Finger puppets and watercress!

The dress is almost at the photographing stage!  It should have been completed ages ago but I’m being fussy about the finishing fit…  I promise photos will appear by the weekend.

Today’s Hands On session was finger puppet making, although mine were not technically finger puppets… I started off with an octopus and before I knew it there was a whole sea themed set of puppets!

I can’t take all the credit though!  Whilst the octopus and seahorse were all my creation, the fish was Lottie’s creation and the crab was a combined effort!

Sadly I don’t have a photo of all of the puppets made as there was also a brilliant red riding hood and an alien from toy story!

Next weekend I’m off to abakhan and wirral food festival so won’t be going to Hands On but will hopefully be stocking up on wonderful fabrics at a (hopefully) wonderful price!  The food festival is less interesting for me as I won’t be able to eat most of the food on offer but my dad will be selling his wirral watercress there and I think the boy will enjoy it.

Chosen

Having been paid I have now purchased and read Chosen by Jerry Ibbotson.

It’s a story of two worlds which co-exist, although not always so peacefully and intriguing characters whose journey you travel along.  Even those less important characters have been constructed in such a way that you really want to follow their lives.  There are also a good number of twists and turns which keep you on your toes.

I really enjoyed it but I’m no good at writing about books so I shall refer you to the reviews section on amazon for that!  But I shall reiterate that it has some lovely, gripping characters and it’s the kind of book that sparks an urge to write, or at the very least, create.

Sushi (again!)

This evening we made sushi.  I took some photos to show you how to make it but I’m having trouble with the memory card…

Sushi

Sushi rice
Rice wine vinegar
Fish/tofu/veggies
Seaweed
Bamboo mat

• Cook the sushi rice as per instructions.  Once cooked and cooled stir in 1 tablespoon of rice wine vinegar.
• Lay one sheet of seaweed on the bamboo mat.
• Spoon rice onto the top quarter of the seaweed then layer the rice with fish/tofu/veggies.
• Roll the bamboo mat towards you, rolling the seaweed as you do so (photos would be helpful at this point!).
• Once you have a tube of sushi cut it into 6 to 8 pieces and serve with soy sauce or wasabi paste.

We used smoked salmon and prawns with soy sauce, very yummy.

Sushi is fun to make but as a warning, or disclaimer, it’s rather messy!!!

Project Runway…

I’ve never watched a reality tv programme… but project runway has pulled me in.  I’m not especially concerned by the people or who wins or looses but I’m really liking thinking about the challenges and thinking about what I would design.  Excellent for the creative juices!  And watching it really motivates me to make my dress which now just needs the sleeves finishing off and then any nip/tucks before it can be revealed to the world!  I really think this is a dress I’ll wear out, and even maybe to work!  The pattern has been such a joy to work with

I feel like I’ve become an awful part time blogger…  It’s the new job… In the old one I didn’t have enough to do and I didn’t really care about what I was doing so blogging at work was fine.  My new job has alot more responsibility, is far more interesting and much more what I want to be doing.  Plus the boy keeps taking his laptop to work with him (I don’t have my own) so I have to wait for him to get home to blog.  I am still reading people’s blogs though – comments are low because wordpress keeps kicking me out

Anyway, a quick recipe:

Spinach Gnocchi

Gnocchi (Serves 2)

2 potatoes (approximately 500g overall)

1 egg

200g plain flour

A bag of spinach

Salt and pepper

• Peel and boil the potatoes for about 15 to 20 minutes.
• Once they are cooked drain them and put them in a food processor.  Blend.
• Add the egg, salt and pepper and blend again.  Add roughly chopped spinach and blend.
• Add the flour in slowly and blend until you get a firm dough.
• Shape into small sausages (half an inch thick and an inch long).
• Add to a pan of hot water and when they rise to the surface they’re cooked.

Serve with a sage and pinenut butter.

I’ve got a mug in the oven!

Today at Hands On we decorated mugs!

My mug! (Obviously mine is the one on the right...)

Not much else is going on food or craft wise  Although I may have some sushi tips next weekend!  Hopefully I’ll have a dress to share in a couple of days time as well as my fabric finally came

The Knitting and Stitching Show 2010

I’m currently talking myself into buying tickets to the knitting and stitching show 2010 which is in Harrogate in November.  It looks like a fantastic event with lots of exciting workshops lined up and it’s only £11 for a day ticket!  It would make an excellent Christmas present to myself.  The main reason I’m holding back though is I don’t want to go by myself… Which is daft because I’m perfectly happy to do plenty of other things on my own.

Still haven’t got my fabric A courier tried to deliver it today but I was at work – turns out they only deliver week days which is pretty much useless because unless they deliver before or after work I will never be here.  They’re going to try delivering it tomorrow…  I’m pretty angry though – why would anyone use such a useless courier?!

Hmm… I thought I had posted this already…

I’ve found some fabric for my dress.  Unfortunately it was on ebay which means I can’t feel it (I’m quite a tactile person when it comes to clothes). But it was £2.99 a metre so I can take a chance with it and hope for the best.  I also got a couple of metres of jersey to make some long pj bottoms as it’s starting to feel a bit cold for the pj shorts I made a while back.

This weeks food includes:

Sunday Dinner; roast potatoes, brocolli, veggie sausages and yorkshire puddings

Monday; Veggie egg fried rice (obviously this and the roast dinner have been eaten as the post was supposed to post on Sunday!)

Tuesday and Wednesday are eating on the run days

Thursday is macaroni cheese

Friday is soyfish

Saturday is spinach gnochi

Craft wise I have nothing I can show you  But the new job is going well and the birthday present is coming along slowly.

Ooh, actually, I do have something to show you except I need to take a photo of it!  I decorated a tshirt last weekend using fabric paint and my limited art skills.  I’m mostly pleased with the results and was happy to wear it in public which is a good sign!