Charlene

Nicole, I hope you’ll post photos of everything so we can see! And I hope it was a fun party for everyone, especially the parents! xo

Thank you all so much for your advice and help. I made the cake and saved a small fortune!

@Ann-Maree, I used your excellent idea of two cakes. Whilst Hugo and Co were making speeches and ‘cutting the cake’ a good friend and I were cutting and plating up the other cake, close by.
By the time speeches were done, cake was ready to be eaten.

Thank you!

@motherof5 Nicole, yes I found it in the ‘free from’ section of my supermarket along with all the other special diet ingredients. I know it is in health food shops as well.
I really enjoyed the cake and didn’t miss the sugar. My husband said it wasn’t sweet enough for him. But he has 3 sugars in his tea and sugar on his cereal so his expectations…[Read more]

Yum, can you get agave at the supermarket?

(just moving this as it went onto a different page..)

If anyone is after a sugar free carrot cake recipe then have a look at this one:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/sugar-free_carrot_cake_71797

I promised to post this for Sharon and I am sure you will all want to have a go too. It was on the Great British Bake Off Masterclass the other…[Read more]

That sounds like a fantastic solution, @mychurchdoll! I was also thinking that a bias binding could be really pretty and simple for a very thick fabric that won’t cooperate with hemming.

I made this in felted black wool(plaid) for my DIL to wear in Paris next week. She loves it.
I used a decorative serger stitch on the outside edge all around, and am very happy with it. I think this piece would have been too thick if turned on the edge.

I got so many compliments when I wore my coat to work – from other teachers AND from students so its appeal crosses generational lines! I just got some wool/cashmere fabric from Mood (by mail) and it is so lovely I might cry a little. I am planning to make another in the next week or two.

So, before I get cracking, is this what a flat felled seam should look like from the outside? I’ve never done one before! This is not ironed and seam allowances weren’t measured, just having a test! Thank you.

Sorry to hear that that seaming went so slowly, @sanitystitches. I pressed mine and then sort of fiddled with the fabric as I sewed, so I didn’t need to baste. But different fabrics may respond differently, too. And your finished coat looks terrific!

@artscience, definitely shorten and the shorten line. Anything else will give you a different…[Read more]

@sanitystitches Congratulations! Wonderful job! First one done or at least posted! What a pretty color.

p.s. and good tip re: using a different basting color thread. Thank you!!

Cat

@sanitystitches Congratulations! Wonderful job! First one done or at least posted! What a pretty color.

Cat

Thank you so much, Liesl. This is fantastic. I originally got the pattern for the dress but I happened to have one of the amazing wools you suggested (the Carolina Herrera salmon-beige-orangeish color – it is very unusual color). So I really want to try the coat (it is cold in NYC!) and am happy you are doing a sew-along. But I am a few steps…[Read more]

I think the wool melton I used is a TINY bit too stiff but I am still happy with it.

I have sewn up a quick muslin.

I am on the petite size. If I want to take the length up an inch or two, am I better off doing so at the lengthen/shorten line? My initial marking on my muslin would seem to indicate that is the case.

I have a lovely Italian Merino wool double face knit and really want to have the bugs worked out before I cut my…[Read more]