a dab hand in the kitchen anyway. So after reading about all the additives in packet cake mixes it was with some nervousness that I resolved to try making cake from scratch from now on.
Australia Day presented the perfect opportunity to test out my caking abilities - with green and gold cakes! So I headed over to trusty Allrecipes and found this easy-peasy white cake mix recipe.


I'm happy to say the cake proved super easy to make, and just over an hour later I had two dozen tiny cupcakes, iced with peppermint butter icing. They were very well received, and went within about ten minutes.



I'm now wondering why on earth I've been using packets all these years - the recipe was just as easy, only required a little more measuring, not really any more time, and tastes so much better! I think I'm sold on the cake-making from scratch from now on, and am going to try tweaking the recipe a bit to make extra moist cake (extra plain yoghurt or sour cream?) or chocolate (choc bits or cocoa powder).