App not really working...

I have been trying to write and post with pictures on the go, since my phone is also my main camera... But the app isn't loading the pictures at all :(

Has anyone got any idea of how I might get it to work? 🤔

Revival ?

Good afternoon to you all! 

My blog has been inactive for over two years now and I am sorry about it. I feel like starting again now, let's see how it goes :)

Haven't posted much here, but I have started using Instagram a while back and found it easier to post pictures there. Recently I have felt the need for some writing again, so here we go. 

Change of blog name, change of colours, font etc. I have changed and grown a lot in the past two years, the sweet pink version of my blog wasn't satisfying anymore. 

Hope you'll get on board with me, visiting and commenting every now and then.

Spring is there, here in Germany it is sunny and warm! I wish you a lovely weekend and don't forget (if you are in Europe) to set your clocks for summer time tonight.

The SC & more n°338: Pegs

This week Isabelle asked is to be creative with pegs. It brought back memories of my childhood when DIYing with my sister and our Grandmother.

I made a pen-holder this time, very simple. An every day object transformed into another commonly used object... both very useful. Now a question: should I paint it?

The other participations are here.

See you again next week if not earlier!

The SC&more n°337: traffic jams

Ange has given us a rather interesting and puzzling theme for this week's challenge: traffic jams.
Now, we were on holiday in France two weeks ago, a great time with the family and a looooong drive! BUT we never get into the traffic jams. Two perfectly good reasons: first we usually are driving towards the other directions, second we drive at night. Over 1000km by car with two children under 6yo and who have the tendency to be sick quickly, it is the safest option. It is tiring but Oh! so quiet! No "are we there yet" for 12 hours :)

Then I thought again, what would I do IF I were in traffic jams (as a passenger of course) and IF I could do something without getting sick (I am like my children, or rather they are like me?).

Here is my answer: Treasure Bags!

 

I still need to perfect my pattern (yarn was 50%cotton, 50% acrylic and I used a 4.5mm hook), but each bag took me about one hour of work and my children were over the moon. Even my little brother asked for one! The children always gather small things when we go around. So having a light small bag comes in handy. 

Now, that is also a bag which is great for the parents, it is an Intelligent Bag! 

If it goes through the holes: it is too small to go home!
It doesn't fit in the bag: it is too big to go home!

:)

  

On the next day the bags were tested the hard way. The children filled them with loads of stones. The bags did pass with high colours, but the shoulderstrap became a little elongated. I will see if it goes back to its previous shape after washing the bags.

So that's it, that's what I could be making if I were stuck in traffic jams. Take a look at the museum to see what the others came up with :)

And see you next week for the next challenge on Isabelle's blog. Have a lovely day.

The SC & more n°331: Faites de la Musique

 I sing in the German-French Choir of my town. I really enjoy it and we've just had our summer concerts. We usually wear black trousers or skirts, but just two weeks before the concerts, my black trousers abandonned me (read: big holes that I could not repair). I did not want to go shopping, I never find anything I really like and that really suits me. So I took out my old Burda magazines and chose a pattern.

 

 

Picture for the Museum, visit the page for more creations

 And now I have a skirt that I LOVE! It's shape is quite flattering, it does even "hide" my belly ;)
Now, the SC & more challenge for this week has the "Fête de la Musique" for theme, or rather "Faites de la Musique" - make music. I am not out of topic since the skirt was sewn for my choir singing. My favourite part of the skirt: the pockets! I love the cherries ^^.

Elderflower

Ever since I discovered elderflower on my first trip to England (2002!), I have loved it. This year I decided to try my hand at making gelée, thanks to a very simple recipe provided by a friend of mine.

It was very little work despite the long process - the flowers need to infuse for a whole 12 hours! And the result was great! I just need to improve the gelée aspect. Mine isn't quite as firm as I would have wanted it. 

Still, I am proud to present my very first batch of Elderflower Gelée!

 

PS: I can hardly get T.'s nose out of the jar when I put it on the breakfast table :) That's the greatest compliment of all!!

Sewing for the Kindergarten

N. and T.'s Kindergarten has been renovating a small room and the children named it the "Jungle room". All parents were asked to contribute with some help for painting the walls with fun animals, or making cushions etc.

Here is my contribution:

Made of fleece and quite small, they will be perfectly fine in the washing-machine and I hope the little ones will like playing with them.

Kitchen crochet

I love the Catania yarn from Schachenmayr. It is my favourite to make toys for children (mine and my friends'). I got several books for Christmas, one of them is full of patterns for the children's toy-kitchen. I started a muffin-form when my son went to Kindergarten in January, but I didn't go far, lacking time really... Then last weekend I took my crochet bag with me and decided to finish it. I made a four-muffin-form instead of a six one. My children's oven isn't that very big and I also do not intend on making too many muffins (four to eight will do).

The felt sweets I made several years ago fit quite nicely, so I might not even bother making cupcakes or muffins ;)

I like the colours, citrus fruits and bright summer-sky blue! The perfect baking-form for summer!

In addition I used a bit of left-over yarn to make lollipops. N. and T. love them!

 

The SC & more n°329: Fox

This week we are invited at Jessica's, her chosen them: Fox. Inspiration was hard to find, until I opened my small cupboard with my fleece fabrics. I had this bright orange coupon which was shouting "use me!" pretty loudly. So even though it is not really the season for scarf, I made one. I will probably use it as a Christmas present next december ;)

I didn't want to make it too long, I just wanted the scarf to be wrapped around the neck. It is quite cosy and warm.
The tail was planned differently, longer, pointier BUT I had a small mishap while sewing: I forgot to mirror the two pieces. Undoing a seam on fleece is a nightmare, so I just shortened it. Next time I'll pay better attention.

Check out the Museum

How do you like it? I can hardly wait for the next challenge on Friday :)

The SC & more n°328 : Black & White

This week Isabelle dreams in B&W, or all white, or all black ;)

My daughter is going to her Grand-parents for a sleep-over for the very first time tomorrow. I am probably more worried than she is! She is actually extremely excited about it. But nevertheless, I expect her to be a trifle sad when comes bedtime. So I prepared her two things:

1- a kiss-tissue. The idea was given to me by my sister. She prepared a whole box of tissues when she went away for several days without her daughters. I liked the idea very much and decided to give N. one for the night.

I don't usually use make-up but for once my lipstick got used! ;)

2- I made her a mini comforter-cushion in white satin fabric with black thread. The heart in the middle isn't too good because I didn't draw first. The cushion is a little crooked because I made it quickly without taking measurements first. Inside I have put a little bit of batting to give some fluffiness to the comforter.

For the Museum

I am ready to bet my son is going to ask for those things as well. He was a little jealous of his sister's trip, but I promised him a mother-son day and I planned fun activities such as taking a round-trip in the "Parkeisenbahn" - a mini-train going all around the huge park in our town. This should be a lot of fun!

I am taking things slow, but I quite enjoy being back on my blog and writing again. I hope you are enjoyin reading my posts ;)