My sourdough experience

I have decided to try and make sourdough. It is quite a learning curve and the more you find out about it, the more it gets confusing. There is so much information out there.  I joined some facebook groups but I think I drove them nuts asking questions all the time.

First thing you need to do is make a starter which is water and flour and you let it rest, feed it daily and ferment. It took me 2 weeks to get my starter going and looking bubbly enough. 

Last week end I made my first bread. Not really impressive, very flat and heavy and sooooo dark. I didn't realie that T80 flour here in France would give such a dark loaf.  The bottom was pretty burnt as well, though that seems to be normal.


While getting the blade out of the protective covering to slash the dough I managed to slice my thumb. Not too deep thank goodness but enough to really hurt. As soon as it is healed though I will try again, this time with some lighter flour.

This is what a starter looks like. 

If any of you would like to know more about baking this way, let me know.












Thanks to all that read my blog, I appreciate it.

Hugs,

abstract art

My friend Chantal came round the other day to show me what she had been doing at our craft club. When I saw this one I said that would look really nice in my lounge, she said you can have it and gave it to me.

That was so sweet of her. Thank you Chantal, it looks lovely on the wall. As soon as you get Internet I will send you link to my blog. Believe it or not, some of my friends still don't have the Internet. This canvas was made with the acrylic pouring technique and some string. I have looked in to the technique but not sure I like the messy bit.

Birthday card for Daniel

 I haven't made a card in ages but decided to get my markers out to make one for a special young man called Daniel. It is his birthday in June and he is turning 12.

Je n'ai pas fait de cartes depuis très longtemps mais j'ai décidé d'en faire une pour un jeune homme très special qui s'appele Daniel et qui aura 12 ans en juin.

I got my copic markers out, bought a lovely digistamp from Mo's digital pencil and had a great time making the card.

J'ai sorti mes marqueurs copic, acheté une image digi, et je me suis bien amusé a colorier la carte

Phoebe so relaxed

Phoebe has completely recuperated from her operation and she couldn't be more relaxed. Here she is watching me while lying on my patchwork on the couch. Even her ugly scar has all but disappeared.

I am working on a making a tshirt for myself, first time I tackle any kind of clothing as it has always scared me a bit. I have got as far as cutting out the two pieces of  fabric, front and back. Next step is to face my overlocker which has always scared me a bit.


Phoebe a totalement récupéré de son opération et elle ne pourrait pas être plus relax. Elle me regarde couché sur  mon patchork sur le canapé. Même son horrible  cicatrice a pratiquement disparu.

Je travaille sur la création d'un tshirt pour moi-même, première fois je que je tenter n'importe quel type de vêtement , ca m'a toujours fait un peu peur, c'est si different du patchwork. Pour le moment j'ai découp les deux morceaux de tissu, avant et arrière. Prochaine étape ce sera d'affronter ma surjeteuse que me fait tourjours un peu peur. 

Traduction en francais, speciale pour Renée.... gros bisous.

Stitch sampler bernina

I have finished my stitch sampler for my new bernina 570 sewing machine and it was quite fun. It took quite a few hours but learned a lot about my machine while doing it. Our weather is beautiful at the moment, 25c is what we should be getting today and it has been sunny for the last 3-4 days. To think that only a week ago we had a hard frost in the morning, the warmth is appreciated.

News from Phoebe

Phoebe has been sick.............. In April I had to have her hospitalised for an emergency operation on he gallbladder. I was really worried about her as she was not eating or drinking and was in so much pain. She is now much better but had to wear that collar for 2 weeks so she would leave her stitches alone.

Hope this thing comes off soon.........

When she had her collar taken off she was a real tangled mess, thank goodness she was due for a groomers appointment the next day. We did spend an hour combing her though, groomer only washes and cuts and dries.

I am a mess, really need the groomer

My new Bernina 570

I have not been posting much lately so I thought I would post here what I do on face book, mostly to keep track of what I do as I don't think I have many followers :-) I have started to work on my stitch sampler for me new Bernini 570 that I got at Christmas. What I have found so far is two layers of cotton calico cotton works better than one layer of cotton and interfacing. I divided the fabric in to lines and then rows so may spacing would be better. I also left a space to add the stitch number later. I am writing the numbers in a notebook in the same order that I stitched them. Twenty done, 150 to go........

I go into the program of each stitch (the i button) and check the length of the stitch, it shows it in mm on the left. I then program to do so many stitches. Most of them I do 4-5 but on the really longer stitches only 1-2. I also program a stay stitch (knot) at the beginning of the first stitch. At the end of the row have not figured out how to do it so simply go back to straight stitch and click i button and put a knot. Sew a couple of stitches and you have your knot. Hope this helps anyone who wants to make one.