no fruit (almost) fruit cake

since I have finished my Christmas making and shopping and wrapping and shipping, it's time to do a little baking

the DH is a first generation American, and this recipe came with his English family

it's sort of like fruit cake, except the only fruit in it is dates

instead, it has pieces of gum drops!

I hadn't made this recipe for at least 10 years, so this year I decided it was time

if you'd like to make yourself a batch, I posted the recipe other there at Hattie's Kitchen this morning -- complete with some pretty detailed step by step instructions -- Enjoy!
so while the gum drop bread was cooking, I worked on the ottoman a bit more

here it is with the fabric over the entire thing

the "skirts" have been stitched, but they still need to be pressed and top stitched before I can do the final step of attaching them around the sides (about 5 inches down from the top)

so far this has been pretty easy, so I'm gaining confidence for tackling the chair

the hat and all its many flowers, leaves and vines are now ready to be felted

I hope it comes out looking as neat as it does laying here!

the hat and all of the flowers and leaves will go into a hot wash on Monday when I do laundry (the leaves and flowers will go into a net bag -- I don't want the sock eating washing machine to acquire a taste for flowers!)

while I'm felting those I also will be throwing in a wool skirt that's older than my daughter and hoping it will felt up nicely too
and lookie!

actual progress on the sleeve of the sweater I'm making for the DH

nice -- I've done about 17 inches -- only 4 more inches before it goes on a holder and I start on the second sleeve

(this is a pattern knit from the bottom up in the round and when both sleeves and the body are all done to the arm pits, you join them all together and knit the top up from there)

nice


I started putting together the three leaf quilts yesterday too -- I hope to get the paint stamping part of those done today

and the baking of dog biscuits

(that last item being top on my dog's "mommy do" list!)