Matching ... I know it's corny ...

But they love it! My older daughter, who I made the gingham top and black shorts for, asked for a matching set for the toddler.

And here are some much more simple clothespin doll people. These ones are better for the little kids to play with - to pop into my handbag or the pram for keeping them occupied when we're out.

I painted the solid parts of ten clothespins, thinking that it would be a quick job and then I could add the detail the next day. It took AAAAGES. I've only added detail and varnished these four. Hopefully I'll find some time to do ther others soon. I have big plans for them - as parts of a couple of other projects.

Tonight I'm dying fabric while doing a bit of washing sorting. I'm at the stage where I just have to keep resetting the washing machine and waiting - unfortunately, as always seems to happen, it has ended up still with a while to go and it's getting very late.

There's be beeps. Better go reset again. I have big plans for this fabric!

Here are the girls!

Okay, so when I say, "Here are the girls", I don't mean the banana bread that you first see in this post! You'll have to get to the end of the post to see the girls.

Although the last thing I wrote was only a couple of days' ago, it was photos that were downloaded onto my computer on about the 13th of February. I've just downloaded the photos that I've taken since then, so here is yet another catch up (before we get to the girls - which is really today's crafty contribution).

I've done a bit of baking. Used up some bananas in my quick banana bread - to be sliced and frozen for adding to school lunches for the following week or two. I'm trying a new method of breadmaking to keep up with all our bread needs. I already make all of our bread - which I've done for years, but this is a new method from the book "Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a day" - which I love. It is delicious bread and it really is very quick. It's much easier to fit into a busy schedule. I've even used the method for pizza dough.

After working out (and making lots of times lately) a vegan (ie dairy and egg free, and of course no meat) version of sticky date pudding which is really delicious, I decided to see what a self-saucing sticky date pudding would be like - just because it would be so quick to make. So here it is. Not a very exciting photo I know. Tastes good, although not as good as the other one. I would still make it perhaps for a super quick family treat dessert, but would generally stick with the other version I think.

We finally dug up all the potatoes that have been growing in our potato patch for the past few months. We got less then I had hoped for, but still a good crop considering that the plants died early from sun burn. And now, we have a lovely, almost weed-free, area for planting into.

We also dug up some piddly little garlic bulbs that also got too much sun, and planted some beans and beetroot in their place.

I made a long sleeve peasant top for my 21 month old daughter. I just made it up and ended up adding elastic in the shoulder, which looks much better. The sleeves were just too big before that. The fabric is from Sandi Henderson's lovely collection.

Made light mauve leggings to match.

So after really, really hot weather, we had some cold weather when I was stuck searching for nice warm clothes for the little girls that would fit. That was why I started on the long sleeve top and leggings. Then it started getting warm again, and my 7 yr old has been in need of more shorts for a while, so I made her and my 5 yr old son some simple, plain black shorts. Made my son's shorts longer and added extra patch pockets on the sides. I don't think I took a photo of them so you'll have to wait to see them. Here are my daughter's shorts along with a variation on a pillowcase dress for her top. I think it turned out nicely.

And now, back to bread. The photos are in time order - just incase you're wondering why we're jumping back and forth. I made lots of bread between the last pictures and this one, but this is the first one with a bit of wholemeal flour in it. I'll have to gradually try substituting more and more wholemeal - this one tasted good.

And now, finally onto the girls! This is how my dining table looked for a couple of days (did pack it up in between each time, but kept getting it back out). I took a bit of a sewing break, to do some painting, and made a little collection of clothes peg dollies. Love how they turned out!

Here they are, waiting to get dressed (and have arms added too actually).

And here is a collection of cute little dresses.

This is a group shot, in they're current resting place - in front of the glasses in our dining room shelf. Close-ups to follow ....

These dolls were great fun to make. I wonder if I can make a living out of making little peg dollies??? I imagine by the hundredth one I might be saying something different though!

It was fun doing some painting again, so I do have plans for a couple of other painted things and also some fabric printing. Stay tuned!