Wash.Dry.Fold.Repeat

Wash.Dry.Fold.Repeat.

Sometimes it feels a bit like that. Laundry is one of my least favourite chores, and no sooner are you up to date, when the family has refilled the laundry hampers and it all needs to be done.   AGAIN...

I cut out some Vinyl Lettering to remind me of the routine when I am in the laundry. I was inspired by some similar decals that I had seen on Pinterest.

The letters are cut with my digital cutting machine using the Times Roman font, cut at 2.6 inches in height. I positioned them in the corner of the laundry bench where I fold and sort the laundry.

Anyway my washing machine is beeping at me - it is time to put on the next load....

Winner of Happy Stitch Giveaway

A big thank you to everyone who entered our recent giveaway to win a copy of Jodie Rackley's new book "Happy Stitch: 30 Felt and Fabric Projects for Everyday"

Congratulations to our winner Cintia G  - we have sent you an email.

Advertise on A Spoonful of Sugar in July

Do you have a business that sells sewing, craft, baking, or lifestyle products / supplies? Are your customers predominantly women aged between 25 - 55 years? Are your customers lovers of the creative and handmade? Do you want an affordable and effective place to advertise where you ad will be see on more than 100,000+ page views per month?


Here at A Spoonful of Sugar, we have a large and loyal following of engaged readers who enjoy adding some creativity into their day through craft, baking, and home decorating projects. We have a couple of advertising spots available in July. For our affordable rates and more information, check out our Advertising page or email us at aspoonfullofsugargirls@gmail.com

Monogrammed Candle

I love decorating with candles - they bring warmth and light to our home, especially during the cold winter months. There are so many gorgeous scented candles available - they can be an inexpensive way to jazz up your décor and make a lovely gift for someone who is hard to buy for.

I have a plain glass hurricane lamp that I dressed up with a wreath and the family monogram, cut from black matt vinyl using a digital cutting machine. I found the free wreath svg here. It is based on the wreath used in the flag of the United Nations.

It adds a nice touch to our mantelpiece. While I have my Cricut out, I am looking around our home to see what else needs a monogram....

Some of our other vinyl projects include:

Moustache Glasses
Personalised Mugs
Decorated Wine Bottles

{Book Review & Giveaway} Happy Stitch: 30 Felt and Fabric Projects for Everyday

Happy Stitch:30 Felt and Fabric Projects for Everyday by Jodie Rackley is a delightful book bursting with colourful and fun projects to make. Best of all, the projects can be easily constructed with felt, fabric, and floss - all you need is basic sewing skills, and you can be whipping up some modern and cheerful projects in next to no time!

The book includes a helpful section to get you started that explains the supplies you need and basic stitches and techniques used in the projects. Jodie also provides tips on how to personalise the projects to really make them your own. The book includes all the templates in the back, they do need to be enlarged.

The projects are cute and whimsical and range from Gadget Cosies; Embroidered Totes; Pillow Covers: Wearables; Softies; and many more. Many of the projects would make lovely handmade gifts.  Some of the easier projects, such as the felt ornaments, would be perfect to inspire children and teach them a few sewing basics.

Jodie Rackley is known for her bold use of colourful and simple designs, that comprise her handmade line, Lova Revolutionary. You can see more of Jodie's work on her blog, Lova Revolutionary.

I couldn't wait to get started, and made up the Owl Softie today (pictured below). The instructions were clear and easy to follow, with photographs showing how to construct the project, step by step. 

You can find Stitch Happy: 30 Felt and Fabric Projects for Everyday by Jodie Rackley at The Book Depository and Fishpond.

**To be in the running to win a copy of Stitch Happy: 30 Felt and Fabric Projects for Everyday, plus an Embroidery Bundle (including felt, fabric, and floss) ,  log in to the Raflecopter giveaway box below with your email address or facebook account and follow the steps. Do as many of the giveway options as you wish - if your already follow A Spoonful of Sugar or Lova Revolutionary on facebook/twitter/etsy, just click the button below for an automatic entry. 

Giveaway is open world wide until June 27. Good Luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: Please note that we are not paid to write book reviews but we do receive a review copy of the books we review from authors/distributors/publishers. We are affiliates of Book Depository and Fishpond.

M & M Cookies

M & M cookies are always popular in our home! They bring back memories of our time living in the USA. The supermarkets used to give the kids freshly baked cookies to munch on while we did the grocery shopping - and they always selected the M & M Cookies. 


Sarah made up a batch of M & M Cookies last weekend.  This recipe uses a tin of condensed milk in the mixture which gave the cookies a lovely crumbly and chewy texture, whilst still being light and crisp on the outside - a real winner.

Ingredients

• 180 g butter (1 1/2 sticks)
• 1/3 cup caster sugar
• 395 g (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 1/2 cups self raising flour
• 250 g (8 oz) chocolate chips or mini M & M 's

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 180°C (350 deg F)
2. Beat butter and sugar until creamy, then beat in sweetened condensed milk
3. Stir in flour and M & M's,  mix well
4. Roll heaped tablespoonfuls of mixture into balls, place on oven trays and press down gently
5. Bake for 15 minutes until golden.

For your daily sugar fix you can subscribe or follow us on facebook, twitter, and google plus. 

Easy Table Runner

Life has been pretty hectic here lately and time in front of the sewing machine has been in short supply. This morning, I managed to find a spare hour and make up a reversible table runner for our meals table. It was surprisingly quick to make but has given our meals area a big lift.

Best of all it is reversible so that I can easily change the look and freshen things up a bit.

When it comes to home furnishings, I like items to be sleek and modern. I teamed two Aqua Prints from the Washi Collection by Timeless Treasures with some Robert Kaufman Essex Linen for the table runner, which measures 12" x 36 ".

If you would like to make your own you will need:

Materials:
0.5 yard (0.4 m) of Fabric 1 (Rashida Coleman-Hale Washi Squiggle Aqua)
0.5 yard (0.4 m) Fabric 2 (Rashida Coleman-Hale Washi Foulard Aqua)
0.5 m (0.4 m) Linen (Essex Linen - White)
0.5 yard (0.4m) Heavy Fusible Interfacing
Co-ordinating Thread

Note: all seam allowances are 1/4 inch.

1. Cut Fabrics

• Fabric 1 - Cut rectangle measuring 28 1/2 x 12 1/2 " (72.5 cm x 32cm)
• Fabric 2 -  Cut rectangle measuring 28 1/2 x 12 1/2 " (72.5 cm x 32cm)
• Linen - Cut 4 rectangles measuring 4 1/2 x 12 1/2 " (11.5 cm x 32 cm)
• Interfacing - Cut rectangle measuring 36 x 12" (91.5 x 30.5 cm)

2. Sew a white strip to each end of the Fabric 1 (side A). Press seams open. Sew a white strip to each end of the Fabric 2 (side B). Press seams open. Topstitch on each side of all seams using a scant seam allowance. 

3. Centre the interfacing on the back of Fabric 1. Fuse in place with the iron. Position Side A on top of Side B with the right sides facing, and matching seams. Pin in place. Stitch around the outside of the table runner, leaving a 5 inch gap for turning. Clip corners. Turn right side out. Press. Top stitch around the perimeter of the table runner, approx 1/4 inch from the edge, closing the turning gap as you go. Press.

You can see a similar table runner that I made here.

Winner of Noah's Ark Felt Pattern Set Giveaway

A big thank you to Lenna at Stitching Cow for sponsoring our recent giveaway.

The lucky winner of the Noah's Ark Pattern Set is Talia C. Talia we have sent you an email.

Thanks to everyone who entered!

Lemon and Coconut Slice

When life gives you lemons - make Lemon and Coconut Slice! A work colleague generously gave me a large bag of fresh home grown lemons and limes last week. I put them to good use by baking up a batch of Lemon and Coconut Slice to take in to work for our morning tea tomorrow.

This recipe is super quick to make - it only takes about 15 minutes to prepare and 35 minutes to bake. It incorporates finely grated lemon rind and juice to give it a nice lemon flavour, and is very moist. It is made in the same way you would make a brownie - melt the butter in a saucepan and then mix in all the other ingredients - too easy.

Lemon and Coconut Slice

Ingredients:

• 250g (2.2 sticks) butter
• 430g (2 cups) caster sugar
• 4 eggs
• 225g (1 1/2 cups) plain flour
• 85g (1 cup) desiccated coconut
• 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon rind
• 60ml (1/4 cup) fresh lemon juice
• Icing sugar, to dust

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180º C ( 350º  F). Line a 20 x 30cm (base measurement) brownie pan with non-stick baking paper.
2. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat. Stir in sugar. Add eggs, 1 at a time, and stir until mixture is thick and glossy.
3. Sift the flour over the egg mixture and stir until well combined. Stir in coconut, lemon rind and lemon juice. Spread over base of prepared pan.
4. Bake for 30 - 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Set aside in the pan to cool completely. Cut into pieces. Dust with icing sugar.

Makes 16 pieces

Let's Party eBook

We are emailing out a free Let's Party eBook to all of our newsletter subscribers later today so check your inbox! It features two birthday party themes and 18 project ideas to make your child's next birthday party a success. Many of the ideas can be customised to suit any party theme.

If you haven't already signed up to our newsletter, you can sign up by clicking the link below:

Subscribe to A Spoonful of Sugar Newsletter

Signing up to our monthly newsletter is a great way to keep up to date on some of our most popular posts each month, and it also includes free (newsletter exclusive) projects.

Everyone who subscribes to our newsletter before the end of June will receive the free Let's Party eBook.

Bridal Shoe Bag

I was cleaning out my wardrobe last weekend and sorting through my clothes. On the top shelf of my wardrobe I have stored my wedding dress, shoes, veil, wedding cards, and other mementos from our wedding. Of course I got side tracked in my cleaning and spent time reminiscing....  I have always told Sarah that I was keeping my Bridal Dress for her to wear (much to her horror - as the early 1990's was not the best era for bridal couture!) She was most relieved when she passed me in height.

Here is a Bridal Shoe Bag I have made to store my wedding shoes. It is made from cream muslin, with an ivory satin ribbon drawstring. It features a square of beige linen that has a heart from white/cream/ecru buttons. The muslin is a loose weave so allows the shoes to "breathe".

Pop a lavender bag inside and it will be perfect to store and protect treasured shoes.  Drawstring bag measures: 11 x 19 inches (28 x 48 cm).

Here we are nearly 22 years ago in all of our finery! Time sure flies.

Have you kept your Wedding Dress?

{Book Reviews} How to Decorate and Great Big Book of Fashion Illustration

We have two titles to review today that will interest anyone with a passion for design - whether it be interior design or fashion.

How to Decorate, is an inspiring and practical handbook by Shannon Fricke, to help you create a home you love living in, that reflects you, and your passions.  How to Decorate includes beautiful photography of homes that Shannon has styled and include her insider tips on everything from colour, personalities, fabric types, and some of the best suppliers in the industry. How to Decorate helps you find your style and create a home that is both functional and beautiful.

How to Decorate guides you through the decorating process and includes tips on everything from choosing colours, floors, furniture, flowers and furnishings to create the look you love. How to Decorate is based on the authors successful How to Decorate weekend workshops and is essentially a workshop in book form. It includes chapters on: Discovering your Decorating Story, Creating Your Concept, Working with Space, Accessorising - The Key to Individuality, and many more.

Whether you are building a new home; renovating; or simply redecorating your existing home to hide its flaws and make the most of its assets, How to Decorate is a handy style guide.The book is well written, has lovely photography, and loads of tips and tricks to help your navigate and have fun during the decorating process.

How to Decorate, would make a handy addition to the home library of lovers of  home decorating and interior design.

Book details:
ISBN:          9781921382901
Publisher:     Lantern
Format:        Paperback, 210 pages
RRP:            $39.95

How to Decorate is available from  Fishpond and  Booktopia.

Great Big Book of Fashion Illustration by Martin Dawber is a collection of over 1000 images featuring the very latest in fashion illustration. It includes innovative work from a range of artists, showcasing cutting edge fashion designs from around the world. It also shows a range of sketchbook work for an insight into the creative and technical process.

Kerstin Wacker. ‘Flower Dress’, Watercolour, Ink, Pen, Adobe Photoshop. 

Every kind of fashion is covered - from women's couture, swimwear, separates, youth culture, accessories, children, and more.The illustrations cover a broad range of techniques from digital technologies such as Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator, to more traditional methods such as watercolour, collage, and simple pen and ink.

Shiho Matsubara. Personal Work, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator. 

Great Big Book of Fashion Illustration would be an invaluable reference for those interested in graphic design, drawing, and fashion.

Book Details:
ISBN:       9781849940030
Publisher:  Batsford Ltd
Format:     Paperback, 416 pages
RRP:         $39.99

Great Big Book of Fashion Illustration is available from Can Do Books, Booktopia and Fishpond.

Disclaimer: Please note that we are not paid to write book reviews but we do receive a review copy of the book from distributors/publishers. We are affiliates of Booktopia and Fishpond.

For your daily sugar fix you can subscribe or follow us on facebook, twitter, and google plus. 

{Sponsored Giveaway} Win a Noah's Ark Pattern Set from Stitching Cow

If you are after a new stitching project to work on over your vacation period (winter or summer depending on where you are in the world) you can't go past the exquisite range of designs by Australian designer, Lenna Green of Stitching Cow. Whether your interest is patchwork and quilting, appliqué, embroidery, softies or felt projects, you will find plenty of inspiration at Stitching Cow in the way of patterns, epatterns, and fabric kits. 

Lenna is generously giving A Spoonful of Sugar readers the chance to win her latest pattern - Noah's Ark Felt Pattern set (valued at $79) which includes:

• Book "Sew Soft Toys"
• Pattern for the Ark
• Pattern for Noah and his Wife
• Pattern for small scale animals

With these lovely patterns you can create your very own Noah's Ark, which will provide your children with hours of imaginative play and is destined to become a family heirloom. Young and old alike will be captivated by the animals as they gather two by two then embark on the ark. Welcomed by Noah and his Wife, the animals can be stored safely and securely in the Ark via the front roof as it folds back. The project is made with wool felt and fabric, and uses a combination of machine and hand sewing techniques. 

Noah's Ark Felt Pattern would make a wonderful project to stitch for a favourite little person in your life. When my son was a baby, I decorated his nursery in a Noah's Ark theme - such a timeless and classic design!

**To be in the running to win this fabulous prize from Lenna Green of the Stitching Cow (Valued at $79) , log in to the Raflecopter giveaway box below with your email address or facebook account and follow the steps. Do as many of the giveway options as you wish - if your already follow us or Stitching Cow on facebook/twitter/pinterest, just click the button below for an automatic entry. 

TIP: If you don’t see Rafflecopter Click READ MORE below, and it will then show the Rafflecopter Form!!  Giveaway is open world wide until June 13. Good Luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Crafting for a Cause

Many crafty types are combining their love of making and creating, with their love of helping people, to really make a difference to those in need. When Sarah was a member of the Girl Guides they participated in a number of worthwhile projects including making teddy bears to give to children in hospital. You may recall the Care Caps I made for people undergoing chemo. Nothing beats the satisfaction you get from making something to brighten someone's day.

My Mum is putting her wool stash to good use, by crocheting blankets and knitting beanies to give to those in need. The beanies are being donated to St Barts who offer community based support, accommodation, and assistance to homeless individuals in Perth. You can read more about them on their website.

There are so many worthwhile community organisations, Churches, and charities who do such fantastic work for those in need. If you are wanting to make a difference by putting your sewing, knitting, crocheting, crafting skills to good use - check with organisations in your local community to find out what is needed; contribute to Craft Hope (current project Aprons for Haiti); or check out this list of Charity Craft Links.

Do you donate your time and crafts to a cause? If so we would love you to let us know in the comments what project you are involved with so we can help spread the word.

Emergency Zippered Pouch

Here are some more Emergency Zippered Pouches made up over the weekend.

These ones were made using some Bliss fabric that I had in my stash. They take a little less than an hour to make so are the perfect project when time is short.

Sarah and I are finding them very useful to hold all manner of supplies, so I was requested to make up some extra's so we have all bags covered!

Our tutorial for the Emergency Zippered Pouch has proven to be very popular with over 25, 000 views in the past two months. What is really lovely, it that some readers have taken the concept and made it their own to fit a blood glucose monitor and other emergency supplies. Brigette from KB Design modified the design to make a pouch for her epi-pen. You can see her lovely version below.

If you make anything using one of our tutorials or patterns, please let us know and we can pin your photo to our Pinterest page - "Made Using A Spoonful of Sugar Patterns/Tutorials" . You can find us on Pinterest here.

Coconut Cupcakes with 7 Minute Frosting

On the first Friday evening of each month, I meet up with some sewing/quilting friends for a fun evening of sewing. Sarah baked some delicious coconut cupcakes for me to take along last night.

The cupcake is deliciously moist and includes shredded coconut, coconut essence, and coconut milk to give it a gorgeous coconut flavour. We shared this recipe for Coconut Cupcakes over here.

This time, Sarah used Martha Stewart's 7 minute frosting to decorate the cupcakes.

Best of all there were some left over to have with our afternoon coffee today!

It is a long weekend here this weekend in Western Australia as we celebrate WA Day, which recognises our states indigenous history as well as the European settlers who arrived here in 1829. Hopefully the extra day will mean more time in the sewing room. I have a quilt top nearly pieced and can't wait to start the quilting!

We wish all of our readers a wonderful weekend!

We are also preparing a special ebook for our lovely newsletter subscribers which will be sent out in in about a week. If you haven't subscribed to our newsletter, you can do so here:

                                     Subscribe to our newsletter