FLOWERY DRESS - VESTIT DE FLORETES

L'estiu passat vaig comprar dos llibres per fer roba de nens i per fi he fet el vestit que volia a la Hana
amb roba de l'Anna Maria Horner (que feia temps que la tenia). Sabia que si no m'afanyava no en tindria prou per fer-li aquest vestit. S'esta fent gran massa rapid!

Last summer I bought 2 books for making children's clothes and I finally made the dress I wanted for Hana. I used fabric from Anna Maria Horner that I was stashing for a while. I knew if I didn't hurry up I wouldn't have enough fabric, since she's growing so quickly!

Aquest es el llibre que vaig comprar a Amazon i el vestit es el mateix de la portada.
This is the book that I bought from Amazon and the dress is the same on the cover.

It's not even springtime yet... but she can wear it with a top underneath, 

maybe spring will come quicker!

No estem ni a la primavera... pero el pot portar amb una samarreta a sota, 

potser aixi la primavera vindra mes de pressa!

No oblideu participar en el meu sorteig de dos llibres!

Don't forget to enter my giveaway, there's 2 books to be won!

Un Any Blogejant- A Year Blogging (giveaway-sorteig)

Last month it was a year since I started this blog and I'm lucky to have 61 followers that are interested in what I do. That's why I'm hosting a giveaway, to celebrate that thanks to the nice comments I'm still here! Thank you everyone!

El mes passat ve fer un any que vaig obrir aquest blog i tinc la sort de tenir 61 seguidors que els agrada i mostren interes pel que faig. Es per aixo que faig un sorteig, per celebrar que gracies als vostres comentaris segueixo aqui! Moltes gracies a tots!

I went to my favourite bookshop (I should blog about them some day) and I found a nice book to show you how to make bags. I bought two copies, so here's one for one lucky winner. 
The second book is one I already have and I think you'll enjoy if you like cooking. It's a compilation of homemade recipes by the farmers' market of a village next to mine. I love farmers' markets and this is a really nice recipe book where you can find good Irish dishes and homemade remedies.

Vaig anar a la meva llibreria preferida (un dia obrire un post sobre ella) i vaig trobar un llibre per fer bosses. Vaig comprar-ne dues copies, aixi que un/a de vosaltres el podra tenir tambe.
El segon llibre es un que tambe el tinc i que m'agrada molt. Es un llibre de receptes recopilades per la cooperativa del mercat de grangers del poble del costat d'on visc... Hi trobareu receptes irlandeses i remeis casolans.

So there will be two winners, the first name selected will get to choose which book she/he'd like. 
Leave a comment in this post to enter, and I'll draw the winners on Paddy's day, that's the 17th of March, at 12pm (Irish time) (which means it'll be most likely later than that!). Winners will be announced on the following day and will have up to 2 days to claim their prize, otherwise I'll draw another name. Good luck!

Hi haura dos guanyadors, el primer nom sel.leccionat podra escollir el llibre que prefereixi. Deixeu un missatge en aquest post per participar i el dia de Sant Patrici fare el sorteig, el dia 17 de Març, a les 12 del migdia (hora irlandesa) (que vol dir amb retard segurament...). Els guanyadors tindran dos dies per reclamar el premi, si no tornare a sel.lecionar un altre nom.
Bona sort!

FOTO FINISH: LOVE

This is my pick for this week's theme. I love this photo, daddy and daughter. Her face and his silhouette... they're great. She was 2 months old then, she's nearly 2 now!
Would you like to see the other participant's entries? click here.

Aquesta es la foto que he escollit pel tema d'aquesta setmana. Pare i filla. M'encanta la cara d'ella i el perfil d'ell. Aleshores tenia 2 mesos, ara ja te quasi 2 anys!
Voleu veure les fotos d'altres participants? cliqueu aqui.

PATE DE SALMO FUMAT - SMOKED SALMON PATE

Una recepta que m'encanta! Em vaig inspirar en una altra (timbals de broccoli)que tinc en un llibre. Vaig canviar uns quants ingredients i les mesures i em va sortir aixo! i no s'assembla en res a la recepta dels broquils...

I came out with this recipe being inspired by another one from a book (broccoli timbales). I love mine better! I changed some of the ingredients and the measurements and this is it, nothing to do with broccoli any more...

ingredients

200gr salmo fumat

80 gr creme fraiche

1 ou

1 rovell d'ou

1-2 escalunyes 

2 culleradetes d'anet fresc (o sec)

sal i pebre

1 culleradeta de suc de llimona

ingredients

200gr smoked salmon

80 gr creme fraiche

1 egg

1 egg yolk

1-2 spring onions (scallions)

2 tsp fresh dill (or dry)

salt and pepper

1 tsp lemon juice

1. Poseu tots els ingredients a la trituradora. Si veieu que us queda molt espes afegiu-hi una mica mes de creme fraiche.

2. Aboqueu la barreja en potets de ceramica deixant 1cm (pujara una mica). Col.loqueu els potets en una safata fonda, amb aigua, per coure'ls al forn al Bany Maria. 180C durant uns 20 minuts. Deixeu-los refredar i poseu-los a la nevera durant una hora abans de servir. Es poden congelar perfectament.

1. Blend all the ingredients. If the mix is too thick, add a bit more of creme fraiche. 

2. Pour the mix into ramequins leaving 1/2" on top (they'll raise a bit). Place the ramequins on a tray filled with water to bake in the oven at Bain Marie for 20 minutes at 180C. Let them cool and put then in the fridge for at least 1 hour before serving. They freeze well too.

AN INVITATION / UNA INVITACIO

Ja arriba la tercera temporada de The Great Big Stitched Postcard Swap que organitza la Beth.
Podeu donar un cop d'ull a totes les postals fetes a ma i amb una gran varietat de tecniques, a part d'algun punt cosit, al group de flickr.

El tema de la primera celebracio va ser "Temps" i aleshores encara no sabia que aixo existia! Arrel d'un blog que segueixo vaig descobrir que se celebrava la segona temporada amb el tema "Llar" i vaig poder participar. Vaig rebre una postal cosida i estampada a ma de l'Stella, dels EEUU.

El tema d'aquesta nova temporada es "Amor" i si voleu, vosaltres tambe podeu participar. Heu de fer una postal a ma, amb la tecnica que mes us agradi, afegint algun puntet cosit, ni que sigui un boto, interpretant el tema de l 'amor. Envieu un email a la Beth dient que voleu participar i donant-li la vostra adrec,a. Mes tard ella us enviara el nom i l'adrec,a de la persona a qui li heu d'enviar la postal que heu fet.
No oblideu de fer-li un foto primer, per si es perd pel cami... i un cop la persona a qui li heu enviat l'ha rebut, ja podeu ensenyar la vostra postal al vostre blog o al grup de flickr.

Us animeu?

The third Great Big Stitched Postcard Swap is on again! pop over to Beth's blog and read all about it to take part on it. The first one was about "TIME", the second one was about "HOME", now it is about "LOVE". Have a look at all the lovely postcards that were made before on flickr.


I received a lovely card from Stella in the USA and mine flew over to that same country too. I wonder where my new card is going to travel this time and from where I will receive mine.
Would you like to join us?
Send an email to Beth, telling her you want to participate and give her your address. She'll send you the details of the person you'll send your card to. Don't forget to take a photo of your card before you send it, and once the person receives it, you can show it on your blog and on the fickr group.

FOTO FINISH - GREEN

Here's a photo I'd like to share with you. It's part of the Foto Finish theme from Cat Patches.
I like taking photos, I'm an amateur, and I think it's a good way to keep practicing if I join events like this one. So here's my green photo: the sprouts we ate at Christmas...

Hi ha una photo que us vull ensenyar. Es part de Foto Finish a Cat Patches. Cada setmana proposa un tema diferent. M'agrada fer fotos, soc amateur, i trobo que es una bona manera de practicar si participo en propostes com aquesta. Aixi que aqui teniu la foto: les cols de Brusel.les que vam menjar per Nadal!

SORTING SHAPES / CLASSIFICAR FORMES

Aqui teniu una tutorial d'una activitat per fer amb els vostres petits. Tenia molt d'exit amb els meus alumnes quan ensenyava en una aula Montessori. No forma part del material de Montessori pero segueix la mateixa linea d'aillar el concepte que es vol ensenyar, que en aquest cas son tres figures geometriques: cercle, triangle i quadrat.

Es important utilitzar nomes un color per aillar les figures. Si cada figura tingues un color diferent, no sabriem si estan classificant per colors o per figures. Si volguessiu ensenyar els colors, haurieu d'utilitzar nomes una figura i els diferents colors que volgueu ensenyar.

Here's a tutorial for an activity to do with the little ones. It was very popular with my pupils in a Montessori classroom where I used to teach. It is not part of the Montessori material, but it follows the same method of isolating the concept you want to teach, which in this case are three geometrical shapes: circle, triangle and square.

It is important to use the same colour to isolate the shape. If you used a colour for each shape, you wouldn't know if the child is sorting it by colour or by shape. If you wanted to teach colours, you would use one shape only and the different colours you want to teach.

Material

5 plats de paper

tisores

llapis

regle

grapadora

cola de barra

cartulina d'un color

plastificadora (o podeu portar-ho a plastificar)

Material

5 paper plates

scissors

pencil

ruler

stapler

glue (bar)

card (one colour)

laminator

Talleu dos plats per la meitat i grapeu una de les meitat sobre un plat sencer amb les cares oposades per formar una mena de butxaca. Feu 3 butxaques, una per cada figura.

Cut 3 plates in half. Staple one of the halves onto a whole plate facing opposite to each other to make a pocket.

 Amb la cartulina, talleu quadrats, triangles i cercles que hi capiguen dins la butxaca.

Enganxeu una figura a cada butxaca. 

Cut triangles, squares and circles out of the card in a size so they fit into the pocket.

Stick one of each shape onto each pocket.

Plastifiqueu la resta de les figures de cartulina.

Laminate the rest of the shapes.

Enganxeu els plats a qualsevol espai de paret que tingueu amb bluetack. ja estan preparats per omplir-los amb les seves figures.

Stick the plates onto any wall surface with blue tack. They're ready to be filled up with their shapes now.

variacions:

- podeu anar afegint figures a mida que les van aprenent.

- podeu fer servir aquest metode per ensenyar:
colors, 

estampats (amb paper de regal), 

numeros, 

lletres, 

paraules, 

vocabulari amb dibuixos o fotografies de diferents temes
(diferents fotos de gats, gossos, ocells, etc. per animals), roba, aliments, joguines... la llista es infinita!

variations:

- you could add more shapes as they learn.

- you could use this method to teach colours, patterns (with wrapping paper), numbers, letters, words, vocabulary with pictures, e.g. different pictures or even photos of cats, dogs, birds, etc. for animals, or food, clothes, toys... the list is endless!

UN GORRO D'ALLO MES FACIL / AN EASY PEASY HAT

Fa temps que vaig fer aquest gorro, abans de Nadal, per un encarrec. Tambe em van demanar que ensenyes un tutorial per fer un gorro amb nomes dues agulles, i sense haver d'afegir ni menguar punts.  Vaig pensar que aquest seria el gorro mes facil que es pot fer amb dues agulles.

I made this hat a while ago, before Christmas. Someone asked me for a tutorial on how to make a hat with only 2 needles and without increasing or decreasing stitches. So here it is, the easiest hat ever!

Mesureu la circumferencia del cap. Feu un quadre de tensio per veure els punts que necessiteu i amb un punt del dret i un del reves, feu un rectangle. (La longitud depen de si voleu doblec o no, jo anava provant amb el meu cap a mesura que anava fent)

Measure the head circumference and knit a tension square to know how many stitches you need. Knit rows of : *p 1, k1* to create a single rib pattern. Knit a rectangle. The length will depend on whether you want a fold or not (I kept trying it on myself to see what length I wanted)

 Quan tingueu la llargada que voleu, cosiu els costats.

When you have your desired length, sew the side seams.

 Cosiu la part posterior amb un punt correder.

Sew the top with a running stitch.

 Tibeu la llana per que s'arrugui i feu unes quantes puntades perque quedi tancat.

Pull the yarn and sew a few stitches to keep it closed.

Acabat

Finished

AltErinG... fiRsT AtTemPt... / TuNINg PRimEr iNtEnt...

La Hana esta creixent molt rapid i hi ha un munt de roba que vaig empaquetant per donar-la. Pero tambe hi ha peces que me les quedo, altres que vull fer servir com a patrons i despres n'hi ha d'altres que m'agradaria fer-ne alguna cosa. 

No em surt gaire be aixo de "tunejar", pero es que mai no ho havia intentat.

Aqui teniu el meu primer intent: d'uns pantalons de pana a una faldilla. Sembla facil...o aixo creia quan veia altres blogs!

M'ha servit per practicar les vores i fer repunts, pero el resultat final no ha sigut com m'esperava. Es dificil prendre mides a una nena de quasi dos anys que no para quieta quan li ho demanes... i com que no tenia una faldilla que pogues prendre com a mida... aixi m'ha sortit!

Tinc molts mes pantalons que li van curts aixi que hi haura mes intents.

Hana is growing very fast and I have a good amount of clothes that I'm packing for the charity shop. There are some items that I like to keep and others that I use as patterns or even try to alter them and make them into something else.
I'm not very good at making them into something else, but I haven't really tried.
Here's my first attempt: from corduroy pant to a skirt. It looks easy... or so it seemed to me when I saw it on other blogs...!
I could practice folding and sewing hems, topstitching and little things like that. But the final product was not like I expected. It is very difficult to measure an almost 2 year old girl who doesn't stand still when you ask her to. I didn't have a skirt that I could use as a guide either... so well...
I have more pants that are too short for her, so there will be more attempts.

Aixo es el que he fet

This is what I did

 descosir les costures,  tallar a la llargada que vull i marca les costures del davant i darrere

open the seams, cut to the desired length and mark the new front and back seams

Fer la vora

Make a hem 

Cosir les costures del davant i del darrere

 Sew the front and back seams

 Fer un repunt

Topstitch

 I la pobra no pot caminar!

And the poor thing can't even walk!

que hauria d'haver fet?
what should I have done?


Vaig intentar escurc,ar-la una mica al veure que quan caminava se li doblegava uns dos cm cap amunt. pero quan ho vaig fer, vaig pensar de deixar-li un tall, per obrir mes i ja em va sortir un xurro que ni ho ensenyo!!!ha ha!
Ja ho tornare a intentar...


I tried to fix it by shortening it a wee bit beacuse I saw that when she was walking it naturally folded itself up an inch. But when I did it, I thought it would be a good idea to make a vent, and that was a total fiasco! Don't even want to take a photo of that!


I'll try again....

MES BLOCS - MORE BLOCKS

bloc 6

Em falten dos blocs mes per posar-me al dia amb el quilt long de The Moose on the Porch. Aquest cap de setmana la maquina esta treient fum!
Per fi he pogut esbrinar el problema que tenia amb la tensio, es que no posava be el fil de dalt... (problema tipic de principiant amb maquina nova... )
i quina diferencia ara! el soroll que fa es tan diferent, ja deia jo que alguna cosa no anava be.

bloc 3

I have 2 blocks left to catch up with the quilt along from The Moose on the Porch. This weekend my sewing machine is going at full steam! I finally found out what was wrong with the tension. Of course it was my fault, I wasn't threading the upper threat right. New machine and not quite experienced yet... recipe for disaster LOL. What a difference now, even the noise is different!I knew there was something that wasn't right.

bloc 6

Aqui podeu veure els blocs 3 i 6 . El bloc 6 m'agrada forc,a.  Sempre tiro per les figures geometriques jo... Pero segueixo tenint problemes alhora de cosir en diagonal i fer triangles. Un cop planxat obert no m'acabava de quadrar del tot, pero tampoc es veu tant quan el bloc complet esta cosit.

bloc 3

Here you can see block number 3 and 6. I really like block 6, I made a variation with the second fabric choice. I'm always drawn by geometric shapes. I still have some trouble when I have to sew diagonally to make triangles. They never come out right when I press them open, but once the block was sewn it didn't look that bad.

KEN'S QUILT

Us recordeu d'aquest projecte?

do you remember this project?

Aqui teniu la resta!
Here's the rest!

Per fi! Ja he acabat el miniquilt per al Ken, que va neixer una mica abans del que esperavem, i ja el puc ensenyar. Dema anire a correus a enviar-lo cap a Barcelona.

He usat un charm pack de batiks i un panel amb animals de la jungla per fer els aplicats. La beta la vaig comprar feta, per falta de temps i no m'ha anat gens malament.

La Hana s'ha enamorat d'aquest quilt, li encanta assenyalar els animals i ha portat totes les nines per fer una festa i ballar a sobre... Espero que el Ken s'ho passi tan be com la Hana quan el rebi.

Finally! I finished the quilt for baby Ken, who arrived a bit earlier than expected, and now I can show it to all of you. I'll post it tomorrow to Barcelona.

I used a charm pack of batiks and a panel with jungle animals to make the appliqué squares. I bought the binding tape, as I was running out of time, and it turned out quite well.

Hana has fallen in love with this quilt, she loves pointing at the animals and she took all her dolls with her and had a party and a dance on it... I hope Ken has as much fun as she does!

Per primer cop he provat de fer l'encoixinat lliure, es tota una experiencia! M'ha agradat molt fer-lo. Primer he assajat amb un troc, de tela i de guata i despres ja m'hi he llenc,at amb el quilt. Se m'ha liat el fil mes d'una vegada perque no posava be la bobina (o aixo crec, vaja) , pero es questio de practica. 

It was my first time trying free motion quilting. I rehearsed first with some scraps and then I tried on the quilt. I love free motion! The thread tangled a bit because I didn't place the bobbin right (I think that was the problem anyway...), but I'll get better.

He pensat que estaria be ensenyar una mica el proces

It thought it would be good to show a bit of the process 

 no son corves perfectes...

they're not perfect bends...

aixo em va passar unes 3 vegades...

that happened 3 times...

.... i a poc a poc ja notes que vas millorant

...and bit by bit I was feeling I was getting better