Wordless Wednesday - No time for tea!

Minecraft - Steve - Tablet/I-pad case

I made this Minecraft tablet case for my son's birthday.

He unwrapped it and said:

"Ah it's Steve",

So apparently this is Steve from Minecraft.

One is never too old to learn!!

This time, I did all of it on my machine,

no last minute hand stitching any seams

and I rounded the corners of the flap to give it a better shape.

I also baked a cake.

Can you spot the number '9'?

I would like to be all caked out,

but my husband and daughter's birthday's are up next!

Miss Kalico is hoping for a purple princess party

(as one does when one is 3 going on 4!)

Daim Bar Cake

A friend at work loves Daim Bar's

and as it was her birthday,

I made her a Daim bar cake.

Basically it's a simple vanilla sponge

with some crushed Daim Bar pieces in the batter.

Then I iced the cake with 'Caramel Frosting'

(the recipe was found here: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/7506/caramel-frosting-i/

I doubled the quantities of the frosting recipe

so that I could put the frosting inside and on top.

Then I topped the cake with crushed Daim bar pieces

and mini Daim bars.

I believe it tasted ok ;o)

*****

I also embroidered a sheep 

in Bullion stitch on a heart as a little gift.

*****

Now I'm making another Minecraft patchwork block

as my other son has his birthday tomorrow....

I didn't measure this one 

so it's a bit of trial and error as to what it will end up as...

A tablet case WAS the plan, but we will see!

Wordless Wednesday - Minecraft Creeper Tablet Case (for someone special's 11th birthday!)

Wordless Wednesday: My Neighbour's Lavender

Why yes I did!

I did get a bit obsessed with Bullion stitch...

And made more and more 

including some with roses and rosebuds!

And I did make Miss-Kalico a princess dress....

BUT I didn't make a purple one!

So a purple shirt underneath had to do.

And Minnie mouse slippers completed the look ;o)

Bullions and Bamburgh (part1)

My first bullion stitch bee!

I decided to decorate some stuffed hearts

with embroidered roses

I tried a few different techniques

and then I remembered that I had a book on Bullion stitch,

so I tried some bullion stitch roses.... these were my first ones....

And then I changed needles, thread strand quantity etc. 

until I found a way to get them to work for me.

These were before I added the green leaves.

*****

And now on to some of our holiday snaps

We rented our friend's gorgeous holiday home 

in Bamburgh, Northumberland.

This entailed lovely day trips

with lots of walking.

Rockpooling and walking

on this day...

to Dunstanburgh Castle.

Of course I had forgotten our National Trust passes in the car

which was seriously too far to walk back for! so we

didn't explore the ruins, but just had a quick look around.

The walk back takes you to the little harbour village of Craster

where smoked kippers are a local speciality.

The smoked kipper restaurant was closed, but the pub opposite,

The Jolly Fisherman was still serving lunch and what a lunch!

Highly recommended!!!

We sampled the fish cakes and some of us shared the Fish Board

all very yummy.

***

Another day trip took us to Alnwick Castle

where some of Downton Abbey was filmed.

Besides a nosey around the castle including a display of 

some of the Downton costumes etc (no photos allowed!!)

There was loads for the children to do.

One little person found the dressing up worthy of another trip!

Pure ecstasy!

So I have come home 

with grand plans to make Miss-Kalico a 

Princess outfit.

Plans! No action as yet!

Did I say there was loads for the kids to do?

Well there was including Harry potter Broomstick training

and Master (Middle) Kalico

also enjoyed the dressing up

and games and activities...

A great day out (and holiday week) was had by all!

Wordless Wednesday: Making Kids Clothes or as I like to call it: Stashbusting!

Tractor Quilts

So we were on the patio

and we saw this small tractor mowing the grass

in the field out front

and it reminded me that I really should have photographed

(and gifted) the 2 tractor quilts that I have had completed for a while now...

Of course photographing them

with the tractor in the background

was another story!

so I tried another few options...

In the end
on the grass, seemed the only way to see them properly...

I had some 'help' as always...

One 'helper' even climbed on the wall

to help secure a quilt.

I caught him in action as he jumped off....

I love the blue cloud-filled sky....

Some close ups....

The whole design idea of the row quilt

was the blue sky,

the fields,

the tractors,

the sheep...

More close-ups...

And while I photographed.

Some gardened...

and some played....

and some bloomed...

(at last!)