Crazy Patchwork Fabric - by kitschen Pink
Take a pile of scraps and a piece of base fabric cut to the size you need.(Yup! You guessed it, this is not a technical ‘how to’, this is a ‘use what you’ve got and see what happens’ kind of thing! )I often use Muslin but any plain fabric would work although non- stretchy would be best.
Place the first fabric scrap in the centre of your base fabric. A scrap with an uneven number of straight sides is best. I have used an irregular 5 side shape.
Cut another scrap to fit one side and lay it onto the first patch right side down.
With a small seam allowance, stitch both pieces together onto the base fabric along the straight edge.
Lift the top piece, ‘flip’ it over and press flat.
Turn the work and cut another scrap which fits the next side of the original scrap plus the end of the new piece.
Lay it right side down onto the first two pieces, stitch, flip and press as before.
Cut further pieces and continue to piece around each edge of the original patch working in one direction (clockwise or anti clockwise, doesn’t matter!)
If there is excess fabric under a new patch, just cut it off. Trim threads as you go.
Once you have covered all sides of the original patch, begin to cut pieces which cover one side at a time of the new shape you have created. Continue working around in the same direction, covering one side at a time (similar to a log cabin quilt).
Eventually you will have covered your base fabric
Trim edges but keep the trimmings. Press open seams and you have multi- patches for the next piece you do!
The back of the work will look like this
The front will look completely unlike a load of old scraps you were going to put in the bin!
You can make up the fabric into whatever you want. If you work up one square you have a cushion top, lots of 9” squares could make a colourful quilt top, anything you wanted – just use it like any other thrifted fabric and feel smug that you’ve done your bit reducing waste! 
Alternatively, don’t stop there; now is the time to play! Get hold of a stitch dictionary and some odd threads and add layers of detail and colour with embroidery and beads. I’ve just got started;
And that’s all there is to it! Have fun.Here’s one I made earlier!
t.x
Place the first fabric scrap in the centre of your base fabric. A scrap with an uneven number of straight sides is best. I have used an irregular 5 side shape.Cut another scrap to fit one side and lay it onto the first patch right side down.With a small seam allowance, stitch both pieces together onto the base fabric along the straight edge.Lift the top piece, ‘flip’ it over and press flat.Turn the work and cut another scrap which fits the next side of the original scrap plus the end of the new piece.Lay it right side down onto the first two pieces, stitch, flip and press as before.Cut further pieces and continue to piece around each edge of the original patch working in one direction (clockwise or anti clockwise, doesn’t matter!)If there is excess fabric under a new patch, just cut it off. Trim threads as you go.Once you have covered all sides of the original patch, begin to cut pieces which cover one side at a time of the new shape you have created. Continue working around in the same direction, covering one side at a time (similar to a log cabin quilt). Eventually you will have covered your base fabricTrim edges but keep the trimmings. Press open seams and you have multi- patches for the next piece you do!The back of the work will look like thisThe front will look completely unlike a load of old scraps you were going to put in the bin!You can make up the fabric into whatever you want. If you work up one square you have a cushion top, lots of 9” squares could make a colourful quilt top, anything you wanted – just use it like any other thrifted fabric and feel smug that you’ve done your bit reducing waste! Alternatively, don’t stop there; now is the time to play! Get hold of a stitch dictionary and some odd threads and add layers of detail and colour with embroidery and beads. I’ve just got started;And that’s all there is to it! Have fun.Here’s one I made earlier!t.x
Lark's best Fairy cakes
This is my best fairy cake / cupcake recipe that will never ever let you down. It makes medium-size cakes, a bit smaller than those huge cupcakes you buy at farmer's markets, as I find those a bit bottom-heavy. I think MY cakes have the perfect icing to cake ratio!
To make 24 cupcakes you'll need:Patty tins (deep, not shallow)
Patty cases (the ons I use are about 4cm diameter at the base)
125g unsalted butter (half a block, no need to weigh!)
1 large teaspoon of real vanilla essence
3/4 cup caster sugar
2 big fresh eggs at room temperature
1.5 cups self-raising flour
1/2 cup milk Icing sugar
Instructions... Bring your oven temperature up to 180 degrees. I use a thermometer to check, as ovens can vary. This is for flat cakes - if you are after a peaked cake you'll need a hotter oven. Line your patty tin with the patty cases.
Cream the vanilla, butter and sugar until it's really pale and fluffy. This takes about 5 mins on high speed in my ye olde 1970s Kenwood Chef. Add one egg, give the mixer a quick blast to mix it in, then do the same with the second egg. Add half the flour and half the milk and mix for about ten seconds. Then do the same with the remaining flour and milk. The aim is to mix until the ingredients are just combined and no longer.
Spoon into the patty cases, filling them to about two-thirds full, and put them in the oven on the middle shelf. Take them out of the oven when they are just starting to colour on top. This takes about 12 minutes in my oven.
Ice the cakes. There's no need to go to town on the icing - best of all is a simple glacé. Just stick some icing sugar in the mixing bowl, add some vanilla or lemon juice then a few drops of water and blitz it until you get a good consistency. Add butter for buttercream. Add colouring paste too! 
Decorate as the mood takes you. This weekend I was making cupcakes for a big local community event and I made toadstool cupcakes with red glacé icing and white chocolate dots, buttercream flower cupcakes in pastel colours (I bought the flowers from an online baking shop), and aqua blue glacé cakes with heart lollipops. 
Eat! Have you ever eaten iced fairy cakes with red wine? It's the best. 
The end !
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