Pink, Frilly, Girly Bed Jacket... Check!

Project: Pink, frilly, girly bed jacket

Pattern: Cross Over Cardigan by Fifi Chachnil

Stash Buster? this one's a UFO, it's been on the go for three years!

Items From Stash: the while kit was in my stash

Date Started: September 2009

Date Finished: March 2012

New Techniques Used: none

Wear Again? Yes, it's my new bedtime buddy :)

Yes, I've been mighty busy with my projects recently, so as well as my lovely new dress I have also finished this Bed Jacket. I know that it looks like something a five year old would wear to a ballet class, but I don't care. I've been rocking the five-year-old-ballet-class look, and I like it!

I had to overcome some serious challenges to complete this project, including getting a pattern translated from French in English (eek!) and it's been three years in the making, so I'm thrilled that I can finally curl up in it at the end of the day :)

Here are some close ups for your viewing pleasure:

While I'm touring this little bed jacket is the perfect alternative to my dressing gown of dreams, as I'm obviously not packing that in my suitcase! It's great to have something hand knitted to wear in bed that's also small enough to fit in my limited luggage :)

I hope you like it!

Katie xxx

The New Girl Dress

Project: Blue Dress with piping detail, a la New Girl

Pattern: 1950s Pattern bought at Vintage Vogue

Stash Buster? yes indeed

Items From Stash: the pattern and a few notions

Date Started: March 2012

Date Finished: March 2012

New Techniques Used: decorative piping, use of seam binding

Wear Again? Yes, I'm totally in love with it!

I am so happy that this dress is finished, just in time for a bout of hot weather so I could prance around in the sun :) I feel just like Jess from New Girl when I wear it, I'm sure Zooey Deschanel would approve!

This dress really was a dream to sew together, very simple in it's construction but also very clever, plus unlike a lot of other wrap around dresses it doesn't gape at the back. Don't you just love how full the gathered skirt is?

My favourite part of this dress is definitely the piping, which was a little bit complicated, what with actually having to cover the piping myself and then stitch it by hand to the dress, but I have always loved hand sewing so I really quite enjoyed it. The tutorial I used for this technique was great, I highly recommend it if you want to give it a go yourself!

All in all this was a great success, and I received some lovely comments, one from a complete stranger in a book shop! A brilliant pattern, a brilliant dress and a very happy me :)

What do you think of this new little number? I hope you like it as much as I do!

Katie xxx

UFO/Stash Busting Project, Monthly Round Up - March!

Hello and welcome to March's UFO/Stash Busting Monthly Round Up! Once again there have been some brilliant projects submitted from all over the blogosphere, there has been some serious Stash Busting going on this month! Thank you to everyone who has gotten involved, I'm really proud of all of your achievements. So here are the Stash Busting stars of this month:

Kristin aka Mean Bean of Behind the Seams has been working away at this UFO, a beautiful quilt, and it's almost finished. I think you'll agree that it's going to be a beauty!

Kristin's Quilt

This month Frau Tipmatic has been taking part in Tilly's One Week, One Pattern project, and has used it as an opportunity to do some Stash Busting too. All three of these lovely skirts are Stash Busters, so congratulations Frau Tipmatic! 

Frau Tipmatic's Skirts: 1, 2 and 3

This month I am yet again being awed by the skills of Nicole, just take a look at this stunning Mexican Dress. I have serious dress envy, Nicole!

Nicole's Mexican Dress

This month Sabrina has made two lovely tops, she is obviously enjoying the colour green at the moment :) They are both so pretty, don't you think?

Sabrina's Tops, 1 and 2

Snippa Snippets is yet to actually complete a UFO/Stash Busting project this month, but her work in progresses are coming along nicely. This dress and skirt are going to be great when they are completed :)

Snippa Snippet's Dress and Skirt

Now Alyssa has been extremely busy this month. She has completed FOUR projects for the UFO/Stash Busting Project, how amazing is that?! She is sharing a peter pan sweater refashion, a truffle dress, a tank top and a pastille dress with us this month.

Alyssa's Peterpan sweater refashion, truffle dress, tank top and pastille dress

Lynne has been getting creative with some wool this month and made some adorable beanie hats to keep her warm when she works. She has also completed a UFO, this quilted cushion, I just love it! Can I have one please?

Lynne's beanie hats and cushion

The lovely Wendy is another blogger who has done a lot of work this month, she has not only completed this beautiful dress but she's also managed to complete three projects for her home. Those curtains are so sweet and I'm head over heels over the rug, gorgeous work as always Wendy!

Wendy's Dress

Wendy's Home Projects

I think that Cassie would get the award this month for most innovative project with this blouse made out of a scarf. What a beautiful and stylish way to Stash Bust!

Cassie's Scarf Blouse

And last, but by no means least we have the lovely Leah with a skirt that is getting me in the mood for summer. I just love the colours of this stripy number, another beautiful finished project Leah!

Leah's Skirt

And that's it for another month!

Thanks again to everyone who is continuing to take part in this project and also the new members of the team, all of you should be so proud if what you have created :)

I'll be back tomorrow with some more Stash Busting of my own and my best bits from this month.

Bye for now!

Katie xxx

Lat Call for March's UFO/Stash Busting Monthly Round Up!

Hello lovely readers!

This is just a quick note to say that today is the last day that I'm accepting project submissions for this month's Round Up for the UFO/Stash Busting Project. You have until the end of today to send me a link to your gorgeous projects otherwise you're just going to have to wait until next month! :)

Thank you to everyone who has gotten involved so far, it's been another great month for Stash Busting!

Bye for now!

Katie xxx

Wednesday Wonderfuls #63

Hello there lovely readers, happy Wednesday!

You may have noticed that I've been a little AWOL recently on the old blogosphere, this is for a number of reasons. Firstly, the sun has finally come out so I've been out and about enjoying it :) It's so nice to finally get some summer flocks out of the wardrobe! Secondly I have been extra busy finishing up several sewing projects that I want to get completed asap, mostly because I want to wear them now the weather is warm, but also because I'm now planning outfits for a special trip...

Because my Sweetheart and I are going to Paris! We've been wanting to take a holiday for a while and after recently watching Midnight in Paris we couldn't resist planning a few days away (even though we've already been there together twice before!). So I've been busy sorting all that out, but it's all booked now and we will be jetting off 5 weeks! I can't wait to show you some of the new outfits I have creating for my holiday, but for now here are some Paris themed pictures to whet your appetites...

Image Sources from Top Left:
1. Macaroon Tower, 2. Eiffel Tower Cookies, 3. Marie Antoinette,
4. French Poodle, 5. Two girls in Paris, 6. Lady at the Louvre

I can't wait to wander the streets of Paris again, it's so exciting! I fully intend to prance around in full skirts and petticoats the whole time, regardless of the weather. I just hope the sunshine sticks around...

Anyways, enough about Paris, for what is a Wednesday without Wonderfuls? So without further ado let me present my picks of the blogosphere this week:

• Gertie posted a lovely felt rose tutorial this week which although quite easy is very effective. I can't wait to try it out myself!
• A very thoughtful piece of writing from Here's Looking at Me Kid, reminding us that even the happiest of people can sometimes have a crisis of self.
• I think that this article about the importance of customer service over at Rock and Roll Bride has a lot to teach us all whether we work in business or not. A great read!
• I love this interview with Heather Baird of Sprinkle Bakes over at Sweet Teeth. I can't wait for her recipe book to come out, plus the interview has a delicious recipe for Strawberry Cream Cake included!
• And finally, to satisfy your sweet tooth, take a look at this chocolate chip cookie dough devil's food cake cheesecake, it's ridiculous :)

Well that's it from me for now, but I'll be back soon with some more projects and adventures.

Bye for now!

Katie xxx

What's In My Bag?

One of the negative points of touring is how restricted I can be in terms of what clothes and accessories I can take around the country with me. Constantly travelling is hard enough without adding an extra heavy couple of suitcases into the mix!

Because of this I have recently been carrying this cute little linen tote (which I got free when I purchased this dreamy knitting book) around with me, as it's so travel friendly and folds up so small :) 

It's amazing the amount of bits and pieces you can fit into one of these bags, so I thought I'd share with you what I've been carrying around in mine recently...

1. My blog planning calendar 

- to keep myself organised and manage my time I plan the majority of my posts at least a couple of weeks in advance.

2. Moleskin notebook 

- for planning projects, blog posts, tutorials and general list making, something I can't get enough of!

3. Photocopied knitting patterns 

- not as heavy as carrying the actual books around :)

4. Knitting projects 

- yes, I've been carrying around two...

5. Pens, Highlighters and Measuring tape 

- because you never know when you might need one!

6. She & Him, Volume One 

- my new love

7. My essentials 

- I never leave home without my phone, glasses and wallet

What type of things do you carry around from day to day?

Katie xxx

Show me your Stash Busting!

Hello lovely readers, it's that time again! Let's have a UFO/Stash Busting Monthly Round Up!

Last month's Round Up was, I think you'll agree, an utter triumph, and I'm so excited to see what you have been crafting away at this month. I'm always so inspired by the beautiful items of clothing and other projects that you all create, I really can't wait to see all your March submissions :)

This is also an open call so if you haven't participated in the UFO/Stash Busting Project before then don't let this deter you, anyone can join in at any time, we're very friendly and casual here I promise you :)

So without further ado, here's what you have to do to submit any UFO/Stash Busting projects for March's Round Up:

**If you have a blog send me a link to a post (or posts!) about any UFOs or Stash Busting Projects you have completed this month. Pictures are a must, we all want to see the lovelies you have created!**

**If you don't have a blog, never fear, you can still be included too! Drop me an e-mail we'll find a way to get some pictures of your creations up on the blog if you want to share them :)**

**Obviously completed projects are preferred but if you've got a fascinating work in progress to share then that's great too. Also if you've created any tutorials to use up your stash then I would love to include those too!**

**The closing date for all submissions is March 29th so I have time to put the post together before the end of the month **

So, if you feel like being included then please do drop me a line! Either leave me a comment on this post or email me at 

misskatie.littleredsquirrel@gmail.com

So there you have it, you have one week to send me your submission's for this month's Round Up, so you have some time to finish up any projects you may have had on the go and post about them so that I can see them in all their glory :)

I can't wait to see what you create, I know it's going to be great!

Katie xxx

For more details on the UFO/Stash Busting Project have a look here

Wednesday Wonderfuls #62

Hello there and a very happy Wednesday to you all!

Thank you all for your lovely comments on my blue dress a la Zooey Deschanel in New Girl, I'm so glad you all like it! I can't wait to finish it, it's going to be so cute :) In honour of said dress I decided to make a collage of some of my favourite Jess outfits from New Girl, is anyone else as obsessed with this show as I am?! 

All images found here

She's just great, isn't she? I want one of every outfit, especially the jam-boree t-shirt!

And as if this Wednesday couldn't get any better, here come this week's Wonderfuls, all selected personally by me for your viewing pleasure. Feast your eyes on these...

• I have been craving sweet treats this week (I'll be honest, I'm usually craving sweet treats EVERY week!) and the blogosphere has helped by providing some yummy recipes. This perfect apple pie recipe from Scathingly Brilliant looks delicious, Joy has done it again this time with a chocolate orange cream cheese pound cake, and if you;re after something sweet and simple try these easy ice cream lemon and vanilla cupcakes over at Florence and Rose.
• A very useful post from Va Voom Vintage about how to identify bakelite, good to know!
• I was blown away this week by this crocheted blanket over at Coco Rose, isn't it just to die for?!
• In the mood for a cute crochet project? Well they don't get much cuter than this sampler by Posie Gets Cozy. I can't describe how much I want to make this!
• And finally I got serious dressing room envy this week after reading this post by Boo Boo Kitty Couture, she's one lucky kitty!

I hope the rest of your weeks are filled with wonderful things, I'll be back soon with project updates and news about the UFO/Stash Busting Project.

Bye for now!

Katie xxx

A Finished Project... well, nearly!

Hello readers, I told you there would be some sewing here again soon! I've had a lovely time over the last couple of days beavering away at my sewing machine, and here are the fruits of my labour, she's a wrap-around dress made from a 1950s pattern from my stash:

The sweetest blue dress ever!

Isn't she a cutie? I've fallen pretty hard for this dress, it reminds me of something Zooey Deschanel would wear, which can only ever be a good thing :)

Time for some close ups of the front and back for your viewing pleasure:

Front View and Back View

As you can see this lovely dress is completely finished construction-wise, but I'm quite keen to add a bit of ornamentation to it. I don't want to give too much away right now, but I will be using this tutorial although not quite in the same way. All I can say is I think that when it's completed this dress will be a definite favourite in my spring/summer wardrobe, it's going to be so cute! 

I cannot wait to wear this dress :)

I hope you like this little beauty as much as I do, I'll post more pictures as soon as she's completed!

I'll be back soon with more sewing/knitting updates and also some more posts on the UFO/Stash Busting Project, I'll soon be looking for entries for the March Monthly Round Up, so get those projects under way (here's February's Round Up if you're not sure what I'm talking about)

Bye for now!

Katie xxx

Mother's Day Baking :)

It's Mother's Day today in the UK, so a big happy Mother's Day to all my mummy readers!

I had a wonderful day with my mummy and my mummy's mummy, and did some yummy baking. We were eating pretty much all day, so I'm feeling rather fat now, but it was totally worth it, these treats are yummy :) So yummy, in fact that I thought I'd share the recipes with all of you lovely readers!

First up we have my mum's favourite cake in the world, 

Mary Berry's All-In-One Victoria Sponge:

One of the best cakes in the world EVER. so light and fluffy and tasty :)

Ingredients:

175g soft margarine

175g caster sugar

3 eggs, beaten

175g self raising flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

6 tablespoons raspberry jam

Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C/Gas Mark 4

Beat the margarine, sugar, eggs, flour and baking powder together in a large bowl.

Divide the mixture between two greased 8 inch cake tins.

Bake in oven for 25 to 30 minutes.

When cooled, sandwich together with jam.

(If you want to be really naughty you can add some melted chocolate on top like we did!)

This cake is always a winner and no matter how slapdash I am with the recipe it always turns out perfectly, I can't recommend it highly enough!

and now for something seasonal,

Delia's Hot Cross Buns:

I actually can't believe I made these! And they were so yummy!

Ingredients:

50g caster sugar, plus one level teaspoon

1 level teaspoon dried yeast

450g plain flour

1 level teaspoon salt

1 rounded teaspoon mixed spice

100g currants

40ml warmed milk

1 egg, beaten

50g butter, melted

2 level tablespoons granulated sugar

The full instructions for this recipe can be found here. 

I can't believe how much better these buns tasted than ones bought from a shop, they were delicious :) This is a great recipe, very simple and easy to follow with yummy results!

I hope these recipes bring you and yours some joy, they certainly did in my house today :)

Katie xxx

Wednesday Wonderfuls #61

Happy Wednesday my lovely readers, and an extra hello to all my new readers, lovely to have you here :)

You may have noticed that this blog has been very knitting/crochet heavy recently and that I've been posting less sewing projects. I tend to go through fazes with my crafty things, and at the moment I am loving all my wooly projects, I've nearly completed all my knitting UFOs! But never fear, I will be sharing some sewing projects soon, just bear with me whilst I'm in this yarn filled period :)

Meanwhile, why not join me in the land of yarn? Here are some of my favourite wooly images to get your creative juices flowing!

Image Sources, Clockwise from Top Left:
1. Crocheted Apples, 2. Crocheted Blanket, 3. Stripey Bolero, 4. Crocheted Hangers,
5. Ripple Blanket, 6. Granny Squares, 7. Scarf, 8. Circle Blanket

I cannot tell you how much all these pictures make me itch for my knitting needles!

And now for some more lovely things, my personal picks from the blogosphere this week:

• My mouth watered when I saw these Biscuit Cinnamon Rolls over at Joy the Baker. Her book is already out in the US but doesn't come out in the UK until the end of this month, I can't wait!
• I'm really quite gutted that I missed the WOW festival this week, but Ree Ree Rockette gave so many updates of the goings on there via twitter that I felt like I was almost there myself! After her experience there and all the heated feminist debating, she decided to give up high heels, and I think that what she has to say is well worth listening to.
• Cassie Stephens shared another stunner of an outfit this week, an Alice in Wonderland themed dress complete with a handprinted pocket watch border. Swoon!
• I really want a mini banana split, anyone want to make one (or a few!) for me? :)
• Karen really puts me to shame this week with this post all about cleaning your sewing machine, something I haven't done in a while! It's well worth reading as the whole process is much more simple than you'd think, plus if you have a pretty, kitsch duster it makes the whole job that much more fun!
• I cannot wait for Spring and Summer and drinking cold drinks in the sun, so these lemonades over at A Beautiful Mess made me very happy indeed. Yes please to Cucumber Mint Limeade!

And that's it for another week of wonderfuls!

I hope you have great rest of the week filled with wooly projects and wonderful things of your own :)

Katie xxx

Adventuring on my Two Days Off...

Last week I was lucky enough to have two days off work to do with as I pleased, what a lucky individual I am! I had a wonderful time wandering about London, it was so nice to be back on my old stomping ground and to do all the things that I have been wanting to do for ages. Please indulge me whilst I share with you the details of two practically perfect days!

Thursday

I got up early and glammed up for my day on the town (I don't often get the opportunity to dress up because of my job!)

My train journey was made all the more enjoyable by a good book, "The Best of Everything" by Rona Jaffe. It's getting me back in the mood for Mad Men at the end of this month!

I travelled to Shoreditch and paid the best Hairdressing Salon in the World a visit. I left feeling a great deal lighter and much prettier :)

I took a trip to Angel where I browsed in the gorgeous vintage shops of the Camden Passage, if only I had more money!

I had brunch at The Breakfast Club and ate much more than would be seen to be respectable. But hey, I enjoyed myself and it all tasted amazing!

I was drawn into Loop where some gorgeous hand-spun/dyed wool hopped into my bag so I was forced to buy it. It's a hard life.

I headed to Soho where I wandered through the fabric shops of dreams before purchasing some turquoise tweed for a project that I'm ridiculously excited about.

I walked to St. Martin's Courtyard and met a very dear friend in Bill's for drinks. We hadn't seen each other for almost a year so we had a lot to talk about and had a marvellous time :)

When I arrived home on Thursday evening I cooked for myself and my parents using two Lorraine Pascale recipes: Coq au Vin and Melting Chocolate Puddings. I haven't been able to cook properly in a while so this was a real joy :)

I spent a beautiful evening with my family before heading back to my Sweetheart for episodes of New Girl before a good night's sleep.

 Friday

In the morning I indulged my new obsession and made pancakes. They were so good, covered in blueberries, raspberries and maple syrup :)

We spent the day watching Doctor Who for my Sweetheart's blog, I helped him review Jon Pertwee's first episode as the Doctor. It was great fun, and as soon as it's written up I'll link to it from here.

In the afternoon my Sweetheart and I visited Harrods (one of many places we went on our first ever date!). We tried to see the puppies, but unfortunately they were all out when we were there. Probably for the best or we might have come home with one!

We treated ourselves to afternoon tea at Laduree. It was amazing, I don't even have the words to describe how amazing it was :)

That evening we went to see Florence + the Machine at Alexandra Palace. She was utterly incredible, and I love her more now than I ever thought possible. Sad but true!

When we got home we feel into bed completely tuckered out, knowing that, unfortunately, we both had to work two shows the next day. Ah well, it's the price you have to pay for days off sometimes :)

Have you been having adventures recently? I hope you've enjoyed yours as much as I enjoyed mine!

Katie xxx