A quick pudding

My children love their puddings (as does their mother). Oliver especially likes good old fashioned treacle sponge and custard etc. Over the last few months I have made an effort to stop buying the ready made cakes, you know the ones, they have a sell by date somewhere in the next millennium so are obviously preservative ridden. Instead I am baking a cake, or Oliver volunteers after school if he doesn't have an activity. My favourite book by far is the Baking Bible by Mary Berry. EVERYTHING is super easy and quick. It literally takes 10 minutes to get the cake in the oven and then you don't have to worry until the timer goes off.

I had always thought that i didn't have time to bake during the week, with two children, a husband who is away and working from home. It was only when I went to a friend's house, who works full time has four children but ALWAYS has homemade cake ready or in the oven that i realised actually i do.

Sunday morning baking is the best really. Radio 4 cooking programme and cake baking together? Marvellous.

So last night, faced with the prospect of no banana loaf and not enough sugar for a sponge cake I made a very quick crumble. Quick thanks to the joy of tinned apples. Blooming love them. It may sound strange and indeed during my time as a weight watchers leader when i raved about them, people did laugh.....a lot. But don't mock until you have tried. No sugar, no juice, just rammed with sliced apples already soft and yummy.

Straight from the tin.

As you can see from the picture all you need to do is sprinkle on some cinnamon. They really are so sweet that there is no need for sugar at all plus all the peeling is done for you. Obviously fresh apples are best but this was 5.15 on a school night and their dinner was already in the oven. All you need do is add the crumble which takes about 2 mins in the magimix. Home made crumble in the oven in less that ten minutes.
Add a jug of custard and then done. Everyone happy and for my son, he is eating a good portion of fruit without feeling like he is.

yummy and crunchy.

Post weight watchers

So, two things have happened since I left weight watchers at the beginning of March. Firstly I have lost 6lbs in weight. Whoop. Secondly however I've been ill which has been quite debilitating due to the pain. There isn't any fast fix unfortunately just tests at the hospital but I am hoping that acupuncture tomorrow will help with the pain at least. This has reduced my sewing down to a dribble. I have made sales and some bags have sold at the yoga studio in Berkamsted. But lets just say it is not the start that a new business needs.

Sanity is being kept by my daily yoga practises and still making it to Bayoga each week. Now it may seem mad to carry on with Ashtanga whilst in pain. But yoga is such good therapy for the mind and actually I find that the postures can actually help. My strength has diminished though but I am sure that everything will get better eventually.

I have also had to give up coffee, chocolate, sugar, bread and alcohol. The things that basically are the support network for my life! What can i say I have marvellous skin at the moment :-)

So today, I am measuring out a design for a tai chi bag at the moment. A request from Stuart at Tai-ga. IF you have no knowledge of Tai chi like me, you may be unaware that weapons are used. This bag will be a cool and funky way to carry the sword etc around to the classes.

I have a few ideas in my head about how it will work but i think, the truth will be in the first mock-up I make.

This zebra shopping tote is proving popular as well although this is a useless photo I'm hoping to be able to use the services of my 5 year old daughter later to model it for me.

She does a rather good job don't you think?

Beltingly busy

To be honest I am not entirely sure how it can be a month since my lost post (without wishing to sound like a Catholic at confession), or maybe I can. Life has been a tad hectic and please take that description as the massive understatement that it is.

For the last two years I have been a weight watchers leader and have been fortunate enough to run very busy meetings around the Beds and Bucks area. However for the last 6 months I have been unhappy and so just over a month ago i resigned. It turned out to be a hugely emotional decision but after working my 4 weeks notice, having my garage cleared of SEVENTY NINE boxes of stock I can safely say it was the correct decision.

BUT, I need to earn cash so am giving my bag sewing a kick up the backside and am going to try and make a living from it!

This is scary. Not only have i got to find some faith in my limited skills but I need to get my bags out there. Thankfully BAYoga in Berkhamsted are storing a few of my yoga mat bags and a couple of people have purchased some directly from me. Also orders for purses and evening bags have been coming through.

My  next big thing is a stall at a roller derby bout which will involve me selling bags, bandanas, purses and hair accessories and i have some fantastic fabric all waiting to be cut. 

Not only that but the marvellous psycho Vintage are opening a unit at Fleetville Emporium in St Albans from April and have agreed to let me occupy a small space. Whoop di whoop.

All of this with no bathroom as it is being ripped out and replaced.

So this is why there have been no blog posts but hopefully I will have more time to whitter on about stuff from now on.

I have made an extremely pretty evening bag for a friend but as she has not seen it yet i cannot put photos here but they will follow tomorrow. It is really beautiful.

I hope you are all okay?

A morning of cooking and radio 4

new header, new design, new me

Thanks to the lovely Laura my blog is looking all smart and professional. (unlike it's author unfortunately). I am only hoping my sewing and writing can live up to its grand image.

What do you think to the revamp?

From a simple stitch

I was fortunate enough to meet the lovely Julia last week at Carluccio's in Bicester. How decadent eating brunch over coffee, midweek, whilst talking sewing. It would seem that our passion and technical know how for sewing increased after finding the wonderous blog written by the incredibly talented and now blooming mum to be Lisa Lam. I wonder how many careers / sewing enthusiasts Lisa has created?

Before I stumbled upon her blog, looking for frames to house my knitted bags and instructions on how to better them, the only thing i had ever sewed with a machine was a few cushion covers and an ill fitting pair of pyjamas. In fact at school I rejected sewing and cookery in favour of metalwork and woodwork; a rebellious act that turned out to be a tad futile. Although the teapot stand i made stood the test of time, I leave the sanding of wood to experts and much prefer perfecting a lemon drizzle cake or choosing fabric for purse-frames.

Metal bag frames, leather straps and any kind of bling for a bag are my weakness. I quickly found that they could take my meagre efforts and turn them into something professional looking. The joy of seeing a finished glasses case is still incredible.

Getting over my fear of zips was also a big stepping stone and the power of Lisa Lam and the other helpful blogs littered around cyber space are a bottomless pit of knowledge. I even summoned up the courage to make my own overnight bag last year when i was fortunate enough to go to Claridges for the weekend with Andrew. It was hilarious seeing the doorman grab my bag which stood out with it's delicious primary spottiness against a drab background of Louis Vuitton designer blandness. I am sure he enjoyed the pleasure as much as it made me giggle. Once again Lisa was to the rescue with her patterns and know-how.

All of this help over the years has given me the courage to try my own patterns which have taken the form of yoga bags (see previous posts) and handbags. I need to remember the joy of sewing and the happiness at seeing a pretty finished bag that looks flawless, when either the glue spills on the fabric when fitting into the frame or the tension on the machine plays up for no apparent reason. Sewing maybe a lovely and gorgeous art but it doesn't stop it being frustrating and annoying. At these times it is best to provide me coffee and duck!

Moving on

It is impossible to get to the age of 40, a momentous age that I will hit in May without hitting bad and emotional times on the way. How we deal with them and move on is a different thing. Do we keep them compartmentalised in our brains, shut away in a filing cabinet at the pit of our brain with a massive neon sign saying DO NOT ENTER IN ANY CIRCUMSTANCES or do we deal with them head on?

I have in the past been tempted to shut the door to the filing cabinet, turn the light off and forget it is there. It never stays locked though does it? Things manage to seep out when you least expect them to. A photo that you didnt expect to find, a song on the radio or simply too much time on your own thinking.

So what is the best way to deal with life and the crap it can throw? Is this the reason why people approaching 40 suddenly become manic about exercise as it clears the mind? Most men I know are constantly entering into longer and longer races, triathlons, mountaint climbs. Exercise makes you happy and clears the mind, having a target focusses the mind and keeps you at it. It is definitely one of the reasons i practice so much yoga. In fact yoga and regular practice got me off the magic pills prescribed by the doctor. Ashtanga yoga especially is extremely powerful. Some people eat and obviously in my years as a Weight Watchers leader I see this time and time again.

Is the best way to sit down and talk it through with someone? Do the Americans have the best idea of going to see therapists and hearing an objective view. We are all seeking something, some inner happiness, some sense of fufillment. Sometimes it is just good to let the tears flow, let the thoughts flood back in, accept them and then put them back and move on.

ANy thoughts?

While I am here have a photo of a new yoga bag I have made complete with iphone pocket and water bottle pocket