This is a truly just-in-time TGIFF post, because today was Isobel’s birthday, and she scored a new duffle bag: This bag was very challenging for me! The hardest parts were inserting the top zipper: And creating the completely reversible straps (thank you, epic Ikatbag tutorial series!): And don’t even get me started on this positivelyContinue reading “Birthday Duffle Bag”
Author Archives: Jessica Norris
Collecting Broccoli Seeds
This year we have intentionally allowed our broccoli to go to seed. This will hopefully mean the next crop of broccoli that we sow will be from our very own seeds! In the photo above you can see what happens if you leave some of the broccoli heads on the plant. We have already harvestedContinue reading “Collecting Broccoli Seeds”
Octopus Tutorial: Constructing the Body
As promised in my last post, here begins a tutorial series on how to construct an octopus softie! For the first part, we will be looking at how to construct the body. For this tutorial I’m going to concentrate on hand sewing, but I have previously used a sewing machine to assemble the body parts.Continue reading “Octopus Tutorial: Constructing the Body”
Softie Octopus Finished!
I have been making an octopus softie for Evie’s birthday coming up in early March. This is a design I came up with a couple of Christmases ago that works really well with scrappy lightweight fabrics! I took the octopus on a tour of the house, and he found some nice quiet places to sit:Continue reading “Softie Octopus Finished!”
Kitchen Redo: Painting cabinets!
Okay, so I mentioned a while back that I had done some DIY in the kitchen, and had actual photos of some progress. This is true: yay! Unfortunately, when I was painting my kitchen cabinets, I didn’t think of taking a “before” picture. It turns out that the part of the kitchen I painted isContinue reading “Kitchen Redo: Painting cabinets!”
Tutorial: “Windows” quilt top
I’m too proud of my new “Windows” quilt top to be done with it just yet! Today I’d like to share a tutorial on how to piece this for yourself. 🙂 First up, I should mention that this is not my original design. I was inspired by this quilt I spotted on Pinterest, which IContinue reading “Tutorial: “Windows” quilt top”
Tutorial: Making yoghurt with fresh milk
Today I’d like to share with you how I make my yoghurt, using fresh milk. This is not the first method I’ve used: a long while ago now a friend in my Mothers’ group revealed she made yoghurt using a system she bought at our supermarket, and I was intrigued. Turns out, you can buyContinue reading “Tutorial: Making yoghurt with fresh milk”
“Eat anytime” snacks
My kids ask for food at seemingly random times of the day. If you have kids, you probably know that feeding the small ones can be a really frustrating experience! Sometimes you make a huge effort to try to tempt their appetite, and they refuse to even look at it, at other times you slapContinue reading ““Eat anytime” snacks”
Flowers and seeds and foliage, oh my!
Summer time in our garden is always full of life! There are some flowers, and a lot of seeds forming at the moment. Here is a photo selection of interesting things happening this week. 🙂
“Windows” quilt finished!
Is it just me, or when you are putting the binding onto your quilt, do you feel like there are five corners instead of four?? 🙂 So finally, it is finished. I am so pleased with this quilt that I can’t bear to send it away in the post today! I’m going to hang onto itContinue reading ““Windows” quilt finished!”
Simple Crafty Life 