Flapjacks, a skirt makeover, and some ruffles

 

 

 

 

 

Another Monday already - this year seems to have flown past, and I find it hard to believe it's early October already.

Outside it is very autumnal today - grey and wet, and the lanes around here are slippery with the autumn leaves which seemed to appear overnight after one blustery evening last week.

Despite the fairly dry weekend, we spent most of yesterday indoors. We had the wood burner alight this weekend for the first time, and both Saturday and Sunday nights were spent cosied up in the sitting room blissfully dozy and lazy with the warmth - it was almost too much effort to get up to go to bed!

Despite that, I managed to drag myself out of bed early(ish) Sunday morning, and before breakfast was wearing a "new" wool above-the-knee skirt.

I transformed an overly long and out of date lined wool skirt into something that I will wear, simply by laying out a favourite length skirt over the top then cutting very boldly thru both layers of wool and lining - no finesse here! No messing around with tape measure and pins!


 

I allowed about 1 1/2" for a generous hem, then turned the wool fabric over once inside and machined the edge using a darning stitch which both bound and secured the hem so that it hardly shows on the right side.

 

I then hemmed the lining in the usual way, turning it under twice.

And voila!

A "new" old skirt in less than an hour.


 

There is also enough fabric left over to make my daughter a mock wrap-over version too, although hers will be more of a mini than my more sedate above the knee length!

I would show you the photo I took of me wearing it with winter tights and boots, only when I looked at the photos this morning it appeared my knees were covered in bits of thread picked up from kneeling on the sewing room carpet - not a good look!

As it was so wet and miserable when I came back from the school run this morning, I decided to make some Blackberry and Almond flapjacks.

I used a recipe I adapted a year or two ago from a Rachel Allen recipe, and I usually use frozen raspberries but had to substitute frozen blackberries today.

These make lovely soft and sticky flapjacks!

RASPBERRY AND ALMOND FLAPJACKS

(my recipe based on basic recipe from Rachel Allen)

350g (12 oz) butter

2 generous tblsp golden syrup

175g (6 oz) soft light brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

75g (3 oz) plain flour

375g (13oz) rolled oats (ordinary porridge oats)

Handful or two of frozen raspberries (or blackberries)

Small handful flaked almonds

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1.     Pre-heat oven to 180c (160c fan, 350F)

2.     Place top 4 ingredients in large saucepan and heat gently, stirring continuously to prevent burning, until a smooth sauce is made.

3.     Remove pan from heat and stir in next 2 ingredients thoroughly, then stir in the last two ingredients, crumbling them by hand as added.

4.     Spread mix onto a pre-greased swiss roll tin or flat tin approx. 15” x 10” (38x25cm),using the back of a spoon or a spatula to spread evenly.

5.     Bake for 20-25 mins in middle of oven until golden brown, then remove and allow to cool in the tin.

6.     When cool cut into squares or wedges taking care not to damage your tin!

Optional Chocolate Topping

Melt 250g (9oz) plain or milk chocolate by chopping and placing in bowl over pan of simmering water – do not let bowl touch water.

When completely melted and smooth, spread over cooled flapjacks then cut into square or fingers when cooled and place in fridge for 1 hour to set.

**

Note : These are seriously good with blackberries, sort of fragrant and almost scented - very moreish - am just munching loads one as I type!

By the way, the pretty red and cream mug here is one I picked up at the American Musuem in Bath gift shop - it's by Gabriella Miller Designs and is my current favourite coffee mug!

Yesterday I made a couple of ruffled cushions for the sofa in the sitting room.

I wanted to have some warmer colours in the sitting room for the autumn, and used some of the gorgeous raspberry red vintage floral linen fabric that I bought a few months ago at the Decorative Living Fair (mentioned in this post.)

The other ruffled cushion I made from a brown and white cotton gingham.  I shall make two more of these as I am so happy with them, as they give a cosy, cheerful, country feel to the room, so I shall then have another pair for the other end of the sofa.

 

Hope you all had a cosy weekend too!