Misc.

Where is the spring??? On Friday it was very hot, I put away all my winter clothes, just to get them back on the next day, sigh!

On Sunday, between two showers, I was able to walk on the hill and found this old shelter, typical from here,

as well as those flowers.

And that was it. It has been raining since Monday, raining and cold, sigh.

The exact weather to make a bag as explained in the last issue of Stitch:

I think the weekend will be spent cross-stiching in front of the TV, the weather is really too bad to do something else...
I hope you will enjoy a sunny weekend, whereever you are

Traveler bag and phone pouch

This week, I made this little set for myself. The traveler bag is the same as this one. This link gives the credit and review of the pattern.
I needed a protection for my new phone, and I tried to match both.
The phone pouch is made of commercial felt, with stem stitch and button hole stitch.

A little change carrier would be nice... We'll see if I find the time.
In the meantime, have all a nice week and take care

Misc.

Hello Ladies,

I had not expected comments on my bento box, but am thrilled you did comment!

Thank you Neki for the link, full of ideas indeed. (And I explained to Emilie what a goatee is, could not miss the opportunity :-), but please, never tell Amandine she has one, that would be a disaster :-)).
Anne, according to the size of your bento box, you do control the size of the portions. I read somewhere that there is even more. If you respect the proportions of rice, vegetables/fruits and proteins (I think 2/3/1), the volume of the box gives the quantity of calories you eat. So I know that the M size is good for me and don't have to worry too much about those calories :-)

Susan, I did not know you have been in Japan! And we used your recipe for Emilie, with ham instead of fish for Emilie (she won't eat anything coming from the sea...)

Poupounette-San, I was sure you were going to enjoy that too.

Today bento was quinoa taboulé, with beetroot and pilchard (from a tin, marinated with lemon, no oil, yummy), melon and pear/sesame crumble.

I'm just back from a walk in the hill. Can you see those wild dwarf irises?

Yeah, the weekend is almost here, take care until then!

Bento!

I was getting bored with cooking, until I've discovered the concept of Bento in December. This gave me my cooking inspiration back. The size of the box makes it easy to keep the portions healthy, and I like the decorating part, although I'm still just a beginner. The many blogs about bento are also very inspiring, with many healthy ideas.
Seeing my new addiction, Emilie and Yann spoilt me with great bentos stuff when they came.
So this weekend I started experimenting with my new toys. First at home, hence the plate:

If you carefully at the boiled egg, you can see its shape, yes, it is a bunny! And there are cheese birds flying over the pasta. I also prepared my lunch for today:

This time, the egg turned into a bear :-) And look at this box:

Isn't it beautiful and handy?

Easter weekend

Since Easter provides a long weekend, it was the occasion for my daughter Emilie to come and stay a few days.
She did not come alone: she was with her friend, Yann, whom I had not met yet. So I had him checked by my bodyguards :-). As you see, he did very well:

We discovered we all like cooking. Yann and I had wanted to make Shushis for a very long time, but never tried. Since I had all the required ingredients, we decided to give them a try:

I think we did very well, and it was fun to "cook" together.

We also tried home-made Fajitas. Once again team work. I did the chicken, Emilie did the fajitas and Yann the guacamole. The sun did the rest!

I'm already looking toward their next visit! 

Easter Koala

Look at what my sister gave me for Easter!

Aren't they cute?

Easter jacket - V8538

No, no, I'm not gone yet. I was just working on a big project, to present to my sister for Easter. So I could not post about it until she had opened the gift, and she always wait until the due date to do so...

So she opened it yesterday, and here it is:

Pattern Description:
Loose-fitting jacket in two lengths has collar, dropped shoulders, long sleeves with slits, side front pockets and slightly shaped hemline. A: unlined, decorative topstitching and VELCRO® closures. B: partially lined with contrast fabric and snap closures.
Pattern Sizing:
AA(6-8-10-12), EE(14-16-18-20). I made 14
Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?
Yes
I did view A, with all the embroidery.
May be next time I'll do view B with the contrast...

Were the instructions easy to follow?
Yes they were, and very instructive. THis is a rather large project, where it is important to do the steps in the right order.
All the little tips that make the pattern special were well explained.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?
The uniqueness of the finished item. You can't make two exactly the same.
Besides, it is fun to make and to see the project growing into a beautiful piece.

Fabric Used:
Linen
Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:
I hate velcro, so I did not use it.
Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?
I made this one for my sister, and I think I'll make one for me, when I see a fabrics that screams "me! me!"
Conclusion:
The pattern made me feel like an artist :-)
I highly recommend it.