baby elephant blanket and pillow

I completed the baby elephant blanket and pillow set and I'm pleased with how they turned out. I love how applique can be used to create a personalized theme. I used extra soft blue flannel and some funky prints for the applique elephants. I used yellow gingham on the back side of the blanket to create a trim for some extra flair. I was planning to put this in my Etsy shop but my son spotted the set and wants it for himself!

blackberry harvest - the results

Earlier this month I wrote about the plethora of blackberries that I am harvesting, almost daily, from my back yard. And, with a little help from Martha, here are the ways we ate them all up! Thank you mother nature for all of this yummy fruit. Our tummies are happy but my waistline, not so much.

blackberry almond shortbread squares:

These squares tasted gorgeous but there were extremely crumbly and difficult to eat - politely. I followed the recipe but my pastry didn't quite hold up to the example set here.

blackberry swirl pound cake:

I doubled the recipe and made two cakes, one of which I froze. I am not a huge fan of pound cake but adding the sweet and moist blackberries really improved the taste. Although the recipe does not include instructions for freezing but I think it should keep for at least three months. I plan to defrost it and enjoy when the weather turns a little cooler and I start to miss the summer tang of blackberries. If that is even possible.

blackberry crumb bars:

Another delicious recipe from Martha and a perfect companion to my afternoon coffee! The crumb topping is really great - butter, sugar and flour - what else do you need?

and of course, jam. lots and lots of JAM!

I used a recipe for freezer jam from Ball and although it is quicker to make than the recipe I used for last years batch, it is a little watery. Despite the consistency it is still perfect for your morning toast. If you know me, please do not be surprised if you receive a pot of jam!

At this point I have run out of jars and ideas. Although, this does look tempting...

tummy time

My best friend is about to have her second child...any minute now.....and she had some material she asked me to do something creative with. The material is from IKEA (love) and I used two small cotton blankets to create a quilted tummy time mat with ribbons along one edge to entertain the little one.

I thought the mat was a simple but fun way to use the material available and it can be rolled up easily and put away to save on space. I'm looking forward to seeing our newest friend making good use of it.

blackberry harvest

I have a great blackberry bush in my back garden and this year we expect another bumper crop. I picked two large containers this morning and plan to make these. Yum, yum.

second life for crib bumper

When I choose the bedding set for my son's crib a crib bumper was included. Crib bumpers have been controversial and it is now recommended not to use a bumper while your baby is sleeping. To protect him from getting stuck in the bars of the crib we decided to use a breathable bumper which the CJ Foundation for SIDS recommends.

But I was still left with the bumpers so I came up with a "second life" for them.

In Michael's room we had white waffle weave curtains and I decided to applique the material from the crib bumpers on to the curtains to bring the room design together.

I took apart the bumpers by picking the stitches apart and I used the material from the two longest sides to create a panel that I could applique to the curtains.