this cobbled together base recipe sounds fairly promising, I have a lot of flavour combinations that i want to try, including my partner’s favourite (lemon and poppy seed) and my current obsession (pumpkin spice toffee apple). But i don’t want them to be super sweet – in the interests of keeping my blood sugar reasonable stable and general health, id like to keep these reasonably healthy if possible. and not just because i’d like to have them for breakfast!
Yields: 12 Standard Muffins
Ingredient
Measurement (Grams/Millilitres)
Notes
All-purpose flour (Plain flour)
300g
Weighing is key for this ingredient.
Granulated Sugar
100-120g (1/2 a cup)
For less sweet: reduce to 80g or 1/3 cup
Baking Powder
1 Tbsp (12g)
Use a spoon to measure this—the high amount helps with the airy texture.
Baking Soda (Bicarbonate of Soda)
2.5g} (approx. 1/2 a tsp)
Salt
$2.5\text{ g}$ (approx. $\frac{1}{2}\text{ tsp}$)
Essential for flavour balance.
Buttermilk
250ml (250g)
Cold is fine. Alternatively, use plain yogurt approx. 200g + milk 50ml.
Neutral Oil (Vegetable, Canola)
125ml}$ (115g)
Using oil instead of butter is key for a soft, light texture.
Large Eggs
2 (approx. 100-110g if using liquid mixed egg in an carton)
Lightly beaten.
Vanilla Extract (optional)
$5\text{ ml}$ (approx. $1\text{ tsp}$)
For flavour.
Add-ins (e.g., berries, zest) (optional)
150-180g
Toss berries in a little flour before adding to prevent sinking.
If using a gluten free flour, like Doves Farm or similar, add 1/2 tsp of xanthan or guar gum, and an extra 30ml of buttermilk. if the mixture still seems dry, add up to a further 20ml.
If you want to use a higher-moisture additive like grated apple for a toffee apple themed muffin, or grated carrot for a carrot cake muffin, you will need to reduce the buttermilk by 30 to 50ml. Grate and squeeze your fruit or veg before adding, dust with flour and add it to your batter last. If using a GF flour, you may also need to increase the xanthan or guar gum to 1 tsp.
Instructions
Preheat Oven & Prep: Preheat your oven to 200 (400) regular or 180 fan. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
Combine Dry: In a large bowl, weigh and whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda (if using), and salt.
Combine Wet: In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the buttermilk (or yogurt/milk mixture), oil, and lightly beaten eggs until just combined.
Combine Wet and Dry: Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients. Using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, mix very quickly and gently until just combined. A few lumps of dry flour are perfectly fine—this is the most important step for an airy texture!
Add-ins (Optional): Gently fold in any chosen add-ins with 2-3 extra strokes.
Fill & Bake: Divide the batter evenly among the 12 muffin cups, filling them about 3/4 full.
Bake: Bake for 18-22 minutes, or until the tops are golden, spring back lightly when touched, and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool: Let them cool in the tin for a few minutes before moving them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Tips for a Lighter Texture:
Do Not Overmix: Seriously, stop mixing as soon as the last streaks of flour disappear. Lumpy batter = tender muffin.
High Leavening: The amount of baking powder/soda is generous for maximum rise and air pockets.
Whipped Eggs: Separating the eggs and whipping the whites (this is an even better idea if you are using the GF flour and/or using a wetter additive like grated carrot). This ensures you incorporate maximum air and lift to counteract heaviness.
The Rest Period: Resting the batter for 15-30minutes before dividing between your muffin cases is crucial, especially with high-moisture additions. It allows the starches and gums to fully absorb and distribute the liquid (including that from any grated produce), which will improve the muffin’s texture and height.
Buttermilk/Yogurt: The acid keeps the muffins tender and activates the leavening for a better rise.
High-Heat Start: For taller, fluffier “bakery-style” muffin tops, bake the muffins for the first 5 minutes at a higher temperature (e.g., 220 C), then immediately drop the temperature to the main baking temperature (e.g., 180 C) for the remainder of the time.
So… this was delicious. The recipe came to me serendipitously via AI – and when I traced the sources, the source recipe it cited was ALSO AI. So honestly who knows where this came from originally. TBH the source AI recipe was actually quite different from this, but I had specified what was in my store cupboard and in the fridge that I wanted used up. I wanted high protein and high fiber, but low carb, and I wanted it to be easy and budget friendly. Honestly I’m really impressed with what it was able to come up with. It was indeed easy, not super quick but definitely not labor intensive and it hit all of the dietary requirements I gave it. 5 stars!!
Fresh parsley or dill, chopped, for garnish (optional)
From your cupboard:
Olive oil
1 medium carrot, peeled and finely diced (optional, but adds flavour and nutrients)
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
150g red lentils, rinsed thoroughly
400g can tinned chopped tomatoes
750ml hot vegetable or chicken stock (can be made from a cube)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Splash of red wine vinegar or lemon juice (optional, for serving)
Equipment:
Large saucepan or Dutch oven with a lid
Chopping board
Sharp knife
Measuring spoons and cups
Instructions:
Brown the Lamb (10-15 minutes):
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in your large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
Pat the diced lamb dry with kitchen paper. Add the lamb to the hot pan in a single layer, making sure not to overcrowd it (cook in batches if necessary).
Sear the lamb for 5-7 minutes, turning occasionally, until it’s nicely browned on all sides. This adds a lot of flavour. Remove the browned lamb from the pan and set aside.
Sauté Aromatics (5-7 minutes):
Reduce the heat to medium. Add 1 tablespoon of fresh olive oil to the same pan (no need to clean it).
Add the chopped onion and diced carrot (if using). Sauté for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened and translucent.
Add the minced garlic and dried oregano. Cook for another 1 minute until fragrant, being careful not to burn the garlic.
Combine and Simmer (40-45 minutes):
Return the browned lamb to the pan.
Add the rinsed red lentils, tinned chopped tomatoes, and hot stock. Stir well to combine.
Bring the stew to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover the pan, and let it simmer.
Cook for 40-45 minutes, or until the lamb is tender and the lentils have broken down into a creamy consistency. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking, and add a little more hot water or stock if the stew becomes too thick before the lamb is tender.
Season and Serve:
Once the lamb is tender and the lentils are cooked, remove the pan from the heat.
Season generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
For an authentic Greek touch, you can stir in a splash of red wine vinegar or a squeeze of fresh lemon juice just before serving – this really brightens the flavours.
Ladle the stew into bowls. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley or dill, if desired.
Notes:
Vegetable Additions: Feel free to add other finely diced vegetables like courgette or bell peppers in step 2 for extra nutrients and fiber.
Spice It Up: A pinch of chilli flakes can be added with the garlic for a touch of heat.
Storage: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. This stew also freezes well for up to 3 months.
Serving: This stew is hearty enough on its own, but a side of fresh green salad (like the one you already have lettuce for!) would be a perfect accompaniment.
*** Trigger warnings – early pregnancy loss; poor body image
There are so many good sewing challenges in the spring, and I always miss them. It seems to be my busiest time of year always – I’ve wanted to take part in #sewfrugal every year its run so far, and I just never get the time.
Last year I decided I wanted to sew something with cup sizes – what a great opportunity to try out a new free pattern with a good fit! In particular I wanted to try out a woven pattern with cup sizes – but I couldn’t find anything that wasn’t a t-shirt (or similar jersey top). I already have a T&T t-shirt pattern, so I felt a bit deflated. I did find sever companies who do have patterns with cup sizes that were new to me however, so my shopping list got a bit longer, definitely still worth it!
In the end, after nearly 2 weeks of searching, I decided I would try out the Laundry Day Tee by Love Notions (which is free if you join their Facebook group), since at least it was a t-shirt dress and not just a top.
What a mess I made of that pattern.
I remembered I had fabric that I had always planned to make a t-shirt dress with stashed away, but I couldn’t find it anywhere and ended up having to audit the roof-space (OMG guys my stash!) – that took like a week and a half. It’s now getting pretty close to the reveal deadline, and honestly pretty close to my wedding – I was supposed to be doing this for relaxation and I was getting so stressed! In my panic I didn’t measure the fabric before I laid it out to start cutting. To be perfectly honest I didn’t even use a table, I was laying out and cutting on my ironing board because the table was covered in wedding stuff. I’m sure I hardly need to describe what happened next. I was short of fabric and had to change from the longer dress to the tunic length. THEN I CUT 2 BACKS. It would hardly be possible to go further wrong without sewing a stitch. Utterly dejected I put the whole lot away. I looked at it again this year – too busy with University coursework to actually sew – but I think there is still a top in there if I take my time, I can still salvage something. Definitely on my make list for this year – it needs to either become a top or go to live in the big wardrobe in the sky.
In the early summer, my husband and I found out we were pregnant – literally weeks after our wedding. Preparing for my maternity belly, it seemed counterproductive to make any clothes for the time being and I started looking for maternity patterns instead. There aren’t very many! And even fewer free ones – however I did find a few of each which I will share in a later post. At the end of August, we found out that we had lost our baby – this was our first attempt and my first ever pregnancy and it hit me pretty hard. I’ve struggled with anxiety and depression for the last 8 months and put on a lot of weight – I haven’t had the creative spark or the energy to sew, and I haven’t felt good about my body. More than just the feeling that my body can’t be trusted to do anything (with this on top of my chronic illness), I’ve felt huge. In particular, I’m carrying a lot of weight around my stomach which I suspect is hormonal, and at times I look pregnant. It has been hateful. Just before I fell pregnant, I was pretty active and losing weight, I felt healthy. I do not feel healthy now. It’s been another block to getting into the mindset of wanting to try again, but I’ve been working on my mental health, but progress is slow.
I’ve cleared everything that doesn’t currently fit out of my wardrobe. I’ve revisited my colours and identified what really works for my skin tone and what I enjoy wearing. I’ve filled in a few of the obvious gaps with sensible purchases. But truly there isn’t a lot there! I have definite clothing needs – and that’s the basis of my #memademay pledge.
In particular, I struggle to find clothes that fit properly for warm weather that are suitable for work. So my new project, encouraged by hubby, is to make something that fits the bill. I’ve purchased the pattern for the Myosotis Dress by Deer & Doe and some toile fabric. It’s not very fitted, but its shapely, has a little extra room in the bust and its modest enough for the office. Watch this space!!!!
Looking back, it’s been 4 years since my last post. I’m almost surprised the blog is still here.
So shortly after my last post (May 2019), my life basically fell apart. My partner of over 14 years had been behaving a little strangely – very withdrawn, lost in his thoughts. After a few weeks of this I pushed him to tell me what was bothering him, and he told me – completely unexpectedly – that he wasn’t happy in our relationship anymore.
I was very upset, but we had been through rough patches before, and I assumed that this would be the same. There were things about our relationship we could both agree weren’t working and we agreed that we were both going to work on certain aspects. I suggested a relationship counsellor, and he said he was open to the idea, but that he thought it would be useful for him to have a few sessions on his own first. I was already seeing a Clinical Psychologist because of my chronic illness and talked about A frequently in my sessions – so that didn’t seem odd to me. I find my therapy sessions immensely useful, so surely him seeing a therapist on his own could only be a good thing. We agreed we would make a go of it for 3 months and evaluate. I put my Masters course on hold.
The next three months were incredibly frustrating. I felt (as usual to be honest) that I was putting in much more effort than he was. I occasionally asked if he had had any luck getting an appointment with a counsellor – and was either met with aggressive outbursts telling me that he would do it in his own time or excuses about how much it cost. One of the things he had asked me to work on was my tendency to micromanage or do things for him when it wasn’t wanted. I sent him a few links to affordable counselling services I had found and left him to it.
I saw no substantive change in his behaviour or effort to improve any of the things we had discussed. He never booked an appointment with a counsellor or agreed to discuss the counsellor with me again, reminding me that I had agreed to let him handle it himself. Now, I do not believe he ever intended to book a session for himself or to attend any kind of couples session. Over the next few months, he confessed that he was happier when he was away for the weekends with his friends at sporting competitions, than when he was home with me. Shocking to think a time when you have no responsibilities is more fun than real life? He also confided that he found the constraints of my medical condition incredibly frustrating – and felt that we couldn’t do anything spontaneous because of my condition.
Shortly before our 3-month deadline we had an argument in bed one evening, and I was so upset I went to sleep in the other room – this was a Thursday night. In the morning he told me that he had realised he didn’t much care whether I was there or not. I realised that there was probably nothing I wouldn’t have put up with (a very unhealthy viewpoint by the way) from someone who loved me – but clearly that was not the situation here. At least not any longer. I had a hospital appointment that morning and ran into my best and oldest friend in the hospital lobby. I completely broke at that point – sobbing on my knees, I told her what had happened. Consoled and feeling a little better, I headed to my appointment. I had spent the best part of the last 5 years really focusing on my health, trying desperately to improve my medical control to the point where the hospital would support my getting pregnant. On that morning – single for the first time in a decade and a half and heartbroken – I was told I could get pregnant whenever I wanted. Oh, the irony. At that point it was just 2 months until my 35th birthday.
Things in the house were a little awkward – I spent as little time as possible in the house when he was there, we spoke little, just letting each other know if we’d be home late or if we’d gotten shopping in. The following Thursday he let me know he was going to be home late because he had a date. That weekend I headed up the north coast of Ireland with my mum – just the 2 of us for a girl’s night. When I returned to the house, he had had the person over for dinner – and left me the dishes to do. Clearly, he had started a new relationship some time ago
It might surprise you that I stayed in the house after that, for nearly 3 months. I moved out of my parent’s house when I was 11 years old and went to boarding school – my choice. After high school I had gone to university in another country – and stayed there for an additional 3 years before moving back to Northern Ireland with my partner and living with him. The idea of moving back in with my parents… I couldn’t face it. To be honest, I think living with him helped me get over our relationship. It was so clear that he felt nothing for me and had no regard for my feelings or wellbeing – moving on was easy.
A little aside here – some wisdom I would like to pass on.
ALL behaviour is communication. If you feel like your significant other doesn’t appreciate you or that they might be with you out of convenience, there is a good chance you are right. Does your partner spend most of their free time doing something that doesn’t interest you or that you physically can’t take part in? Would they prefer to sit in an armchair than beside you on the sofa? Do they promise to attend family and social events then let you down at the last minute? Guess what? Good chance they don’t want to spend time with you. Know what else? You can’t make someone love you.
If your relationship is no longer serving you, no longer making you happy or making your life harder instead of easier – its time for a change.
I had no idea what I was going to do. We lived together, pretty much everything we owned was owned jointly. We had almost 15 years’ worth of accumulated stuff. My main hobby was a joint hobby. I started to consider that I was going to have to look for a room to rent somewhere, maybe sell my car? Having temped for years I was at least on a permanent contract, so a mortgage might have been possible, but I had no savings for a deposit and my salary was not high. I was sad all the time. I felt like he had stolen my 20s. I felt used and betrayed. I had his lovely parents – both of them – on the phone crying and apologising, not understanding. I had friends crying and hugging me whenever they saw me. I started looking for rooms to rent and dating apps – both scary prospects. The last time I was single it was 2004. Smart phones were a theory, phone cameras were barely a thing. Dating Apps hadn’t even been thought of. The last time I had been single, the dating pool was basically everyone I knew…
Deus ex machina style, my parents saved the day. At the time my folks owned 3 properties, yes, I know, I recognise my privilege. These days they spend a good portion of the year abroad, and an apartment on the north coast – a place I loved and spent most weekends of my childhood – wasn’t getting enough use. They decided to sell the property, let me have the furniture, and help me with a deposit for a property of my own. Truly I have no idea where I would be now if circumstances had been different.
Although I had never owned a home before – as a long time temp it wasn’t a possibility – I had (surprise surprise) done all the work for the purchase of the property I lived in with my ex. I was familiar with this process. I knew the area that I would ideally want to live in – close to work, close to my parents, reasonable transport links etc etc. I saw my financial advisor, got an idea of the price of property I should be looking for, and logged on to PropertyPal. Looking back at emails from that time, this all happened in a matter of days.
I started house hunting 4 days after the breakup. I saw a property that ticked all the boxes. I checked with the financial advisor that it was viable. I viewed the property. I made an offer which was accepted. I had been single for a week. 12 days from the breakup, the sale was agreed. If the universe was trying to tell me something, it wasn’t being subtle about it. The sale completed in just under 6 weeks, I got the keys the day before my 35th birthday. I invited my friends to a local Chinese restaurant, a few hundred yards from the new house, for a birthday dinner and we all went to see the house after dessert. I woke up on my birthday as a new homeowner. How fast can your life change? Faster than you can believe.
I restarted the masters I had put on hold; the first tutorial was on the day I moved into my new house – I didn’t have any internet yet and had to watch the recording later. It was early November 2019. The move went unbelievably smoothly. Considering the moving van had to come to me, then 50 something miles up to the north coast to the flat we were selling and then back almost as far as they had gone – 102 miles round trip in total! We got into the new house and with several carloads of stuff started getting everything ready. I couldn’t fault the moving company, nothing was lost or damaged and they were super-efficient – first thing they brought the beds straight in, up the stairs and put them together in the rooms, by the time they were bringing in the sofa mum and I had the beds upstairs made and ready to sleep in. Most of the furniture I had grown up with, and a little I had brought from the old house – to be honest I didn’t want to see most of it ever again, it reminded me of the life that we had had together and that I was leaving behind. Due to his carelessness and lack of respect for mutual property, many furniture items were damaged and were left behind for that reason. I left about 85% of the furniture – all of which had been purchased by me or had been gifted to us by my family.
I had had a few dates and a few conversations on the go. Male friends and acquaintances had come out of the woodwork – I had one confession of undying love and several offers that I had to decline (including from men I knew to be married or attached?!?). In mid-November I was invited to meet an old friend for coffee – someone I had worked with, we had been friends for almost a decade, and had even been on double dates over the years. We had always had a lot in common, and I had always found his really attractive. I shan’t go into details, it’s not that kind of blog, but coffee turned into several coffees, flirting, constant messaging, long walks, and something blossomed.
A few short months later, Covid arrived in the UK. I was having a really hard time being constantly on my own – I felt incredibly isolated and depressed. At that point we weren’t even officially “dating” – but we decided to form an unofficial household, and he was spending more and more time at my house. Eventually in July 2020 we made our relationship official, and we started making plans for him to move in. By the next February we were engaged, and we tied the knot (literally) in May 2022. I can’t believe we’ve been married almost a year!
It is unbelievable how much my life has changed. I truly did not understand how unhappy I was in the previous relationship, until I had the experience of what things *could* be like.
I’ve lost count of the times I’ve been told by friends and acquaintances that our relationship is the gold standard. How we’re always so happy and good together. How I am “more myself” than I’ve ever been. Our celebrant told my mum, that she hoped to some day find a man that would look at her, the way mine looks at me. Its built on a foundation of friendship, fun, trust and *open honest communication*- with a little bonus of having the same values, wanting the same things out of life and not being able to keep our hands off each other.
I feel taken care of, for the first time in my adult life. I know he’s looking out for me, the same way I’m looking out for him. My diabetes is no issue – he gets my blood sugar alarms on his phone and he checks on me. He carries extra sweets in his bag and his car – just in case. He is actually interested in my wellbeing, which makes a huge difference, I guess. We can be spontaneous – because I don’t have to do everything and be responsible for everything. Guys he does housework. He encourages me to do things that are good for me – drinking more water, going for a walk, setting healthy boundaries. I feel loved and supported, and it is *awesome*.
I don’t, however, have any extra free time. So far this year I have switched from the masters I was working on to an Integrated Masters course – a minimum of 8 years part time studying; started a new job; submitted two assessments; started learning Spanish; joined the Conqueror Challenge to try and increase my activity level and been on 2 mini holidays to Ireland. And its barely April! I haven’t sewed anything yet this year, but I *did* sew things last year and I might do a wee post reviewing them. I have the bug again and plans for some simple-ish items to get me back into the swing so ill try (lol) to keep you posted.
Guys it’s been so long!!! It’s over 6 weeks since I last posted, but I have been sooooooooooo busy. This is kind of a theme in my life!
I have finally finished the first module of my MSc “making environmental decisions” – it was a bit of a yawn unfortunately, because it mainly involved learning new diagramming techniques. I have found a lot of the side reading really interesting though, and it’s already opened a few doors for me.
Unfortunately I won’t get the results until June, so I’ve had to sign up for (and pay for £££!!!!) the next module without knowing whether I’ve passed. I’m sure it will be fine…. My next module is “managing for sustainability” which will be more my thing. I hope I can manage to stay focused on it while the weather is nice – its finally spring!!!
I handed in on the 5th of April, and my mum and I went to a spa for a relaxation day on the 6th – partly in celebration and partly as a Mother’s Day treat. Dunamoy Cottages and Spa – what a fantastic place!!
It’s local to us – it was affordable, and we had an awesome time! We each had full use of the Spa, a facial, a massage and afternoon tea! I so needed that massage and I would definitely go back. My masseuse asked what sort of pressure I would like, and I told her to work out what would kill me and then back it off a little bit – it was AWESOME.
I’ve also been to the hospital and had some good news – my iron levels are back up to normal human level, and I’m definitely feeling the difference, much less fatigue! My ACR (one of the kidney readings) is also down by over 60% – still not normal human level, but well on the way!
And finally…. I MADE A THING!!!
I wanted to make my dad something nice for his birthday – when I was quilting and making bags there wasn’t much I could make for him, and prior to the glow-in-the-dark spaceman pajamas I had never made him anything to wear. He loves those pajamas so much, and they were such a good fit I decided to splash out on some really nice fabric and make him another.
I used my trusty Jalie 2918 t-shirt pattern and I got this gorgeous “Oceania” Art Gallery Cotton Spandex from Lamazi Fabrics (£20 per Metre and they still have some left!). The quality is amazing, and it sewed up like a dream
At Christmas I couldn’t do neckbands, but I can do them now!! I was so pleased with this; it looks basically perfect to me. My hemming still needs work, but it’s much improved from my last attempt so I’m happy.
I failed to control myself with the fabric shopping unfortunately. I treated myself to this gorgeous “At Sea” ex-designer cotton lawn from the lovely Harriet at Sew me Sunshine – it was really reasonably priced, and she still has some left!
We’ll be off to Italy next month, and I want to make something out of it for my holidays, but it’s really fine and a bit see-through, so I’m not too sure what I should make. I like the Driftwood Dress from Twig and Tale – but maybe I would need to line it?
I found Twig and Tale because I was looking for something to make for A – I got some gorgeous dinosaur cotton fabric in the sale from Lamazi – being stupid and not reading properly before I add things to my basket – I thought it was jersey and was planning to make a t-shirt, so I only got 1.5 meters – but it’s not stretchy!! Thank goodness for the Stitch Sisters Men’s Shirt Pattern Roundup #mansewing
I LOVE this pattern company; they were totally new to me their kids’ patterns are so cute I can’t even cope.
I’ll definitely be making some more of their patterns because I have a new little niece or nephew on the way! (actually the baby will be my 1st cousin once removed…. but that’s such a mouthful!!) I already have a quilt started for the new baby, but surely every child needs a blue tweed fox coat? even if they live in South Africa…
So I finally sewed something for myself!! The fit certainly isn’t perfect, but I’m pleased with it and I know I’ll get plenty of wear out of it. I’ve been meaning to make a Deer & Doe Plantain Top for a LONG time now. I downloaded the FREE PATTERN in November 2017 – that’s some impressive procrastinating : )
This new season I’ve been out around the shops browsing, there is a predominance of warm dusty colours, ruffles, bows and high necklines – basically I’ve seen nothing I would wear. I have a fairly impressive bust, and high necklines are so not for me. I didn’t desperately need new clothes or anything, but not having a lot of suitable ready-to-wear options has definitely encouraged me to pay more attention to the UFOs. Actually this could more accurately have been described as a USO – an Un-started Object?
I have the gorgeous fabric that I showed in my last post, but I wanted to have a go with something I’m not so attached to first. The fabric I’ve used here has been in my stash for years and years. I think i initially bought it to attempt an infinity dress like these ones:
but 1. – I didn’t get around to it and 2. I’m pretty sure it’s the wrong kind of fabric for this king of dress anyway. On the positive side, i THINK it was fairly cheap (I think i would have picked a more vibrant colour if i’d had the choice, so the colour was probably decided by the price).
Here it is!! my first plantain! Please excuse the bathroom by the way, its literally our only mirror that shows anything below chest height – I have put it on the list of home improvements : )
My bottom hem is fairly terrible, but I’m pleased with the neckband, it’s the very first stretch neckband I have ever put in successfully. There is a tiny bit of puckering, but it’s passable, and I’m confident that I’ll do a better job next time!
Too much armpit fabric!
I’m pleased with the fit on the arm and the shoulder, but I have this weird bat-wing armpit thing. How do I fix that?
Being too lazy to trail out my ancient serger, I used Jalie’s method for sewing jersey on a regular sewing machine, this is the method that I used on the 2 pajama tops I made at Christmas from a Jalie pattern, it worked well so I decided to stick with it. I plan to at least cut out the lovely Merboys Pirate fabric for my next plantain this week but I’ll be busy next weekend and I probably wont have time to sew it up until the week after.
When that’s finished, my next project is going to be a Sew Over It Molly Top and Molly Dress (probably with short sleeves) from the City Break e-book. Again I plan to make a wearable toile, not just to practice the techniques, but its a different shape and I need to make sure it fits in ALL THE RIGHT PLACES. I have some GORGEOUS fabric to make my toile up in, but I’ll save it to share when I have it all sewn up : )
So I have my Deer & Doe Plantain top all taped together and ready to sew on Sunday!!
Luna and Kali have been helping me – they’re such good kitties : )
Actually they’ve both been a bit bonkers – any time I try to do anything creative they’re all over me!
I have some gorgeous fabric ready to make my tops – I went a bit mad with the fabric shopping after Christmas – 2 from Lamazi Fabrics and another from Flamingo Fabrics – all jersey.
After my success making jersey pajama tops for my Dad and my other half I have the bug. I’m Planning to make the Plantain out of something from my stash initially, i have a dark green viscose jersey that i found in the cupboard, its been there for so long that i forgot i had it, and i’m not 100% sure where it came from! I’ve had the Sew Over It City Break e-book for AGES and i’m planning to make 1 dress and 1 top.
Nautical Knots Cotton Jersey
Art Gallery Fabrics – Gecko Trails knit
The 2 fabrics I got from Lamazi are quite stable – I’m planning to use the Gecko fabric for a short sleeved Molly dress for my holidays, and the Nautical Knots fabric for a long sleeved top version. The Merboys fabric from Flamingo has slightly more drape, so I think it will make a nice Plantain after I’ve had a go with the green fabric first.
Its actually even nicer than it looks in the picture, and all 3 are gorgeous quality! The Art Gallery Gecko fabric in particular was fairly expensive for me, so I’m hoping I can get some cheaper stable knit to make a wearable toile with before i cut into my favorite stuff! I’d love to hear any fitting tips for the Molly – I have a big chest and shoulders, so most things end up too big in the waist and under the bust. Its part of what feeds into my procrastination when it comes to sewing – I’m so scared of wasting the fabric and making a mess – and of wasting my time! these fabrics are so awesome though, as long as they fit where they have to I’m going to enjoy wearing them : )
Forgive me my nonsense, as I also forgive the nonsense of those that think they talk sense.
Robert Frost
Hi!! I’m Kate. I like to sew and make my own clothes, but I rarely get the chance.
Last year I tried to do the #MakeNine2018 challenge, but I don’t think I made ANY of my plans in the end. That said, I did make some things. I made some Christmas presents – a pajama top for my dad using the Jalie 2918 Boys and Men’s T-Shirt pattern and a tweed wrap for my Mum using the Skye Wrap pattern from Coolcrafting.com. I used Harris Tweed and Liberty cotton lawn no less, so it’s a really posh wrap! Both patterns came together fairly easily – the only issue I had was that the neckband piece for the t-shirt was WAY too small. I haven’t been able to find many reviews of this pattern online, but it does seem to be a known issue. That said, I don’t really like a tight neckline on a pajama top, so I just turned the neckline under and stitched it. They both really loved their gifts and I’ve since made another pajama top for my partner with superhero cats on : )
I’m tempted to have another go a the Make 9 challenge, but I’m really busy all the time and it makes me feel bad if I plan to do something and then fail to complete it.
So I’m going to address all the busyness. I work full time and I have a house to run – which is plenty on its own – but I have a few other things taking up my time.
I am a chronic illness sufferer. In 1991 when I was 7 years old, I was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. Through my teens and early 20’s I had some mental health issues and I didn’t take care of myself – like AT ALL, so now I’m dealing with some complications as a result of my poor control. These include Diabetic Nephropathy and Hypertension, diabetic retinopathy,tendinopathyand gastroparesis. Without going into the daily grind of constantly checking my blood sugar, managing my insulin, analyzing what I eat (every time I eat anything) to work out my dosage, being super-prepared in advance for all my meals and dealing with the chronic fatigue that comes with my hypertension, this impressive list of illness comes with a buttload of medical appointments.
I also try to stay fit. It’s tough sometimes when I’m not feeling well – and my other half can generally be described as an athlete (more on him later) – which can be inspiring, but it can also make you feel like you’re not making any progress. So I run when I can, I go to a Strength and Conditioning or Pilates Class when I can, and I try to go Fencing every week. I met my other half through fencing when we were both at the University of York – I used to be better than him! But now he kicks my butt : (
To top it off, I decided I had better do a Master’s Degree in Environmental Management. that’s been taking up a lot of my time lately… and to be honest I’m not enjoying it. Its been very theoretical so far, and I’m more of a hands on person really, so I’ve found it pretty frustrating. That said, I have learned some interesting things, about the Environment and about myself. I’ll see what score i get in this module and make a decision, but at the moment I don’t think I’ll be continuing with this course – but I’m open to alternatives!!
Our strength is often composed of the weakness that we’re damned if we’re going to show.
Failure To Sew 
