Thursday 18 December 2008

It's my birthday and I'll make bread if I want to!

Guess what the birthday fairy bought me? Yup a bread-maker YIPEE.
Trouble is the manual is all in Japanese so I have NO idea how to use it Boo.
If anyone out there has a good bread recipe they would like to share I would love to try it out.

If you are expecting a gift from me, STOP reading NOW.

I have been trying to make most of our presents this year, I'll never manage completely handmade because I always buy books and there is always someone who I can never think of a gift to make for. This is my list so far

Things I have already made...
doll quilt and pillow x2
glasses case
cookbook
earrings (using drawings by Ebi-kun)
funky teabags (OK, I didn't make the teabags just made new dangly labels)
blanket
cushion
smock
bookmarks x3
calendars x 4
kitchen aprons x3 same design but all different, see pic below.
key fob
brooches x2

one  of the 3 aprons
buzzy bee detail

Things that are cut out and ready to sew...
surgeons scrubs outfit for Ebi-kun
felt playmats, made one, got another to do
book covers
Waldorf style doll
PJ bag x2
stockings - not even cut out yet!
Also have some marble run pieces to make, once a certain someone is in bed.

and things I bought, an I-Pod touch for hub, clever as I might be, I wasn't able to knock one of these up! It is actually a joint birthday and Christmas pressie. I will be making a cover for it though.
Various books, a couple of handmade necklaces from ETSY, a wooden puzzle, make your own metal beetle kit, make your own pencils kit, pair of trousers and the wooden cities from Muji. Not too bad really. 

I also made a big effort to use things out of my stash where possible, I did buy specific fabric for the chefs apron and blanket but apart from that it was stash fabric. I am hoping to get a sewing session in over the weekend, hub usually takes Ebi-kun to the play centre for a couple of hours.
The good thing about doing the handmade goods is that I haven't had to drag Ebi-kun round the shops in a mad panic to buy presents, it has taken more time to make everything, the cook book took MUCH longer that I expected to spend on it but worth every minute!

Right, I better get a wriggle on, we are going to the new BIG shopping mall today with a friend, it has an opening sale on with 80% off the fabrics, ohhh dear.....

7 comments:

  1. happy happy birthday jojobi! blessings! xx

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  2. happy birthday! what kind of bread machine?

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  3. Happy Birthday :) hope you have a lovely day today and for the rest of the days till next birthday!

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  4. Happy Birthday!
    Chances are you bought a zojirushi breadmaker???? if you did, you could get the american manuals online at http://www.zojirushi.com/servicesupport/manuals/index.html
    This is what I did with my japanese zojirushi breadmaker and I guess if you keep to one recipe it will work. The cup sizes are different but the teaspoon sizes are the same. My bread always comes our edible but I'm not a critic - just don't always like soft bread. The french bread recipe is nice and I don't like the milk, so I leave that out of the basic recipe and it still comes out fine.
    Oh yes! Nigella says that if you use the water you boiled your potatoes in to make the bread, it lasts longer. She says she freezes her potato water for bread making use. I haven't tried this.
    Good luck trying and post us some tips.

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  5. Happy Birthday!
    Wow, you are ambitious with all your projects! I have to say that I agree that the best part of doing handmade gifts is avoiding the malls and crowds and crazy hectic frenzy that comes along with all of that. I think we're teaching kids something valuable by not partaking in a (more) commercialized Christmas.
    g.

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  6. happy birthday, and you are amazing... I need to learn how to sew!

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  7. I haven't been able to check blogs for the past little while so I missed this post! Hope you had a wonderful birthday with the family...Happy belated Birthday jojoebi!

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