Two Drawstring bags

Since my first drawstring bags, shown here, I became addicted to sewing bags! For those ones I  did not follow a tutorial, but I was inspired by pictures on Pinterest and by the tutorial I used previously from Threading My Way

As regards those two fabrics, I am so happy that I found a way to use them, and I think that the result is quite satisfying. They were in my stash for years, and seeing them from time to time I was wondering what was the purpose of  buying such a kind of printed fabric. I find them lovely but difficult to use for a quilting project...

Drawstring Baskets

Since some time I wish to sew drawstring baskets for my grandchildren. After searching on Pinterest and on various blogs, I was lucky to find a really great tutorial on this blog : Threading My Way. I must say that I never found such a perfect tutorial, so well explained that you cannot make any mistake. I followed step by step the explanations and had not the least problem. I sewed the orange basket first, and was so satisfied with the result that next day I did a blue one. Tomorrow a pink one! Thank you Pam for Australia!

I chose fabrics from my stash : organic Birch Fabrics.

For the orange basket I just quilted random lines, but for the blue one I did better : I drew regular lines before quilting.

I was absent from the blog since a long time due to various family and health problems... among which a femoral neck fracture last June. I am now recovering and eager to go on sewing, quilting, knitting and blogging...

Pink Feeling

Suddenly spring! Three weeks ago we were under the snow and now spring is here! The first sign is the almond tree flowering. And with spring comes my feeling for fresh colors in the house, and especially pink which is my favorite color. I started taking everything pink from the closets : quilts, cushions, blankets... with a will to transform the house atmosphere. With enthusiasm (I don't know for how long) I began to air, brush, wash... in a word spring cleaning. 

Apart from cleaning and decorating, I baked a brioche and this orange cake. This is a classical family recipe I used to make a lot for my children : 

• 1 cup self raising flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup butter
• pinch of salt
• Orange peel + 1 orange juice
• 4 eggs         

Mix the sugar + melted butter. Add the eggs one by one, then the orange, then the flour.

Lay butter and spread sugar in a rectangular baking pan and pour the mixture. 

Put in the oven at 180 o C (327 o F) for 45 mn to 1 hour.

Just out of the oven, pour some cognac or rum and sprinkle a little icing sugar.

This cake is the easiest possible to make, and always successful!

After decorating and baking, let's start a little gardening... Quilting tomorrow...