Homemade Christmas...part 2...

I HAVE to show you what my brother and his girlfriend got me...I loooove it!

It's a vintage sewing basket...

And it's fulll!!!!

Soooo happy!

Mum bought me a little bunny vase, to go with my collection of bunny vases...

She also bought me a mini greenhouse, she found it in the sales and some lovely pink spotty pj bottoms (in fact after these 2 second hand presents everyone else gave up on the homemade Christmas idea...cheaters!)



Mum made me this yummy chocolate hedgehog cake...

And here's the plum rum we made, all bottled up and ready to give away to the friends we know will appreciate a festive slurp!

And that's about it...I have been thoroughly spoiled this year...hope you were too, whether that be with lovely gifts, time spent with people you love, or both!



Homemade Christmas...part one...crochet scarf, yoda, mice and hat...

Hellooo!  I hope you've had a merry Christmas! 

I had a lovely one, could have done without a trip to hospital with mum this morning, she's had funny noises in her ear and hasn't been able to hear properly for the past couple of days and went to the GP this morning, while I was still tucked up in bed, to get it checked out, I was awoken by a text message saying she had been referred to the hospital, she had sudden onset deafness and the GP had said she needed to rush to the hospital to 'save what hearing she had left', obviously I made her come and pick me up to go with her first, so I did superhuman speed getting up-washed-and-dressed and ate a bowl of coco pops in the car on the way.  We got to the hospital and waited for an absolute age (the only ear nose and throat Dr had had to go to A and E to treat a child) for mum to be seen, but although the Dr isn't sure what's wrong with her until they do further tests next week, he thinks it's unlikely to be permanent and has given her some tablets to try to help.  Cue big sighs of relief all round.  So yeah, apart from that it's been great!

My family were most bemused by my eco friendly, reusable, fabric wrapping methods (next year I hope I have time to decorate the fabric with some fabric-crayons we have, I ran out of time this year!)

This year we decided to have a cheap Christmas...we had to give each other something handmade, or something second hand costing £5 or less...I did handmade presents, I ran out of time to finish my mums cushion cover, it just needs sewing together, she said it was alright to stop cos I had actually made the skin split on my hand where my crochet hook was rubbing :(  I did get her all this stuff for her stocking though, from charity shops (apart from the diary and calendar, which are new things she chose) and costing a total of £5.  I made her some lavender mice so she'd have something handmade to open too.

I made my brother this crochet hat and a Christmas Yoda...he was bemused by the yoda!

And my brother's girlfriend got this Japanese Flower scarf...it's inspired by the one on Attic 24,  I used the chart that's linked in that blog post and worked out the pattern from there...I'm really pleased with how this turned out and she really liked it too :)

Did you make any presents this year?  How did it go?

Merry Christmas!

from here

Merry Christmas everyone!!!

Library Love...River Cottage Veg Everyday, Queen of Crafts...

This month I had to go through the palaver of  collecting all my library books from around the house, taking them back to the library in my little shopping basket on wheels, leaving them in the staff cloakroom for a week, then bringing them back again, so they didn't get mixed up in anything or lost in the big house move...good job I work at the library and it's within walking distance really!  So I haven't really had much time for reading this month, but I have really enjoyed these two books.

River Cottage Veg Everyday - Hugh Fearnley-Wittingstall

I watched the TV series that went along with this book, and was really interested to see Hugh's (who is a big meat eater) experience of going veggie for the summer (and watching his dramatic weight loss as the series progressed!)  There are lots of yummy recipes in this book, everything featured in the series and more, it's an enormous book.  The spring onion, puff pastry pie, veggie biryani, bhaji and bread recipes look particularly dribbleworthy!

Queen of Crafts - Jazz Domino Holly

I nearly left this book on the shelves, it looks like all the other new crafty/lifestyle books that are out there at the moment...but it's not, cos this one is Awesome.  Firstly, it has instructions to make your own edible glitter...if this was the only great thing about this book that would be enough, but it isn't.  There are great instructions for home made beauty stuff, like moisturiser and lip balm, that seem easy to make, lots of instructions for making jam, baking, gardening, sewing, knitting and all sorts of other things.  It doesn't have as many pictures as some other books, which made me think it didn't have much content when I first picked it up, but there are lots of projects without pictures and there are more projects in this little book than in some of the glossy, photo filled books you can get.  I also really loved reading about Jazz's WI group, the Shoreditch Sisters, who are a young faction of the WI and have tea, cake and rock and roll parties, there are tips on setting up your own 'cool' WI group or holding other gatherings too.  Jazz Domino Holly is my new girl-hero.  

Charity Shop Treasure!

I haven't done this for a while, but I wanted to share my glorious find with you...yesterday I spotted this on the rails of my favourite charity shop and it was one of those moments when you don't even take it off the hanger, just restrain yourself from skipping quickly to the till and buying it before someone else does!

I bought this quilt....

For £2.49!!!!

£2.49!!!!!  It said cot quilt on the price tag, but it would have to be for a very big cot, as it fits on the end of my double bed!

Soooo happy!!

 Have you bought anything swoonworthy from the charity shop recently?

Liebster Blog

The lovely Kay and Sime from the blog Just Humans Being have passed on this blog award to me...

Kay and Sime write a lovely blog about their living in Cornwall and their attempts to simplify their lives...they are also rebels and have disregarded the rules of the Liebster Blog award, which are thus...

1. Thank the giver and link back to the blogger who gave it to you.


2. Reveal your top 5 picks and let them know by leaving a comment on their blog.

3. Copy and paste the award on your blog.

4. Have faith that your followers will spread the love to other bloggers.

5. And most of all - have fun
 
I am following in their rebellious ways and will instead list all the blogs I really, really, like...if you're on the list then please feel free to take the award yourself (or if you believe I've left you off my list and think you deserve an award too!) and pass it on if you like!
 
 
Just Humans Being - I think I already mentioned this one!
 
Allotment 2 Kitchen - Shaheens recipes will make you dribble! Mmmm!
 
Little Eco Footprints - Tricia writes about sustainable living and family life in Australia.
 
My Zero Waste - Mrs Green's blog is the best Zero Waste resource about!
 
It's Not Easy Being Green - Shannon Marie has an awesome garden!
 
Eco Experienment - Lovely Layla discusses green issues, activism and going zero waste in her blog.
 
The Organic Gypsy - Carolyn blogs about sustainable living, her lovely garden, raw food and her cute baby dreadlocks, which I am super jealous of!
 
Dandaworld - Danda shares her eco-friendly life in Italy in her lovely blog
 
Waste AM - Joddle writes very interesting and well balances articles about green issues
 
Attic 24 - mmmm crochetty goodness!
 
The Really Good Life - Louisa writes about Frugal Living in the UK, and much more on her interesting blog!
 
Positive Ponderings - Jaclyn shares lovely recipes, crafts and pretty inspiration pictures!
 
Heathen Vegan - Jeni shares yummy recipes and photos of vegan treats!
 
Green Bag Lady - In an effort to reduce plastic bag usage the green bag lady has given away 18,446 fabric shopping bags...she is truly inspiring!
 
 
 

Eeeep!

This time next week I'll be in a new house!! Eeeeep!

Four Years. Go.

FOUR YEARS. GO. A Campaign to Change the Course of History. from FOUR YEARS. GO. on Vimeo.

I just came across this interesting video on The Organic Gypsy's lovely blog and thought I'd share it here too...what do you think?  Could we change the world in 4 years?

Things I Love this Month....

This month I love...

* Selling our house * Gary the Gravel fairy * working in new libraries and making their shelves all pretty * funny games at my language group * new comfy jeans * Pierre the pumpkin * lovely new pond * £2.50 charity shop cardigan * wearing my purple DMs * starting new volunteering at a local global development education centre and arranging to help with Girl Guiding (once I've moved house!) * Luke being home!! * watching Breakfast on Pluto and the Frog Princess * sherbet lemons * staff bowling * candyfloss machine! * getting ID'ed twice in one day...once for sparklers and once for cider (I'm 27!) * hot water bottles * wearing my scarf for the first time this winter * fireworks * visit from Ali * Downton Abbey * crochet poppy * selling things on Etsy and on Ebay too * Alifie Boe and Michael Ball singing on radio 2 for Children in Need *  Dr Who Christmas ep. preview on Children in Need - I'm soooooooo excited to see it! * penguin socks * roast potatoes * River Cottage Veg book * big duvet and patchwork quilt * Mollie Makes Magazine *

*Spending the weekend in Aberystwyth with my old housemates from uni - sea views, massive breakfast, skimming stones, fennicular railway, curly fries, new bunny necklace, crochet lessons, bumper cars and candy floss! *

That's the view I had from my attic bedroom...isn't it gorgeous...right on the sea front...I completely enjoyed it!

* My orange vintage fabric bag making it to the front page of Etsy! *

* Making this cute bunny and snowman display in the children's library at work (some young people who volunteer at the library made the background and I added the bunnies, snowman, the black snowflakes and the poem, which I found here - it says 'A chubby little snowman, Had a carrot nose, Along came a rabbit, And what do you suppose?That hungry little bunny, Looking for his lunch, ATE the snowman's carrot nose...Nibble, nibble, CRUNCH!' - in case it's too small for you to read in the photo!) I LOVE getting paid to make bunnies! *

I also had a lovely review written about my blog by Joddle of WasteAM where I am proud to say she named The Last Biscuit as the 'Best Eco Lifestyle Blog' in her current series about blogging...she writes lots of interesting, well written articles on lots of eco-issues as well as doing a podcast I can't listen to because my PC doesn't have sound!  Check her out if you haven't already...she's lovely!  One of her readers, Stephen, also wrote this lovely comment about T'Last Biscuit  being all marshmallowy and nice...how nice is that...seriously guys I'll get a big head!  Thank you sooo much!  I was also contacted by Sarah from Greenty, a new green travel guide, who asked me to add my blog to their directory, which looks an exciting thing to be part of and full of other interesting blogs to discover!  Thanks Sarah!

What do you love this month?  Hope you're having a lovely one!

Buy Nothing Day...

Tomorrow is Buy Nothing Day....a day to take a break from spending all your pennies on shineys and do something non-consumer-y and lovely...

I will be at work, then spending  the evening eating curry and watching the X factor with my mumma...nothing special but no spending for me...what about you?

Library Love...Chic on a Shoestring, 100 Flowers to Knit and Crochet, There is no Dog...

This month I've been reading...

Chic on a Shoestring - Mary Jane Baxter
This is mainly ideas for customising clothes and making accessories...I particularly liked the pompomless earrings and rosettes, this book doesn't have many groundbreaking, innovative projects, but it has pretty pictures and is nice visual inspiration, which is all you needs sometimes!

100 Flowers to Knit and Crochet - Lesley Stanfield
I LOVE this book, I want to make many of the flowers from it, especially the pansies and butterflies, sadly I haven't had time this month to try it out, so I can't say how good the instructions are or how easy they are to follow, I'll have to borrow it again and find out!

There is No Dog - Meg Rosoff
There really is no dog in this book, which makes the title a little baffling!  There is an Eck however, who is a small, penguin-ish, anteater-ish creature, who is God's pet and my favorite character in this book.  To be honest, I got a bit bored of the storyline featuring God (who is Bob, a teenage boy) falling in love with a human girl and causing weather disasters with his love-struck mood swings....I was in it for the Eck!  I also liked Mr B., who is Bob's assistant and has to deal with his messes.  I enjoyed this book!   

Baby Sweetcorns...

Last night I picked and ate the baby sweet corn I planted in about August this year, I only did 2 plants because it was too late in the season really and I didn't want to waste the seed, but the experiment was a success!  It was yummy too! 

Moving Home...

We've sold our house...we have to be out in 19 days....eeeeeek!  Might be a bit quiet around here for a while!

Bags, bags, bags!

I've been busy making bags today!  But first, I want to show you my sewing machine...it has bunny stickers!

And this is the bag I've been making, this one's a prototype for some I'm going to sell in my etsy shop, I can't wait to wear it to work tomorrow!

I tried to make another from some purple 70's floral fabric I have, but it was too fray-y and needs some interfacing ironing on it...I did make this leopard print one from some fake fur I've had in my fabric box for ages, it has pink vintage floral lining and I can even turn it inside out and use it that way if I want!

Have you made anything lovelysome recently?



Remembrance Day Crochet Poppy...

I usually always buy a poppy for Remembrance Day, but I'm very conscious of the plastic stem that they come on and the fact they can't be recycled, so I made my own crochet poppy, from the lovely free pattern found here...I shall be wearing my poppy with pride today, and don't worry, I still put some pennies in the donation box!

Beautiful Beans...

I spent this morning volunteering at my local national trust property, pulling runner beans off canes and tidying up lots of veggies that were past their best...I love runner beans, they're so pretty and pink!  I'm saving these seeds to grow in my garden next year!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

This is Pierre, the pumpkin we're been growing all year, fulfilling his destiny and becoming a beautiful halloween pumpkin!

Hope you have a spooktacular halloween!

Crocheting and Sewing...Crochet Plant Pots, Market Bag and Cath Kidston Handbag...

It's been a flurry of activity this week chez moi...this chilly weather makes me want to stay in on my sofa under a blanket watch dvds and making something lovely...I made this plant pot by crocheting round a plastic pot that used to have jelly in...

And this bag, to send to my best friend who lives in Brazil, I made it using a free lion brand market bag pattern, but it was too big, so I had to rip a lot out and make it up as I went along...I'm super pleased with it...

I also had my sewing machine out (last time I used it I sewed through my finger...it was grim....it hasn't bitten me since though, so I think we're friends again...I did break a needle sewing this...perhaps that makes us even!) to make the bag-kit that came with Cath Kidstons Sew book I treated myself to the other day (it's currently about £6 on amazon).  The instructions were quite complicated, and I had to use things like facings and top stitching, but this is the nicest thing I've ever sewn, it's all nice and neat and straight (ish!) stitches...I love it...I added the lining and pocket from my vintage fabric collection...I have made the handle, but I'm yet to tackle button holes on the machine, so I'm leaving it as it is for now...

Have you made anything awesome recently?