Some more show and tell...

I'm really sorry it's taking me so long to write these blogposts, it seems blogging is just not prioritized when it's summer. Not that this summer has been the greatest, it's just rain, rain, rain... But it gives me a lot of time to sew!

Soooo.... Let's see if I can pick up the thread where I left you.

My birthday is in june, and I usually have a little party with my closest family and friends.

I made a cake for my birthday this year, and a couple of people have been asking me on Flickr for the recipe.

That's a little hard to give you, since there is no specific recipe for the cake, but I'll try!

But first, a photo of it:

I make a regular sponge cake:

(I write it down in metric measurements, and try to convert it to US measurements)
You will need a round pan that is about 26 centimeteres (10-11 inches) in diameter.

6 eggs

2 desiliter white sugar

2 desiliter all purpose flour

1 desiliter potato flour

2 teaspoons baking powder.

US:

6 eggs

0.85 cup white sugar

0.85 cup all purpose flour

0.42 cup potato flour
2 teaspoons baking powder.

Whip the sugar and eggs until it's stiff and forms peaks in the bowl.
Sift flour, potato flour and baking powder, and carefully mix it with the eggs/sugar until it's blended.
Grease and flour your pan and pour in the batter.
bake at 160 degrees celcius (320 fahrenheit) for about 40 minutes (you will have to check the cake with a toothpick to see if its done).
Cool completely.

Decorating:

You will need marzipan for this! I buy mine and roll it out myself.
So...
First you split the cake in half and moisten it with milk or juice. Then fill it with what you like, I usually go with razberry jam and vanilla cream. This one however, I filled with chocolate mousse and sliced banana!
Cover the cake with a thin layer of whipped cream.

Make 2 paper circles that are about 4 inches smaller in diameter than the cake. Center one of the circles on the cake.
put the mazipan on top of the cake and the paper circle
(  A little advice on rolling marzipan: Use flour and make sure the marzipan does not stick to the surface of your table. You can easily brush the flour off the marzipan when you are done).
Take the other piece of paper and center it on top of the marzipan. Mark around it with the dull end of a knife (dont cut through the marzipan!!!). Remove the paper, and cut like you do when you cut a pizza. Roll out the "slices" of marzipan to the edge of the circle.
Remove the paper circle that was underneath the marzipan.
Put on whatever berries you like. Strawberries, razberries, blueberries etc...
Just before serving, sift confectioners sugar on top of the berries.
This is very yummy, and for those of you that don't usually get marzipan cake, you should really try it! It tastes really good. But if you are allergic to almonds, please don't try this.

Enjoy!

I'll try to make another blogpost sooner this time:-)

Swap mania! ...And some other things:-)

Oh boy I have a lot to show you!

When I made the napkins for Table Top Swap 1, Nanette contacted me and asked if we could have a sideswap.

I said yes right away, because I have been following her photostream in Flickr for a long time, and I admire everything she makes.

I made her these napkins, kind of the same style as the other ones I made, but still very different.

She got them yesterday, so now I can show them to you:-)

Next up is the RATZ swap magnets I made!

I had so much fun with these, and I am happy to say that my swap partner loved them!

I think I might make some of these for my self as well...

I also made a mini quilt for a swap a while ago, and my partner got it, so here it is:

This was my first ever paper pieced project, and I am very happy with the end result, It was much easier to paper piece than I thought it would be.

This was an open swap, so the person i sent to, also sent to me.

I LOVE the quilt I got!

Look at this beauty:

If you read this Jen, thank you so so much.

She also sent along beautiful extras:

I think I have to make two blog posts about all the swapping and other stuff, so I'll see you tomorrow!

Have a nice weekend:-)











Table top swap tablerunner

Table top swap tablerunner, a photo by synnovekri on Flickr.

I had so much fun sewing this table runner!
I'ts for round 2 of the table top swap on flickr.

I'm completely hooked on paper piecing now :-)

I hope my swap partner will love it too.

A very busy weekend!

I had a very busy weekend, with lots of things happening. Good tings!

Friday I finished this:

A detail:

I kept the quilting very simple, just straight lines on the diagonal.

The top of this quilt was made a couple of years ago, and then it got stuck in the pile of UFO's.

But I needed a gift for a family member this weekend, so it finally got finished!

Here are the recipient with his lap quilt, I think he likes it...

I also went to plant in Hennings garden this week, and I'm so happy with the result. I think it's pretty!

Nice roses and lots of candles and some cute little figures...

I have setteled with the fact that Henning is not with us, so I try to keep his garden as nice as I can. We go there very often to light candles and keep it pretty.

If you look closely, you can see the little propeller bird and the elf I put there, I love them:-) They are cheerful, and I need to have something happy in this little garden.

Henning will never be forgotten, and we are happy we had him, even if we could not have him with us. I know that some day, we will meet him again.

At last, I'll leave you with a nice little kitty picture, this is my aunt's Maine Coon, Lusi.

Such a beautiful cat, with lots of personality.

I hope your week will be good!

Thank you for reading:-)











Yum!

This is summer to me!

Have a nice evening:-)



A wonderful gift from Canada!

Today was a great mail day:-)

I have been swapping some fabric squares with Katy, I "met" her when I was her swap partner in the "Pretty Little Pouch Swap 2" on Flickr.

She is a very talented lady, and also very sweet and generous!

This all started when I commented on her granny squares on Flickr, saying that I adore her fabrics.

She suggested we swapped some squares, and so we did!

I got the most wonderful fabrics from her, and we have been swapping a couple of times.

Last time, I sent some squares and a piece of fabric that she was searching for, and in return I got some color catchers, that was very much needed:-)

She also said that she wanted to send me something more, and today I got a wonderful surprise:-)

This is so much more than I expected!

I love every inch of these fabrics, Katy really spoiled me!

And then there are the key fob she made, it's so beautiful.

She must have figured out my love for fruits and berries because the cherries are adorable.

Internet friends are the best, don't you think?

Thank you so much Katy:-)



Another pair of socks:-)

I knitted another pair of socks, I never imagined that I would think knitting was so much fun.

These are knitted in a yarn called Jade, from Gjestal.

It's a lovely yarn to work with, a wool alpaca blend, very soft and warm. The alpaca makes it strong too, not a bad thing for socks:-)

The pattern for the socks are from Garnstudio. I love a free pattern, and on Garnstudio there are a lot of them!

I used the Norwegian version of the pattern, but I linked to the American version in this blogpost.

These socks will go straight into my box of Christmas items, I'm preparing early this year:-)

Have a nice day!



My table top swap napkins arrived!

They are so lovely!

They are all different, but matches very well, and they have exactly my type of fabrics and colors in them:-)

The back of the napkins. Beautiful:-)

I love them so much, and I'll have a hard time actually using them. Will be for special occations!

A detail shot of the nice stitching.

I can't belive how good Krista nailed my taste in fabric and colors, I adore every little piece of fiber in these napkins.

Thank you so much!

I also would like to thank Amy so much for arranging this swap, she does such a good job on matching partners and organizing everything. I know it must be a lot of work, and she is making this swap a lot of fun for all the participants!





The RATZ swap!

I signed up for a fast little swap on Flickr, The RATZ Swap (Rapid and Tiny Zakka swap).

This first round we are to make key fobs, and I made mine today. I must say that I am very happy with the result!

The sides are different, tiny wonky patchwork on one side, and embroidery on the other side.

I addes some cute details, a "handmade" sign on the patchwork side, and a heart button on the other.

A bell and a little fish is attatched to the string.

I love crochet details, so I made a narrow edge in linen colored yarn.

The inside is lined with a red polkadot fabric.

It can even be worn as a bracelet, very practical if you don't have any pockets.

I really hope my swap partner will like this, I'm having a hard time letting it go. At least I get to keep it for a while, sending date is the 15th of May.

Plenty of time to make another one if my partner want something different.









This is spring?!?

The weather today...

Well, it's perfect weather for being inside sewing:-)

So that's what I'm going to do today!

I'll start sewing a key fob, for a swap on Flickr, called the RATZ swap.

It's a very fun swapping group, making small items for each other in Zakka style.

Lately, I have been knitting!

It's not like me to be knitting, I don't like it very much, but this was kind of fun, fast and useful.

New socks for my hubby.

I made them long so he can use them in his boots when he goes hunting.

Yarn is Drops Big Fabel, I love that yarn! It's so soft and strong, and it doesen't scratch at all.

I started another pair of socks, I'm close to finished with the first. I think I'l make some pairs, and save them for Christmas.

With the weather in this country, we all need something warm to put on our feet!

Don't get me wrong, I love living here, weather and all:-)

Have a great weekend!