Downloading Dress maker Patterns

Do you ever down load internet dress makers patterns ?
I often use http://www.burdastyle.com/pattern_store/patterns/50s-halter-dress-072012
It's a bit fiddly you have to print of all the pages and piece them together
like a jigsaw puzzle. Then you cut out your size and add seam allowance.
The dress shown is made from one of these patterns from Burda.com
(not made by me but one of my very talented students)

Let them eat cake !

 On a recent trip to London we made a detour to visit the
Primrose Bakery, I use the cookery book time and time again
and was very curious to try the "real thing".

 First up Lemon Drizzle cake  £1.50, excellent value for the centre of London
and very very yummy, (large slice too)!

 A bit of a theme here, lemon cup cake £2.25 (I think) I will try this at home.
Lovely balance of sweet cake and sharp lemon.

 Chocolate cup cake £2.25 or £2.50, fab, a rich chocolate hit.

If you are around Covent Garden in need of a cuppa, and cake you cant go
too far wrong here. We really enjoyed our tea and cake.

chalk labels

Popped into Staples today and found these great
chalkboard labels by Martha Stewart. Peel
them off and they stick to most surfaces and
can be use time and time again ! Genius
I had some chalk at home but you can pick
it up at most newsagents for less that £1.

Black Bird Tea Rooms Brighton

Lots of birthdays to shop for in July. I re-fuelled
at this new vintage tea rooms in the heart of the
Lanes, A M A Z I NG possible the best vintage
interior I have seen in ages, DONT miss the toilets, I do
not want to say any more and spoilt the surprise.
O yes.........tea and cakes were fab too.

vintage tea party

Taking inspiration from this fab book "Vintage Tea Party ",
we created our own "tea" to bid farewell to Sarah.
We  dressed in our best vintage, listened to 100 wartime hits !
and tucked into tons of yummy food.
Pinwheel jam sandwich , cucumber and cream cheese hearts,
and of course good old egg and cress.
Sweet treats included scones, cup cakes and chocolate cake.
Enjoyed on vintage china, with many many refills of tea.

Elderflower Festival

Went to the Elderflower Festival, held in the grounds
of Bentley Motor and Wildlife
Museum, at the weekend for the
most amazing and magical festival

Camping and music were in large open fields
but the woods were transformed into a magical

experience. Lamb cooked in the rear of a
beetle, served with hummus and pitta,
Juices, cake and treats, in this great
area, which looked even better as the
woods got dark at night.

 Early morning tea - unbeatable.

Pizza cooked in a portable wood
burning stove.
On arrival at the site
you were greeted with a chilled glass of
elderflower wine, very welcome after a
hot drive. Dotted around the wood were
healing huts offering reflexology and other
treatments.
Sports camp for the children. Live music.
Roll on next year -  A really fab weekend.

decoupage - in progress

Great fun on a rainy day ! (Yes, we have had way too many of them recently.)
Decoupage, translates as sticking layers of paper onto cardboard letters ,

or in my case a fab deers head.Not finish yet, but with the recent weather
forecast, I have no excuse. John Lewis has a good selection of objects to cover
and paper, as does C and H. Fabrics, but I got some of my letters 1.90p for
a large letter and 99p per sheet of tissue paper for the only Art shop
in the Five ways on Ditching Road, Brighton.
The deers head is from re-foundobjects.