Playing with vintage sheets

Just recently, my niece (Mezz's daughter) turned 3 and once again I decided to make her something for her gift. I decided on a hopscotch mat made with pretty and colourful vintage sheets and fabric. On the reverse side I made a naughts and crosses board. I loved going through my stash of fabrics choosing bright and colourful patterns for this project. Completely suits her personality! Plus, this mat layed out would suit their home perfectly!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On the reverse side of the squares, I had a unmarked square ready for a naught or cross!

 

 

 

 

I attatched brown bias binding to the squares, that when matched up, would make the grid. 

 

The instructions I typed (with a typo) on my typewriter. I mentioned to Mezz, that once hopscotch and naughts and crosses is boring (are they ever?), she can sew the squares together to throw on Miss 3's bed!

 

 

Today I sent off my pile of vintage FQ's as part of Zara's swap. Ive been swimming in vintage sheets over the past couple of months, either making dresses and skirts for myself, this hopscotch mat, cutting for the swap, making skirts (and hopefully dresses) to sell and making a giveaway package!

 

What have you been up to? Has it involved sheets?

 

Incase you did not already know, my magazine, Hundreds and Thousands will be forsale..TOMORROW!!!!

 

Exciting times!

 

Taz xx

Magazine Update!!!!

TOMORROW TOMORROW TOMORROW is when you can finally buy yourself a copy of the starter issue for Hundreds and Thousands Magazine. Check out the blog tomorrow for the link to the online store. I will also put a link up on my blog.

 

If you love craft, cooking, handmade, thrifting, people, cake, tea and more then we are sure you will love this as much as we do!!

Taz x

Spring Finds.

Spring so far has been lovely. Although here in melbourne the weather is so up and down (last week I was back into winter clothes and blankets but yesterday felt like I was dying from the heat and humidity), overall Im really loving it. My garden is full of amazing colour from all the different flowers that are blooming, the grass is lovely, green and soft, generally the days are mild and perfect for long walks, the day stays lighter longer, oh and the fairs and opshops are doing their thing well! Ive been to two fairs over the past couple of weeks and a few local opshops and literally needed a trailer to bring home my finds. Here's some of my favourites..

This swing has made sunny days even better!

 

 

 

 

My hubby loves spice jars! 

 

 

Couldn't leave this beautiful handmade babies outfit at the opshop. $3 for the lot! 

 

 

 

 

 This fabric ive since turned into a skirt

 

 

 

 

Handmade earrings

 

Cute kiddies hankies

 

Cat shoes, who doesn't need cat shoes!

 

I also found some lovely books for Percy. A Richard Scarry dictionary and Poetry for Australian Children.

 

Have you done much opshopping or fete hopping recently?

 

I've got a load of exciting things on my plate at the moment too...my magazine is printed and almost ready to sell, Iv'e decided to open and online shop selling handmade skirts which Ive been making with pretty vintage sheets, I am also cutting up my sheets for Zara's Vintage Sheet Swap and Im planning on doing a giveaway with some oh so pretty vintage fabric perfect for sewing and crafting with! Ive got a neat little pile growing from my cutting and sewing!

 

Anyway, see you soon

 

Taz

Flourless Orange Cake

I recently made this cake for a dinner with my brother and an afternoon of magazine making and thought I would share the recipe with you. It was really delicious (if I can say so myself), and family who ate it seemed to agree. This is a flourless orange, but instead of almond meal I used besan flour (chickpea flour). Sounds weird, but it's not, once baked, you cannot tell it's any different from regular almond flour or even normal flour. I divided this batch in half, made one bundt cake with orange syrup and one round cake with orange cream cheese icing. You could just pour all the batter in one tin and make a huge cake, or even try muffin sizes.

As the weekend is approaching, a spot of baking is always a good idea and this is a recipe that is good for all members of the family.

You will need:
75 gm coconut oil or butter
200 ml rice malt syrup or honey
200 ml freshly squeezed orange juice (for me this was about 2 large oranges)
2 eggs
a good dash of vanilla
200 gm besan flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
extra orange juice for syrup cake
cream cheese icing for iced cake
extra rice malt syrup and orange juice for iced cake


Preheat the oven to 180C. Line/grease your desired tin or tins.
In a small saucepan, melt the coconut oil on low. In a large bowl, mix the rice malt syrup, orange juice, eggs and vanilla.

In a seperate bowl, sieve the besan flour and bicarb, with a pinch of salt, twice. Then sieve this again into the egg and vanilla mix. Doing this really helps the besan flour work.

Fold everything together, then add the melted coconut oil. Stir until combined. Pour into your tins and bake for approx 20-30 min. Baking will take longer if the batter is in one tin. If made into muffins, check earlier. A skewer should come out clean.

PLEASE NOTE: I HAVE NO IDEA HOW TO GET A CAKE OUT OF  BUNDT TIN WITHOUT IT BREAKING, MINE WAS PATCHED UP, SO PLEASE ONLY USE A BUNDT TIN IF YOUR CONFIDENT!!!

Allow to cool for a couple of minutes before removing from tin to cool on wire rack.

For syrup cake, heat the juice of one orange until boiling. Skewer the cake and pour the hot juice over. Have a plate sitting under the cooling rack to catch any juice.

For an iced cake, allow cake to cool, then mix softened cream cheese with a couple tablespoons of orange juice and rice malt syrup to taste. Combine well and spread on cake.

Enjoy!

My brother, who usually picks up on gluten/wheat/sugar/dairy free foods didn't even notice, and infact he had seconds!!

This cake is safe for gluten/wheat free people, those off sugar and fructose (besides the orange juice) and dairy intolerance, but I promise, you won't know!

Hope you all have a great weekend,

Taz

Making dresses and skirts.

Hello all,

I thought I would share with you some of the new dresses and skirts I have made myself over the past couple of weeks. Although I love making new clothes, taking part in handmade365 has definatly pushed me and inspired me to make stuff, more often. And I really don't mind! I'm really enjoying teaching myself as I go along and coming up with new ideas. I make very simple clothes, but it's the fabric that often excites me more than how well something is made..do you feel that sometimes? All of these items have been made with opshopped vintage fabrics or sheets.

a new skirt

 

 

this dress

 

 

 

this was an apron which I turned into a skirt

 

 

 

 

another simple dress

 

 

 

I plan to do a post soon of me wearing all my handmade for #handmade365, but until then you can have a look on my instagram.

 

Speaking of handmade, my magazine that I am making with Mezz, Hundreds and Thousands is getting printed and we will have it next week to finish off making! OH MY GOODNESS!! If you would like to support us and buy a copy, please have a look at our blog for the details.

 

See you soon, I have a cake to share with you!

 

Taz

Oh Bendigo!

A few weeks ago, my lovely sister Sammie who sells AMAZING dresses and writes the blog, Lola and Joy, suggested we hit the road and do a day trip of opshopping in bendigo. I obviously did not say no, so on a monday morning, nice and early the 3 of us (Percy came along for the adventure) went to bendigo. My sister did the necessary research and found out that in bendigo and surrounding towns, there were 22 opshops waiting for us, 22!!! We didn't do all 22 but the ones we did were great. As well as fab opshops, we found some delightful cafes. One called Percy and Percy which was lovely. We had cakes and tea and I bought a cup that said Percy and Percy for Percy. Confused?! The other cafe was Old green bean where we had lunch. I had fetta nachos and an iced chai latte(the best). The store also sold vintage bits and pieces as well as just having the best table and chairs, pictures and flowers.

Percy and Percy 

 

The cup I bought for Percy

 

Percy and Percy and Percy 

 

orange and poppyseed and hummingbird cakes at Percy and Percy

 

my delicious iced chai latte at old green bean

 

 

Here are some photos of a few of the things I bought..

 

pretty vintage buttons

 

this cute crochet cushion

 

this hat and mat

 

vintage sheets and fabric

 

his and hers pillowcases 

 

more pretty pillow cases

 

 

 

a complete bed sheet set, unopened.

 

 

cute fabric 

 

a belt for myself 

 

this cute skirt

 

another skirt

 

this bag

 

Percy having a good crawl after a long day in his pram!

 

Have you been to bendigo before? Any country towns you can recommend for a good opshop crawl?

 

Hope you have all had a good week.

 

See you soon,

 

Taz