Stroller seat covers - bound button holes (outer fabric)

So I have the fabric and the pattern - now to make a start!
I measured out the pattern and marked out where all the button holes were.

To make it even more comfy - I cut out a layer of batting and sewed it to the top piece of fabric. Now, here's where you have a choice - easy, peasy option or the sewing challenge. Option 1 - easy peasy...

Sew the button holes using the button hole stitch on your sewing machine. See - it's a great option and good enough for the people at Phil and Teds....

My Phil and Ted's store bought cover - regular button holes

Now I could have chosen a regular button hole, but I didn't - I chose to do a bound button hole!

I love a bound buttonhole - it adds a certain amount of class to an outfit and makes it scream "couture". These days you are hard pressed to find these little beauties so here's how to make them yourself. A little bit fiddly and a bit more work than a regular button hole but, so worth it!

So that's how you do the outer fabric. Next time we will do the lining - think I need a cup of tea after all that!!

Stroller seat cover - Pimp my Ride Mum!

I bought a new stroller. So what, I hear you say. Well, it's actually my 4th stroller. I only have two kids - 2 strollers each - are you mad! My husband thinks I am - he jokes that we are running a stroller breeding program. It all started when I had baby E. I was really happy with my old stroller for Miss S - a Mountain Buggy Swift - loved, loved, loved it! The only downside was that it only takes one child! So began my stroller journey. Who thought that a light weight, easy to use, tandem stroller would be so hard to find? Anyway, 4 strollers later I now have a Phil and Teds. Looks great - all it need now is some fab new stroller seat liners.

How great is this fabric - Miss S thinks it's pretty, I tend to agree.

Check out my pattern here

It fits a Phil and Ted's seat but I tried it on my Mountain Buggy and it works for that as well. I am thinking bound button holes and pretty binding - a bit over the top I know but hey, when you find the right stroller I say celebrate!

Nappy change wallet

Have you ever tried flying on an aeroplane by yourself with two small children? Let me tell you - I think that you need about 6 pairs of hands and 3 pairs of eyes to keep it all under control. Not to mention being super organised! Well, the last time I travelled by myself with my two small girls I was neither prepared nor organised. I left things at home, meaning we had to turn around before we even got to the airport, then, I left bags in the car when I went to check-in and I dragged myself higglydy pigglydy through airport security - yes I was the one with 4 of those grey tubs filled with random things while baby E was being nursed by patient security guards. Anyway, in my airport check-in mess I managed to lose my nappy change wallet. So, I decided when I got home to make one using this great tutorial. I changed a few things - namely I placed the pockets opposite one another so I could sandwich some travel wipes in there; I used some lovely spotty oilcloth on the inside; plus, I finished the whole mat with some piping - who doesn't love piping! I am happy with the results and I promise to be more organised next time I fly!

Racer back tank top

The finished top! I went with a light fluro yellow ribbon instead of the blue. I think it works well. The hem is a simple scoop - shorter at the front and longer at the back. I think next time I would make this top even a little longer and wear it with leggings.

The back is a slight racer back - there is no reason why your couldn't make this even more pronounced, in fact next time I might. I also included a centre back seam so I could adjust the fit but I think next time I would leave this out and cut the back on the fold. All in all, very happy. Print out the pattern and have a go!

Racer back tank pattern

So, I have finished my tank top just in time for the weather to cool down. Oh, well. I think the pattern will also make a great longer version to wear during the cooler months with opaque stockings and boots. Check out the pattern below. You just need to print it on A4 paper, cut and glue it together. You need to match the little letters together and the grey shaded boxes are for the glue. Hope it works and I will keep you posted on how to sew this together as well as some pics of my final top - I went for a bit more of a fluro look rather than the blue - still think it strikes a nice balance of grandma vintage!
click here for the pattern

Racer back tank top

It has been hot hot hot lately and I have been churning out different versions of a scooped hem tank top. My latest attempt is going to be a racer back top out of this lovely light linen denim - it has a slight glittery sheen to it in the right light.

More importantly I love this doily like flower. I think it is the right side of grandma vintage. Still undecided on the blue ribbon but I think it needs something to tie it together so it doesn't look like I have stuck a doily on my top....

Lemon Polenta cake

Almost the perfect lemony cake with a bite of polenta - yum! This delicious recipe comes from (in my opinion) the queen of baking - Nigella Lawson. I love that she is unafraid of butter and sugar and combines them with abandon.

The original recipe can be found here, or I have reprinted it below.

Ingredients

200g unsalted butter

200g caster sugar

200g ground almonds

100g polenta (or cornmeal)

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

3 eggs

zest of 2 lemons

(for the syrup)

juice of 2 lemons

125 g icing sugar

Method

1. Line and grease a 23cm spring form cake tin (I forgot to line the bottom of my tin and regretted it as the syrupy dense cake stuck a little to the bottom - next time I will line the tin!)

2. Preheat oven to 180 degrees

3. Cream buter and sugar.

4. Mix together almonds, polenta, baking powder and zested lemons

5. Mix some of the dry ingredients into the butter-sugar mix. Add an egg and mix well. Alternate dry ingredients and eggs beating all the while

6. Pour mix into prepared tin and bake for 40 mins or until just set in the middle

7. Make the syrup by heating the lemon juice and icing sugar until sugar has dissolved.

8. When the cake is cooked, gently prick all over with a cake tester. Pour the syrup all over the cake and allow to cool completely in the tin