An impromptu baby quilt

The quilt is impromptu - not the baby! Steph is going to a baby shower soon and didn't know what to take. Never needing an excuse to make something little I offered to make a simple quilt. Grey and white was the colour choice. I would never have picked this colour scheme, being a rainbow addict, but I am loving it!

Squares with a simple little sash, set on a point. I actually spent most of the day making it, only packing the machine away at about 9.30pm.  I need to get some more fabric to finish it because I had a slight cutting mistake due to not taking the time to work out the size of the setting triangles down the side. Lesson learnt. I might use a slightly different wadding in this.  I bought some Dream Orient wadding at Sandown a couple of years ago and it's been waiting for the right project. It's made of cotton, bamboo, silk and tencel, so it's all natural and has naturally anti-bacterial qualities. It's very light too. It says cool wash though so I might decide to use the ever reliable 80/20 wadding which I have washed at 60 degrees without any problem.

When I got home on Sunday I spent a happy hour or so painting my BAKE letters with a duck egg blue mix of paints. (Blue Mist, Hauser Light Green and Light Buttermilk DecoArt Americana acrylic paints - mostly Blue Mist)

The decoration will be fairly simple - a few dots and some stripes. I want to maintain the colour so adding plaid designs would not be suitable as they would change the look too much. I don't want too much fussy stuff in the kitchen as it is very small, but I don't want it to look too bare or clinical either. It has to be practical. I don't have a duck egg blue colour scheme (I'm not one to change all the appliances when I decorate - far too expensive!) but the bunting over the window and the little hooks on the door happen to be duck egg blue too.

We had Guinness Cupcakes this week in class - it was a very sloppy mixture, what with the melted butter and all

It was quite chocolatey too with a hint of the bitter quality of Guinness.

Slightly lumpy - like making muffins where you don't mix them too much.  They were crumblier than I expected, like muffins I suppose. The topping was a butter icing with the addition of cream cheese - I used Philadelphia rather than mascarpone which made it slightly salty.

 

This week I can't decide whether to make Edd Kimber's Tahini Shortbreads which I need to shop for or some date and walnut scones for which I have the ingredients. Actually come to think of it I need to buy some eggs (dammit). Will sent Alex away with eggs for herself and her mum, so we are down to one egg from the silkie hens. They are just over half the size of a normal hen's egg so I tend to use them for poached eggs on toast or recipes where you weigh the eggs.

I'll decide which when I get to the supermarket then!

So now I have recovered from my four-day baby-sit. The only down side was that I had forgotten how much is done at floor level. Oh my poor back. Plus Max is made of lead I think. I can't remember Ben being so heavy at that age. The weather was good every day, so we spent a lot of time in the garden. Water is always fun. Well not for the Max's little rabbit which went into the water just after this picture was taken. He wouldn't let me hang it on the line so there were little damp blobs all over the place for the rest of the day. I managed to roll it in a towel when he wasn't looking and it was dry by bedtime thank goodness.

Well I have bought more fabric for the baby quilt and it is now layered and ready to stitch. I might get the first few lines done before I start work this afternoon, but will have a marathon this weekend.  I got the backing for the appliqué spring quilt which is nearing the layering up stage.  The pattern for tomorrow night's class is ready to be printed and the ingredients for the scones (yes I made that decision) are weighed out and ready to be mixed and baked at the last minute. You have to eat scones fresh from the oven don't you?