Foxy Hairclip

December 31, 2014 by Marni

If you are anything like me and leave things to the last minute then this hair clip is for you! New Year’s Eve ready in 20minutes or less!

Dig around in your stash and I’m sure you’ll have enough to make a hair piece so you’ll be ready to party in no time!

by Marni Franks

Materials

An assortment of ribbons or lace

Sparkly flowers

Chiffon flowers

Scissors

Ruler

Lighter

Hot Glue Gun and spare gluesticks

Hair clip base/headband

Elastic

Method

For this hair clip I am using the large black ribbon with white spots, one black chiffon flower and one orange with sparkles flower.

Take the wide ribbon and straighten one end with scissors. Then carefully melt the end with the lighter to seal in the loose threads.

NOTE: Natural fibres like cotton and silk will not melt. Your acrylic and synthetic ribbons will. You might need to test your ribbons first.

Then carefully start to loop the ribbon, starting with a big loop.

Use the hair clip to find the best position for the loops to sit.

Keep making loops, making them a little smaller each time. Three loops in total.

Remove the clip base and start to carefully glue the loops together.

Turn the looped section over and find the position for the hair clip base again.

Run a line of glue inside the ribbon and secure the hair clip base to the ribbon, so that the top part of the clip sits as shown in the below photo and doesn’t get glued down.

Turn the hair clip over.

Trim up the chiffon flower – many come with a net backing.

Place a small amount of glue in the centre of the back of the flower.

Place the flower so that it covers the remaining part of the hair clip base but does;t sit directly on it.

Flatten the chiffon flower petals out.

Place a small amount of glue on the back of your small orange flower with sparkles.

Glue the orange flower in the centre of the flattened black flower.

Turn the hair clip over and fold up the end of the black spotty ribbon, trim it as shown in the middle of the hair clip.

Melt the end of the cut ribbon and run a line of glue along the end.

Fold the ribbon across the back of the hair clip and glue down (avoid the base).

Gently ease the hair clip base out from under the ribbon.

Glue down any spots of the ribbon that seem a bit puffy or loose.

Take a small length of contrasting ribbon – orange or white.

Cut the ends at an angle and melt with the lighter.

Make a small bow and glue to the middle of the hair clip, just under the centre of the flowers.

Clip in your hair and you are ready!

HAPPY NEW YEAR

from the 55FF team!

Mel, Dawn and myself would like to thank you for joining us this year. We hope you’ve had fun and made lots of exciting goodies. We are taking January off and will be back here in February with a different approach to the foxy goodness that we’ve shared so far.

Kransky Sausage Boat

December 24, 2014 by Marni

by Mel Alce

A great recipe for a quick dinner.

Ingredients

Pack of 3 Kransky

8 eggs

1/4 cup of cream

225g cheese (grated tasty)

Salt & Pepper

Shallots

2 small sourdough loaves

Herb scissors

Method

Crack the 8 eggs into a bowl and whisk. Then add cream, cheese, a pinch of salt and pepper to taste.

Use the herb scissors to cut the shallots into the mixture. Stir thoroughly.

2014-09-18 14.14.21

Carve a lid section off the top of the loaves and pull out any extra bread (save for the ducks or chooks if you have them). Make sure there’s a solid wall of bread on all sides and no holes.

Chop up the kransky into even sized pieces, pop into a frying pan and fry until slightly crispy.

Pour the egg mixture into bread and scatter the kransky on top.

Put in oven for 10 minutes on 160degrees.

Make sure egg is firm, slice and serve.

For individual serves make in small bread rolls.

Lemon Meringue Cheesecake

November 12, 2014 by Marni

by Mel Alce

Ingredients

1 packet milk arrowroot biscuits

6 egg whites

2 tubs Aldi cream cheese

1 can sweetened condensed milk

Juice of 2 lemons

Zest of 1 lemon

2 tbsp Cornflour

125g Butter

Condensed milk

Caster sugar (750g)

Method

Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.

Grease and line springform tin with baking paper.

Melt butter in microwave.

Place the whole packet of biscuits into your food processor, blitz, add butter and then blitz until fine.

Mix until looks like bread crumbs and smells like caramel.

Put into springform tin and press with glass until compressed and firm.

Put into fridge while you prepare the middle.

Mix cream cheese, condensed milk, cornflour, zest and lemon juice in mixer.

Spread over the set base. Smooth out until the mixture is evenly spread.

Add egg whites to mixer, start mixing.

Add in the sugar a little bit at a time

Beat until glossy.

Spread the meringue on top of the cream cheese layer and pop it into the oven.

Bake in oven for 15 minutes. Leave in oven to cool slightly.

Take out of oven and release springform.

Serve.

1920s inspired fascinators

October 29, 2014 by Marni

by Marni Franks

With Melbourne Cup next week here’s some fascinators you can whip up in no time at all!

Materials for black headband

20cm (8in) black net or tulle

60cm (24in) of 25mm (1in) black elastic

10cm (4in) of 120mm (5in) black fringing

6 black biot feathers 17cm (7in)

50mm (2in) diamanté buckle

Tools

Hot glue gun and glue sticks

Sewing machine

Hand sewing needle

Black thread

Tape measure

Assembly

Measure around your head where you want the headband to sit. From that measurement minus 2-3cm and cut the 25mm black elastic to size. Using you sewing machine and overlapping the ends of the elastic, stitch in a square sealing all sides of the elastic.

Fold the ends of the 10cm of black fringing back to hide the raw edges, and stitch it to the elastic centering it over the join.

With the 20cm of black tulle, fold it in half matching the selvedges. Fold in half again and gently scrunch it up. Thread one end of the tulle through the 50mm diamanté buckle, and slide the buckle into the centre to make a bow.

Using the hot glue gun, glue the 6 biot feathers to the back of the buckle/bow and allow the glue to cool.

Once the glue is cool hand sew the bow/buckle/feathers to the elastic centring it over the fringing.

Your headband is ready to wear.

Materials for colourful headband

15cm (6in) cerise chiffon

7cm (3in) sequined motif

60cm (24in) 25mm (1in) elastic lace

3, 17cm (8in) teal tiger tuft feathers

5, 12cm (5in) purple tiger tuft feathers

Tools

Hot glue gun and glue sticks

Sewing machine

Hand sewing needle

Black thread

Tape measure

Assembly

Lengthen the straight stitch on your machine and sew 1/4in from one raw edge of the cerise chiffon a running stitch. Tie off one ends threads in a reef knot. Pulling the bobbin thread gently gather the chiffon into a circle. Bunch up the edges and hand-sew them into the centre making a rough heart shape.

Hand-stitch the chiffon to the join on the lace elastic.

Using the hot glue gun glue the 3 teal feathers onto the chiffon – one in the centre and one to either side of the centre. Then glue the 5 purple feathers on in the same manner, using the photograph as a guide. Finally glue the sequined motif over the ends of the feathers making sure the narrowest point of the motif is facing up.

Allow the glue to cool and your headband is ready to wear.

Ham Hock Soup

June 20, 2014 by Marni

by Mel Alce

Ingredients

Ham hock

2 onions

2 cloves of garlic

4L of water (or half your pot)

Salt and pepper

Butternut pumpkin

Tools

8L stockpot

cutting board

knife

stick blender (or food processor/thermomix)

Method

Dice the onions and garlic. Sweat off in bottom of your stockpot. Then add the water.

Chop up your pumpkin into pieces of even size.

Add the ham hock and pumpkin pieces.

Bring to the boil.

Let it simmer for 1.5 – 2 hours.

When you get to the 2 hour mark, pull the ham hock out.

Remove the skin and strip the meat off the bone.

Shred the meat and pop it back into the pot.

Using a stick blender (or other blending tool – thermomix or food processor), blitz the contents of the pot until smooth.

Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Garnish as desired with parsley or sour cream. Serve.

Angel Gowns

June 13, 2014 by Marni

Hi foxy peeps,

I know that it is my turn to provide this weeks foxy project, but it seems my life has been hijacked by urgent crafting.

I recently volunteered as a seamstress and crocheter for Angel Gowns for Australian Angel Babies who have Grown their Wings. I am currently filling an urgent crochet order and helping with some graphic design work for the organisation. It has put a halt to the fox project (which I promise, is nearly done!), while I meet this deadline.

This organisation popped up in my Facebook newsfeed no less than a dozen times in one day. I had a look, and saw that they had a need for seamstresses, knitters and crocheters … and while I don’t knit, I am pretty handy with a machine and a hook! There are lots of these types of groups, but I was particularly drawn to this one … I don’t know why … I just know that I want to help. This angel gowns groups accepts donations of wedding dresses, which are deconstructed by hand, and refashioned into beautiful, tiny gowns & suits for families who have lost their baby too soon. They also provide some items to NICU and SIDS babies. It is a task full of conflicting emotions … sadness for the families who are enduring such deep sorrow, yet satisfaction in being able to use the skills I have to make tiny clothing for these angel babies, joy at seeing so many come together to keep this organisation running smoothly, and despair at the incredibly large numbers of items that need to be made this year. I volunteered because it is in my nature to help people, and this cause speaks to me in volumes, having lost my best friend and her angel baby 7 years ago.

Here are some links for you, if you’re interested in volunteering your skills, donating supplies or postage, or spreading the word … check it out.

I promise to have the project finished soon … sewing peeps, you’re going to love it!

Dawn

Here is a link to their website:

http://angelgowns.org.au/

Here is a link to their Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/angelgownsforaustralianbabies?ref=ts&fref=ts

Knot-work Fox

June 4, 2014 by Marni

by Marni Franks

Materials

Black, white and orange DMC threads

Tape measure

Scissors

Bulldog clip

Something to clip to

As this set of instructions was going to cause chaos (both to write and to make from) I decided that this week’s project would be in video form.

There are 4 parts to the video, each between 10 and 15 minutes long (and a 2 minute snippet). I tried to keep it short but it is a time consuming technique and pattern.

Video 1:

Video 2:

Video 2a:

Video 3:

To buy Thread Heaven – email frankensteinsfabrics@hotmail.com

Foxy Cookies

May 28, 2014 by Marni

When we started this collaboration project last year we wanted to bring you some exciting things from guest bloggers. We searched high and low for other creative types who had a passion for sharing their skills, loved foxes and wanted to have some fun. So from this blog in May until the end of the year we will have guest bloggers appearing here with something special for you all.

First up is Rhian from Flyawaypineapple…

Please make her welcome.

Marni

——————————–

I’m so happy to be here visiting 55 Fox Fiasco!

My name is Rhian and I don’t sew. Not a button. Not a stitch. Please don’t mention knitting or crocheting. I’m certainly not an artist either, unless doodling while on the phone is considered art. Which it isn’t.

However, I can bake and decorate cookies. That’s what I do pretty much every day at Flyawaypineapple, and that’s what we’re doing today.

I will add that I do like foxes. I like them a lot. I like them so much that I almost caused a multi-car incident on one of those diabolical giant roundabouts in the UK when I spotted a fox and her pups appearing from the bushes on the side of the road and made a wild manoeuvre to get a better look. This is a true story and was probably captured on CCTV.

Anyway, in keeping with the foxy theme we’re making fox cookies.

You will need the following supplies:

Your favourite cookie dough

Fox cookie cutter (mine is from Copper Gifts and can be purchased online)

Baking sheets and parchment paper or silicon mats

Royal icing

Black, orange and white food colouring

Icing bags, #2 icing tips and couplers

Toothpicks

Step 1

Roll out your cookie dough, cut out fox shapes and place them on baking sheets lined with parchment or silicon mats.

Chill for 20 minutes in the freezer and then bake in a preheated oven according to your recipe. Allow to cool completely on wire racks.

Step 2

Divide your royal icing into three separate bowls and add the colours. Add water to each bowl one teaspoon at a time and stir with a silicon spatula until you reach a medium thick consistency. A good way to calculate the correct consistency is to draw a butter knife through the icing and if the line “heals” to a smooth surface in 15 seconds, you’re good to go. Fill the icing bags fitted with couplers and tips.

Step 3

Now for the fun part! Outline your fox in black. Let the outline set for about 10 minutes (this acts as a dam).

Step 4

Starting with the head, fill the white areas and immediately pipe black dots into the wet icing, followed by white highlights. Then fill in the tip of the tail and blaze on the chest.

You can use a toothpick to push the icing into corners and to pop any air bubbles (work quickly though).

Allow about 10 minutes for the icing to set a little before moving on to filling in the orange sections. Fill the head section first and immediately pipe a dot of white on each ear. Quickly drag a toothpick through the white to give it some shape. Now fill the body with orange icing.

After the face has set for about an hour, pipe the nose with black icing.

Leave to dry for 8-12 hours (at least overnight, or longer if it’s humid).

And you’re done!

If you’d like to see more cookies, you can find me here: www.flyawaypineapple.com.au and here: www.facebook.com/FlyawayPineapple

Doily

May 21, 2014 by Marni

By Dawn Lewis

Materials

DMC natura crochet cotton, Avessac N17– 2 balls

Hook: 4mm

**NOTE: USE DOUBLE THREAD THROUGHOUT**

Ch 6, join with a slst into 1^st chain to form a ring.

R1: Ch 3, 11tr into the ring. Join with a slst in 2^nd chain (12 sts).
R2: Ch 4, (1tr, ch 2) x 12, slst to 2^nd chain to join (12 spaces)

R3: Ch 5, (1tr, ch 4 ) x 12, slst to 3^rd chain to join (12 spaces)

R4: Ch 6, (1tr, ch 4) x 12, slst to 3^rd chain to join (12 spaces)

R5: Ch 7, (1tr, ch 5) x 12, slst to 3^rd chain to join (12 spaces)

R6: Ch 3, (1tr x 2, ch 2, 3tr) in next space, (3tr, ch 2, 3tr) in each space to end. Join with slst to 3^rd chain.

R7: Slst in next 2 tr, slst in the space, ch 3, 2tr, ch 2, 3tr in next space, miss 3tr, 1tr into next space, miss 3 tr *(3tr, ch 2, 3tr) in next space, miss 3 tr, 1 tr in next space, miss 3 tr*. Repeat *-* 9 times. 3tr, ch 2, 3tr, miss 3 tr, 1tr in next space, slst to 3^rd ch.

R8: Slst in next 2tr, slst in space, ch 3, 3tr, ch 2, 4tr in next space, miss 3 tr, 1tr into treble below, miss 3 tr *(4tr, ch 2, 4tr) in space, miss 3 tr, 1tr into treble below, miss 3 tr*. Repeat *-* 9 times. 4tr, ch 2, 4tr, miss 3 tr, 1tr in treble below. Slst to 3^rd ch.

Bind off.

No-Sew Foxy Blanket

May 14, 2014 by Marni

by Marni Franks

Materials

1m x 1.5m piece of polar fleece

Tape measure (Tradie’s metal tape)

Scissors

Rotary cutter

Ruler

Cutting mat

Method

Fold your piece of fleece in half matching the selvedges. Use the rotary cutter and ruler to straighten the cut edges and to remove the selvedges.

Lay the fleece out flat. Measure in from the corners 3in and cut out a square piece. Repeat for all four corners.

Lay the tape measure out along one edge, matching up the cut out sections. Using scissors cut into the fleece in 1in wide strips using the tape as a guide.

NOTE: If you use a fabric tape measure be warned now – you might cut into it which is why I suggest using a trade’s metal tape.