Bluejules Sews

Fake quilting

2012-02-10T12:32:00.000+01:00

I'm a pack rat so throwing things away is highly stressful for me. I'd keep everything if I could. But since I can't, I re-fashion everything that I can once the original item is no longer in use.

I had an old knit blanket that was starting to fray. I probably should've thrown it out, but ... I ordered a fat quarter of coffee and desserts themed fabrics and used them to make my first (fake) quilt. I know nothing about quilting and I don't think I have the patience that true quilters need to create their masterpieces, but making a small sort-of-quilted blanket seemed like a doable project even for me.

I sewed the fabric squares together in a semi-random order so that I got a piece of approximately the width and length of the knit blanket. Then, I 'sandwiched' the blanket with the two sheets of quilted fabric. I trimmed the quilt with a creamy white fabric. I didn't even try the 'stitch in the ditch' technique, instead I made several straight seams across the quilt to keep it together. I think it turned out okay and the blanket is again useful.

Muesli cookies

2012-02-07T11:07:00.000+01:00

As much as I love food in general and sweets in particular, I know I should eat healthy stuff. I try to keep this in mind with every meal I prepare. But it feels like desserts are bound to be unhealthy if you want them to be delicious. So I wanted to make something that tastes good AND doesn't block your arteries with cholesterol and sticky sugars. I think I succeeded with these cookies.

I searched the web and found several recipes for muesli cookies, but they all used too much sugar so I experimented instead, adapted the ingredients so that they fit with my goal of making something healthy, and ended up with a batch of light, delish cookies. If you try them, let me know what you think.

Ingredients (for about 20 cookies)

245gmuesli

40 ghoney

50 gbrown sugar

100g softened(not melted) butter

½ tsp bakingpowder

1 egg (beaten)

60 g flour
50 g whole-wheat flour

50 g raisins

50 g prunes

1 tbsp maplesyrup

Pre-heat the oven to 180°C.

Beat the butterand sugar until you get a nice smooth cream, then add the honey and mix. Once theingredients are homogenous, slowly add the beaten egg.

In a separate bowl mix the muesli, flour, bakingpowder, raisins and prunes, then stir in the butter mix until you get ahomogenous mixture. Finally, add one tablespoon of maple syrup and stir.

Take a tablespoon of the mix and form it into aball with your hands. Place it onto a lined baking sheet and then flatten ita bit. Don't place the cookies too close together as they will rise slightlyduring baking.

Bake for 13 minutes or until golden brown.

Scenes from the weekend

2012-02-06T07:55:00.000+01:00

This weekend was spent baking, eating, relaxing and learning photography tricks ...

Living in the countryside

2012-02-01T17:41:00.000+01:00

I've lived most of my life in the countryside. I was born in a small village and now I live in a small country town. For six years I lived in the capital while studying. And without a doubt, I’m a city kind of a girl deep down. Whenever I visit a city, my soul sings, I find myself right at home, I love the bustling streets, the fact that everything is within walking distance, the grim faces of the people at rush hour and the fact that no one actually knows me (yes, I’m weird like that). If I had a choice, I’d be living in a humongous sprawling monster of a city where I’d be just a tiny tiny tiny dot among millions of other tiny dots. Like NYC, Sydney or Paris.Alas, I was born nowhere near those pretty places.

So I got used to living in the countryside. And with the internet offering me an alternative to cosmopolitan living, I’m okay with it. Most of the time. I can certainly see some of the advantages of living in the country. I, for one, cannot imagine what it must be like having to buy all your fruits and veggies. Yes, there are farmer’s markets in every town and city (colorful and eclectic markets like the ones in Isle sur la Sorgue, France!), but you still have to buy it. While I only have a small garden where I mostly grow herbs and a few veggies, I get all the rest from my mom’s and my mother-in-law’s gardens.

And who wouldn't enjoy food that grows in a place like this:

While I'd love to sip coffee at Cafe de Flore in Paris on a daily basis or watch the crowds on Circular Quay in Sydney, living here definitely has its advantages. In the past year I've been trying to really take advantage of them when it comes to cooking. I can't wait for spring when nature will wake up again and I plan on growing even more herbs and spices to use in my cooking. Hurry up, spring!

Bisque

2012-01-30T16:26:00.000+01:00

May I just say how much I hate cloudy days or the fact that we get so few hours of daylight in winter? I love winter and I love bad weather, but when I want to photograph a dish or a sewing project the bad lighting annoys me. so. very. much.

Here's another victim of a cloudy late afternoon. (Notice the reflection of my kitchen lights? Grrr.)

At least the soup turned out well. I prepared this seafood bisque following this Norwegian recipe. But I didn't have a cod fillet so I just used a bit more salmon. I also didn't add parsley root but a few chopped leaves instead because parsley should be consumed in smaller quantities during pregnancy.

I loved the soup's creamy texture and the combination of fish and vegetables. I really recommend the recipe if you like fish and Scandinavian food. I'm sure this'll become one of the more often used recipes in my household.

Apple soup

2012-01-26T13:48:00.000+01:00

Apple soup

This recipe is perfect as comfort food for dark and coldwinter days. And although we haven’t had many of those this year (yet), I’vecooked it quite a few times to use the organic apples my parents gave me. Oneof the local names for this dish also contains the word ‘courage’ becausesupposedly the sunny character of the soup gives you courage to brave thewinter ennui. I’m not sure about that, but it certainly tastes good. ;)

For 2 servings

3 potatoes

4-5 apples (with firm, juicy pulp)

pancetta

salt

nutmeg

Boil peeled potatoes and apples. I do this separately so Ican make sure neither get overcooked. I also didn’t peel the apples as theywere organic and it would be a shame to discard all those vitamins just underthe peel.

When potatoes and apples are cooked, I put them into a dishtogether and mash them. You can puree them until they’re perfectly smoothor leave a few chunks, if you prefer. Iusually do the latter. Add the waterfrom the boiling apples so that you get a consistency that you like.

Dice the pancetta into tiny pieces and then fry them overmedium heat. I don’t add any oil as the pancetta itself should have enough fatnot to burn. Once it’s golden and crispy, add it to the apple soup. (I find thesizzling that this causes scary for some reason. I also have an unexplainablefear of large quantities of hot oil.)

Salt the soup and add grated nutmeg.

Simple and easy, no? But, oh, so delish!

Photography contest

2012-01-24T20:23:00.000+01:00

This past weekend was very busy but fun. On Friday, I went to an event where the winners of a photography competition were announced. I submitted a few photos and mine were among the chosen. They will be used for promotional purposes by the local tourist office. I'm very proud to be among the chosen amateur photographers.

And on Saturday, a friend visited us with her partner and three-month old daughter. The baby was so cute and sweet, it was a good preparation having her around. I just hope my baby is as well-behaved and good. ;) I spent most of Sunday resting because I was really beat after the two full days.

(On the left) One of the four of my photos chosen for the tourist brochure.

Wide pants to skirt

2012-01-23T14:40:00.003+01:00

These wide-leg pants were a remnant of the late 80s. I designed them myself (I was in fifth grade, so you must forgive me) and Mum made them for me. I actually wore them quite a lot. But I obviously had no use for them now, they were just gathering dust in my pile of things to refashion until I started on them last week.

It didn't take much to convert the pants into a skirt because the legs were so wide. I first shortened them right at the crotch. Then I took in the front and back seams an inch or so. I unpicked the inner seams in the parts of the legs that I had cut off and joined the two legs into a wide strap of fabric that I then added to the upper part of the skirt. I could leave it without that but I don't particularly like too short skirts so I lengthened it that way and it now reaches just above my knees.

I didn't have to make any changes to the waist because it's made of elastic and it still fits me.

I hemmed the skirt and it's now ready for the summer.

Warming tea

2012-01-20T16:25:00.000+01:00

I must say cardamom was quite a discovery for me. Like I said, we very rarely use it in our cuisine, but it seems that is changing because lately it's been popping up more frequently, especially on websites that promote healthy and organic food. I came across a recipe for a tea mix that is supposed to warm the body. Supposedly it's also great to drink before bed because it calms the mind and body and makes it easier for us to sleep. Instead of making tea, you can also use this mix in milk.

Warming tea
cardamom
cinnamon
cloves
ginger
the tiniest bit of pepper

Pour hot water over a quarter of tea spoon of this mix, leave it for a few minutes. Add honey or unrefined sugar.

(I prefer it in milk,l though. ;))

And here's a fascinating post on the origins of the Arabic name for cardamom - kakula.

Nara Camicie

2012-01-19T14:37:00.000+01:00

I had this shirt by Nara Camicie in my closet for a long time. Nara Camicie are known for their excellent, fashionable shirts and tops, but this must be a prehistoric model because I can't remember a time when it could be fashionable. The sleeves were very wide, the pocket flaps awkwardly big and it had golden (!!!) buttons.

Last night I decided I should either refashion it so I could wear it or throw it away as it was only taking up space in the closet. So in half an hour, I shortened the sleeves and finished them with elastic. I shortened the shirt (I hope I made it the right length because I can't try it on now because of the baby bump and I was only guessing about the length). And I replaced the golden buttons with some blue ones.

I wanted to remove the fake pocket flaps because they stuck out unflatteringly as they were too wide, but the seams would've left too visible a trace so I left them, but instead I did't add any buttons on them because they only attracted more attention, I only stitched them down at the corners so they're now nice and flat.

I think this way the shirt will go nicely with a pair of jeans. I like that it's made from cotton so it'll be comfortable to wear at home.

Unfortunately I couldn't model the shirt in its before/after versions; that way the difference would've been even more visible.

Culinary mag publication

2012-01-18T13:17:00.000+01:00

This is actually old news but I haven't posted about it here yet so I might as well do it now. One of my recipes, Fried green tomatoes, was published in a culinary magazine.

Cool, no? ;)

Kardemummakaka

2012-01-15T18:37:00.001+01:00

I love cooking, but I'm not very good at baking. Even the simplest recipes usually prove to be too difficult for me, although I'm not really sure why. Plus, I have an ancient oven that sometimes works and sometimes not. Still, yesterday I decided to try out a new recipe.

In the late afternoon we went to see our friends' new baby and when we got home at eight, I was tired and in a bad mood. Now, this may sound strange, but my favourite way to relax and renew my energy levels is to do something late in the evening. I'm definitely not a morning person, but doing things late into the night is my favourite way to finish a day. So I got out my kitchen appliances and moulds and started making a cake I've been wanting to make ever since I first discovered the recipe on this blog.

Like me, my husband loves all things Swedish/Scandinavian, so this was to be a treat for him. Surprisingly enough, and despite the oven acting up again, the cake was a success. We both loved the taste of cardamom, a spice we practically never use in our cuisine. I even had difficulty obtaining it in the store, and even that only in its ground version although I wanted to find it in pods. I didn't know that in the Middle East they sometimes brew it together with coffee. I might try using it like that too before the opened package loses its taste and aroma.

As to the book on the above picture - it's Kitchen by Banana Yoshimoto, one of my favourite writers. I bought the book at Shakespeare & Co. in Paris back in October but I haven't had the time to read it until now. It's a book on grief and I'm loving every word; especially if reading it while something's boiling on the stove or a melancholy, spicy aroma coming from the oven. :)

Tortilla day

2012-01-13T17:18:00.001+01:00

After a busy day, a light, simple and delicious meal was in order. Whenever I need something like that, I resort to making tortillas. This time I made them wholegrain and I must say I loved them! They're even more pliable than the regular ones and the taste is so much richer. Yum.

Pads and bags

2012-01-12T08:00:00.001+01:00

As you've probably noticed, I'm posting far more recipes lately than sewing projects. hat's mainly because I have less and less time to sew due to being in my 8th month of pregnancy and I have to sort out so many other things around the house.

All the projects that I did lately were baby related. For example these nursing pads and a diaper bag. I didn't use a pattern for the bag, instead I used the bag that came with the stroller as a guide.

The bag has a zippered pocket at the back


There are three smaller pockets with elastic inside. That colourful thing is the changing pad that my sis made for me for Christmas.

I used fabric from IKEA, the black and white Stockholm patterns. It took me a bit to put the bag together because I didn't have a pattern so I cut things out as I went along and then put them together step by step. Except for the pockets, I used two layers of fabric to make the bag sturdier and to help it retain its form when used. This kind of fabric is ideal for bags and I especially love its simple and elegant Scandinavian design.

This is probably one of the last sewing projects for a while. So you can expect more recipes coming in the next weeks and more non-craft-related posts. ;-)

Nile perch fillet and potatoes from the oven

2012-01-11T08:42:00.000+01:00

Nile perch fillet and potatoes from the oven

4 servings
3 spoons of olive oil
2 Nile perch fillets that you cut in halves
5 large potatoes
3 sprigs of rosemary
parsley, sage, thyme
salt
pepper
5 cloves of garlic
1 dcl of dry white wine

Cut the fillets in half since they're usually very large. This way you can make two servings from one fillet. Salt and pepper them on both sides and then place into an oiled baking tin.

Peel the potatoes and cut them into evenly sized pieces and boil them in slightly salted water for ten minutes. Then add them over the fillets in the tin.

Chop the parsley, sage and thyme and spread them over the fish and potatoes. Add the sprigs of rosemary on the potatoes (if you use whole sprigs you'll be able to remove them later but you can also chop it if you don't mind the slightly harder texture of rosemary). Add the peeled, but not chopped garlic cloves and lastly, add the white wine. Place into a preheated oven (170°C) and bake for 40 minutes or until the fillets are done.

I served this with a sour cream sauce:

Sour cream sauce

2 spoons of olive oil
1 medium onion
2 cloves of garlic
180 g of sour cream
salt
pepper

Chop the onion into relatively small pieces as that will make the sauce more homogenous. Saute it on 2 tablespoons of oil but only so it becomes glazed, not brown. Add the garlic, stir and then add just a bit of water and saute for another minute. Add the sour cream and mix until it has dissolved evenly. Salt and pepper to taste.
Bon appetit!

Resolutions - yes or no?

2012-01-09T08:11:00.001+01:00

I don't usually make any New Year's resolutions (except for setting myself the goal of reading 100 books per year - and I failed this year by 20 books!) but after reading a number of blogs that started off the new year with posts about resolutions, I'm thinking maybe this year I should make a few too. After all, it'll be a year of great change for me with the baby coming in less than two months. So what's a few resolutions, right?

First, I should de-clutter the house. After buying all the stuff for the baby, the house has suddenly become tiny. We have an entire room full of strollers, cribs and things like that, so throwing away the things we haven't been using in ages would be a good idea. Especially since a lot of the machines and devices are not in working order. And the ones that are, I could give away to people that want/need them.

I should also de-clutter my wardrobe but I doubt that will ever happen.

Next, I should give away a number of my books. Having 400+ books in a tiny office of ten square meters is very difficult. And even though I won't be using the office much in the next few months, the books that I'm sure I won't be re-reading should get a better home, so Bookmooch, you'll be busy!

And last, I will try out more exotic recipes even if it means I have to go to Italy to buy the ingredients. I've always wanted to try out new foods but it's tremendously hard to get the ingredients in the local stores (just try finding cardamom!!). So I'm thinking some Scandinavian dishes, French pastries ... Any other suggestions?

Oh, and I'll have to refrain from buying new books seeing how I already have too many and I won't be having much time to read anyway.

So, I guess this is it. Not much, but if I manage to stick to these resolutions, I imagine they should make my life easier.

Happy 2012!

2012-01-05T19:38:00.003+01:00

I hope you all had happy New Year's Eve celebrations and that 2012 started off well and successfully for you. I had so much fun just relaxing and enjoying the days off with my hubby that I barely spent any time online.

We also did quite a bit of cooking over the holidays, including the NYE dinner as we stayed home instead of going out.

And here are a few photos of the fireworks that we could watch from our house.

Festive maternity dress

2011-12-30T17:46:00.002+01:00

I wanted to make a fancy dress for the holidays. I didn't have any patterns for a maternity dress so I improvised. The fabric is a wonderful slightly stretchy cotton, a bit light for the season so I used lining for the skirt.

For the uper part I used a pattern from an old Burda, but I shortened it so that the pieces ended just below the bust and I left out the darts. For the skirt, I cut the back part in my usual measures but I cut a bit wider front part and then gathered it under the bust. I also made sure I cut the front part a bit longer to compensate for the baby bump in front.

I got the idea for the sleeves from the New Look 6000 dress.

I drafted the collar myself and I had quite a few problems doing it because I had cut the neck opening a bit too big but in the end I managed to shape the collar so that it didn't stick out too much. I followed this tutorial to attach the Peter Pan collar.

I hid the gathering under the bust by adding a strap between the two side seams. There's no strap in the back.

This is how my idea looked on paper.

All in all, I'm super satisfied with the contrasting colors of the fabric and the buttons and ribbon, even though the shop assistant looked a bit uncertain when I said I wanted red buttons for a blue dress. ;)

Rigatoni with anchovies and dried tomatoes

2011-12-20T13:54:00.000+01:00

Rigatoni with anchovies and dried tomatoes

For 2 servings:

4 anchovies, chopped
1 slice of stale bread without crust, cut into tiny cubes
2 spoons of extra virgin olive oil
1 half of dried tomato in olive oil
1 clove of garlic, chopped
Parmesan cheese, grated
oregano

While you have the rigatoni boiling, put the olive oil into a pan and when heated add all the ingredients except for the Parmesan cheese. Stir the mix frequently. When the bread becomes slightly crispy and infused with the oil and the taste of the anchovies and tomatoes, remove from fire. Strain the rigatoni and add the anchovy mix, mix it well in a pot before serving. Put on the plates and add Parmesan cheese on top.

Etsy shop

2011-12-14T17:34:00.000+01:00

I hope you're all enjoying these pre-Christmas days. The holidays have a special meaning for me this year, so instead of dashing around trying to buy enormous amounts of Christmas gifts, I'm just trying to relax and gift the important people in my life with handmade stuff. I imagine once the baby gets here, I won't have time to sew and create stuff, so I'm trying to do as much as I can now. I'll also be closing my Etsy shop next year

http://www.etsy.com/shop/bluejules2008

as I'm going on maternity leave at the end of January 2012, so until then I'm offering a 30 % discount for all items in my shop, including the vintage pieces. Convo me before ordering so I can set up a listing reflecting the discount.

XXL tunic to M dress reafshion

2011-12-07T14:20:00.001+01:00

Here's another refashion.

I don't remember how I became the owner of this white tunic dress, but it was XXL size. I liked that it was 100 % cotton, and I liked the applique in front and back, but I couldn't wear it without a belt and even that way it looked like a sack on me (the pic doesn't really show how terribly it looked on me, but unfortunately I don't have a photo of me wearing it without a belt). The dress was also too long (the 'before' photo above is showing an already shortened dress).

To be able to wear it, I had to take in the side seams considerably (about 2.5" on each side), shorten it for almost a yard and I also decided to cut off the sleeves because they they were sticking out straight because of the fairly thick fabric. Once done, the size fit, but white is a risky colour when you're as clumsy as me. So to finish the refashion I dyed the dress dark blue. Now I can wear it as a summer tunic, with or without a belt.

BurdaStyle front page!!!

2011-12-05T15:13:00.001+01:00

I spent this past week in bed, fighting a nasty cold. So there was no sewing and no crafting whatsoever. I'm behind on all my Christmas projects and the house is not nearly ready for the holiday spirit. So I was that much more happy to see this today:

Yup, my Talea coat is on BurdaStyle front page! So excited and proud. Thank you, BurdaStyle team for choosing my project to feature it.

Embellished onesie

2011-11-23T18:32:00.001+01:00

I had a ton of scraps left over from the baby blanket I finished last week, so I used them to embellish a white onesie. I like how white baby clothes look clean and pure, but a bit of color really makes them pop. And since I'm not into the pink/blue thing ...

On the wrong side of the onesie I ironed on some interfacing to strengthen the fabric before sewing. I cut out an apple and leaf from the scraps and pinned them onto the onesie. And then I stitched them on, using the zigzag seam with width set to 3 (out of 5). For the stem I simply made a zigzag seam in brown color.

It's very simple, you can use scrap material and it's done quickly with cute results. :)

Ribbon storage

2011-11-23T12:04:00.001+01:00

Yesterday, I was tidying up my work space. I have several empty CD boxes, so I used one to store my ribbon left-overs. Tidy and fun, no?

Chicken Gorgonzola Casserole

2011-11-22T13:57:00.001+01:00

Since I joined Pinterest, I've spent a lot of time staring at gorgeous photos, mostly of clothes and food. That could be considered a waste of time, but ... but it also inspired me to come up with a new recipe. When hubby tried it, even he agreed that maybe Pinterest is not such a waste of time after all. ;)

Chicken Gorgonzola Casserole

For 2 servings

1/2 chicken breast filet

2 carrots

a bunch of fresh parsley

1 tbl spoon butter

300 g Gorgonzola cheese

Barilla lasagna noodles (no cooking)

freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Put the chicken breast, carrots and parsley into a pot, add water so that everything is covered and put on the stove. Boil for about 30-40 minutes, until the filet is cooked through. (Keep the broth that you got with cooking.)

In a pan, melt the the butter and then add the Gorgonozola cheese and let that melt too, until it's smooth. Add the chicken breast sliced into small cubes. Add the chopped carrots and a bit of the chicken broth. I also added a bit of Oregano and Thyme. Stir so that you get a uniform mix of all the ingredients.

Place the lasagna noodles on the bottom of an oven-proof casserole dish, then add a layer of the cheese and chicken mix. If the mix is too dry, you can always add more of the broth, the noodles will dry it up as they cook. Add another layer of the noodles and then the rest of the mix. Cover it with noodles and a layer of grated Parmesan cheese.

Put in the oven and let it cook for about half an hour at 170°C. Serve warm with a side of salad. And then tuck in!

NOTE: I didn't add any salt or pepper, the Gorgonzola cheese I used was salty enough. But if you prefer, you can salt and pepper to taste.

Baby project no.1: baby blanket

2011-11-21T17:33:00.001+01:00

I finished my first baby project. Actually, I this started out as the second, but the first one is still waiting for me to find the time to finish it. :)

It's a very comfortable and soft blanket made of fleece (left over from my wedding spats) and pieces of cotton. I sewed the flags onto a decorative ribbon and then sewed everything onto the blanket. I hemmed it with the same ribbon. I wanted the ribbon to be in chocolate color, but it stood out too much, so I went with the lighter beige tone. I'm really happy with the way it turned out. :)))

Leaf coasters

2011-11-19T12:52:00.001+01:00

This year I started early on Christmas presents because I know December is always hectic and this year I'm also planning on doing some shopping for the baby as there'll be many discounts before the holidays.

This is the first finished project: felt leaf coasters.

They're pretty easy to make. I cut them out and then stitched the veins in contrasting colors.

Now on to the next project. ;)

I'm now also on Pinterest. Come visit.

Kaki cream

2011-11-18T05:11:00.001+01:00

A new recipe! This one is a translation from here.

Autumn is the season of kaki, one of my favourite fruits. For some reason a lot of people dislike kaki, but I can't see why, it tastes good, it's healthy and its colour is beautiful. If you don't like it, maybe you should try this recipe instead. :)

Kaki purée with cream

For 2 servings

2 kakis

45 g sugar

45 ml rum

a pinch of salt

235 ml whipped cream

1 tbl spoon powdered sugar

1 tbl spoon vanilla extract

6 almonds

Cut the kakis in half and scrape the pulp into a mixer. Add the sugar, salt and rum and mix it so you get a smooth purée.

Whip the cream with the powdered sugar and vanilla extract until it's nice and firm.

Fill the bottom half of a wider glass with whipped cream and then add the kaki purée. Decorate it with three almonds on top and a dollop of cream. Put in the fridge for at least half an hour before serving. And then enjoy eating it and licking the glasses clean!

Ze coat

2011-11-15T17:16:00.001+01:00

Voilá! It took me almost two months but now the coat is finally done! Ok, so I didn't spend the entire two months sewing it, but with two short vacations in between and multiple other projects, it ended up on the backburner for quite a few weeks.

I used the double breasted Talea pattern from BurdaStyle.com. The fabric is a wool blend. I'm not exactly thrilled with the color, I wanted something with a bit more greyish tinge or more greenish blue, but this was the best I could get. It's fairly thick and super warm.

I also changed the shape of the pocket. Instead of the round line I made it in a straight line because I thought it looked better.

I'm in love with the buttons, but they were a pain to sew because the fabric is so thick. I pricked my finger more times than I can count and it hurt for two days, but what matters is the final result.

I adjusted the length of the coat so it's more a jacket because I'm short and too long coats make me look even shorter.


I borrowed juebejue's trick with the buttons so I can button the front parts even when I wear the jacket open, this way avoiding the fabric getting too bulky in front. And it also looks super cool. :)

The coat itself was fairly easy to make despite having to adjust the original Talea pattern to get the pattern for the double-breasted version. I also did some adjusting of my own - the already mentioned different shape of the pockets and the shorter length.

I wanted to line the entire coat, not just the sleeves like the pattern suggested. This proved to be very tricky. In fact, it took me the same amount of time to sew buttons and make holes and line the coat as it did to sew the coat itself.

I used a smooth fabric for the lining so that it slips on nicely even if you're wearing a wool cardigan underneath. I hate the coat snagging on your clothing.

I used the 38 size that I usually wear and the coat is still wide enough for me to wear it now, during pregnancy. I imagine I should be able to wear it for quite a few more weeks. Which is great, of course, with the colder days closing in.

All in all, I'm terribly satisfied with the way it turned out. It's definitely the best jacket/coat I ever made and I'm sure I'll be wearing it for a long time to come.

Maternity cowl dress

2011-11-14T11:58:00.001+01:00

Before going to Paris, I made a new dress for the occasion. It's a very versatile piece because you can wear it in the summer as a sleeveless top, a dress, or over jeans in winter. The pattern was created by the amazing ichigogirl.

Unfortunately, my top pales next to the awesomeness of the Panthéon. ;)

I adapted it a bit to accommodate it to my baby bump. This didn't require any intricate changes or or much re-drafting. I simply printed out the original pattern and then added an additional few centimeters in the waist section to the side seams of the front piece, and also lengthened the front piece for a few centimeters. I needed this additional fabric to form three pleats at the sides.

The pleats are difficult to see because of the print on the fabric.

The fabric is from Tessuti. I love their fabrics.

Le temps au temps

2011-11-04T08:17:00.002+01:00

While in Paris, hubby and I went for lunch to a quaint little restaurant on rue Paul Bert. And although I was tempted to keep this jewel to myself, it's really too good not to share it with you.

I couldn't believe how small the restaurant was when I entered. It was like walking into my living room. There were about six or seven tables altogether, most of them tables for two. But the space was tastefully decorated in brownish and dark red tones and with a few large clocks.

Although the waiter didn't speak a word of English we still managed to order without getting anything surprising on our plates. ;) My French is good enough not to get lost but my foodie vocabulary is fairly limited.

Since hubby and I both love fish, we decided to order that. I had scorpion fish fillet with creamy risotto (fillet de rascasse, risotto cr`emeux), and hubby had plaice with sautéd artichoke (fillet de carrelet, mitonnée d'artichaut). Both dishes were very good. The fish had a nice crispy layer with a tender, juicy core and the side dishes were very tasteful too. Not to mention everything was freshly done.

Sablé aux figues et sorbet fromage blanc

Poire condé et sorbet poire

Although I was tempted to go with the plate of cheeses afterwards, I chose sablé aux figues et sorbet fromage blanc (shortcrust pastry with figs and cheese sorbet). Hubby had poire condé et sorbet poire (pear conde with pear sorbet). If the main dishes were good, the desserts were spectacular! It was like biting into a piece of heaven when I first tried my sablé.

So, if you're ever in Paris and feel like eating something extremely good, I suggest you make the effort it takes to get to the 11th arrondissement and try out Le Temps au Temps. We had a reservation but there was not much crowd at lunch time. I imagine for dinner, reservations are a must.

Le Temps au Temps

13, rue Paul Bert

75011 Paris

phone: 01 43 79 63 40

(you can also make a reservation through thefork.com)

You can get menu prix fixe (entrée + plat + dessert) for 29 euros, or entrée + plat or plat + dessert for 26 €. Wine can be ordered per glass.

Paris refashion

2011-11-03T11:43:00.000+01:00

I'm back from Paris and while I sort through the photos and memories (and there are some great memories of the place. And the food. My God, the food!), here's a re-fashion post.

I had an old turtleneck that my sister bought for me in Japan. I loved the black and white stripes, but the t-shirt was a bit too loose around my midsection.

Particularly if I wore it under a dress like this, the redundant fabric gathered around my waist and created an unflattering silhouette. So I took in the side seams considerably and on the spur of the moment also decided to cut off the turtleneck and create a boat neckline instead. I trimmed it with white ribbon (which unfortunately wasn't cut on the bias and it thus doesn't conform to the shirt the way I'd want it to but that's what you get when you don't plan ahead ;)). Anyway, I'm much more happy with the new t-shirt.

For some reason I always thought that black and white stripes are sort of ... Parisian, or at least French. So I wore this shirt this weekend in Paris. It was just perfect.

On the menu

2011-10-19T17:18:00.004+02:00

On the menu today:

Couscous with zucchini and eggplant

Stuffed oranges

Bon appetit!

Windy days

2011-10-17T14:46:00.003+02:00

This past weekend was very windy here. And cold. I was planning on making a double breasted Talea coat for this winter but I didn't plan on starting it just yet. But with the trip to Paris being moved to the 28th October (instead of 21st as originally planned) I imagine we could encounter pretty fierce weather there. So I had to change my plans and start on the coat right away in order for it to be finished by the time we leave for France.

I bought some purplish blue fabric (a wool blend) although I'd prefer a more greenish or grayish tone, but there wasn't much to choose from, as usual. And let me tell you - the fabric has the most terrible smell when wet or when being ironed! It smells like the chemicals they use to coat the railways sleepers. Yuck! So I better never get caught in the rain in this coat. lol.

I bought the specified amount of fabric but it was barely enough. I literally used every last inch of it. This has never happened before and I spent over an hour placing the pattern pieces in a way that produced the minimal amount of waste fabric.

Despite those initial troubles, the sewing is going well. Better than expected, actually. Although my poor Elna is having some difficulties with the thick seams but slowly does it.

Paris, baby!

2011-10-13T15:10:00.000+02:00

I'm going to Paris in two weeks time. I still can't entirely believe it and it's only for three days, but it'll be awesome. I'll meet up with some friends there and hopefully just enjoy the autumn in the City of Lights.

Paper City Paris by Joel

Anyone ever been to Paris? Or anyone reading this lives in Paris? I need tips on what to see (not the major sights, I have Eiffel Tower and Louvre covered ;)), where to eat, how to really experience the place ... that sort of thing. Also, good places to shop for fabric or baby items or just pure fun spots that are not too crowded (I hate crowds, more so now because I'm getting too big to jostle :p). Any help will be appreciated.

In a weird coincidence, my last Amazon order included two books that take place in Paris (ordered way before I even knew I'd be visiting it). I finished one today and started on the other one right away. The first was a charming YA novel, Anna and the French Kiss, that I fell in love with on page 3. If you like YA fiction, you should read it, it's wonderful. And the other is about a single mother-to-be, an American, living in Paris. I just started it and it seems fun so far.

ABCs

2011-10-12T09:43:00.000+02:00

I’ve seen this popping up around theblogosphere. So here are the ABCs of me. Feel free to share yours.

A. Age: 32.
B. Bed size: King
C. Chore that you hate: Meh, cleaning. :/
D. Dogs: Nope.
E. Essential start to your day: Coffee, black, andbrekky with husband.
F. Favorite color: Lots: blue, black, burntsienna, olive green …
G. Gold or Silver: silver
H. Height: 5' 4
I. Instruments you play: used to play the guitar but I’vebeen neglecting it for years now.
J. Job title: translator
K. Kids: one on the way. ;)
L. Live: Central Europe,close to the sea, amongst vineyards that turn gorgeous colors in the fall
M. Mother’s name: Maria
N. Nicknames: Had lots at a younger age, but nonenow, not that I can think of anyway.
O. Overnight hospital stays: one, at the age of 3;lied to the nurses that I had nightmares about wolves so that they’d let mehome earlier. ;)
P. Pet peeves: narrow-mindedness and intoleranceand people thinking ‘If he/she doesn’t recycle, why should I? If he doesn’tclean up after himself, why should I? If she leaves the lights on in an emptyroom, why shouldn’t I?’
Q. Quote from a movie: Louis, I think this is thebeginning of a beautiful friendship. ~Casablanca
R. Right or left handed: Right handed
S. Siblings: one sister
T. Time you wake up: 6:25 am (not voluntarily!)
U. Underwear: Yeah, I do wear it. Sometimes.
V. Vegetable you hate: I can’t think of one,I love veggies.
W. What makes you run late: Usually being clumsyputting my contacts in.
X. X-Rays you’ve had: Head (several times and allthat the x-rays showed was that I actually had one), dental, knees
Y. Yummy food that you make: All sorts of pasta,risottos, salads … I’m not good with meat, though.
Z. Zoo animal: I love monkeys, they’re so frickinsmart! And they have a better sense of humor than most people.

Back from vacation

2011-10-11T10:26:00.004+02:00

I spent a lovely weekend at a spa. Hubby and I had planned lots of walks and bicycle rides, but the weather turned sour, so we mostly just relaxed in the pools and enjoyed the delicious food. ;)

Unfortunately, I don't have any new recipes or refashions or even any new sewing projects to share with you after this weekend, but this'll be a busy week so you can except new posts soon.

In the meantime, if you missed it, Megan Nielsen is having a giveaway for a 50$ voucher for her shop. Enter on her blog. You've got until October 14th to enter.

Also, if you're in need of a fancy clutch, here's a tutorial by Jorth on Whip up. If you don't have the time or materials to make one yourself, comment on the post and you might win the gorgeous clutch that Jorth created. :)

Spa weekend

2011-10-06T09:03:00.004+02:00

I'm off to a spa for a few days! I hope you'll enjoy your weekend as much as I will. Be back on Tuesday. Toodles. :)

And the winner is ...

2011-10-03T08:59:00.002+02:00

The winner of Pattern Magic is - Caramia! Send me your address to my email and I'll ship it out to you this week. Congrats! Enjoy using it, there's plenty of amazing patterns in there.

Dolce far niente

2011-09-30T12:02:00.001+02:00

A lazy day today. I've had lots of errands this week, one meltdown (hormones!) and one birthday dinner so far and another one on Sunday. I've also printed, cut and adjusted a pattern for a coat and read tons on baby equipment (strollers with light and sound effects - are they nuts??).

So today, I'm mostly relaxing with cooking. I made potato moussaka. It's delish, but can't compare to this piece of art:


Isn't this the most beautiful sweet you've ever seen?

For more artistic delights go here.

And before you start asking whether there's a point to this post at all - I wanted to blog about a recent refashion. I had a light blue sheet with white roses on it but it shrunk in the washing machine (I followed the instructions!). It was useless but brand new so I couldn't just throw it away. I dyed it black, but surprise surprise! the roses were still visible and created a pretty awesome effect in my opinion.

Being constantly in search of maternity wear these days, I wanted to use this new fancy fabric for a maternity piece. I didn't have any appropriate patterns so I just draped the fabric on the dress form. On one side at the waist I gathered the fabric into a few pleats and as a result the bottom hem became shorter on that side. Thinking I failed to take the pleats into consideration, I wanted to fix this but then decided that I quite liked the slanted hem. After I pinned the fabric in place, I merely stitched the front and back sides together and added a side zipper.

In the early stages of pregnancy the side pleats hid my baby bump perfectly.

I made boat neckline because it was the easiest and required minimal amount of cutting and draping.

Still comfy to wear in my fifth month.

For a shrunken sheet it looks good, no? But maybe I should've still read the label more carefully. ;) ;)

And to end this post: you have until midnight CET to enter my giveaway for Pattern Magic. I'll pick a winner over the weekend and let you know on Monday.

Giveaway reminder

2011-09-29T12:18:00.005+02:00

Just a reminder: you have one more day to enter my giveaway for the Pattern Magic book. Comment here and leave me a way to contact you in case you win it! Good luck. :)

Easy shrug

2011-09-27T11:36:00.000+02:00

Although it's still very warm, even hot during the day, despite it being 27th September, it gets fairly chilly in the evening. I don't usually feel cold very often, but now I do, for some reason. So I devised this super easy and quick-to-make shrug.

Here's the tutorial in just six easy steps for a shrug in size M.

Step 1: Cut out a piece of fabric that is 20 cm wide and 120 cm long (8"x47").

Step 2: Fold it in half, right sides facing, and stitch the ends together.

You should get this:

Step 3:

Place the fabric on a flat surface with the seam on one end, like in the above photo. Mark the middle of the fabric band at the other end.

Step 4: Fold the fabric like this:

Line up the seam with the marked middle, this will be your 'back seam'. Then pin the two edges together, right sides facing, about 10 cm (4") from the back seam to either side.

Step 5: Stitch the edges together.

Step 6: Trim the raw edges of the shrug and you're done!

Sorry about the blurry image. Hubby's not home to take a pic of me wearing it. ;)

Food festivals

2011-09-26T09:20:00.001+02:00

This was a fun and busy weekend. But before I get to that, just a reminder that my giveaway for a copy of Pattern Magic is still going. You have five more days to enter, and please leave me a way to contact you in case you win the book.Now onto the deliciousness I tasted in the past three days. First, here are some photos from Gorizia where there were many countries presenting their gastronomy, wines, beer and other stuff.

Roasting pig at the Serbian stall

Chocolate shoes

Sicilian sweets

Enormous loaves of bread

Olives of various colours

The Austrian stall

After more than five years I again ate the Sicilian 'arancini'

The Serbian 'pleskavice'

Macaroons from the French stall

I have far fewer photos from Saturday because it was just too hot to really bother with photographing (28 degrees at the end of September?!?).

Figs in refosco wine

Fig jams

There were many wines offered a the event but I had to avoid them

The Russian stall

I think these look lovely. I've always liked them. They're called 'lectovo srce' or gingerbread heart.

Here's the recipe for one of the sweets

Phew, that's a lot of photos for one post! So I'll leave you with that for now. And don't forget to comment on my giveaway. Happy Monday!

Maternity pants refashion

2011-09-26T07:08:00.000+02:00

Here's one of the refashions that I've done lately. I'm not just simply using old pieces to turn them into new ones - these latest refashions have a common theme: I've been refashioning clothes into maternity wear. Most of my regular clothes are beginning to be a bit too tight so I needed a solution. I don't like the idea of buying maternity clothes (which are really expensive) to wear them for only a few months and then have them clutter up my wardrobe.

But I also didn't want to refashion my current clothes because I really love how they fit me and I'm hoping (!!) that I'll be able to wear them again in a few months.

So I dug out a few pieces that I rarely (or never) wear and set about changing them into maternity clothes. The first were a pair of pants with a high waist that I detested, had for years and never wore.

I cut away the waist at the back and a little lower in front:

And then I added a stretchy jersey waistband that I measured to fit my baby bump.

Here's the final result:

I'm really satisfied with how they turned out and I'm planning on a similar refashion on another pair of pants.

Foodie Friday

2011-09-23T10:12:00.000+02:00

This weekend will be a feast for the palate and for a change I won't be doing the cooking.

Today, hubby and I are going to Gorizia in Italy to visit the Gusti di Frontiera gastronomic festival. Food and wines from various European countries are presented at this event and although I'll have to stick to food and avoid the alcohol, I'm certain there'll be plenty to taste.

https://www.facebook.com/gustidifrontiera

And tomorrow afternoon we're meeting a couple of friends for drinks and then going to see the Sweet Istria festival in Koper. They'll have a selection of traditional Istrian sweets and wines. I'm not that much into sweets, but just seeing an event like this will be a treat. And maybe I'll snag a recipe or two. And take photos, of course. :)

On a different note, but still a treat for the eyes, here's a little something I saw at Love Maegan blog:

Hubby and I are renovating an old house (if you follow my blog, you probably remember me mentioning it before, a long time ago. The reason it's going so slow is that we're trying to do as much work as possible ourselves and my pregnancy will probably put a damper on that project for a while. ;))

Now, I'd like our bedroom to look something like that! I love the colors, I love the stone wall - which we will have in our room because it's a very old, rustic house, built from stone. But the room won't be as light as the one in the picture, because we'll only have a small window and French doors onto the balcony. It will be a fairly large room, however, so I'd like to find a way to use that space to give the room the feel of lightness. Maybe by painting all the other walls white? Or some other color? Any interior designers here to help me out? ;)

Oh, and check out Maegan's blog, too, she has some super stylish advice to share and lots of DIY projects.

Like two peas in a pod

2011-09-22T10:25:00.000+02:00

A few days ago I discovered a new, delicious blog about gardening and food. Lots of yummy recipes there that I have to try out. The first one I chose was Tarte aux petits pois & gorgonozola (Pie with peas and gorgonzola). Let me tell you - it's one delicious creation! Hubby loved it, and it was so good I ate too much of it so my stomach protested afterwards.

I served it with arugula with Parmesan cheese and cherry tomatoes with basil and balsamic vinegar. Everything, except for the cream, flour and the cheeses, was home grown.

Don't forget about my giveaway if you'd like your copy of Pattern Magic! You have until September 30th to comment and follow my blog, then I'll pick a winner at random.

GIVEAWAY

2011-09-21T12:49:00.000+02:00

I did a lot of re-designing here on my blog. I’m not entirely satisfied yet so you can expect a few more changes in the future. I’d like it to look nice and chic (which it never will because it reflects my personality way too much ;)) and to be easy to get around and not too cluttered. I removed the picture links on the right side and used simple text links instead, so now you can browse through my tutorials and DIY and the recipes I posted in the right sidebar. Like? Or not?

On the left, I’d like to put up your buttons. Yup, you heard that right, I’m offering up some space to put up buttons with links to your shops or blogs or websites for a few months (depending on how many I’ll get). Preferably, they should be 200x200 pixels, in any case not wider than 200 pixels. And it’s for free, all you have to do is follow my blog. And if you feel like it, you can put up a link to my blog on your website (using my button in the right sidebar), but that’s not a requirement. If you’re interested, leave me a comment or send me an email with the button and link.

G I V E A W A Y

And since I’m feeling so generous and all, I’m also having a giveaway. I’m giving away a copy of Pattern Magic in Japanese. Although the instructions are not in English, it's still fairly easy to follow them as there are many sketches and photos. The designs are fascinating and a challenge to try out. If you're into sewing, you'll love this book.

If you’d like to win it, follow my blog and comment below. Or if you know someone who might like to have the book, let them know.

I think this is all for now. Oh, and I'll pick a winner at random on September 30th. :)

GIVEAWAY CLOSED!

Cleaning

2011-09-21T11:19:00.000+02:00

I was cleaning out my photography folders. Here are a few pics that I decided not to delete.

I'll probably make another post later today with a few announcements and a giveaway so check back later. Have a nice Wednesday. :)

Renovated lamp

2011-09-20T10:32:00.000+02:00

Ages ago we bought an Ikea pendant ceiling lamps for my office and the living room. I liked their white simplicity ... until they were not white anymore. The years have dulled the color and it's now off-white, yellowish ... something.

Instead of buying a new lamp, I decided to spruce up the old lackluster ones. (Funny fact: luster is a Slovene colloquial word for a chandelier. :))

I gathered old, unused pieces of wrapping paper, scissors and some standard paper glue.

You can cut the paper out any way you like: various patterns, flowers, stripes, the actual prints on the paper or just randomly across the prints and colors ... You can also use ribbons or strings to give the lamp more texture. I decided to cut out patterned leaves and then glued them onto the lamp.Voilá:

Rant & Recipe

2011-09-19T11:25:00.000+02:00

Does anyone have any experience with international shipping of the USPS? I ordered a spare part for the AC in my car three months ago and still haven't received the package. And no, it wasn't sent surface mail, but priority. I'm beginning to lose my patience. Are they still using pony express to deliver their mail?

I've tried contacting USPS through their website form but all I get are formulaic answers that don't tell me anything about what happened to my package. :( If I could at least get an email address of someone who would actually bother to check whether the package still exists somewhere or whether it got lost.

I've been driving around without AC the entire summer and that's not very enjoyable when you're pregnant. :( :(

/end rant

Now onto happier stuff - a new recipe!

With the weather turning a bit more autumn-ish yesterday, hubby and I took the time to enjoy cooking a meal together and just laze in the afternoon. And while the lazing got boring after a while, the cooking was mucho fun and with delicious results. We got the recipe from a cooking magazine but we adapted it to our liking. So here's our version:

Polenta sticks and mushrooms with pancetta

For 2 servings:

for polenta sticks
100 g instant polenta
1 tablespoon of fresh sage, thinly chopped
25 g Parmesan cheese, freshly grated (I use Grana Padano)
10 g butter and 2 tablespoons of olive oil
1/2 teaspoon of salt and a pinch of black pepper, freshly ground

for the mushrooms
200 g of mushrooms, sliced (you can use champignon mushrooms, but we used boletus mushrooms)
6 thin slices of pancetta
4 tablespoons of olive oil
1 clove of garlic, chopped
3 spoons of dry white wine
a bunch of parsley, freshly chopped

Boil 250 ml of water. Mix in the instant polenta and sage and stir until polenta gets thick. Take it off the stove, mix in the Parmesan cheese, butter, salt and pepper. Put the still warm polenta onto a sheet of baking paper and form a rectangle (10 cm x 5 cm) 1 cm thick. Leave it till it cools and becomes firm then place it into the fridge.

In the meantime heat the oil in a pan, add the slices of bacon (you can cut them into smaller pieces if you like) and fry them for a few moments, then add the garlic and mushrooms. Cook until the mushrooms are done, about 15 minutes if you're using boletus mushrooms. Then add the wine, salt and pepper. Cook until a bit of the wine evaporates. At the very end, add chopped parsley.

Just before the mushrooms are done, take the polenta out of the fridge and cut it into sticks (about 1.5 cm wide). Heat 2 spoons of olive oil in a pan and fry the sticks on every side until they become crispy and golden.

Serve the polenta sticks with mushrooms and add a slice of lemon for decoration.

I'm getting a smile on my face just thinking of how good this tasted! :) :) :)

Elephants

2011-09-18T13:42:00.000+02:00

This cute elephant is part of my newest work in progress. I have to make a few more and then hopefully I'll have some pics of the finished project. ;)

Nostalgia

2011-09-16T10:49:00.000+02:00

When it comes to childhood memories, most are fairly fuzzy for me. But there are a few scenes that I remember vividly and one of them is of my sister and me sharing a meal with our late grandpa. It was a simple affair, but one that I found delicious, and still do.

He would cook jacket potato (I can’t remember whether he sliced it before or after cooking it to make it easier for us to peel) and serve it on a platter in the middle of the table. Then he gave a small knife each and told us how to peel it. I remember squealing and tossing the hot potato slices in our small fingers until we finally managed to peel it. Then we would eat it with locally produced cottage cheese, salt and pepper.

Like I said, this is one of my most vivid memories and a meal I still enjoy today. Back then it was more of a ritual of connecting with our chain-smoking, war-stories-teller of a grandpa, a soft, generous soul that I still miss. Nowadays it’s a fast, refreshing meal that I usually eat alone because hubby’s not too fond of it. ;)

Potato with cottage cheese / Čompe s skuto

For 1 serving:

Peel two medium potatoes and cut each into four pieces. Boil them till cooked.

Mix cottage cheese with a bit of yoghurt, salt, pepper and parsley or tarragon (dry or fresh). Add the cooked potatoes into the cottage cheese and mix lightly so that the potatoes are nicely covered with it.

I eat it as a full meal but you can serve it as a side dish to fish or as part of a vegetable plate.

If you’d prefer a creamier taste of the cottage cheese, you can substitute the yoghurt with sour cream.

Smoothie

2011-09-15T10:09:00.000+02:00

After my sister's wedding this weekend where I ate too many sweets and cakes and food in general (but who could say no at such a beautiful and meaningful event?!), I'm trying to get back to my usual healthy foods - lots of veggies and fruit.

banana + apple + cinnamon + honey + yoghurt = banana apple smoothie

Links

2011-09-14T14:35:00.000+02:00

Here's a couple of links that you might find useful if you're into cooking and food in general.

First, which herbs can be dried without them losing most of their flavour. Check them out in this article.

Next is a blog that writes about food, relationships and memories that go with it. See the world of food through the eyes of a hungry writer.

And lastly, a recipe I tried out two days ago, enjoyed immensely and made my hubby happy with it: homemade basil pesto by Ashely from the Hither & Thither blog.

Happy reading and cooking!

Jam and ice cream

2011-09-07T19:32:00.000+02:00

I tried two recipes by Clotilde today. First, Cherry tomato cinnamon jam and then the Lemon kefir ice cream. I can't really say how the jam turned out as I'll have to wait a couple of months before I try it (and I can't wait), but the ice cream is delicious. Even my husband who's not really into ice creams loved it.

The brownish color of the ice cream comes from the maple syrup that I used in combination with honey as the sweetener. It tastes dreamy!

I need to buy an ice cream maker, though. Are you using one? Any suggestions on brands or types? I have absolutely no idea about ice cream makers, any help would be appreciated. :)

Spaghetti with salmon and cream

2011-09-06T17:17:00.000+02:00

If you like fish and pasta, this is a great way to combine them. I learned the recipe for salmon with cream in a cooking show on our TV, but I adapted it a little for my taste. I like fish, but I can only eat a small amount of it at a time. This way I can keep fish in my diet, but combine it with pasta that I love and can eat copious amounts of. ;)

You need:

salmon fillet (approx. 1 piece per 2 servings)
2 dl cream for cooking
1 tbs honey
salt
pepper
a sprig of rosemary
spaghetti
grated Parmesan cheese
olive oil

Heat 2 tbs of olive oil and then fry the salmon fillet (seasoned with salt and pepper to taste) till it's done. It only takes a couple of minutes on each side. You can try with fork if the fish is tender, then it's done.

Take the fillet out of the pan, place it on a plate and trickle it with honey.

Add the cream and minced rosemary into the pan and bring it to a boil. Salt and pepper.

Break the salmon fillet into little pieces using a fork. Then add it back into the cream sauce and stir.

Boil spaghetti in salted water till they're cooked al dente. Strain them and then put them back into the pot, adding half of the salmon & cream sauce. Stir well, put on plates and then add the remaining sauce on top. Decorate with sprigs of rosemary and add Parmesan cheese.

Voila! It's done, it's easy, it's delicious.

I served it with Jamie Oliver's easy peasy ginger beer because I'm not allowed alcohol, but a nice glass of white wine would go perfectly with it too.

Bon appetit!

First rainy day in a long time

2011-09-05T12:20:00.000+02:00

Rain! It's raining for the first time after what seems like months. Definitely looong weeks. It sounds so beautiful, the raindrops rattling on the windows. I kept staring out the window. Don't get me wrong, I loved the scorching hot summer, but seeing and hearing rain after all this time was nice too. Maybe the first sign of the autumn coming - because just yesterday it sure didn't seem like the summer's anywhere near its end with 30+ degrees and the blinding sun.

For a quick lunch I prepared radicchio with potatoes and Nigella Lawson's Golden honey mustard dressing. It was yummy. I cooked jacket potato, peeled it and sliced it still hot into the radicchio (I usually wait for it to cool down because then the potato slices stay nice and whole but this time I wanted it to crumble which happens if you slice it still hot). Idressed the salad with the honey mustard dressing (it's spicy sweet because of the mustard and honey combination and perfect for the slightly bitter radicchio) and mixed it. It was delicious with the crumbly, soft potatoes melting in the sweet dressing.

And because you use lemon juice in the dressing, this is also a very healthy dish because the body needs the vitamin C to extract all the iron from the radicchio. You not only get a great lunch but also a healthy one!

Summer's end

2011-08-30T16:54:00.000+02:00

We've had two weeks of scorching hot weather, until last Saturday. It was like the height of summer although we usually get hot Julys and milder August. I loved it (despite the broken AC in our car), I enjoyed three days off that I spent at my parents' place near a river. I swam, ate and vegged out. ;)

Despite this latest period of heat, the summer is unavoidably nearing its end with September starting in less than two days. And before I go all autumn-nostalgic, I'd like to remember the best thing about summer - delicious, fresh fruits and vegetables. This is something I dearly miss during the winter days (and try to substitute for with chocolate) and try to always enjoy to the full during summer.

I carrot about you so much.

Ramen

2011-08-16T11:40:00.000+02:00

I've been in the mood for some Japanese food for a while now and since I can't eat sushi, I decided to make Ramen. From scratch!

Feeling vintage

2011-08-15T21:58:00.000+02:00

I've had a vintage kind of day today. I spent the entire afternoon browsing vintage dresses on Etsy and bought two! I also added a few vintage items to my Etsy shop.

I'll be adding more in the next few days.

Ocean blue wrap top

2011-06-30T13:45:00.000+02:00

I had a large piece of light blue knit fabric. For the life of me I couldn't remember why I'd bought it because I didn't even like the color. To fix my error, I bought fabric dye and turned it into a greenish dark blue color that I like very much!

And what better way to use the 'new' fabric than to make a comfy wrap top from it. I've seen so many lovely wrap tops on the web and they all looked so tempting. But I didn't have a pattern. So I decided to make my very first pattern. As the base, I used a tunic pattern that I used a while ago (that reminds me I have yet to post photos of that tunic!) and adjusted it to my needs. It was actually easier than I imagined.

You can get the pattern on BurdaStyle. Or, if you're not a member on BS, shoot me an email at brizitka2001 (at) yahoo (dot) com and I'll send it to you. Unfortunately, it's only available in size M at the moment. It's an easy pattern, you'll be able to use it even if you're a novice seamstress.

seeing yellow

2011-06-26T17:47:00.000+02:00

Yellow is the colour of this sunny Sunday.

1. Today Dress - made to order by THIMBLEandACORN
2. Simplicity shorty (organic cotton) by gaiaconceptions
3. Gold naturally dyed handwoven shawl by larimeloom
4. Modern abstract cityscape by adrianaoancia
5. Field of sunshine by bomobob
6. Rose lady, mixed media art by me.

Burda pants - finally!

2011-06-25T09:50:00.000+02:00

I consider it a small miracle that I managed to complete these pants. I kid you not. I don't remember ever having so many problems with a single piece of clothing. It started with me somehow messing up the sizes, then the sewing machine started causing me problems by making large knots with the bottom thread, and lastly I was so preoccupied with resizing the waist after I originally cut it out too big that I forgot to include the red piping in the seams. Hence the piping is only on the bottom part of the waist. Still, I consider the pants a triumph because I managed to turn a catastrophe into a wearable pair of pants. :-)

Also, I had to lighten the photos in PS considerably because the material is so dark that you can barely see any of the features on the pants despite good lighting while taking pics. Hurumph! These pants are bewitched, I tell ya.

The basting on the waist. First, I sewed the waist on without the piping, so I had to undo it. (All in all, I spent far more time pulling seams apart than actually sewing with these pants ;) ) I didn't feel like pulling apart the entire waist to add piping, so I only added it at the bottom where the waist is attached to the pants. It's not the way I envisioned these pants at the beginning but I guess it's better than nothing.

I used red lining for the pockets. It goes nicely with the red piping.

I usually hate sewing zippers but this time the zipper seemed to be one of the easiest aspects because everything else was so complicated and difficult to put together. At least the length of the pants was correct because I used the short sizes so I didn't have to cut off a yard from the bottom hem.

JCSpok from Etsy

2011-06-24T14:51:00.000+02:00

Yesterday I received two cards that I ordered from Etsy. JCSpock uses mixed media and sustainable materials for her art and it looks divine.

Aren't they beautiful? Like a fairytale.

She's currently on vacation but will re-open on 7/7. Visit her store and browse her items, you won't regret it.

Fail! :(

2011-06-23T07:48:00.000+02:00

Gah! These pants are a major catastrophe. They're the closest any of my sewing projects has ever been to total failure. And it started out oh, so well.

I don't usually measure myself before tracing a pattern because I always use the same size. But this time it's a 'short size' I'm using so the sizes are different and I had to measure myself. And I thought I did it well. Guess not, because everything went well, even the first fitting of the half-made pants. But once I tried them on just before adding the zipper and waist - fail! The pants are way too big. I tried fixing it, because really, better too big than too small, right? Only, I can't change them much because of the pockets. Any way I try to take in the seams, the pockets get affected. They either jut out at the sides or the openings become too small. Ugh! And they were so promising ...

Burda pants

2011-06-17T16:37:00.000+02:00

Woo-hoo, another post today. :)

As I mentioned in my previous post, I'm making a pair of pants.

Burda, April 2011

I want to do them with piping along the seams (sorry, sis, stealing your idea!), but I can't decide on the color.

The fabric is actually a tad more gray than blue and a bit darker than on this photo. To get a better idea as to how the pants would look with a red piping and with a brown one, I played around with Photoshop a bit.

What do you think? Red or brown? Or nothing at all?

My wardrobe sigh

2011-06-17T11:58:00.000+02:00

My mood sours every time I open my wardrobe. :( It's crammed with stuff I never wear - stuff, I MADE but never wear. Until recently I made things that looked good on other people, using fabric that seemed nice. I never really thought how that would look on me. So once a shirt or dress or pants were done I realized I looked ridiculous in them. *sigh* At least, I think (hope!) I've learned not to do that anymore. Still, look at this:

Like I said - crammed!

Would anyone be interested in a giveaway of things I made but never wore? Because I need to empty the wardrobe otherwise I'll have a nervous breakdown someday. It's impossible to find anything wearable in there, particularly when I'm in a hurry.

I hope this new pair of pants that I started making now will actually fit the way I want them to. Or they'll just be another worthless piece of clothing.

Best Bread Ever

2011-06-15T12:16:00.000+02:00

I made a small loaf of bread today, but instead of the usual recipe, I followed this one. It's the best bread I ever made and comes close to the big, delicious loaves with crunchy crust that Grams used to make in her bread stove. You have to try it, you'll never bake bread in any other way.

Thanks to nikkishell for sharing the link and Jaden Hair for developing this recipe.

My first bookmark

2011-06-13T21:45:00.000+02:00

I made a new bookmark today. I posted it on Etsy.

The pendant is gold plated.

Rainy days

2011-06-09T18:35:00.000+02:00

over Narita

we dip into clouds like lips

in cappuccino.

This is my haiku that will be published in New Sun Rising, an anthology to help the Japanese recover from the devastating earthquake and tsunami in March. It is also perfectly in tune with the constant rain rain rain … Because that's all we've been having this past week. I thought this was supposed to be the beginning of summer, thirty degrees, sun, the smell of sunscreen and fresh veggies, mosquitoes. Well, there are mosquitoes, but that’s about it.

To cheer myself up I had a Mediterranean day yesterday, at least when it comes to food. I baked focaccia with rosemary and made pasta.

Mediterranean pasta
(for about 3 servings)

250 g of pasta (You can use any type you like, fusili, farfalle etc. The quantity stated is for uncooked pasta)
25 green olives without stones
3 leaves of basil
a sprig of rosemary
half a sun dried tomato in olive oil
1 can of tuna fish (160 g)
fetta cheese

Cook the pasta al dente in salted water, then cool it under cool water (if you don’t the pasta will become overcooked and will disintegrate). Chop olives, tomato, basil, rosemary to small pieces. Mix it all with pasta. Add the tuna fish and fetta cheese cut into cubes. Mix again, add salt (I use a provençal mixture of salt and herbs) and pepper to taste and it’s done. Bon appetito!

Flower tutorial

2011-06-08T22:21:00.000+02:00

I made a bag for a friend and I had just enough left over fabric to try another flower. I searched for two other fabrics in complementing colours. I googled the web for a nice stencil of a flower and printed it out in three different sizes. I cut out the stencils and placed them onto the fabrics and cut out one flower for each size and fabric - this way I got nine pieces. I hemmed them using the zigzag seam - this will take up a lot of time and you have to do it patiently, particularly if you've chosen a complicated flower stencil.

I stacked the pieces, starting with the largest and going towards the smallest, keeping the sequence of the colors the same. But you can vary that if you like. Make sure you don't place all the pieces in exactly the same position or they will cover up the pieces underneath.

Sew the pieces together through the middle and then add a button on top. At the back, sew a safety pin.

This is the final result:

Burda top

2011-06-07T14:46:00.000+02:00

Oops, second post today - after four months of no posts. A bit extreme, methinks.

I wanted to post a couple more photos of my very latest project - Burda blouse. I love this pattern and it's great for my figure (small breasts and long torso). Despite the sophisticated look it's fairly easy to make.

Close up of the sleeve.

The only difference between the chocolate silk blouse and this newer version is the lack of the bow in front. The bow looks great on the silk one, but I wanted the blue top to go with elegant pants as well as jeans so I decided to omit the bow. I think this way it's more versatile.

Upcycled shirt tutorial

2011-06-07T12:08:00.000+02:00

Ok, here it is, my tutorial on how to upcycle or embellish old, boring shirts. At least, this is how I did it. :-)

I had this old, ugly shirt that someone gave me a long time ago. It was much too wide and the fabric was just ... ugh. See? Told ya.

So I wanted to experiment with it a bit to see if I can make it look better. Nothing better than a challenge! ;) I asked my sister for a piece of orange fabric that she had left from one of her projects.

I cut the shirt in half just below the bust.

Then I cut a a fairly wide band of the orange fabric, but just long enough for my waist + a few additional centimeters for the button and button hole thingy at the ends (how's that part called anyway?)

I stitched the front center (again the button thingy, left and right side) to the same width as in the original shirt.

Then, I gathered the hem of the upper part of the shirt to the same width as the orange piece.

I pinned the upper part of the shirt onto the orange piece.

And then sewed it together.

I repeated the process with the lower part of the shirt and the bottom hem of the orange piece, only I shortened the shirt piece and I made pleats instead of gathering the fabric.

I also shortened the sleeves and repalced the original grey cuffs with new ones from the orange fabric.

I added buttons, the same style but orange ones on the grey parts, and grey ones on the orange parts.

The result is not exactly haute couture, but it's more wearable than the original shirt. :-) :-)

I'm baaack!

2011-06-06T09:03:00.000+02:00

Although you might think that I haven't done any sewing in the past months because of lack of blog posts, you'd be very much mistaken. I've done so much sewing and cross-stitching and other things that I didn't have the time to update my blog. Ok, so that's not entirely true. Life has been busy otherwise too. Occasionally too busy; I can't seem to find the time to just relax and do nothing lately. But maybe the summer will bring a few calmer days and more rest and relaxation.

But for now, here are a few photos of a few of the things I made since February. I upcycled an old shirt.

Next time I'll make a post on how to get from this:

to this:

I also made a simple wine red tunic to wear with tights.

This dress I will be putting in my Etsy store shortly:

And another top for me, made from a beautiful cotton material, using a pattern from Burda 2009 (2).

Hopefully, my next post will come sooner than in four months. ;)

Tutorial: How to make a clothes pegs basket?

2011-02-15T10:55:00.000+01:00

I had a basket for my clothes pegs but it got really old and worn out and not pretty at all. So I decided to make a new one from recycled materials. It's easy and very useful. :)

Take an old wire coat-hanger. Maybe you could also use a plastic or wood one, but I think it's best if it's something slim so it's easy to insert it into the bag that you'll make.

Take the coat-hanger and place it on top of two layers of fabric (I used two different fabrics, but you can use the same one) and cut the fabric at the top in the form of the coat-hanger.At the bottom leave as much fabric as you'd want the basket to be long. I was using recycled fabric so I didn't have much choice with the length of the basket, but you want to make sure you leave it big enough for all your clothes pegs to fit in.

Then take the top layer of the fabric and cut out a piece in the form seen in the photo above. The easiest way to do that is to fold the fabric in half. Make sure that the fabric is cut through at the top. You'll need that opening to insert the coat-hanger.

Now take a ribbon or bias cut strap of fabric and hem the opening that you got after the cutting. On both ends, leave the ribbon a bit longer. You'll use it later to tie the two ends together.

Now place the two pieces together and stitch them along all the sides.

Turn it inside out and you'll get a bag. Now insert the coat-hanger so you get this:

Tie the two ends of the ribbon around the coat-hanger so that it is firmly in place and you're done. Fill it with clothes pegs and happy laundry day!!

How to make homemade butter?

2011-01-21T14:38:00.000+01:00

I used to buy skimmed and homogenised milk, but then all around the country they started selling real, fresh, unprocessed milk. It's a bit more expensive, but it tastes like the milk I used to drink in my childhood - full-bodied and wholesome. Another advantage is that you can process it at home and make other products from it. In December, as part of the holiday promotion the lovely lady from the farm where they produce the milk offered every buyer a list of recipes for sour milk, cheese, butter etc. Sour milk is easy, I've done it before. But butter ... That was a new challenge. I followed the recipe which was straightforward and easy. And I succeeded, I got homemade butter! Pretty awesome, huh?

Step 1: Take unprocessed, unskimmed milk, pour it into a large dish or pot and place it into the fridge over the night. All the cream will rise to the top and in the morning it'll be easy to skim it with a spoon or ladle.

Step 2: Put the cream into a dish and leave it for at least 12 hours outside! Don't put it in the fridge because the lactic acid (or some such thing) needs to do its thing. You'll notice that the cream is ready when it gets thicker and it starts to smell slightly sour.

Step 3: Use an ordinary kitchen mixer and beat the cream for about 15 minutes. The buttery parts will start to form into small grains that will get bigger and bigger. Once you get about hazelnut size, you can stop. You'll get something like this:

The butter will look grainy and there'll also be some buttermilk. Separate the two; the easiest way to do that is to use a sieve so you can then also pour water over the butter, to rinse out the acid.

And this is it! You now have butter and buttermilk (which you can also drink because it's healthy.) Easy, eh?

Note: I got the above amount of butter from 2 liters of milk.

Next time, carrot soup recipe! Nom nom. ;)

Winter Wonderland ... is gone :(

2011-01-16T20:52:00.000+01:00

I miss the snow ...

We're having between 10 and 15 degrees these days and that's much too warm for this time of the year. Supposedly we're getting a cold front at the end of this week and hopefully some more snow too. :-)

Though we went skating yesterday and that resembled winter at least somewhat. ;)

I remembered today that I didn't post yet about a pair of pants I made about a month ago. Several years ago I bought a pair of Naf Naf pants and I loved the design and fabric so much I decided to copy them. I couldn't find the same fabric so I used a different one with the same design. This is the result:

Three part dress

2011-01-11T19:22:00.000+01:00

I finished a new dress. I bought the fabric for a top I wanted to make, but because i didn't make it right away I sort of lost interest in it and forgot about the fabric. Until i discovered it again last weekend. I wanted something simple and comfortable and something that i can wear in a lot of different ways, because too often I make a dress that only fits with one particular jacket, or a blouse that only goes with that one skirt ... That's the punishment for not basing my wardrobe on just a few basic colors, but including the entire color palette and then some. I just can't help it, I love all colors! ;)

Anyway, this was made without a pattern with only a few basic measurements. The fact that the fabric is jersey allows it, because it's so easy to shape and sew with. For more details on how to make it see my burdastyle.com studio.

And this was the initial sketch:

Tessuti dress

2010-12-25T22:07:00.000+01:00

Almost a year ago I bought two yards of great fabric in Sydney's Tessuti store (they have a 20 % summer discount now). It was just before New Year's Eve and I was spending the last days in Sydney before returning home, so I had to visit the Tessuti store because I'd been following their blog for a long time and I loved all their fabrics.

I wanted to buy fabric for a wrap dress that I planned to make at the time. The lovely lady in the store agreed that these colors would look good on me. When I got home, however, I never found the time to make the said wrap dress and after a while I sort of lost interest in it. But then I browsed Burda Style website two days ago and found a memeber made pattern for an easy top. I decided to try it out because it looked fairly simple and like something I would wear, not just park in my wardrobe and leave it there. I only made it longer so that I got a dress instead of a top.

I'm very satisfied with the result and it only took me two or three hours.

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-23T12:11:00.000+01:00

This is my Christmas tree! This year I decorated it with gingerbread and dried slices of oranges and lemons. Together with the yellow lights this creates a wonderful golden glow in the evenings.

I wish everyone a very merry Christmas! I hope you'll all celebrate it in the company of your loved ones. :-)

Snowflakes

2010-12-06T13:57:00.000+01:00

Finally, a new post!! I've been away from here for a long while, huh?

I'm glad to report, I have a new listing in my store after many months.

You can buy a pair of these snowflake lace earring for $22! They're from handmade lace, made of cotton thread, starched and ironed. They look very romantic and cute.

Alba Style

2010-08-25T12:28:00.000+02:00

Some people say Jessica Alba has no acting talent. I've seen her in Dark Angel and a lot of movies and while she perhaps occasionally makes a bad choice when she picks her roles, I don't think anyone can say she isn't talented. Another thing there's no doubt about - the girl has style. I practically love everything she puts on whether it be afternoon casual for a day in the park or evening chic.

Get Jessica's wardrobe Etsy-style:

1. The Blondie Tee by DesireeSalas $32

2. Worthy Bag in Khaki with Chocolate Brown by Bayanhippo $42

3.Sunnies, Upside Down by Kahiko $5

4. Cigarette Pant by Ureshii $62

5. Flora Flat by HydraHeart $56

Top: Electric Avenue V Neck Top by iheartfink $65

Wedges: Golden Goddess Metallic Wedges by neverbeyondrepair $12

Recipe & rant

2010-08-19T07:23:00.000+02:00

Yesterday I tried this recipe for homemade granola. It's very easy and quick to make and it tastes delicious.

The only problem is that it's a bit too heavy for my stomach because of the maple syrup. That means hubby gets to eat all this goodness.

Make sure to also try Clotilde's recipe for Chocolate Yoghurt ice cream.

Two days ago I started to make a tablecloth with cross-stitched autumn leaves on it.

See those beautiful colors? Yeah well, it turns out they don't match. The colors are all wrong, they don't blend together the way they should. I'm really surprised by this because usually the magazine I use for the patterns (Capolavori del Punto Croce) has the best works in it and everything is just perfect. But this time, something must have gone very wrong when they were including the color chart and numbers. So now I have to undo the whole thing, go buy new thread and start all over again. :( Three days of work gone to nothing.

Interiors

2010-08-17T18:27:00.000+02:00

I'm still looking at stuff for my house. Here are a few gems I picked up while browsing through countless design blogs. I'm sorry I didn't save the links, though.

Although this is not an apartment but a store, I love the colors combination of the pillows, rug, and the dress on the dressmaker's doll.

This is Tiffani Amber Thiessen's house

I love love love this last one!

Mostly, they're all in light colors. That would be perfect for our layout. Now I just need to decide on a color palette and go with it.

Finally made it!

2010-08-12T12:07:00.000+02:00

Well, I didn't post much the past week because of this:

I finally finished this dress. It took me a while because I was working real slow - I had barely enough fabric so I didn't want to mess up. I used 100% polyester blue sateen with blue stretchy elastic and the beautiful silk ombre fabric I bought at Tessuti. I did a dress like this before, but that one didn't have a lining, it was just simple cotton dress. It turned out lining it AND adding the silk ruffles at the neckline complicate things immensely. I must have stressed over it too much because I lost some weight in the meantime and once it was finished - it didn't fit! And I had to fix it. And I was supposed to wear it to a wedding, but now I won't go to that wedding. :( Despite all the problems, I love the result.

This is the original dress I made following this pattern. I'm selling it for half price on Etsy (for only 33$).

I also made this one:

It's not really an LBD because it's made from knit fabric, but it's very versatile. I combined three patterns for this one: the Tara pattern from BurdaStyle (the skirt), dress pattern from Burda 3/2009 (the yoke), and blouse pattern from Burda 6/2007 (cap sleeves). Some adjusting was needed, but the parts fit together pretty neatly. It's super comfortable and chic. As in French chic - which I love.

I was so happy with it, I tried several outfits. I realized I can wear it with pretty much anything and also that trying on winter clothes in the middle of summer is uncomfortable and hot!

From the Tessuti fabric that was left over from the blue dress ruffles, I made a simple, no-pattern tunic. It's light, very summery and because of the colors very beautiful, it can go even with very elegant outfits. (I usually wear it on top of a black top, but I couldn't find it for the photos :/)

2010-08-05T08:54:00.000+02:00

I made new pillows for my living room to replace the old, white ones. I bought the fabric at Hawthorne Threads. They have so much fabric to choose from, it's actually hard to decide what you want. So I chose the brown one to go with the couch and the ice blue to match the lamp.

I'm still working on my cocktail dress, I need to buy elastic thread before I can finish it. I promise to post pictures once it's done. It should turn out nice. Hopefully. ;)

New outfits

2010-08-02T09:29:00.000+02:00

My two new outfits. The black dressed used to be a maxi dress, but I practically never wore it. So I shortened it and I'm really satisfied with the outcome.

And the shorts are a copy of a pair of shorts my sister bought a few years ago. I borrowed them, copied their pattern, lengthened slightly the legs, and that's it. I still have some of the fabric left, and I want to make slacks. I have a pair of Naf Naf pants that I love, but they're starting to show some wear and tear and I'm planning on making a new pair.

Also, don't forget I have a 50 % discount in my entire store at the moment! Check it out, maybe you find something you'll like. :-)

Saturday Blog Shoppers deals

2010-07-31T10:44:00.000+02:00

Welcome to the last Saturday Blog Shoppers deal for the summer! Since this is the last Saturday with a special deal, I'm offering a 50 % off everything in my shop. The discount will last till I sell at least half of my items because I'll introduce new items in the fall and I need to clear out the shop. I'd appreciate it if you spread the word. :-)

Bluejules2008

To visit other SBS participants, check out the list here. Leave a comment so I'll know you've visited my blog, and enjoy the offers from the talented artists and crafters.

Have a nice weekend.

What do you love about summer?

2010-07-28T15:06:00.000+02:00

Me, I like fresh veggies from my garden, the prickling warmth of sun rays on my skin and beautiful summer dresses like this one from Anthropologie.

If you have a minute, check out my treasury on Etsy and let me know what you think. :-)

Busy crafting

2010-07-27T14:03:00.000+02:00

This is the winter/autumn view from my balcony. Nice, no? I wouldn't mind having the view over Manhattan or Harbour Bridge or some such stunning place, but this one's rather nice too. I don't enjoy it as often as I should because I can't see it from my desk - but that at least means I'm busy working.

Yesterday, when I took a break from work, I made this needlepoint art. It's supposed to be starfish, but it doesn't look convincing to me.

Interior design

2010-07-26T12:18:00.000+02:00

My friend's daughter celebrated her first birthday a few days ago, so I made her this dress. It's cute and simple to make. I used this pattern by arsonista. I'm not sure what the girl's opinion was of the dress, her mom sure liked it. ;)

I've also been busy by trying to find ideas for the house we're renovating with my husband. We had a fairly set idea of how we wanted the place to look once finished - dark wood, fireplace, rustic kitchen, parts of the walls painted wine red or chocolate, parts done in stone etc. - but it turns out that's a no go. The place has very low ceilings and because of that and the small windows the use of dark furniture and dark colors would make it look like a cave. Since we're not Batman, we need to re-think the whole concept. We're looking at Scandinavian interior design blogs, trying to decide on a color palette that we would like and that would make the house nice and cosy, but also stylish.

So, if you know of any good interior design or DIY blogs, please let me know. I'd really appreciate it. :-)

Saturday Blog Shoppers deals

2010-07-23T20:03:00.000+02:00

Hey everyone!

I've missed the past two Saturdays of SBS deals because I had some health issues. But I'm back now and so today I'm offering two deals.

Both items are new and the first one is a pair of lace earrings. These are only the first in a line of new designs that I'm still working on. I'm offering this pair at 20 % off for all SBS participants this weekend.

The second offer is a new summer dress in size M. This is a one of a kind dress, made from cotton fabric with empire waist. This weekend only, you can get it for 20 % off its price. Just mention SBS in your message to the seller and I'll return the discount.

To visit other SBS participants, check out the list here. Leave a comment so I'll know you've visited my blog, and enjoy the offers from the talented artists and crafters.

Have a nice weekend.

I'm back and a new project

2010-07-20T15:10:00.000+02:00

After a very long absence, finally a new post. I had some job related problems, a lot of work with my studies and health issues, so I just couldn't muster the energy to post anything. I promise to post more regularly from now on. Scout's honor!

I was also busy with a new project for the past few days. I designed my very first piece of jewelery! I know, you'll say that's something completely different from my usual stuff, but it's not really. You see, I'm working on a line of earrings made from lace. Yup, you heard it right. I've been making lace for a number of years now and I thought I'd try something new (for me, at least). So I designed my first pair of earrings. Here's a taste:

I'll be having a special promotion for this pair of earrings this weekend, so come back then and be the first to wear this unique pair of lace earrings.

Saturday Blog Shoppers deals

2010-06-26T12:47:00.000+02:00

Welcome again to Saturday Blog Shoppers. I'm a bit late today, but I had a busy morning. ;)

Click here to see my shop. To reach Saturday Blog Shoppers click the button to the right or this link.

You can get this blue/black/white shrug (size M) for 15 % less this weekend.

Please let me know that you visited my Etsy shop by leaving a comment here. Make sure you visit other blogs on the Blog Shoppers list here: Quilts Galore and More .

I hope you'll all have a sunny Saturday!

Saturday Blog Shoppers deals

2010-06-19T11:05:00.000+02:00

Welcome again to Saturday Blog Shoppers.

Click here to see my shop. To reach Saturday Blog Shoppers click the button to the right or this link.

You can get this yellow flowery top (size S) for 15 % less this weekend.

Please let me know that you visited my Etsy shop by leaving a comment here. Make sure you visit other blogs on the Blog Shoppers list here: Quilts Galore and More .

I hope you'll all have a sunny Saturday!

Saturday Blog Shoppers deals

2010-06-12T10:05:00.000+02:00

My life is so busy lately I haven't managed to add any new items to my store. I hope to do that this week, but until then I'm still offering a 20 % discount store-wide. So, anything you buy this weekend, you get for 20 % off. Leave me a sellers message with 'SBS' and I'll return the discount through PayPal.

Click here to browse my store. Check out other SBS stores here. Leave a comment, so I'll know you've visited. ;)

Saturday Blog Shoppers deals

2010-06-05T09:10:00.000+02:00

This weekend, I am not promoting any particular item from my store. It's a wonderful day outside, the first traces of summer are here, so I'm feeling really good and I thought I'd offer a discount store-wide. So, anything you buy this weekend, you get for 20 % off. Leave me a sellers message with 'SBS' and I'll return the discount through PayPal.

Click here to browse my store. Check out other SBS stores here. Leave a comment, so I'll know you've visited. ;)

Saturday Blog Shoppers deals

2010-05-28T21:10:00.000+02:00

This weekend, I have a special offer on this green tube top You can get it for 20 % off just this weekend. Leave me a sellers message with 'SBS' and I'll return the discount through PayPal.

Click here to browse my store. Check out other SBS stores here. Leave a comment, so I'll know you've visited. ;)

Enjoy your weekends!

Saturday Blog Shoppers deals

2010-05-22T09:54:00.000+02:00

This weekend, I have a special offer on this white summer top You can get it for 20 % off just this weekend. Leave me a sellers message with 'SBS' and I'll return the discount through PayPal.

Click here to browse my store. Check out other SBS stores here. Leave a comment, so I'll know you've visited. ;)

Enjoy your weekends!

Saturday Blog Shoppers deals

2010-05-14T19:55:00.000+02:00

Another Saturday, another Saturday Blog Shoppers deal.

This weekend, I have a special offer on This off white border print A line skirt. You can get it for 20 % off (only $35 instead of $44) just this weekend. Leave me a sellers message with 'SBS' and I'll return the discount through PayPal.

Click here to browse my store. Check out other SBS stores here. Leave a comment, so I'll know you've visited. ;)

Enjoy your weekends!

Bluejules Sews

Fake quilting

Muesli cookies

Scenes from the weekend

Living in the countryside

Bisque

Apple soup

Photography contest

Wide pants to skirt

Warming tea

Nara Camicie

Culinary mag publication

Kardemummakaka

Tortilla day

Pads and bags

Nile perch fillet and potatoes from the oven

Resolutions - yes or no?

Happy 2012!

Festive maternity dress

Rigatoni with anchovies and dried tomatoes

Etsy shop

XXL tunic to M dress reafshion

BurdaStyle front page!!!

Embellished onesie

Ribbon storage

Chicken Gorgonzola Casserole

Baby project no.1: baby blanket

Leaf coasters

Kaki cream

Ze coat

Maternity cowl dress

Le temps au temps

Paris refashion

On the menu

Windy days

Paris, baby!

ABCs

Back from vacation

Spa weekend

And the winner is ...

Dolce far niente

Giveaway reminder

Easy shrug

Food festivals

Maternity pants refashion

Foodie Friday

Like two peas in a pod

GIVEAWAY

Cleaning

Renovated lamp

Rant & Recipe

Elephants

Nostalgia

Smoothie

Links

Jam and ice cream

Spaghetti with salmon and cream

First rainy day in a long time

Summer's end

Ramen

Feeling vintage

Ocean blue wrap top

seeing yellow

Burda pants - finally!

JCSpok from Etsy

Fail! :(

Burda pants

My wardrobe *sigh*

Best Bread Ever

My first bookmark

Rainy days

Flower tutorial

Burda top

Upcycled shirt tutorial

I'm baaack!

Tutorial: How to make a clothes pegs basket?

How to make homemade butter?

Winter Wonderland ... is gone :(

Three part dress

Tessuti dress

My wardrobe sigh