How to make elderflower cordial

After getting in after a busy day at school yesterday and realising I had a very busy weekend ahead of me, I decided that there was no time like the present and I had better get on and make my elderflower cordial otherwise all the flowers may be gone by the weekend and the heavey rain we have been forcast. So out I went and collected the flowers and decided to blog it so that you can have a go too. It is so so easy and straightforward and so satisfying once it's done. A delicious drink for the summer, and extra bottles can be frozen and used at a later date.

These are the ingredients you will need. Three (yes three!) bags of sugar, 62g of citric acid, which you can get from either a chemist or behind the customer service counter in Wilkinsons!	First you need to collect the elderflower, try not to pick anything too close to the road as it can collect the fumes etc Cut the heads off so all the stalks that make the flower are still intact otherwise you end up with lots of bits. You will need one full carrier bag.
Put all the sugar and citric acid into a bucket-any will do so long as it is clean.	Add 6 pints of water and give it a good stir.
Nest, tip in all the flowers, don't worry about the bugs and bits, we will strain them out later.	Give it a good stir, and squash it all down.
Then cover it over and leave it for 24 hours to soak, stirring occcasionally. Try to scoop up all the suagr etc that may settle at the bottom.	After 24 hours, scoop out all the gunk into another container (or if  you have one, get another clean bucket) Don't get rid of the gunky flowers, they will be squeezed later.
Here is the gunky flowers, you can squeese these out into the container with the juice in and then chuck them away.	Right, this is my makeshift strainer, find one old tea towel, preferably one used to polish glass....that type. Put the tea towel into a seive and then rest the seive over the bucket. then using a jug you can scoop out the liquid and pour it through your makeshift strainer. You may need to remove a build up of flowers every now and then to keep it flowing.
Here some of the finished golden liquid!	Finally you can bottle it up.
TA DA!!! It usually makes around 3 1/2 litres. Have a go and let me know how you get on!

DCI-materials list

Next DCI is on the 14th of July 10am to 1pm
If you are new and want to come along (we love new faces!) you can find us on the map here or alternatively its Kingsgate Community Church, 2 Staplee way, PE1 4YT.

So we will be making:
Padded note book cover (with optional handle)

Materials list:You will need an A5 notebook with a spine of more than 1 cm
a patterned fabric for the cover (enough to generously wrap around the book)
Plain fabric for the inside (27cx37cm roughly (more not less)
Wadding (27cx37cm roughly (more not less)

Sewing machine if you have one (really don't worry if not we can share!)
Matching thread
Pencil/black marker
Fabric scissors
Tracing paper or greaseproof paper to make the paper patterns with

Really looking forward to it! Email me if you have any questions, or leave a post! (Ive not had anyone leave me a post yet...so please feel free!)

My Little mousey!



I just couldn't resist making one of the little mice from Mollie Makes. I downloaded the pattern, but it doesn't come with instructions so I have had to work out how to put it together and I have to say I am very pleased with the result! I was intrigued to see that they suggested that you back the fabric with a thin iron on interfacing, it made the fabric easier to work with, especially as I was hand stitching (which I love doing!). I'm sure more mice will be moving in soon.....





Cutting out the pattern pieces.





Carefully handwashing the fabrics for her dress...couldn't decide which fabric to use!



Finished mousey and little handmade pinifore



Finished mouse! We decided to name her nellie....due to her large ears. I will put a little tuck in them next time to stop them looking so huge!



Best magazine ever!

Oh my goodness! I so so so want this magazine!!! I was browsing in Hobby Craft (I could spend a day in there and not get bored...only bankrupt!) and found this magazine Mollie Makes , its only on it 15th issue or something, but its a cute little A5 issue, with yummy pictures and fantastic little projects. I would love a subscription to this for a birthday.....or Christmas.....You get free templates and patterns from here on their website which you can download from their website , unfortunately not with instructions so you do  need a little "where with all" to work out how to put some of them together unless you have the mag. I fully intend to make the little clothed mice! How cute are they???!!!! They are designed by Jenny Dixon and you can see her blog here

Dream Create Inspire craft morning-Cushions

This saturday, I met with 3 friends in a side room at church for our 3rd DCI (Dream  create inspire) craft morning. We meet in a side room at church and have a line of tables down the middle, anyone who has one brings a sewing machine, music on kettle boiling, and then we start making stuff! Our project this morning was to make cushion covers as after session 1 and 2 people decided they needed more practice sewing in straight lines! I showed the gilrs how to make a very basic paper pattern (not at all the proffesional way-but quick and simple) and then we cracked on making our covers. Below are some pictures of us working and then everybodys finished cushions! Usually there is more of us, but people are away at the mo.....

Hannah's V&A cushion, a makeover for the orginal red one.

Kerries Finished cushion made using swatches sent from John lewis, so it now matches her lounge!

DIY-Macrame-para cord braclet tutorial

Its funny how things go around and around. I used to make friendship bracelets all the time as a kid, complicated multicoloured, zig zag bracelets. It's seems now that ll that is back with a modern twist of "para cording". I love these bracelets and they are so so simple to make! The only problem would be finding the metal bits of the gems to go in the middle, but I presume somewhere like hobby craft would sell these parts, ideally it would be so cool to make them yourself. I found them on this blog and they have a picture tutorial that you can follow step by step. They don't require a clasp it's all done with  knots and so it's adjustable. I think they would a really sweet bracelet for the summer, especially in these candy colours. Perhaps i'll have a go this weekend....



Stitch your own i phone cover!

I was just browsing through blogs and found this! If I had an i phone I would so want to do this! Its from another amazing blog called Purlbee, but it can be bought from here.  The cross stitch kit comes with a 33 by 69 grid cross stitch case, three colors of thread, a needle, and a booklet of designs! I would want to make up my own design but I just wouldn't know where to start! The possibilites are endless!

Little red shoes

Found a piece if fabric on the floor in my classroom with a pair of legs drawn on it.... So I figured those legs need shoes...found some skin coloured felt and shiny red fabric and appliquéd them on. Added some embroidery to the shoes. Very pleased with them, will have to find a use for them now!

It All Started with an Aardvark

This is Millipops.

She was inspired by a new wrinkly pink baby aardvark born in a zoo. I thought I have just got to have one of those - so I made one from scratch!

She is made from soft pink jersey with a pink candy stripped tummy, ears and feet. Beads in her feet with felt claws for digging!

I covered some buttons to make jointed arms and legs.

She is so cute!

I feel a baby rhino coming on...