Three blind owls

Owls in progress

I decided that my baby quilt just wasn't a baby quilt without owls. Those little suckers are just too cute - they very nearly almost make me get over my general hatred of birds. Their flappy wings give me the creeps, and don't even get me started on lethal attack swans shudder.

At the very least owls can join penguins and puffins in a cool birds break away group.

Anyway, since I have the artistic talent of a colourblind hamster, I used a pattern posted by the amazing Amazing Mae (aka Traci) who makes very cool stuff.

Now I just have to sew them on, which will probably take me about a month since I'm so slow (seriously - Slowest. Sewer. Ever. Call Guinness). And I need to find something for their eyes - I wanted to use little buttons but I'm worried that is some kind of safety hazard, plus buttons that small are really hard to find. I could just use a little material circle but not sure my sewing is up to scratch. Hey, circles are tricky...

Berninatastic

I am such a smitten kitten with my new machine at the moment. Not like I'm going to marry it (like these FREAK SHOWS) but more like if there was a world award for awesomeness I'd be arguing the case for my Bernina to make it to the top five (as much as I love it I'm not sure it could beat helper monkeys).

Anyway, here's how we've been getting on so far:

• Projects started: 4 - I'm nothing if not ambitious
• Needles broken: 3
• Needles broken as a result of user error: 3
• Injuries sustained: 2 (don't worry, the mighty B is unharmed)
• Times I've changed the speed control up and down when a bobbin is winding to make it sound like a baby chainsaw: 6
• Bobbins wound: 6
• Times I've had to stop sewing so I can gaze adoringly at it: too many to count
• Fits of despair: 0!

Now if only I could find someone to write my uni essays and go to work for me, I'd have more time for actually sewing...

Mmmm bread

Today was all about sewing and making bread, which then nicely segued into the best part - eating bread!

O for awesome

I made this fantastico cheese and potato bread recipe with a few amendments: feta works better than goats cheese, swap the spring onions for shallots, add a very healthy dose of dried chillies and double the cayenne pepper (don't forget to warn unsuspecting bread eaters). If you have broken into my flat to make this in my oven, remember also to turn the oven down to 150 after 30 minutes.

Homemade booze experiment FAIL

I love sloe gin so I thought I'd have a go at making some myself...

Ta da!

In theory it's very straightforward: gin + sloe berries + sugar + a few months of waiting = homemade sloe gin deliciousness. In reality: gin + sloe berries + not enough sugar + a few months of waiting = undrinkable homemade sloe gin evilness. Seriously, it tastes like rocket fuel. Teenage me would probably have loved it, adult me, not so much.

Might hang onto it in case I'm ever in need of some paint stripper or I have guests I don't like.