Cherry currant cordial

Tonight I made cordial using black currants and black cherries my FIL gave us 2 years ago.

They've been sitting in the freezer taking up space since then and now they had to be used or be thrown out.

I just did a basic "boil berries with water-strain- bring to the boil and add sugar"-cordial. Only this time I boiled the mash one extra time to really get every last bit of juice out.

I'll have to check the cordial tomorrow because currants are a great pectin agent and can easily make the cordial jell as it cools. Plus I boiled the cherries with the pits which also adds in the pectin.

From the left over mashed berries I made a sort of jam-mush. I pressed the berries through a sieve, removing the pits as I found them.
It was boring work so I didn't do it for very long. I got enough mush to put in a 10 oz jar.
To sweeten it I brought some water to the boil and added double the amount of sugar and let it all boil for a minute or two then let it cool slightly before I added a few tablespoons to the mush.

The mush won't last that long unless you freeze it so we'll use it on the oatmeal or yogurt for breakfast over the next few days.
It tasted divine on piece of toast tonight and I'm sure it would be great to fill a cake with.

My Creative Space June 11th

After a few weeks of sewing clothes for the girls I have started sewing smaller projects.

I bought a pattern for a sewing bag about a year ago and made two bags rather quickly after that.
Then I lost the pattern and no matter how much I searched I couldn't find it.

Cue to a week ago when I decided to clean up my sewing room and sure there it was. Tucked in between two other patterns in a ziploc-bag.

So yesterday I started cutting fabrics for another bag. This one will be a gingham/checkered outside with apple pockets and apple pie lining.

I have fabric combos to make 2 or three more bags but I haven't cut fabric for those.

Kyoko for Isabel

Late last night I finished the Kyoko for Isabel.

I have agonized over this dress for over a week, ever since the pattern dropped into my mail box.
I had a fabric combo set up that I was gonna use but I wasn't 100 % convinced it would be perfect.



I had intended to use the green Kokeshi-fabric and the pink dotted fabric for the skirt and the darker green for bias trim, but then I had second thoughts.
The darker green would look nice in a Kyoko for Sofia and I have more than 1 yard of it so it would be a shame to cut it up and make trim of it.
Then I feared I didn't have enough of the green Kokeshi anyway to use for the skirt pieces.

The pattern doesn't say how much fabric the skirt requires - probably because you can configure the skirt as you like. But it threw me for a loop for a bit. I found an orange fabric that I liked with the dolls but I didn't have enough unless I turned the pattern pieces 90 degrees and I didn't like how the fabric stretched on the cross grain.
Then I recalled I had the black Kokeshi fabric and that it would look quite cool to use them together.



So I measured and puzzled the pattern pieces on the green fabric I had and made it all fit. Now all I needed was trim.



I bought a package of three coordinating fabrics at a crafts fair in April and I had intended to make YoYos of it. The orange fabric I had considered for the skirt came in that pack.
It also had a dotted fabric that I liked and when I put it next to the Kokeshi-dolls it just matched. There was a green dot in the fabric that was the *exact green of the background for the dolls. And almost all the other colours in the dotted fabric was repeated somewhere in the dolls' outfits.
Perfect.

Now Patty had said you needed 1 yard of it to make trim for the dress. And I had 30 cm (12 inches). But I figured I could at least use it for trim of the sleeves and the bodice. So I cut it all up and made bias binding of it.
I didn't realise I like to make biniding. It's sort of relaxing. Strange.

The dress came together beautifully even though I had a brain fart and forgot to finish the seam in the sleeves. I may have to amend that.
Last night I gathered the skirt and attached it to the bodice. Perfect timing for today's birthday party.

But I still needed fabric for the obi-sash. I had intended to use a piece of stretchy thin denim I had at home but when I took it out I realized I had used it for a dress for Sofia and I couldn't find a large enough continuous piece to make the obi.

But I had the orange fabric.



So instead of going to bed like I intended I cut out the pieces for the obi and finished it too.

I love how this dress turned out. The pattern was well written and all the pictures made it easy to follow. It was a fun project to make.

I will need to lengthen the obi for Isabel if I make another one. I also need to make the bodice a little longer. She's normally a size 134 for length but she's rather slim so the 122 is ok for girth. Although the obi was on the short side.

I'm making one for Sofia next. As soon as my order from Heather Bailey arrives.

I think I'll measure her before I cut the obi for her. Maybe I need to lengthen it too.

Lunch

My Creative Space June 4th

I'm joining in with Kootoyoo's My Creative Space again this week.

Working from home yet again - maybe I can make a habit of it.

This week I'm making a Kyoko for my big girl which involved a bit of jigsaw-puzzles to make the pattern pieces fit. I *think* I have it figured out I just need to mark it and see that I'm right.

I'm not sure about the dark green geisha fabric - I was gonna use it for bias trim but I'm not convinced ... I may have to go to the fabric store *oy vey*.

I will need something for the sash - I was planning on denim, but the piece I had at home had been cut into and I couldn't find a continuous piece that would fit.
Plus I need ribbon too so - a trip to the fabric store it is.

After the weekend's birthday celebrations (the little one is turning 2)

I wasn't planning on entering the heart challenge - but when I looked closer there happened to be sort of a heart in the picture (the top of one at least).