Recycled Scarf

I bought a scarf from Topshop years ago because I loved the fabric but never really knew what to do with it. Then thanks to SouleMama I spotted the Lazy Days Skirt from Oliver + S and was excited to measure the scarf and find it was exactly the right length to make a skirt for Papaya!



I really like this pattern as it makes a nice full skirt. Unfortunately the edges of the scarf were already hemmed so I didn't need to use a ribbon, but you can bet I'll be sewing loads of these little skirts, complete with ribbon hem, from now on! Obviously her dolly gets a skirt too! If I've got enough material I try to make a matching item for dolly as it barely takes any extra time and it's building a nice little wardrobe for her.

Oaty Cookies

It's difficult to find snacks and biscuits for the family when The Comedian can't have wheat, Povey can't have dairy, and I'm not supposed to have either!

When I get a chance I bake them myself and these little oaty cookies go down well with everyone... hence the name "vanishing"! The original recipe was off a pack of oats, but I have adapted it over time to suit our tastes...dairy/wheat-free, less sugar, more cinnamon etc.

Vanishing Mini Oats and Raisins cookies

Ingredients:
½ pound/2 sticks/ 226g dairy-free margarine, softened
1 cup/220g firmly packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1½ cups/180g Dove's farm gluten and wheat-free white self-raising flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 cups/ 150g Oats (uncooked)
1 cup/ 40g raisins

Steps:

1. Preheat Oven to 175 Degrees C.
2. In large bowl, beat margarine and sugar until creamy.
3. Add eggs one at a time followed by vanilla extract, beat till well combined.
4. Add flour, baking soda and cinnamon, mix well.
5. Add oats and raisins, mix well.
6. Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls onto greased baking sheets.
7. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until light golden brown.
8. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheets; remove to wire rack. Cool completely. Store tightly covered.

I find that wheat-free cookies tend not to spread much when they bake, so require a little shaping before you pop them in the oven. They are also more crumbly than normal cookies, although that's improved if you can resist eating them before they're fully cooled! If you don't want to make them wheat/dairy free, then just replace the flour and margarine. Also this recipe makes loads of cookies, (as you can see from the photos... that last batch was 90 cookies!) so if you don't need that many just halve the recipe amounts.

Enjoy :)

Pink Stars

New star PJs for Papaya, with a matching set for dolly.


Complete with the same colour rags in her hair so she can be curly for school!

Peg Bag

I couldn't find a simple peg bag that suited my own individual specifications (nice colours, a bit funky, not too twee etc.) anywhere, so I cobbled this one together using an old vest, a wooden children's hanger and some blue paint.