Wednesday 30 May 2012

Make a Union Jack Cake!

Cook up a street party! Easy Diamond Jubilee recipes from Nadia Sawalha from the Daily Mirror!

 


225g butter
225g caster sugar
4 eggs
225g self-raising flour
1 tsp baking flour
1 tbsp vanilla extract
For the topping:
Lemon curd
500g desiccated coconut
Red and blue food colouring

1 Heat the oven to 180C/gas mark 4. Butter and line a rectangular 20x30cm tin. Put the butter and sugar into a bowl and whisk until light and fluffy.

2 Gradually add the eggs, whisking the entire time, and fold in the flour and vanilla extract. Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 40 minutes until light golden-brown.

3 Allow to cool on a wire rack, then spread lightly with lemon curd and cover the entire cake in white coconut.

4 Separate the rest of the coconut into two bowls. Put two thirds of it in one and the remaining third in the other. In the bowl with two thirds, put five to six drops of red food colouring and mix well, adding more colouring if necessary.

5 Put the same amount of blue food colouring into the other bowl and mix thoroughly. Then sprinkle the coloured coconut onto the cake in a Union Jack shape. Place in the centre of the table and show off your hard work.

Tuesday 8 May 2012

How Sewing Patterns all started...

Butterick Sewing Patterns

Ever wondered how it all started? Well, here's how....



Ebenezer Butterick started his company in 1863 but the sewing patterns were for just for men and boys clothing. In 1866 the company began to produce patterns for women and were a great success.  It is reported that the pattern pieces were folded by members of Mr Butterick's family.

According to the official website for Butterick, Mr Butterick got the idea for making graded patterns from his wife Ellen. Ebenezer was a tailor by trade and when his wife voiced that she wished she could have a pattern that was made to fit their young son to make his clothes, he began to experiment with the idea.

He tried using cardboard templates but realized that they would not be easily folded and shipped across the country. Mr Butterick finally came up with the idea of using tissue paper for the patterns.

Without a doubt, Ebenezer Butterick changed the world of home sewing with his invention.

Sunday 6 May 2012

I knew it wouldn't last!

Oh well, my reorganisation of the my Etsy shop sections didn't last long! I've now changed it to Vintage Vogue (coming soon!); 1930s Patterns; 1940s Patterns; 1950s Patterns; 1960s Patterns; 1970s Patterns; 1980s Patterns, Vintage Maternity and Vintage Fancy Dress...I wonder how long that will last??





Tuesday 1 May 2012

1930s Sweetheart Dress

What a girly era the 1930s were...lots of dresses with sweetheart necklines and button fastenings, swishy skirts and tight belts...all very sexy! Why not make your own 1930s style dress?