A little note

When I wasn't able to make it to a friend's wedding I decided I wanted to make a card for the couple.  I had been really pleased with my previous attempt at making my own stencils and this seemed a good opportunity to have another go.

I knew that I wanted to keep the overall design of the card simple.  The idea was to create a personal card rather than anything particularly flashy.  The image actually started as a quick doodle of two hearts on a post-it note!  Making my own stencil meant I could personalise the design, which I did by adding the couple's initials.

I made the stencil from paper rather than card (unlike my previous attempts).  On the plus side, this meant that the image was easier to cut out, which was helpful given that it was a bit fiddly.  On the down side, it didn't produce the sharpest image and there are a few little smudges where the paint seeped through in places it should not have.

Perfect it is not, but it is personal.  It was the personal touch that was important to me when I planned this card; that objective having been meant, I really don't think I can complain!

Seeing hexagons

I did say cushions would be a recurring theme on this blog!

This one was made with some gorgeous vintage fabrics given to me as a Christmas present.  Hexagons are  time-consuming, but I think the hours spent on this cushion were worth it.

I have to admit I did cut corners in the process.  You are supposed to cut out paper hexagons (I cut mine from old newspaper, but you can buy paper hexagons to save time if you want) and then tack the fabric patches around these paper templates so that each fabric patch holds its hexagon shape while you sew them together.  However, I found that ironing the fabric patches around the paper templates was sufficient to get them to hold their shape while I then sewed the edges together.  I took a fairly haphazard approach to this cushion, rather than organizing the hexagons in any pattern, which I think this was the right approach for this cushion.


This was also the first time I have put a zip into a cushion cover.  I did feel rather ambitious when it came to reaching for the zipper foot on my sewing machine, but it actually went ok.  The fabric is slightly warped in places along the edge of the zip, but the zip does zip up, so I'm happy!

Life is too short sometimes, and yes, I did take a shortcut; I didn't do everything you are supposed to do when working hexagon patchwork, but I don't think the final result has suffered for it.  So not perfect perhaps, but good enough!

A cushion to comfort

A couple of weeks ago I asked what was important to you in a cushion: looks or comfort.  You clearly like to have your cake and eat it; a cushion without both looks and comfort is not worthy in your view.

This is not the most chic of cushions, but I like to think it has its own certain charm.

This is a cushion to hold your hand and comfort you; a cushion to be hugged and squeezed.  It's made from a favourite old pyjama shirt.  Years of wear had left the fabric lovably soft, but also meant that the pyjamas were close to falling apart.  They had been my favourite pair for so long I could not bear to part with them.  What better way to hold onto them than to turn them into a cushion?

I could have made a simple red tartan cushion, but I wanted to try to keep the look of the pyjamas and retain their spirit somehow.  To this end, I included the pocket and buttons of the pyjama shirt in the cushion cover.  I think using these adds some interest to the design.  I opted to sew up the front of the shirt, but if I were to attempt a similar project in the future I think I would use this to create a pocket - it could make a lovely case in which to keep pjs.

Women for Whales

When a friend announced her intention to attend an event in support of Women for Whales (a campaigning group run by our surf instructor among others), it seemed a perfect opportunity for me to channel my creative enthusiasm into something which would have a broader purpose than just looking pretty.

I really liked the idea of using a technique that was a traditional woman's craft associated with the home and using it to create a banner that would be used in a women-led protest aiming to reach out and raise awareness.

A successful protest banner should attract people's attention and clearly convey what it is about.  I hope you agree that this design succeeds against those criteria!

The overall design looks deceptively simple.  The whale is made up of rectangles stitched together.  Oxfam sells packs of recycled cotton squares, taken from offcuts in textile factories, ranging in colour and pattern.  I had a few of these packs which I had bought for a rainy day (or rather until I came up with an idea on how best to use them) and so I raided these for blue cotton squares.

I started by sketching and cutting out the design of a whale on paper and cutting the square cotton patches in half to create rectangles.  These I separated by shade.  I was lucky that one of the pieces had a circle, which was perfect for the eye.

I arranged the rectangular pieces in lines over the paper whale pattern, trying to use those pieces with a white pattern to represent the underside of the whale.  These pieces were then sewn end-to-end to create long strips, which were then lined up side-by-side and sewn together.  The resulting patchwork was then trimmed to size and appliquéd onto the white sheet (I had already cut this to size and sewn a hem).

I kept the design of the letters simple to make life easier for myself.  I think the bold lettering works fine though, and at least is legible.  The orange fabric is something I had used as a sarong at one point, but hadn't been worn for several years.  I think the bright orange works well with the blue and the pattern of bright small flowers adds a feminine touch.

This banner got its first outing in Brighton, at the annual paddle round the pier event (the photo is one taken by my friend at Brighton Beach).  Women for Whales are continuing their campaign, so hopefully it will get a few more outings yet.

Oxfam's Ethical Collection recycled cotton squares can be bought here.

You can read about Women for Whales here.

Aubergine in a chocolate cake? It'll never work...

At the same time as my attempt at blueberry and lemon scones, I undertook another adventure in the kitchen - using aubergine in a chocolate cake.

I know, it sounds weird; it sounds like it should not work at all.  But then there's carrot cake, so why not other vegetables?  I have previously used courgettes to make a chocolate cake, resulting in a moist cake with a lovely taste without being too sweet.  When I was given Harry Eastwood's recipe book "Red Velvet and Chocolate Heartache" as a present, the possibilities for further experimentation with vegetables in baking opened up before me.  This is a gorgeous book and the few recipes I have made from it so far are easy to follow (with helpful tips for novices like me!) and the results have come out rather yummy.  The book also includes some of her "cake diaries".  These are interesting as they give you an insight into the trial and error that is involved in creating the recipes - showing that even for a professional cook, things are not always perfect first time.

For the Ps' visit, I decided to risk making Harry's "Chocolate Heartache" cake.  The aubergines are heated in the microwave before being skinned and puréed.  By the time they have been combined with melted chocolate and all the other ingredients you would be hard-pressed to know there was any aubergine in the cake mix.  The finished result was a deliciously indulgent torte-esque chocolate cake.  I challenged the family to guess the "mystery ingredient" and no-one could - although they all agreed the result was delicious.  Even my brother gave it the thumbs up, and this was after he found out what it did contain - I cannot ask for higher praise than that!

I will certainly be making this cake again.  It has also given me the confidence to be brave in my baking, and I am looking forward to trying another of Harry's recipes soon.  So watch out, the next time you're biting into one of my cakes you may be surprised when you learn what it contains!

To find out more about Harry Eastwood, and to order her recipe book "Red Velvet and Chocolate Heartache”, click here.