The latest quilt

I'm not really start my sewing activity yet, what I mean is sewing big project like I used to do such a making quilt , I sew some little thing that I'm not considering as a big one but I love to put some of my latest quilt from 2015 just to encourage me to make more and filled up my online store soon .  Oh, well .. where's the time goes ?

 

 

 

the blue quilt above is the latest quilt I made for a lady who loves blue and math.

Blue is not my thing,  it take me too long to decide what pattern I should choose  but I think I did good by choosing Irish chain pattern and using so many different kind of blue fabric to make look like a patchwork :)  

 

the other quilt I proud to show you is my *a very long over due* Swedish bloom quilt - it's really take forever to finish this one (I think 1 year to be exact ) . I don't know what I was thinking to make this so big, queen size ... doh ... anyway, this quilt won't go anywhere . I keep it and will giveaway to my daughter for her memory sake :)))  

 

That's all for now , I promise will show you more ... 

Happy Sewing

Almond Marzipan Cake and how to spend a summer break

 

How about this .. summer day in Midwest the temperature is between 90-100 F plus this month is Ramadan's months mean is fasting day for me for almost 16 hours everyday and another plus : summer break .. voila.. perfect, huh ..

Alright, the Ramadan-fast itself is not really big deal to me, but having a little one who have a very long summer break and not be able to go vacations this year.. is really big deal.

So, how to make her not to get bored easily, especially after month of summer-camp is over and still another month and half to go.. ? ask her to bake, do a little crafting activity and give her break with invite 5 of her best friends having pool party at home .. she absolutely love it

(hand stitches)

Like this recipe, I got from Patricia - I do love to visit her blog, Technicolor Kitchen .. she always posting a very simple recipe, which is a perfect for my little one to bakes something simple, without making a mess during or after baking. She can read an ingredients, measure it, mixing the ingredient and bake!!
 

Easy almond cake
Recipe :How to Be a Domestic Goddess

Ingredients
250g unsalted butter, softened
250g marzipan, softened – I got a chocolate cover marzipan which is adding a lot of flavor to the cake.
¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon almond extract (optional)
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
6 large eggs
1 cup + 1 tablespoon (150g) all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F. Butter a round 20cm (8in) cake pan (with high sides), line the bottom with a circle of baking paper and butter the paper as well.
In a food processor, process the marzipan, butter and sugar together until smooth. Add the almond and vanilla extracts and process again. Add the eggs, one at a time, down the funnel, processing after each addition. Add the flour, baking powder and salt and process until incorporated. Transfer to the prepared pan and smooth the surface. Bake for 50 minutes (checking from 40) or until golden and risen and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely in the pan over a wire rack, then carefully unmold. Dust with icing sugar and serve.

Serves 8-10

Thank You .. *I'm back*

 

Forgive me not updating my blog for almost 2 and half months - and I know some of my friends and contacts still looking after me ; wondering where am I going ? What happened with me . For that matters I would like to say Thank You that you are so loyal to me.

I'm still around , kind of busy with my family to take care , but I promise I will come back when I have a plenty time like before to share my recipes to you and visiting you again.

You know, sometime life is going to different direction without warning - our life just turn to other directions that we never expect . It was sad, it was nerve- racking . For some reason, I need to be strong ; I must to believe that everything happen for a reason - always rainbow after rain. I have no energy to be sad, and at the end we know, there is Allah always help us to find the way out :)

I (we) always feel blessing that we have many family and nice friends around . To me , is so easy to see who is your truly friend is , they who come to you during hard time and not always in a good time. Trust me, is not always about money, but just simple question, if we still alive or not.. that is mean a lot to me.

I know I cant thank you enough for what friends, family did to us but just let me share a little thing that I made from the bottom of my heart. How grateful I'm - to have you as my family friends .

 

Thank you R, Thank you F .. you guys are awesome supportive friends..

Summer Quilt Blanket

 

It took a long weeks, to finished this blanket .. I didn't feel to do anything for several weeks, just being lazy :(  In fact, this is a first time I did a hand stitching for top quilt.. Did you notice the leaf petal on the plain block ?  I like the result.  I think I will make another one , but I promise this time I will do it fast, before the plant season is coming, I will be busy working out door rather than sit and sewing.. well, we will see.

 

I don't bother to measure the finish size of quilt, it's quite big, thou. Perfect for summer picnic blanket. In fact the quilt is already on the hand of  a lovely nice lady :D - She was so happy with the quilt .

 

 

 

And for the weekend, I made 2 scrappy bucket for me and my daughter too, it was fun to grab of left over fabrics and create something cute like this. The big version is for me, I put a lot of stuff in there, and the small version is for my daughter, she loved carry here and there... She put her daily journal and crayons , she love to write everything she see while she sit in the car :D

If you like to make your own, please check the tutorial from my beloved talented Chase HERE (click)

 

 

 

Owl Love - Happy New Year

 

New year just about 2 more hours here, in my city STL .. and today we get a snow shower for the first time. Just 2 inches of snow *that's all* but we take it ^_^ well, my daughter want some more off course.  The temperature is very freezing - we don't feel like to go out, we just celebrate a new year at home, having pizza party and dancing :)

Anyway, do you see my owl fabric above ? how do you like those ? that is my last sewing project in 2012 , and I wish I will more productive in new year !! Santa has been nice to me, I got a new laptop for Christmas  and since than I'd like to spoiled my self, make my own laptop case and mouse pad .. I love the owl fabric so much , even kind of hard working with this type of fabric. The fabric fray so much.

 

 

At last I'd like to say Happy New Year to every one - May your new year be blessed with peace, love and joy.  Thank you to all my follower , you all are awesome..

 

Last minute gift idea

H O L I D A Y - Season  mean is spend .. spend .. spend !! I'm not crazy about shopping during holiday season , its always get hard time to find parking space, car bump with other car, wuuuhuuu.. scary situation, stay too long in the line and so and so ..  but since we have many nice people around , I like to give something for them .  Well, we are not celebrate Christmas but since families and friends like to bring something for us, I would love to share something with them too.

 

I made several last minute gift to share with them ** why must be last minute idea ? well, are you like me ?? always confuse what should you get for someone ? always worry if the person you will give the gift will like or not ?  The easy way is giving them a gift card ! that's it .. problem solve ! But not always work for me .. I need something more personal to give, well ..off course I add this .. that .. and ending with reached deep pocket .. LOL

 

Ok, here we go .. I made several craft stuff for my little one teachers and some other relatives - easy peasy craft but made me happy. Just grabbed some fabrics , cut , add ribbon, and.. voila ...

 

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all of you

..back on track..

 

with so much distraction around me lately, from news about my beloved grandma who passed away a week ago , next was a computer crash , wipe out all the data on computer , and last was some family's issue . Oh gosh ..I was so tired, those made me delay some of my homework . But I know everything happen for a reason, there is no problem without solution.  Everything will be all right, with a good family members who always beside me no matter how hard the problem are - GOD gives us strength  , and thank you for my husband, we celebrate another year in a good times and bad times together again yesterday . Love you, Hun..

 

And today, finally I be able to back on track . Finished what had been delay before.. such back to my sewing machine ... Q..U..I..L..T..I..N..G - you know I do love quilting :)

4 sewing project already sent to customer !! She was so happy see a whole finish project, and I more happier too .. everything just perfect, and need to back sewing 'holliday theme project' pretty soon ..

 

 

 

*thank you for you, who loves to come back here to read 'inside my head' .. so much appreciate, even I don't always have an answer ..

A new stash ..

 

Christmas is just around the corner, and I've been busy doing some projects for a lady who came to our dinner party last week. She wants some of my craft works, well.. she said she is not rush - but I'd like to doing on schedule and not postpone the work especially working with a lovely fabrics. Who can resist this pile of fabric from heaven  LOL

I got this a new fabrics last Friday , oh..wow, they are just as beautiful as I can imagine when I saw for the first time from my flickr friends, Tasha.  She has so adorable fabric collections, that I will like do "fasting" - not shopping a new shoes to exchange with hers fabrics *grin*

Now, let me excuse my self back to my sewing machine.. and I will come back bring my food recipe tomorrow to share with you.ok.

xoxo

Sneak Peak Friday

 

pardon me, not much of baking this day .. I'm lack of time - too many things to do, too little time.

As I remember, I update my baking recipe about 3 weeks ago, now it's almost end of September, and Autumn is just 1 day ahead. Where is  the time fly ? don't ask me .  :(

Anyway, this just a little sneak peek from my project that need to be done over the weekend, cross finger. For my customer who is so patiently waiting 2 quilts. I hope *with all my heart* she will like the version of happy quilt.

Have a nice Friday for my beloved follower and friends, I promise will be back soon. Thank you for visiting my blog, I do my best to answer your question and visiting you back.

xoxo..

Another Happy Colors..

I don't have any sewing skill background, I never attend sewing class or what so ever, I proud to say that I'm self taught sewing who learn from many mistake. It take me a while to figure out all the steps. And until today I still learn from everywhere. Including, Youtube. Yeaah right, I'm graduation student from Youtube :O But so far, I'm happy with every result.  And I definitely make quilts to be loved and used, not show quilt. The lady who order this picnic blanket just want a happy colors. My idea about happy colors is to put as many bright pretty colors as I can. I hope she will like it.

I spy in the garden picnic blanket is a custom order picnic blanket , with size 40x48inch. (Reserved - ready to send to France this week)   SOLD
And here is another blanket I finished 2 weeks ago. The lady who got this blanket was so happy. I called this : Sweet Water Picnic Blanket - size 37x49 inch, 100% cotton from  MODA  and Robert Kaufman fabric collection

Have a nice day.. and enjoy the picture

and still growing ..

I feel run like crazy .. too much too do, so little time .. here is one of the reason too, sneak peek from my last project. Piles of my quilting blocks, and still growing ..

I will be back soon..

Late Bloomer - I'm not perfect series

Have you ever in situation that when you see around everybody looks are so perfect , lucky in life but you ?. Everyone looks so divine. They have many things in life, they are become a great author, have their own careers, and looks so brights !! I feel that way sometime (ok, alot)  and those feeling made me 'sad '. Not until I sat with an old lady, friend of mine a couple days ago - we had a cup coffee , chit chat for almost 2 hours . We felt comfort with each other, and share our stories together. The story of her's life made me almost cry - I feel that is too much for her to 'carry' herself. But I tell you, she is the strong woman I ever met.  I'm not gonna tell you, what kind of situation she has. But the point is : you can't always look up , you need to look down too, to see people who doesn't have a perfect life and those will make you feel like  a lucky person in the world who doesn't need to go through that situation.  That is for sure, comforting me that I can't be perfect because I am  what I am - be myself and feel blessing with things on my hand right now, I don't need to see how beautiful people grass is, I just need to trim my own grass and make them as beautiful as people yards :D

Anyway, what on the earth this pictures has thing to do with story above ? I tell you this one, may be I'm a late bloomer  ; I just start sewing, quilting, baking when my age is more than 40yo!!  LOL  - and this is my first time quilting ever, well, I made several projects before but typical of me cut..sew and set aside, never intend to finished it up.  But this project really make me happy ; and if you see carefully, the sewing line is not straight ; kind of mess up little bit - but after the project finish, the picnic blanket is look 'perfect' to me   LOL  - oh well, mommy try to make an adjustment  ^__^

Now you will see the related between story above and my quilting project !! You don't have to see one by one and will find un-perfect thing, just need to see overall finish product ..  so comfortable picnic blanket and ... looks good, *eeerrr.. stop talking now !*

Do you see in the bottom of blanket ? I borrow the sketch from my daughter drawing paper and transfer to fabric and did a little handstich. :)  

oh , Ms.D , I hope you like this picnic blanket and every time you see the bottom of blanket you will know who you looking at ?

NO BAKING TODAY : smocked sundress

I made this for my little girl friend, who celebrate 4yo Birthday yesterday.

I bought this fabric last year, after made 1 dress for my daughter and skirt for her and I still have bunch of left over fabric, so I decided  to make smocked sundress for my friend's daughter.  

I think she will like it. :)

Easy bittsy dress, no pattern necessary. Add 7 layer of smocked and little ban on the bottom.. 1hour sewing.. wuhuuu..

NO BAKING TODAY : Valentine's Gift Idea

Now, I know how to using my first time quilt mixer block. Add into linen fabric apron - what do you think ?

This is my last minute valentine's idea - and for sure, this apron will be gone tomorrow. :)

My mind full with idea what next apron gonna be, add this..add that... ooooh, hope I can sit nicely in front of my sewing machine without un-necessary interrupting from husband or kid LOL ..

NO BAKING TODAY : Scrapy Log Cabin

I always want to learn about quilting ! I can't belive that I did ; this is my first time scrapy log cabin ever. The block keep on growing .. and I still don't know how far i can go :)

Don't worry, not hard at all - you can find so many free tutorial through flickr or youtube . You just need a lot of scrap fabrics and passion for sure :)

Happy Weekend everyone,

xoxo

NO BAKING TODAY : Jumper Linen

Oh NO !! Why I put this dress in cooking blog ? LOL .. oh well ; I tough is fun to put some of my activities beside baking and cooking too, after all this is RUMAH MANIS mean is everything happen at RUMAH MANIS (Sweet Home) is belong to this blog *silly explanation :P*

Anyway, I'm little bit busy to manage my time between, husband, kid, home, baking, cooking (thanks GOD, no garden now since fall season) , PTO, and sewing machine. NO..NO , I'm not a wonder woman ; but I Love to do many things. I always adore all creative people around me, how they can create a beautiful stuff from a piece of fabrics.

OK back to business, I made several dresses for my daughter ; surprising me that some of my friends love too .. so they start to order from me.

The first order came from friend who lives in Germany. Oh wow.. I'm so honor. I sew 4 collections first, and she loves all of them.. so this is one of my collection already SOLD !!

I didn't have chance to put on my online store yet, but I didn't mind.. I will make another one

This is an adorable, one of a kind, 100% linen fabric decorate with some handmade applique. A simple design can also be layered for colder weather with sweater, a shirt & pants or tights underneath. It will grow with your child & can be worn as a cute, swing shirt once the child outgrows it as a dress.

100% of my creations are completely handmade in a smoke-free home. So, don't hesitate to send me message if you like to get one too . :) I will be back with baking and cooking stuff tomorrow .. Have a wonderful weekend, everyone.

Chocolate Whipped Cream Cake

This kind of late posting, but that just OK , better than not *i think :D - well, just a week late LOL *. Actually we did not plan anything for my dauhter's birthday, but since this month gonna be her last month at pre-K before attending Kindergarten so why not to celebrate her birthday at school, than I ordered a cake from the store near by house. For you who wonder why must to order the cake ? this is the rule, every food we bring to school must be purchase from local store, in case the kids which many of them probably has allergy with some of ingredients and get stomach problem or any major problem, as parent who bring food to school won't get trouble. That is the main reason.

But, since i love to bake, my hand get 'itch' if didn't do baking LOL. I made this cake for her so she still can taste home-made birthday cake

Chocolate Whipped Cream Cake

Ingredients
1 3/4 cup(s) all-purpose flour
2 1/4 cup(s) granulated sugar
2 tablespoon(s) granulated sugar
3/4 cup(s) unsweetened cocoa
1 1/2 tablespoon(s) unsweetened cocoa
1 teaspoon(s) salt
1 1/2 teaspoon(s) baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoon(s) baking soda
1/2 cup(s) canola oil
1 cup(s) milk
2 large egss
2 teaspoon(s) vanilla extract
2 tablespoon(s) anisette liqueur
1 1/2 cup(s) heav cream, cold
1 1/2 teaspoon(s) confectioners' sugar
1/3 cup(s) mini chocolate chips

Directions
Make the cake: Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the bottoms of two 9-inch round cake pans and fit with two circles of parchment paper. Butter the paper and pan sides and dust with flour. Set aside.

Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil and maintain.Combine the flour, 2 cups granulated sugar, 3/4 cup cocoa, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a large bowl. Beat in the oil, milk, eggs, vanilla, and anisette liqueur using a mixer set on medium speed for 2 minutes.

Reduce mixer speed to low and add 1 cup of the boiling water. Divide the batter between the prepared pans and bake until a wooden skewer inserted into the middle of each cake comes out clean -- about 35 minutes.

Cool the cakes in pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Unmold the cakes and return to the wire rack until completely cool.

Make the frosting: Beat the heavy cream and confectioners' sugar until soft peaks form. Gently fold in the remaining 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar and 1 1/2 tablespoons cocoa until combined.

Assemble the cake: Place one layer on a cake plate. Spread a third of the frosting over the layer. Sprinkle with half of the chocolate chips. Top with the remaining layer and spread the remaining frosting over the top and sides of the cake. Decor the cake with chocolate slice.

Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.Read

And this is the birthday girl, wearing a smocked-dress that I promised to made for her birthday, but again, i was too busy, so i just finished it day after her birthday, so far she never complain about that. :)

chocolate-ginger biscotti & mural painting

OOH .. WOOWW.. !! Spring is really here, nice weather, still chilled a bit , no complain for sure ! flowers are coming, birds are chirping .. what a lovely weather. And I've been busy around home , let see .. what I've done so far ? painting a spare room , cleaning around the garden, preparing veggie patch .. well, all kind activity i never imagine to do by myself before. Well, back to the time I lived in my country, we spoiled by the maid, yuup . don't think that we are come from rich people .. NO..NO, overseas *in my country i talked about* almost every household has maid. The labor expense are so cheap , no surprise everyone spoiled by maid :O

Not, here ... in US , everyone need more active and creative. Well .. you can pay helper, but the cost will make you pull hair for sure :)

Anyway, after wait for long time, finally, i got an empty room on basement. I tought it will be nice if i have a craft room and playing room for my daughter, so I decide to paint a little bit. But you know, type of me .. can't stop doing things. I know i will get bored with plain color pretty soon,and than i got an idea to add some picture on it.. after 3 weeks, the mural painting still going.. hmm, between.. painting, cooking, baking, taking picture, take care of husband and kid ^LOL^ what you can expect ?? finishing on the time ? NO WAY .. but that is ok to me, little by little i try to catch everything.

here we go i give you a sneak peak , my craft room (wanna be :P )

OK! Back to baking, for sure I still doing that but not take many pictures anymore. This time (and again) I bake another batch of biscotti . And I remember how my sister complained about biscotti recipe, she said, even dog can chew them. I was laughed so loud, I forgot to tell her that we need to bake for a shorter time to make them softer than the traditional version. Well.. Me, too .. I loves soft biscotti *this will avoid you to see your dentist often too .. right ? :O

Chocolate-ginger biscotti

Ingredients: Makes about 15-20 cookies

1 cup all purpose flour

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp table salt

1 large egg + 1 large egg yolk

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 cup canola oil

1/2 cup almonds, toasted and chopped

1/4 cup crystallized ginger, finely chopped

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. Butter and flour a baking sheet, set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt.

In the bowl of electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

Add eggs, beat until well combine, scrapping down sides of bowl if necessary

Mix in oil and vanilla ; add flour mixture, and stir to form a stiff dough. Stir in chocolate, nuts and ginger by hand.

Because the dough is too sticky, I keep into the refrigerator for a while until dough is easy to handle. Divide the dough in half and roll into logs about 12 by 4 inches.

Place onto cookie sheet lines with parchment

Bake until slightly firm, about 25 minutes, cool on wire rack for about 5 minute.

Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees.

On a cutting board , using a sharp serrated knife, but biscotti diagonally into 1-inch-tick slice. Arrange biscotti, cut sides down, on baking sheet, and bake until crisp but still slightly soft in the center, about 8 minute.

Remove and cool at room temperature

moody .. moody .. november

Moody person ! you can call me that :) yes, that's me ! today I want to do this, tomorrow I will forget and change with another project .. and always happen, until i realize the times flew away. For awhile I just forget about updating my blog, I did another project .. sewing my daughter clothes ! yeaaah.. not such a great result like I want, but I'm happy that I can do it. As always to trust yourself , you know more than you think can do

And Thank you for my beloved friends, Kris from Bake In Paris who always stopping by to say HI ! and he might be wonder, why no more a new recipe on my blog. :D actually i still do a lot of baking, but just not in the good mood to taking picture .. to cold to go outside and preparing prop and so on. Huhuhu.. November already, weather extremely goes crazy, today very cold, tomorrow can be hot. But what i remember about November is , we will have many celebration coming soon. hmm.. will tell you soon :)

For now, please enjoy my ultimate Mocha Coffee Tart ^_^ *yeaah, you won't believe how many times I bake this cake every month, for family, for friends, for party.. etc .. the cake is so moist and light, and the funny is , every time my friends comes over, and have this cake for dessert , they will forget that they are on diet.. bad..bad..bad :D ^LOL^

Mocha Coffee Tart
8 egg yolk
5 egg whites
125 gr butter, melted
100 gr all-purpose flour , shifting
175 gr granulated sugar
2 tbsp coffee espresso (i using nescafe) dissolved in 1 tbsp hot water
1 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp white milk powder
1 tbsp coffee liqueur
1/2 tbsp emulsifier - or substitute with 2 tbsp condense milk

Directions :

Arrange rack in center of oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 2 8-inch cake pan with cooking spray and set aside.

In medium bowl, add melted butter with coffee liquid, set aside

Whisk together flours, baking powder and milk powder in a medium bowl, then sift ingredients through a fine mesh strainer.

Using electric mixer, mix together until double size : sugar, egg, emulsifier. Gradually add sifted dry ingredients and stir until just incorporated; do not over beat. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until cake has risen nicely and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool completely.

While cake is cooling, make the coffee butter frosting:

Coffee Butter Cream :
enough to cover 2 8-inch cake

100 gr salted butter
100 gr pure vegetable shortening - zero trans fat)
300 gr icing sugar / powder sugar

2 tbsp condensed milk
1 tbsp mocha paste
1 tsp coffee liqueur

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and beat with an electric hand mixer until soft and creamy. Spread frosting evenly over cake . And sprinkle with oven roasted peanuts along the side.