A child's apron/smock

A friend sent me the link to this tutorial for a child's apron/smock a while ago and as I have a few presents for 2-year-olds to make, I thought I'd give it a go. It was really easy to make, looks really cute and covers the front of the clothes well. The first one I made was a little small (the tutorial is for a size 2T but Matilda at 2 years 4 months was too big for it). So I added cotton tape at the end of the straps where they tie at the shoulder to make it more adjustable. I then made another one but this time made it a little wider and longer in length and also did the cotton tape ties. Both were made with Ikea fabric backed with linen (from a pair of unwanted curtains) and a scrap of more expensive fabric (possibly Cath Kidston - I can't remember!) for the pocket.
Here's the first one, which will be a Christmas present for my youngest niece:

Butternut squash and ginger jam

Today felt very autumnal and while we waited for the sun to come over the hills Matilda and I made butternut squash and ginger jam. We used this recipe from Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, but with the squash instead of pumpkin. It was really easy and tastes lovely. I think maybe I need to test for the setting point a bit earlier as I was waiting for it to thicken up but then when I tested it, it was very sticky - not sure how spreadable it will be!

After the jam was safely in the jars we headed out for a windswept but sunny walk to the park. On the way back I experimented with carrying Matilda in the ring sling as I find it very uncomfortable/tiring to carry her in my arms these days. She mostly walks everywhere these days but if she's tired she does still need to be carried really. She loved the ring sling but I found it hard to position her so she wasn't pressing down on the bump. More experimentation needed!

Pinterest and planning

I feel like I've been fairly productive of late. I borrowed a preserving pan from my parents and have since made a few jars of damson jam and a few of spiced damson chutney (using fruit very kindly picked for me by my neighbours from their damson tree). It's the first time I've tried any jam or chutney making and I have to say I really enjoyed it. The first batch of jam took a while to reach the setting point, but the second batch worked perfectly and tastes delicious. But we'll have to wait and see how the chutney tastes when it's finished its 3-month 'mellowing'.

Hopefully some of them will be suitable for Christmas gifts - although as we are having a very quiet one this year I don't have to worry too much about presents. I've started planning for Christmas already - just in terms of things I'd like to make - as I feel like I need to get organised if I'm to stand a chance of making Christmas presents/decorations as well as things for the baby. We are also halfway through decorating our spare room and as part of that we'll be fitting some shelves for storage of (among other things) my sewing/crafts supplies. I'll also hopefully have a dedicated sewing/craft table in there, so I won't have to keep tidying it away all the time, meaning I should have more time for actual crafting!

I've been using Pinterest to get some ideas and also keep tabs on my plans (not much room in my brain for this kind of thing at the moment!). Here's my Pinterest page if anyone's interested: http://pinterest.com/carrots/


In other news I have finally grasped the basics of knitting thanks to some patient tutors at our WI meeting last week. I'm off now to carry on with the knitted flower we started making - need to make sure I keep it up so I don't forget what I've learnt! I'll try and upload a photo soon! Not sure I'm up to knitting anything for the baby yet, but my friend has offered to knit a cardi or something if I buy the wool so I just need to decide on a pattern and yarn for it!

Countryfile filming!

We spent a lovely week up at my parents' place in Cumbria the week before last. It felt like a real holiday, and Matilda had so much fun that a week later she is still asking to 'go back to Nanny's house'. One morning while we were there Mum and Dad were being filmed for an episode of Countryfile. The episode is about the North Pennines, with a small section about my parents' winemaking business, High Cup Wines. It was great fun to watch the filming and meet presenter Matt Baker, who seemed like a lovely bloke.

My Dad shows Matt how to make beetroot wine

Matt poses for a photo with Matilda, baby and I.

It should be broadcast on 4 September, 8pm on BBC2. Hopefully you'll see my parents' winemaking in action!

My little hiker

Last week Matilda and I walked all the way to the top of British Camp (aka the Herefordshire Beacon). It's not all that far distance wise but is very steep all the way up. I set of with the intention of continuing until Matilda didn't want to walk any more but with a bit of gentle persuasion she kept going and then there we were at the top:

Running around in the wind on the top

Picnic time

Playing in the 'sand'

Sliding down

We had such fun, and to top it off we found a good supply of blackberries when we got back down to the bottom. A perfect morning!

'I love you Mummy'

One day this week while we were eating lunch, Matilda said (unprompted), 'I love you Mummy. And Daddy.'

I tell her I love her as I'm nursing her before bed - although I worry that I might forget one day and then she might be upset. But as she is nursing at the time she doesn't have an opportunity to repeat it as she does most things. Still, that and whenever Sam says 'I love you' have obviously sunk in, and she even told me yesterday that she loves the baby (she sometimes likes to stroke my tummy and says she's stroking the baby). She's also been really affectionate and cuddly lately, which I've been enjoying. She puts her arms around my neck and holds on really tight. She's always asked for cuddles at night since I became pregnant and cut down on nightfeeds, but has never really wanted a hug in the day except if she hurts herself. She was always too busy doing something else.

At bedtime she pulls Sam's head towards hers for her goodnight kiss and then asks him to 'kiss those feet' and waves her feet in the air, followed by toes, hands, fingers and thumbs. She likes to fall asleep with her arms around Bear and my arms around her.

Sling for a doll

Well, Matilda has been asking for this for ages, and this morning we finally found the time. I had to make it in the style of an Ergo as that is what we mainly use (and she loves playing with the buckles). I didn't follow a pattern, just made it up. It hasn't had a thorough test yet, but so far it seems to be a hit. Buckles and webbing were from a brilliant camping/military surplus shop in Malvern called Harpers Bazaar. Fabric from my stash.

My gorgeous baby...

...is now two! And what a lovely birthday she had. She has been singing Happy Birthday for the last few days, and talking about blowing out the candles on her cake. We'd planned a picnic with friends (to avoid overwhelming the birthday girl) but it rained so we all crowded into our house. Despite that, Matilda still had a great time - probably because it was all people she knows well and likes, and Daddy had the day off work so she was not short of attention. I didn't do party bags but I did make her a cake and a birthday lunch of egg sandwiches, salad, houmous, potato salad, cheese scones and fruit.

Happy Birthday Matilda - you are so loved!

Birthday bunting

I made this bunting for a 1st birthday present. I cut the letters out of a linen curtain someone had given me and appliqued them on. Each flag had a triangle of patterned fabric backed with a triangle of linen, both cut with the pinking shears, to give a nice soft feel. I also did a matching card.

Back with some news

Apologies for the long break I've had from the blog! I've been really busy with some website work and the stuff I do as a volunteer for the NCT, which hasn't left me much time on the laptop to do anything else. That's part of the excuse. The other part is that I've been feeling very sick and tired over the last few weeks (although the nausea is starting to subside now, thank goodness). And it's all because of this gorgeous little thing:

 Due at the beginning of January 2012. :)

I sold some crafty things!

Well, we have had a very busy few weeks getting ready for our two Mummade stalls at local craft fairs over Easter / May Day. The first, at a local fruit farm, was not that successful - we think due to a lack of advertising - none of the other stallholders had a good day either. But the second, at Malvern's May Day celebrations, was much more successful. I sold three cake stands made out of old plates, which I was really pleased about! I'll definitely be making some more of those. Just need to hit the charity shops for more plates - as the car boot sale on Monday was useless. Luckily we have a charity shop in Malvern entirely devoted to crockery. I also sold a felted soap - I forgot the sign I had made to explain what they are so I'm not really surprised more of them didn't sell.

Here are some photos of some of the things I made:

My favourite - this one sold but I have another set of these plates to make another (for me!)

This is the only cake stand I have left. Anything left unsold will be up for sale at our summer residency at a local craft shop/cafe.

I sold two cake stands like this one.

Toddler skirt (designed by me) - upcycled from a pair of adult linen trousers

Toddler dress

Presents for 1-year-old boys

Matilda and I went to a lovely 1st birthday party yesterday. The mum had gone to such a lot of effort - baby-friendly foods (including homemade dips, courgette muffins, cheese straws etc), a music session, bubbles, and just a handful of people so it wasn't too overwhelming for any of the babies. The birthday boy even drifted off to sleep while we adults chatted and the babies played. Matilda had a lovely time - sometimes at parties she doesn't really smile and I wonder if it's all a bit much for her - but she was all smiles yesterday, and because it was mostly people she knew she was happy to join in from the start. Much better than a party we went to a few days ago which was mostly for the adults - Matilda was lost in a sea of grown-up legs!

It was another little boy's birthday yesterday too - he and his mum were at the party too - and as both boys' mums are good friends of mine I had two little presents to make. I bought a pack of t-shirts from M&S and used some of my fabric scraps to create applique designs. I also made cards by sewing squares of fabric onto a piece of card.

I made a sling!

Well, I was beginning to think our babywearing days were numbered. The Ergo waist strap had started to dig into me and I couldn't get it comfortable and I just felt like Matilda was too heavy. Another problem was Matilda was really resisting going in it unless she was ready for a sleep, and then crying in it as soon as she woke up. I borrowed a friend's top-of-the-range Macpac rucksack-style carrier but it was no better - incredibly heavy and seemed to pull on my shoulders. It reminded me too much of carrying heavy backpacks on D of E expeditions at school! Then someone from the village gave us their old Baby Jogger 3-wheel pushchair, which Matilda loves and to be honest it's a joy to push up on the hills (although I don't think I'd dare take it on the bus or to the shops - it's huge!)

At the last Sling Meet I was asking for ideas and someone suggested trying a toddler-size mei tai. No-one had one available and then I remembered I had started to make one ages ago but stopped because I couldn't imagine when I'd use it as I was getting on so well with the much-easier-to-use Ergo. I was looking around on the Natural Mamas site for ideas when I came across Podaegi carriers. As I'd already made the shoulder straps, it looked like a quick and easy make - and it was! I used the dimensions from this tutorial. The top section is padded with a layer of fleece, while the top of the straps have four layers of fleece (cut from an old fleece blanket). The main body and strap fabric is a heavy cotton - similar to denim - while the body also has a panel of gorgeous tree/leaves cotton fabric.

I took it out for a test drive yesterday and I was really pleased with it! Sorry about the pics - they're just taken on my phone - I'll try and get some better ones taken soon. I tied it in a ruck-style carry, using the ends to make a chest strap - that way there was no painful waist strap and Matilda was nice and high so she could see over my shoulder.

More Mummade crafting

The blog has been a bit neglected lately - mainly because in the day Matilda really gets annoyed if I go on the laptop (plus it's been such nice weather we've been outside a lot), and in the evening I've had so much other stuff to do (eg freelance web work, writing stuff for NCT newsletter etc) I've just not had time. On the plus side, Matilda has been letting me do some sewing in the day so I have got quite a bit done in the last couple of weeks. Which is a very good thing as we have our next Mummade craft fair coming up. We're having a stall at the Easter Saturday craft market at Clive's Fruit Farm, near Upton. It's our first proper craft fair so we're a bit nervous! I'm planning to make a load of felted soaps, some cake stands made out of recycled plates, and some children's clothes. So far I have made two pinafore dresses and almost finished a skirt. So lots to do! Picture updates will follow...

Chasing shadows

Last week, with the first proper spring sunshine of the year, Matilda had a great time chasing her shadow, waving and pointing at it and trying to step on it. On pancake day we walked over the hills into town to watch the pancake race with some friends. It was a lovely chilled-out day - a picnic on blankets on the grass, watching the ducks on the pond, and following a little shadow around the park.

Last weekend we went to Goodrich Castle to meet up with my sister, brother-in-law, niece and nephew. Matilda had a lovely time with her cousins, but refused to wear her gloves and cried when her hands got cold so I ended up having to carry her with her hands tucked into my coat. Wish I hadn't left the sling in the car!

Toddler moments

This week I have been struggling to remain calm in the face of Matilda's increasing awareness of her independence. Too often I've found myself trying to bargain with her, making empty threats or losing my temper. Obviously it doesn't work as she's way too young to understand it! As much as possible we try to go at Matilda's pace but sometimes there are times when we have to be somewhere at a certain time or a limit has to be imposed and then it can get difficult. I've just read Deborah Jackson's Do Not Disturb and that really reinforced the way I would like to parent but let's just say we're learning all the time!

So anyway, I thought I would share some of the lighter moments from our week...

Trying to play with toys despite wearing her 'gubs'.

Eating porridge.

On the big basket swing in the park.

Upsy Daisy having 'Matilda milk'.

Reading to Doll and Bear while Mummy was in the shower.

Helping Mummy cook.

On the climbing frame at the park.

A very huggable hoody.

Scone recipe

This is the recipe I use for plain, fruit or cheese scones. I'm not sure where it originates but it was given to me by a friend. They're simple to make and you can whip up a batch in no time! I've made the cheese version many many times!

Makes about 8

Cheese (2 big handfuls of grated cheddar or red leicester)
or Fruit (eg 2 handfuls of sultanas)

8oz self raising flour
Pinch of salt
1 heaped tsp baking powder
1.5oz butter (easiest if it's at room temperature)
About a quarter of a pint of milk (I have used oat milk too and it's turned out fine)

Mix sifted flour, salt and baking powder in a large bowl, rub in the butter until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.

Add cheese or fruit (leaving a bit of cheese to put on top of the scones if making the cheese version).

Stir in enough milk to make a soft dough.

Roll out on a lightly floured surface and cut into rounds with a 2.5inch cutter.

Place on a greased baking sheet and brush tops with milk. If making the cheese version sprinkle remaining cheese on top.

Bake at 220C (gas mark 7) for approximately 10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack or eat while still warm...

Fruit scones and afternoon tea

On Wednesday afternoon I made fruit scones for the first time. They're so quick and easy to make I can't believe I haven't made them sooner! Served with butter, damson jam and a mug of chamomile tea (in the Charles and Di mug for an extra touch of Englishness!).