Machine stitched Christmas card

Some fabric left over from the advent calendar, glued onto card then embellished with machine sewing.

Handwritten message and mounted onto a square card.

I love upcycling!

Making stuff for free is one of my favourite things!

Add my new found passion for patchwork and the upcycling possibilities are endless...

The idea for these trousers came from these patchwork shorts.

I cut out loads of 10cm squares from old t-shirts - ones with stains, holes etc. I just used the good parts!!

Then I used the overlocking stitch on my sewing machine to make 2 pieces of fabric. I drew around a pair of pyjama bottoms to get the pattern.

Why did nobody tell me making trousers was so easy? 

Just 2 pieces, 3 seams and a channel for some elastic :)

Poppy loves them; I only asked her to try them on and she won't take them back off!

(And I like them; they remind me of a pair I had when I was a student.)

Another bed cushion...

... my husband is complaining there's no room for him on the bed!

This is my first proper attempt at patchwork. I'd like to say it was done by hand, but the reality is that I am far too idle to spend a zillion hours handsewing teeny stitches.

I read my sewing machine manual, and lo and behold! A patchwork setting :)

It's still pretty labour intensive though - alot of cutting, ironing, pinning not to mention sewing.

I like that it is made from leftovers though, very frugal! I would love to make a bedspread, but I'm not good at big projects which require ongoing commitment. 

(And my husband might demand separate bedrooms if the marital bed gets any more flowery!!)

Bread pudding

 

I always bake my own bread, and hate to waste it! I've been making old fashioned bread pudding of late, and it is scrummy! It is especially nice warm with custard.

The recipe I use is mostly Delia's, but as I'm not good at weighing things properly or having things like fresh nutmeg lying about this cake is never quite the same every time.

Break up about 8oz dry bread, crusts removed.

Soak in about half a pint of milk for about 20 minutes.

Add 3oz sugar, 2 tsp mixed spice, 2oz melted butter, 1 beaten egg and mix with a fork until quite smooth.

Stir in some dried fruit (Delia says 6oz - I say as much as you like!)

Pour mixture into greased and lined loaf tin, sprinkle dried nutmeg on top.

Bake at 180 degrees C for about 75 minutes, until firm with a little bit of squidginess in the middle.

When cool sprinkle with a little sugar and eat with a nice cup of tea.