Rescued & Re-homed

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Posted on April 18, 2012

Although we did get our dog from the Animal Welfare about 8 years ago, he is not the subject of this post.

It may seem strange to bring something into my home when I am constantly decluttering but I rescued this ring binder from the rubbish pile at my office yesterday. However, it was brought home with a specific purpose in mind.

When I was sorting out things on my sewing table last weekend I was confronted by a number of loose pattern pieces that I had drafted from my Enid Gilchrist pattern books. I put each pattern in a separate plastic sleeve (I have a box a spare sleeves in the stationery pile) and wished I had a spare ring binder.

My wish came true when I saw this brand-new folder containing obsolete training information destined for the rubbish. I put the contents in the confidential recycling and brought the folder home.

Here it is with the pattern pieces in sleeves (on the left) and I have also placed the pattern books each in their own sleeve as they are rather fragile from age. I still have some more to sort out but this will help to streamline the paperwork in the sewing room. It is good to know that I will easily be able to find the pattern pieces when I need them.

Here are all of the patterns stored on top of the sewing cabinet.

What storage methods do you use for sewing/craft books and patterns?

Sunday Stuff

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Posted on April 15, 2012

Today I continued with my sewing and sorting our some more of the stuff that was on my sewing table.

I have all but finished the apron I am making. Just a bit of handsewing on the waistband and buttons and buttonholes to attach the neck strap.

This is what the neck strap and buttons will look like.

Finally, the pocket detail of which I am rather proud.

I really hope my apron partner likes it.

The next things I am working on are 2 summer tops for myself. I know I will not need them for several months but it will be nice to have them finished and hanging in my wardrobe, rather than cluttering up space on my work table.

Now that the space is cleared I can see exactly what else I have to sew. There are several Christmas gift bags as well as fabric for a reusable shopping bag (I am going to copy an existing one for a pattern). I have other fabric earmarked to make a skirt for my niece, summer pyjamas for my granddaughter, a dress for Belle and a couple of polo shirts for The Duke so there is plenty to keep me occupied.

My plan is to do some sewing at least one each week and gradually work my way through the ‘To Do’ list.

On other matters, I have done a menu plan for the week for both lunches and dinners. I have been rather slack lately and although we have not resorted to takeaway or eating out, my planning has been a bit haphazard. I am back on track and hopefully this will make the morning rush a bit less rushed. Tomorrow we are having leftover lasagne and salad and this is all prepared and in the refrigerator ready to grab and go in the morning.

I like to spend some time on Sundays getting organised so that I can have a headstart on the coming week.

Are you prepared for the week ahead?

Sewing on Saturday

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Posted on April 14, 2012

As I promised to myself yesterday, I have been sewing today. I started with the pile in the mending basket. The socks and shorts were first – straightforward. Then I progressed to the more challenging tasks. My methods are far from orthodox but I usually get results that mean a garment can be worn for a bit longer.

This is a maxi-dress that belongs to Belle.

The tie at the back had pulled away from the seam so we decided on something a bit different.

I removed the tie and using some black satin from my collection I made a band and threaded it with wide elastic. It is secured at both ends and has enough stretch for the dress to be slipped over head and shoulders. This is much sturdier than the original flimsy ties but still in keeping with the rest of the dress and the black satin halter neck ties.

Here is Belle’s pink cardigan with a hole in the sleeve. There was no matching thread when the item was bought and the hole was too big to darn successfully. Since it is not suitable to be worn as is I decided that any repair would be better than the alternative fate – the bin.

I found a bit of material with some flowers the same colour as the cardigan so cut out a bit and fused it on using double-sided iron-on interfacing.

I fused some fabric on the wrong side.

The final step was to zig-zag around the patch.

Whilst it is definitely not invisible it does make the cardigan wearable.

I have finished all of the mending apart from some hand-sewing on Missy’s skirt and I will finish that this evening.

I then turned my attention to the bag I am re-fashioning. I showed you the patchwork strap the other day and here it is all finished and ready for use.

I am also making an apron for my buddy in the apron swap that I am participating in. This was from Rhonda’s blog, Down to Earth. I should have it finished tomorrow and then will be posting it later in the week.

The weather here has been cool and showery all day so it was perfect for a day of sewing. Maybe I will do some more tomorrow.

The Mending Basket

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Posted on April 13, 2012

One of the advantages of Project 333 is knowing exactly what clothes you have available to wear. When you have a limited selection it is important that everything is in wearable condition.

If something is worn out or simply unable to be repaired it is time to turn it into a rag or otherwise dispose of it. This then frees up a space for a replacement item. I tend to remove anything that might be useful, such as buttons. The fabric may be able to be salvaged for re-fashioning purposes. On the other hand, often all that is required is simple maintenance.

The mending pile quickly builds up and so this will be one of my jobs for the weekend.

This time there is very little of my own clothes. I have The Duke’s socks, Belle’s dress, Missy’s skirt and Si’s (Belle’s partner) shorts. I do have a shirt of my own to deconstruct to create a pattern.

There are numerous other sewing projects – either half done or still in the pipeline so I think a weekend with the machine is in order.

Watch this space for my progress.

Working Smarter – Laundry

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Posted on April 12, 2012

Increasing productivity and working smarter seem to be a constant catchcry in many of our workplaces but have you ever thought about working smarter at home?

I have been doing the laundry in our home for over 30 years but a few weeks ago had a ‘lightbulb moment’. Who said that you can’t teach an old dog new tricks?

We have 2 laundry hampers in our home. This one in the bedroom.

The other one is in the cupboard in the laundry.

These are not for any specific items. They are located for convenience, depending on where you are.

We have a front-loading washing machine and have done for almost 20 years. The only downside that I find is bending to load the clothes into it.

I have realised that I can easily upend the first hamper of clothes onto the bench. The hamper is easy to lift as it is nylon mesh. The second hamper has a cloth bag liner which lifts out and I tip the contents on to the bench as well.

I can then easily sort the clothes on the bench with no bending. I then toss the pile to be washed onto the floor, kneel down and load the machine. This way there is no bending to drag clothes out of hampers or bending and twisting to load individual items into the machine.

I cannot believe that I had not thought of this before. Simple, effective and kind to my back.

What tips do you have that make a difference when you are doing physical tasks around the home?

Crafting in Progress

Seedlings & Sewing

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Posted on April 4, 2012

As promised, here are some photos of my vegetable seedlings.

These are (from left to right) cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower. The celery on the extreme right have yet to put in an appearance.

These are the first few beetroot seedlings.

I am hoping for great things from these humble beginnings. Keeping my fingers crossed.

As part of my participation in Project 333, I emptied out my wardrobe a couple of weeks ago and looked critically at everything in there. I have said several times before that I do not have heaps of clothes and accessories but I have been forced to consider every single thing in the cupboard.

One particular item which was carefully stored on the shelf was this carry-bag.

It was a hand-made gift and is a really useful size but the handles were not really practical for me, so I had only used it once or twice. So I took another look at it and found that the wooden handles are easily detachable so that the bag can be washed.

I have taken the handles off and my plan is to remove the press-studs and make a patchwork handle/shoulder strap. Once this alteration is made, I know I will use the bag all the time.

I searched through my stash of scraps and found these pieces which I think will work with the existing colours and patterns in the bag.

Project 333 Update

I have mostly been at home today so wearing an old pair of paint-spattered shorts and t-shirt. When I went to the shops I grabbed my 3/4 black trousers, red/white 3/4 sleeve top and my trusty sandals – easy! I can definitely see the benefits of a basic selection of clothes. I am finding it relatively easy as most of my clothes are mix and match colours and styles.

Please let me know how you are going or your thoughts and ideas, even if you are not participating directly.

Perfect For The Kitchen

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Posted on April 1, 2012

Today we picked up 4 chairs for our breakfast bar. A friend was selling them since she is moving house and they are not the right style for their new home.

The are perfect for ours and the fabric even matches with colours in the benchtop.

Our previous ones were black vinyl ones on a chrome base. They had an adjustable height but 2 of them have lost the gas in the adjuster. They will probably go on Freecycle. The other 2 have gone to Belle who has just moved and has a small breakfast bar so they will be perfect for her children.

We have spent the weekend helping her to move house and also sort out and declutter lots of ‘stuff’. Things are looking much clearer and more streamlined and I know she is happy with the result.

As well as giving our stools to Belle, we have brought some things home that are useful to us. One is the lawnmower, which originally belonged to my mother but was no longer required when she moved into a unit. Now Belle has moved into a townhouse and is no longer responsible for the garden maintenance so the mower can now replace ours which recently died.

With family at all different ages and stages of life we often find that furniture or other items that are no longer required can be passed on to another family member.

Project 333 – Ready, Set, Go….

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Posted on March 30, 2012

Well, it is almost April 1st so I spent some time today getting ready for my first involvement with Project 333. See this post to find out what it is all about.

Here is my cupboard with most of what I have chosen for my project.

There are 2 pairs of trousers missing as they are currently in the laundry basket. This makes a total of 32 items so I thought I would keep a spare space, in case I thought of something else.

Here they are listed.

Floral skirt
Black skirt

Grey trousers
Black 3/4 trousers
Jeans
Narrow-leg jeans
Charcoal travel pants

Pink suede jacket
Black cord jacket
Pink quilted vest

Turquoise cardigan
Black cardigan
Grey/cream polo-neck jumper

Turquoise striped shirt
Blue/white pinstriped shirt
Black/white striped shirt
Black/cream patterned shirt

Black/pink striped top
Black/pink squares top
Pink top
Red/white striped top
Black/white striped top
Black/white striped top

Navy rugby top
Navy/striped rugby top

Bronze/pink scarf

Black handbag (not shown)

Black knee-high boots
Black ankle boots
Black shoes
Red lace-up shoes
Sandals

I will be putting other clothes back in the wardrobe as I don’t want to move them to another room.

I have put aside 5 pairs of shoes to go – I will try to sell them on Gumtree but otherwise they will go via Freecycle.

I have not culled many clothes as I do not have a huge collection. However, a few things will be re-homed.

This is a black polar fleece vest which I re-modelled from a hand-me-down and it is really too big so out it goes. The shirt is a cotton sleeveless one but the colour is not particularly flattering now that my hair colour has changed significantly.

This pile are a bit too tight so I have decided to put them in a bag and if they are still too tight in 12 months they will go. There is a skirt, pair of trousers and 2 jackets.

This shirt has been well-worn but has lost its sharpness of black and white – looking decidedly grey. I love the style so I plan to de-construct it to make a pattern. Off to the sewing room for this one.

I will endeavour to update my progress each day. Hopefully there will be more successes than failures.

If you are joining the Project 333 challenge please feel free to post a link to your blog in the comments.

Baking Powder – An Update

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Posted on March 29, 2012

Sometimes an innocent post takes on a life of its own. I received this comment to yesterday’s post.

“Do you make your own baking powder? If not, to do so, mix 1 teaspoon bicarbonate soda with 2 teaspoons cream of tartar. If you wish to store it, add 1 teaspoon corn starch to absorb any moisture from the air. Most commercially made baking powders contain aluminium.”

Thanks to Val for the comment. I set off to the world of Google and discovered that the presence of aluminium in commercially prepared baking powder seems to be common knowledge. Which rock have I been hiding under?

This then begs the question – Does self-raising flour contain aluminium? Once again, thanks to Google, the answer is most definitely yes.

So, what started out as a way to simplify and streamline my pantry ingredients to a single type of flour has turned into a campaign to eliminate aluminium from our diet. Whilst nothing has been conclusively proven, there is potentially a link between levels of aluminium in the brain and Alzheimer’s Disease. Of course, flour and baking powder are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to ingestion of aluminium. Many processed foods will also contain it. It yet another example of the importance of eating food in as natural a state as possible to avoid these hidden ingredients.

I will be discarding the baking powder and buying cream of tartar and bicarbonate of soda to create my own baking powder. The proportions are 2 parts of cream of tartar and 1 part of bicarbonate of soda.

There are numerous sites that discuss making your own baking powder but this blog post explains it very clearly. I will be making a bulk quantity with the addition of cornflour and then using 2 teaspoons of the mixture to 1 cup of plain flour to make my own aluminium-free self-raising flour.

What do you think?