Swapparooni! Cake

I'm jiggling in my seat as I type - I'm in THE Doll Quilt Swap! OMG do I know what I've done? Yes it will be Okay! What to do? Where to sew? When to start and when to stop? These are my big questions - I'm so looking forward to my parcel - I hope my swap person is too! A little snippet of something I have done already from Summer in City series - so much yummyness - I could eat the strawberry colour! I bought a Moda Tin Series from Fat Quarter Shop (on sale) thought I would give it a go! Oohh - it has a set-in-seam! Tricksters! But I knuckled down and did it! Little boo-boo right in the bloody middle! I think a well-positioned yo-yo will fix. The tin series has charm squares, pattern for hey! wouldn'tyouknowit - a dollquilt size quilt, plus cd with large quilt pattern. The doll quilt uses choccie brown squares - but I think they are much too prominent - overbearing - I scrounged stack for complementary colour and I like what I found! Much more summery! I really can't bear to sew with brown or black - why are so many quilts in all various shades of brown? One of my local quilt shops is like that - sweet as it is - I can't find much inspiration. What I have left over from my tin box are the chocolate pieces and coordinates - I DO like it when they are mixed with brighter highlights - aqua, pink, orange, grass green. I am going to attempt another with the 'leftovers' (sounds so sad), and create a masterpiece!

This photo above is of a great piece of fabric from op-shop that I would love to turn into a wrap-around skirt. It is actually a queen-sized doona cover so there is HEAPS of material there to play with. Never done a skirt before EEK. I did make one in Home Ec (girly sewing/cooking etc) which at the time, I though was completely useless - Oh, have I grown up!! My Mum chose the material for me for the class project of said skirt, which I absolutely HATED. I remember it was blue with splashes of colours all over it - yuk and no way was I going to wear it. Skirts were no in my wardrobe no way jose. I did make it but lost points for not turning the waistband seam over - who cares I said! Nobody sees it! I probably got a B for effort, certainly not for attitude.

I shall leave you with these Awful picture of my attempts at cooking oranges for a friend's dinnerparty. I do love to do desserts so I was recommended to try this very easy orange almond cake. THREE trys later, with 2 very black bottomed saucepans, this is what I end up with! aah yummy!
If you dare - recipe is on the back of the 'LUCKY' almond meal packet, from supermarket. I will post it if anyone cares! P. S. Dinnerparty went very well - everyone loved it. I made a syrup from citrus and ginger marmalade, poured over top, with lashings of cream. My hips grow even as I remember!