Bags, bags

I tried making a couple of bags last week and I was pleased with how they turned out.

I've made shopping bags in the past, but not proper handbags.  I was rummaging through some material and found a piece of canvas and a lovely piece of broiderie anglais (I'm sure that's spelt incorrectly).  When I put one against the other it just looked right and there was enough to make a small bag.  I was so pleased I then made the tweed one above it.

They are both lined in a dark brown striped fabric, the tweed one has been sold at market, and I have an order to make a similar one.  Unfortunately I only had enough of that particular tweed fabric to make one bag.  But I've got plenty more of similar tweed, so watch this space for more bags.

Even more amazing is the fact that my windows are relatively clean!

Jenny

Highs and lows of cooking

Is it really a month since my last post, I'd better put a few things up over the next few days.

As you've probably guessed from this blog, I love sewing.  I also love cooking, but that can be a little hit and miss at times.  I love baking cakes, I bake lemon cakes, flapjacks, chocolate cakes, date slices etc for our local Country Market.  As for savouries, they're edible (mostly), roasts are good, but that's about it.

My father-in-law came to us for his evening meal tonight.  Stew and dumplings, my favourite.  My mum makes the best stew and dumplings you've ever tasted.  I've just about mastered the stew, I use the 'chuck it all in together and leave it to cook long and slow' method and that works well.  Dumplings are usually OK.  This evening I used vegetarian suet and they turned out like mini cannon balls.  Rather than light and fluffy, they could have been used to sink the Titanic easily. 

On a much much happier note, I received a letter today.  It just had my name, house name and postcode as the address.  Rather curious, I opened it a little apprehensively.  Inside is a letter from a lady in Surrey which reads ... 'My husband and I visited Orford Country Market .... and would just like to say how wonderful your butter flapjacks were ... my husband is a big fan of flapjacks and said that he hadn't had any that good in a very long time ... can I put in an order or you could send me the recipe'.

I laughed all the way through reading this, not because I thought it was funny, but from happiness and knowing that someone thought my baking was good enough not only to write and tell me, which was fantastic, but also to ask for more.  Wow ... that really did make my day.  Thank you Mrs D.

I support Ipswich Town Football Club, they have just lost their 13th game of the season and are the only club in all five divisions not to have won a game so far.  Watford have equalised in the last 30 seconds of the game.  It's such a shame, the players muse be absolutely gutted, having lead from the 5th minute, and by all accounts they were the better side and had more chances.  Many fans want Roy Keane to go, but I still have faith, it's just getting that first win.

Jenny