DIY Fabric Flowers

I've just come across the most gorgeous video for making fabric flowers!


Yoyos are really popular in Japanese craft books, they love to use them to decorate curtains, cushion covers, t-shirts, hair pins and even napkins.

Happy crafting!
Pam x

pincushion

Today was the last day of my Easter holiday so I decided to get crafty. I had some cute pearl pins that were currently homeless - the obvious thing to make was a pin cushion!

Googling around I came across purl bee's great instructions for "very easy pincushions" - easy is good for a Sunday. A few modifications were needed as my craft supplies in HK are almost zero i.e. she used a piece of felt to top the cushion - I used a big red button instead.

Check out purl bee's blog for her version and see mine with modifications below:

1. Supplies:~ square of fabric (from a 100 Yen shop in Hiroshima)
~ Embroidery needle & cotton (the cotton's colour graduates from white to pink - so sweet)
~ strong cotton thread
~ clean old pantyhose (for stuffing)
~ button
~ cereal bowl (to make the template - use whatever size circular object you like, the finished size will be about half the original diameter)


2. Trace around the cereal bowl onto the fabric with a pen or pencil


3. Cut out the circle, fold over the fabric edge about 5mm and create a hem using running stitch (I used cotton thread for this)


4. Once you've hemmed all the way around, gather the fabric up to create a pouch - stuff this with the pantyhose

5. purl bee said to leave an opening, but as I only have the button I pulled the thread tight enough so there was no hole. Make a few stitches to keep this hole closed, knot then push the needle through the middle to come out the other side and cut the thread

6. Using the embroidery cotton, create a knot and push the needle through the middle of the top-side to come out the bottom. Wrap the cotton once all the way around the cushion coming back to the bottom. Pull the thread tight to create a slight dimple in the cushion. Catch the thread up under the original thread coming through the bottom, then wrap it around twice more (catching under the original thread at the bottom each time). The cushion should look segmented - almost like a peeled orange

7. Secure with a small knot as close to the bottom of the cushion as possible. Then push the needle through the bottom, coming out the top. Sew on the button, make a knot on the underside of the button then cut off loose threads. Pop in your pins and its done!

Pam x

Japanese Curry

While skiing in Niseko, Japan, in Feb this year, I had an injury day (stupidly embarrassing - bruised shins) so decided to stave off boredom in the ugly little kitchen of our lodge.

Thanks to So.Moo.Food I got the instructions to make a quick Japanese curry and headed off to the local supermarket in Kutchan. (Thank goodness I checked her site first - the curry box was completely in Japanese! not that I should have been surprised...).

In case you haven't had a Japanese curry before here's my disclaimer - its a really yummy meal but not in the slightest spicy (if you're thinking Indian or Thai curry, think again).

Anyway, here's the happy snaps I took of my adventure.


Ingredient: Golden Curry packet*, 6 potatoes, 4 carrots, 3 capsicums, 1 onion, 1 veggie (argh I forget what its called...like a turnip), buckwheat noodles (soba) and 600g of chicken (serves 10...seriously)

*you can get this in the Asian isle of Aussie or HK supermarkets - there's lots of brands but apparently this is a good one


Nope, not chocolate - that's the curry!


Cook the onion & chicken, throw in all the other veggies, add enough water to cover (like a stew) and add 2-3 curry cubes per pot (note: I had waaaay too much and had to split the ingredients over 3 pots!)


Simmer for 20-30 mins (so the veggies cook) then throw the noodles into boiling water for 3 mins.


Drain noodles, add curry & EAT!

Have you made this curry before?

(Pam)