A few last minute April finishes!

Drum roll please!!!

 (image from: http://www.ehow.com/videos-on_2504_basic-drum-strokes.html)

The quilt 7 - 8 years in the making has been finished!!

Still unnamed, but finally finished!! There was much cheering. It's not perfect, it won't win any awards, but it is done. This is where it will live.

Although it has already been dragged off the back of the couch by my 4 year old.

I also get to add another pencil roll, made with the Maisy fabric. This one was for my daughter's best friends 4th birthday. They are travelling to Bali for a holiday soon so hopefully it will be useful on the plane.

A friend who is travelling to Europe in about eight weeks with her two sons and her nephew has asked for some for them so expect to see a few more in the coming months!

Sewing hasn't been the only creating going on here. I've also taken to baking. It's a new thing for me, but my husband is pleased I am expanding my domestic skills! (Please read that with a very, very lighthearted tone!)

Retromummy posted a recipe for an very easy and yummy pear flan. She scored it off Frills in the Hills. I must say, the first time I made it, I didn't have enough pears so added some apple as well. This worked a treat and I am tempted to try it with apples only. This was my second attempt.

I seriously had this prepared and in the oven in no more than 30 minutes! So easy and very yummy warm or cold.

I also discovered a recipe from in a Donna Hay magazine that looked delicious and easy. It was called Apple and Caramel Dumplings. So I had to have a go.

I must say, yummo!! The recipe can be found at Donna Hay's website, here!

I will tell you though, don't think you can prepare the dumplings in advance and put them in the caramel sauce until it's time to put it in the oven. Makes for very large dumplings! Oops.

Another Pencil Roll

Expect to see a few of these this year! I have decided it is the birthday present to give!

A friend's daughter had her birthday yesterday and I forgot! So I quickly whipped up a pencil roll, added some crayola pencils and a drawing book and...

(Guess what her name is!)

I am so loving these pencil rolls. Another huge thanks to tutorial over at Little Munchkins for making it sooooooo easy!

I have another one to whip up today for my daughter's best friend who turns 4 on ANZAC day. I plan to use this fabric I bought when we were away over Easter.

I've bought a Maisy colouring book and story book to go with them. I plan to use the white middle fabric for the back, the blue for the pocket and the green for the front.

That wasn't all I bought while I was away. There is also this Maisy panel

There is also some transport themed fabric to make another sudoku quilt with. The mum of the little boy I made the Sporting Sudoku for asked if I could make another for her other son. We decided on a transport theme.

I've ordered the rest of what I will need from Equilter so am now waiting on squishy mail! The mum is a teacher like me and a wonderful friend, so I am going to make her an eye spy quilt as well. These caught my eye as being good for that!

Finally, I spotted this panel and just had to have it!

I had no idea what I was going to do with it until I was talking to my niece about what her favourite colours are and she said hot pink and lime green. She turns 18 next year and after a trip to Europe last year has caught the travel bug. I'm thinking this will be the basis of a quilt for her.

I've finished quilting this sampler quilt and am currently sewing the ends in. Hope to get the binding on sometime today!

What's your weekend hold?