Baby Project No. 2: Baby Pouch

While packing my hospital bag, I didn't know where and how should I pack my baby's stuffs... Some of my friends put them in a zip-lock bag... Hmmm quite unhygienic, don't you think so. So, I decided to make a baby pouch, just for packing baby's stuffs...

It's a simple pouch that I've divided it to 3 compartments....

These two compartments are for diapers/nappies, mittens & booties and hanky

And lastly, the bigger compartment is for baby's clothing and towel.

This is how it looks like when I fold the two side together. The size is around 22cm by 28cm... Just nice to put inside my hospital bag. :)

Tatted Doily

This is my first time completing a doily using tatting... And did it by the rule... =P Though it's small but I'm quite proud of it. I'll try to do a bigger one next time.

 

Again, it's not for me to keep... It's made for someone special.... :)

Christmas Fruit Cake

Tomorrow, we will have a Boxing Day party at my cousin's place. I plan to make a apple crumbled pie and fruit cake.

This is my first attempt baking a fruit cake. I just followed the recipe blindly. My friend, Huiz told me that as long as I can see bubbles in the cake batter, the cake will turn out just fine... That's how I access my cake. True enough, the cake turns out pretty well... :) However, I still need more time to 'understand' my microwave oven.

 

I've cut away the top part, cos it was quite tough and dry. The filling is just nice, not very soggy and not very dry... I like it.

The recipe is adapted from KC Forum: Boiled Fruit Cake by Connie. I actually halved the recipe (In italic)

Ingredients
(A)
1kg Mixed Fruits (400g Mixed fruits - but DH said too much fruits)
125g Brandy (65g Orange Juice - Can't take Alcohol)
125g Water (65g Water)
250g Butter (125g Butter)
150g Brown Sugar (Original recipe is 200g) (80g brown sugar - still can be reduced)

(B)
5 Large eggs, lightly beaten (3 large eggs)
1 TBsp Treacle (1 tsp of honey)
2 tsp grated orange rind (1 tsp grated orange rind)
1 tsp grated lemon rind

(C)
265g Plain flour (135g plain flour)
50g Self raising flour (25g self raising flour)
1/2 tsp Bicarbonate of soda

Method
1) Sift ingredients (C) together several times, set aside.
2) Combine ingredients (A) in a pan. Stir constantly over heat without boiling until sugar is dissolved.
3) Once sugar is dissolved, bring to boil, then reduce the heat to simmer covered for 10 minutes.
4) Transfer the hot mixture to a big mixing bowl and let it cool to room temperature.
5) *Greese a deep 9" round cake tin, line the base & sides with 2 layers of silicon paper. Prepare another 2 layers of silicon paper (Paper height: 7cm) to tie around the cake tin with cotton string. bringing the paper 5cm above the edge of cake tin.
6) Once the fruit mixture is cooled to room temperature, add eggs, treacle, and rinds and stir until combined.
7) Stir in sifted flour until combined. 
8) *Baked at 140C - 150C for about 2.5 hours or test it with skewer.
9) Cover the cake with aluminum foil and cool in cake tin.

I was using a disposable aluminum tray (215 x 110 x 55)mm to bake the cake. Baked with 160C for 1 hour and reduced the temp to 130C for another 10 minutes.

Christmas ATC Exchange

Blessed Merry Christmas to ALL!!!!

Since it's raining, I stayed at home to complete the Christmas ATC (Artist Trading Card) card to be exchanged during our KBCC this Saturday.

I've tatted a Snowflake (Pattern from Faizon's Snowflake Collections). And made a simple 2.5" by 3.5" card.. It's a simple ATC.

Christmas Gifts - Pouches....

I'm trying something new this year... Making pouches using fabrics... My sewing is really bad! It took me three days to complete these two pouches!!! Nearly gave up.... I think I still prefer to crochet and tat.... =P

This is something like a grab bag and I've combined two patterns in one... Specially make for ML so she can use this during lunch time.

The next one is a simple pouch for a friend who always makes jewelry items for me... Initially, I plan to crochet the whole thing, but a bit lazy... Then I decided to combine fabric and crochet. For this piece, I hand-sewn the whole pouch... I've given up with sewing machine. =P

Season of Giving....

I still feel that this is the best gift to give to your loves one during Christmas.... :)

Guardian Angel.

It is simple, elegant & meaningful....

Baby Project No. 1: Bean sprout Husk Pillow Cases

Finally, starting on my baby projects... Well, most of them involve sewing and I never know how to sew properly... =P

Start with the easiest project, making pillow case.

If you follow my blog, I have this entry about bean sprout husk pillow. My cousin told me it's very useful. So, I made 5 more pillows.

Look easy huh.... BUT I've spend 1 hour plus on the first pillow case. =P Thanks to my aunt, she taught me how to get my sewing right. Otherwise, I think I'll spend more than an hour.

I like the fabrics very much. I bought them from Spotlight and Chinatown.

My final order of the year - Wedding doll for Gan

At last! This is my final order of the year, before my delivery next month.

This sweet gentleman from KL ordered one pair of wedding couple for his wife few weeks back. I was thinking of rejecting it cos kinda tight up with my baby's stuffs... However, seeing him so sweet & sincere, I agreed to do it... I wish both of them happiness.... :)

He wanted to hold a heart... So, I've crocheted a heart for him to hold....

Oh Yea.... Gan requested the groom to wear a spec too... Then I realized that I didn't have any stock left... So this morning, I went to spotlight to get a pair of specs for him... CUTE!!!

In the box, ready to be delivered.... Hope this sweet couple will like it....

Tatting BUGS!

Gosh! Ever since I've met my tatting crafter friends, tatting bugs have never stop attacking me! I get so hooked to tatting that I tat everyday...

It has been awhile since I touched my shuttles... When I started, most of the pieces were done wrongly... Well, these are a few good one. Now I have mastered the art of UN-PICK! =P

It all started with Ellen's Simply Tree... I had redo the pattern, but still not as good...

I got this snowflake pattern from Faizon's Snowflake Collections. I bought from her and never had a chance to try. I LOVE her patterns! They are so challenging and interesting.

This snowflake pattern from Faizon's Snowflake Collections too. However, in her pattern there are 6 motifs but I only did 5... :( So, lazy to un-pick so just keep on doing... Well, it's not so nice, still can find some flaws... I'm still practicing... Hehehehehe

This pattern is from one of the Japanese tatting book.

Currently, I'm doing a pouch... Do bit by bit everyday.. =P

Apple Crumble Pie

Last Friday, met up with Betsy and Dewi at Betsy's home studio. Dewi is my polymate and she's learning crochet from Betsy.

I baked an apple crumble pie for them... It was my first time baking a pie... I didn't know it was so easy. And delicious too... I got the recipe from KC once again.

Here goes the recipe (abstracted from KC by Elaine):

The crust
125g butter
225g plain flour
1/2 beaten egg
The apple filling
4 apples, peeled, cored and sliced
2 tbsp brown sugar
sprinkles of cinnamon powder
lemon juice from a slice of lemon
some water
1/2 tbsp corn flour

The crumble
70 - 80g butter
1 cup self-raising flour
4tbsp sugar

Method
1. Make filling first by cooking the apples with the rest of the ingredients with some water. Add corn flour to thicken.
2. Make the crust by combining the butter, flour and egg to form into a dough. Press dough on to a pie pan. 
3. For the crumble, gently rub the butter and flour to form into crumbs and add sugar and mix well.
4. After crust is baked, pour in the apple filling and sprinkle top with the crumble. Bake at 200C for about 30 - 45 mins or till crust is nicely browned.

Well, to make the crust, I used fingers (taught by Rei & Gina) and added egg after the butter and flour were evenly mixed.

I didn't use pie pan, I used aluminum baking container to bake.

Wedding Items for Gynn

Few months back, Gynn asked me to make 9 corsages for her sisters and a pair of wedding couple... Her wedding theme is crystal... Wow! Challenging....

Managed to rush it out before my delivery...

What I did was, I added iron-on crystals on the ribbons and also sprinkle 'disco-dust' on the roses. Unfortunately I couldn't captured the effect. The 'disco-dust' did sparkle under lightings... Very nice! Glad she likes them... :) 

 

Well, as for the wedding couples, I added press-on crystals on the wedding gown so that they will sparkles under the lighting... Besides that, I made a brooch using crystal flower (real Swarovski Crystal) for the groom... Hope she will like it.... :)

Diaper Stacker from Aunt Rosie

Aunt Rosie made this diaper stacker for baby Joel. She completed it within a day... Cool!! I like it very much. Thanks Aunt.... :)

That little boy standing beside the diaper stacker is my cousin, Bryan... Well my aunt called him naughty little Monster... Hehehe.... :)

Tatters Gathering DAY!

We had a tatters gathering last Saturday. It has been awhile since I've met my fellow tatters. The last gathering was at Ellen's place.. This time, we decided to meet at Toa Payoh's Sizzler.

Actually there were 6 of us. But Jackie was down with flu and Wendy had something on, so only Aileen, Ellen, Rei and myself turned out to the gathering. Though just a small group, we were HAVING LOTS of FUN!

We were there from 1:30pm 'till 7pm!!! 5 and half long hours!! To our surprise, the staffs at the restaurant never chase us out but kept refilling our waters... GOOD SERVICE!

We chatted for hours, then later, we did some tatting. We were making Ellen's Simply Tree. She wrote the pattern herself.

Note: Picture abstracted from Ellen's blog.

It is a simple but very comprehensive pattern! It covers split chain & split ring. I never learn how to do it before.. It's a blessing to have both Ellen & Aileen taught me how to do it... :)

Aileen - reading the pattern

Rei - Seriously doing her tatting

Ellen - who looks so chirpy that day. :)

Our Work

The last bottom piece was mine. I didn't complete the pattern cos I was using very fine thread, Flora 50!!! Even Ellen and Aileen seldom use such a fine thread to tat... But I love the variegated colors of the thread.

Guess what Rei made for us!

 

 

It's a CAKE!!! The cake was covered with a layer of marshmallow fondant and decorated with sugar paste shuttles & shuttle needles... Well, the only real thing on the cake was the thread... SHE MADE EVERYTHING HERSELF!! We asked Rei whether was it tedious to make this cake? She said, not really but it was tedious to roll that three balls of thread... Hahahaha....

 

Rei with her cake

Don't they look alike?? (the one on the left is real shuttle)

Throughout the end of the day, we decided to cut the cake, cos we were curious how the cake taste like... It was coffee & chocolate... Simply DELICIOUS...

Rei was dismantling the cake... :(

It's a coffee and chocolate pound cake!

I've been reading Rei's blog since I've picked up baking... Getting to know her was really my pleasure, she is a lady full of talents & creativity. She picked up everything on her own, including tatting!!

Oh YEAH, this is our group photo:

Standing from the left: Aileen & Ellen

Sitting from the left: Ballooned me & Rei

Mc Donald Pancake

Last Saturday, I decided to make pancake for breakfast. I found this wonderful recipe from KC.... :)

MAC DONALD's PANCAKE!!!

It is so fluffy and taste exactly like Mac Donald's pancake...

Here are the recipe:

Ingredients
100g self-raising flour
2 tbsp caster sugar
a pinch of salt
2 eggs, seperated
75ml milk
1tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 tsp vanilla essence

Method
1. Sift flour into a mixing bowl, stir in sugar and salt (Mix well).
2. Make a well in the center of flour, add egg yolks, milk, vanilla essence and oil. Stir to make a smooth batter.
3. Whisk egg white in a clean, dry bowl till stiff. Stir in 1/4 of the egg whites to the batter to lighten it, then FOLD in the remaining egg white carefully.
4. Heat a non-stick frying pan and brush it lightly with a little oil. Drop tablespoon of batter onto the frying pan (Leaving 2 cm space in between).
5. When bubbles appear, flip the pancake and cook till it turn golden brown. Serve while its hot.

Recipe by: Carrie Ow from KC's forum

Thanks Carrie for sharing such a marvelous recipe...

Joel's Booties

A good friend of mine, Huiz, who is also my 'crochet' kaki made this for baby Joel... LOVELY!!! Thanks Huiz.... 

For Mona's mommy.... :)

Aunt had passed me this bag of pearls early this year to make into a necklace... :) I was very excited, cos I have some ideas what I can do with the pearls.

Due to my lack of experience in making jewelry, I got my friend, Alice to help... She did a good job! It's very creative of her to add crystals and other accessories. I love the necklace very much. Simple and elegant. Her workmanship is excellent too... Love it!

Bread Pudding

My brother, Jin LOVES bread pudding! Our first attempt baking our own bread pudding.

We followed the recipe from Joy of Baking

Initially I was quite worried because baking bread pudding, I need to prepare 'water bath' or 'Bain Marie'.I was using Microwave Oven to bake the bread pudding, I was not sure whether can I put water in the it.. But then, we still tried.

I bought a bigger glass casserole from Carefour, to hold my smaller casserole that filled with the batter. Instead of baking for 1 hour, we baked for 40 minutes. We were using French loaf for this recipe.

You can add Raisin/Sultana, apple or others to add flavor. We didn't cos ML doesn't like Raisin... So we had it original.

Voila!

Look at how happy Jin was... :)