Biffsugar

The Pillowcase dress

For a very long time now I have had a pillowcase which was destined to become a dress.  I have made lots of empty promises about turning it into something fabulous and now at last that time has come ::

 
Ta daaaa!

Of course I couldn't just have the most basic dress, no.  I had to elasticate the shoulder straps and then it just had to have a ruffle.  I had never made a ruffle and certainly didn't know how to attach one but thanks to Sew What! Skirts  - which has been sitting on my shelf forever - I now know!

This was an unusual sewing project for me in that I didn't feel stressed about it.  Usually my ideas completely outstrip my capabilities on any crafting project - but particularly sewing, and I end up feeling frustrated with the whole thing.  This time, I'm feeling pretty pleased with myself.  So much so that I tempted fate and asked my daughter to choose some fabric so I could make her a skirt!

 
This skirt was made using the tutorial from Dana Made It which has loads of other great tutorials that I must try.  She does say this is the easiest skirt you will ever make and I have to agree.  I have not yet forgotten the trauma of making this!

As there has been a new addition to our family lately there has been some sewing for them too, but more on that tomorrow!

Stratford-upon-Avon

 
Here are some photos of my birthday weekend which we spent in Stratford-upon-Avon.  I had always wanted to go there and wasn't disappointed.  It really felt as if you were somewhere different.  All the shop fronts in the town were as they should be - there were pillars outside M&S for goodness sake and Next looked like the shop Bagpuss lived in!  This is how towns should be rather than all looking the same. 

I've decided that my home City of  Salisbury should have paid heed to Stratford when putting their town centre plan together.  Stratford is how Salisbury should be and probably what tourists think it is before they get there.  I mean I know the Cathedral close is outstanding but what about beyond that, it's just another place full of too many coffee shops. 

Moan over here's another photo:

 
They even have beautiful lamposts!

This was the stage set for Matilda. 

 
I knew that red cardi was a good idea.  The butterflies loved it!

 
40th birthday portrait.  Check out the frock!

 

40

 

I am 40.

It happened on Friday and actually it's fine.  It's not like being 30, it's so much better than being 30.  I've had a great weekend in Stratford-upon-Avon where we went to see Matilda the Musical.  It was superb!  It was funny and scary and happy and sad and uplifting.

Tim Minchin who wrote the music was there and signed our programme and the paper airplanes that the children caught during the show.

It was so good in fact that we went back again on Saturday night because I couldn't bear the thought that I may never see the show again.  It's due to finish at the end of January although I can't believe they'll let it end there.  It should go on tour, it should go to the West End and Broadway.  The world needs to see this show!

 

CASTLE BIRTHDAY CAKE

There was a slight issue with Sunday's birthday party and that was the cake.  I was asked to make a castle cake - which I had made for a 4th birthday - but this time I was going to try something different.  Saturday was exhausting doing all the shopping for the party so I decided to leave the cake until Sunday morning. 

 
By 8am the cake was in the oven.  It was a straight forward all-in-one Victoria sponge cake from the WI - you just can't go wrong!

The cake turned out just fine but then turning it into a castle began to overwhelm me.  I had bought some Angel cake for the turretts and all sorts of sweets and icing and ice cream cones and edible glittler.  The buttercream was sending me into a spin as I just couldn't get it on the cake properly. 

Eventually I decided to give up and go with the back-up plan of a shop bought cake.  However, when I told my daughter she looked so sad and informed me that everyone was expecting a castle cake (no pressure!).  So rather stroppily I returned to the cake and took the approach that if I just covered it in everything I had bought it would be ok.

So that's what I did!

 
It certainly has that kind of "lived in" look about it but you know I quite like that and more importantly so did she.

When I brought the cake in at the party and we sang happy birthday, one of her friends said, "That is the best cake I've ever seen", I had to give that girl a hug!

 

NINE

Today is Miss B's birthday. 

 
The party was yesterday at home with a lovely group of girls from school and her brother of course who did very well entertaining himself as now he's 6 he doesn't want to join in with a girls birthday!

This is a week of birthdays with mine being on Friday.  I am going to be 40 and I'm looking forward to an exciting weekend!

 

Red and I do get along!

I took a little trip into town to buy myself a dress for my birthday.  I had seen it on the internet and loved it, which usually proves fatal as when you get there, they don't have it or at least not in your size and if they do it doesn't suit you.  But ...

 
... they did and it was and it does!  I feel very pleased with myself as clothes shopping is not my thing at all and usually leaves me feeling very sad.  But it didn't stop there.  Riding high on the waves of my new leaf dress I also bought a top!

 
And a cardi!  And the cardi is red and I never buy red.  I love red but I never buy it because I always thought we wouldn't get along.  But now I think we do! 

Changes are occuring and I seem to like it.

Christmas Tree Festival

 
Here is the Christmas Tree being decorated by my little helpers.

 
And here it is all finished and in position.  We then took the time to go around all the other trees in the church - and as always it was very beautiful.  Outside it was dark and cold and inside it was a hive of activity and twinkling lights.

 

 

 

 
After all our hard work we had to have hot chocolate and marshmallow twizzle sticks!

 
*****Perfect*****

 

Transition

 

I'm now in the transition period.  It's no longer Autumn but not quite Winter and it's heading towards Christmas but not even December yet.  For the past 5 years the offical changeover date is 21st November.  On the 20th November my Sam will be 6 and after that we can then go into Christmas mode. 

 

This year more than others the lines have blurred somewhat and I haven't quite been able to resist the urge to Christmas things up a bit in advance of his birthday.  The Christmas biscuits for one thing and preparations for the Christmas tree festival and just thinking so much about all the Christmas plans ahead - the cooking; the collection of the Christmas tree; the advent calendar; visiting family and friends and my ever persistent desire to dress the dog up in antlers - who will submit first? 

 

 

* Family *

 

Family love today. 

Illness has a way of making life so real.  I think most of the time we dawdle around thinking we're present but then the bubble bursts and we find we were just marking time and life becomes so real it is surreal. 

Today there was good news and a happy voice at the end of the phone.  I can hold it together until the phone goes down and then I have a weep.  Joe wondered if I was crying over how good the email from Strada was (2 mains for £10 is worth a tear of joy).

Onwards and upwards.

 

Christmas biscuits

 

Is it ever too early for Christmas biscuits?  I think not particularly when you have such a large collection of cookie cutters sitting in the cupboard waiting to act out their Christmas destiny. 

 

Well ok maybe not all of them have a Christmas theme but the tree certainly, the moose/reindeer yep, the hedgehog - well who doesn't love a little snowy hedgehog?  The chick is dressed up as a penguin, the bat a leftover from halloween and the ice creams because it's such a good cookie cutter and the topping ideas are endless. 

So this was a day well spent.  We also made salt dough but more on that later!