Category Archives: Homemaking

Wedding Outfit

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I have been meandering along with sewing an outfit for a family wedding on Saturday but in the past few days I have put my head down and it is now finished and ready to wear.

The dress and jacket are both made from existing patterns which I modified. In the case of the dress, the pattern was originally for a button up shirt.

It went from this.

To this.

The jacket looks pretty much as per the pattern apart from being shortened to a more cropped style, 3/4 sleeves instead of full length and some discreet shaping in the back and side seams to create a slightly less boxy silhouette.

Here are the 2 pieces together.

The dress fabric had been given to me some months ago and I had added it to my stash with no real idea of how I would use it. I did buy the linen for the jacket and by using the dress fabric for the bands on the jacket I think I have created a cohesive look. I am happy with the overall result. The best part is that I am not hemming it on the morning of the wedding!

What’s In a Name?

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Today I can unveil the name of our home and the sign we chose.

I like the idea of a house name but I am not fussed by some of the tried and true ones that are frequently used. Nor am I keen on ones like ‘Hilltop’, ‘Seaview’ and so on.

The first house that we named was our home in Brisbane where we moved in 2001. We decided to choose something that was unique to our family so we looked at the many and varied surnames and place names associated with some of the family history research I had done over the years. It eventually came down to 2 – Boswell or Pembroke. Boswell was GMan’s maternal grandmother’s maiden name while Pembrokeshire in Wales was where my father’s ancestors originated a few generations back. With nothing more than the flip of a coin, we chose Boswell. That name (and the plaque) actually moved with us when we relocated a few years later to Maleny.

After 17 years, we decided that the name truly belonged with the house so when we came here we decided that a new name was in order. As we have walked many of the streets in this historic town it became obvious that most of the house names were ‘………Cottage’ or ‘………….House’. Others were clearly a nod to the origin or occupation of the earliest residents.

Once again, we needed something unique to us. I was not sure that ‘Pembroke’ was what I wanted but a nod to my Welsh heritage was rather appealing. We had visited Wales, including Pembrokeshire, in 2014 and had discovered a tiny brewery called ‘Caffle Brewery’. Sadly, it is now closed but I just love the sound of the word. The meaning is somewhat debatable. Google throws up various meanings, including, to argue, tangled, confused or generally in a muddle. One thing is for sure – the origin is from Pembrokeshire. We have a rural view over a paddock towards the golf course so we chose ‘Caffle View’ for the name of our home.

A close-up tells the full story.

Last Boxes

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We unpacked almost all of the removalist boxes within the first week or two that we were here. However, there were nine boxes of books which remained. They were stacked in the lounge room as we were not 100% sure of where we actually wanted them and there is nothing worse than packing and unpacking books.

After living here for a few months and with the impending arrival of the new lounge furniture, we decided to unpack the books into the shelving units in the office. Office is probably slightly too grand a description as it is essentially a walkway through from the hall to the laundry.

The books take up all of the glassed-in upper shelves and about half of the lower ones. The remainder is storage for some stationery items and other miscellaneous bits and pieces.

Finally, this is the view from the family room through the opening to the office.

Worth the Wait

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Some things just take time.

We moved into this house 4 months ago and one of the first things we did was to order some furniture for our large loungeroom. We were advised that the wait time would be over 3 months as it is all custom-made.

There was great excitement on Thursday when the furniture was delivered. There is a 3 seater sofa and two super-comfortable armchairs and footstools. The chairs are able to both swivel and recline for maximum comfort.

Although it is somewhat dictated by the placement of the television, we have yet to decide on the exact configuration of the furniture in the room. There are also pictures to be hung and decisions to be made about other pieces of furniture it is definitely a work in progress.

Meanwhile, we are making some adjustments to the location and positioning of other items and furniture. Watch for more details in upcoming posts.

Easily Distracted

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Today was one of those days where one thing led to another.

After putting a load of washing in the machine I decided to put the recently delivered carton of wine away in the wardrobe in the third bedroom. Yes, that is our wine cellar at the moment.

One thing led to another and I put away the deflated air mattress from when we had houseguests several weeks ago. I put the folded blankets away in the drawers in the base of the guest bed and discovered some curtains I had stashed in there. They are the semi-sheer ones which were previously in the family room. I replaced them when we first arrived as provide neither privacy nor thermal comfort.

There are 8 narrow drops and I decided that I should probably give them away rather than hoarding them, however, GMan suggested that they could possibly be used in the 2 guest bedrooms. They are really a decorative addition as there are already honeycomb blinds. The rods were already in place as the previous owners had taken their curtains with them and just left the blinds.

So, I unpicked the hems and one side seam of each drop, sewed two drops together and rehemmed them to the correct length. I have finished the set for one spare room and am working on the ones for the other room. By sewing two drops together they are wide enough to draw across if desired but in the meantime they definitely create a more finished look to the room.

Garden Update

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It is nearly two weeks since my last post and I could make the excuse that I have been busy but that is not true. I have been well occupied and juggling a few different aspects and I have simply not felt enthused to write. However, I am back with a few blog post ideas buzzing around in my head so I hope there will not be quite such a hiatus in the foreseeable future.

Today I want to show off some of the progress we have made in the garden. As always, it is small steps.

The weather is slightly warmer, or perhaps ‘less cold’ would be a better description. Either way, the bulbs and spring blossom are in full swing.

I did not plant these daffodil bulbs until early June so they were a little later than many of the bulbs around our town which are almost finished. I am enjoying their sunny faces which are just beyond our back terrace.

While much of the blossom around town is ornamental, I am very excited by the flowers on our espaliered nectarine tree. If every one of those becomes fruit……….Yummo, in a few months time. I will keep my fingers crossed.

A couple of months ago we cleared out the remnants of last summer’s crops and I planted some garlic as well as cauliflower and red cabbage seedlings. I hastily covered them with some fine netting to protect them from any bugs.

Yesterday was a glorious spring day bathed in blue skies and sunshine so we spent a few hours out in the garden. The seedlings had grown enough that I really needed to create a better frame for the netting. I sourced some thin metal roads that we had salvaged from an old clothes airer and some irrigation piping that had been left by the previous owners and managed to create the perfect framework for the netting.

Here is a closer look.

Cabbages and garlic.

Cauliflower.

Some flat leaf parsley which GMan salvaged and repotted about a month ago.

Until next time.

Garden Notes – Getting Started

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For those of you who are interested in what is happening outdoors, here is a bit of an update.

While I have mostly been indoors due to being sick and the cold weather, GMan has been beavering away recently on numerous small but important tasks outdoors.

A sign on the side gate as a reminder to visitors. The small dog is not an escape artist but definitely an opportunist and we live on a major road.

The hose reel is mounted on the exterior wall.

The roses have been pruned.

When we moved from Maleny we left an area which hosted a wide variety of environmental weeds which thrived in the high rainfall, temperate climate. However, we have swapped them for some other undesirables. This time it is Red Valerian (centranthus ruber), quite a pretty garden plant which is self-seeding throughout our garden. It is rated as a moderately invasive environmental weed in Victoria so once we worked out what it was GMan set to work to dig it out of the many locations in our garden. We will need to be vigilant to remove any new growth but we are confident that we can keep our block clear of it.

There was quite a bit getting established in this garden bed.

It was also spreading quickly at the front. GMan also removed several shrubs from inside the front fence. We are still developing a plan for the large area at the front of the house but it will definitely include a new front fence at some stage once we work out exactly where the driveway will go.

Another Recipe

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As promised in my last post, here is the recipe for the Eggplant Rolls which I made recently.

I have not included quantities as it depends on how many you want to make and personal taste.

EGGPLANT ROLLS

Ingredients

1 large eggplant
Ricotta cheese or drained plain yoghurt
Leafy greens, finely chopped – silverbeet, spinach, kale or similar
Seasoning of choice – salt, pepper, mixed herbs, smoky paprika
Can of tomatoes, diced
Flaxseed meal
Almond meal
Cheddar cheese, grated

Method

Thinly slice the eggplant. Lightly cook the slices in a pan or in airfryer.

Combine the ricotta, greens and seasoning.

Spread mixture onto eggplant slices.

Roll up eggplant and place in an ovenproof dish.

Top with tomatoes.

Combine almond meal, flaxseed meal and grated cheese. Sprinkle on top of the dish and then cook until thoroughly heated and crispy.

IMPORTANT NOTES:

If you look carefully at the photos you will note that I neglected to follow my own instructions and did not pre-cook the eggplant slices. The meal was still quite edible but it is definitely much better if they are pre-cooked.

For the final cooking I generally cook until hot in the microwave then finish off in the airfryer. You could also bake these in the oven.

The almond/flaxseed meal topping is so that this dish is gluten-free. If that is not an issue you may simply choose to use breadcrumbs.

I served this meal with steamed rice, carrots and peas.

Daily Stuff

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After writing this blog for over 12 years I sometimes wonder whether it has become a little stale or repetitive. However, I am reminded that there are new people popping in all the time so I will continue to share my activities here.

Since it is winter and I am struggling with a cold it is not a great time to be outdoors. There is plenty to do inside the house and most of it can be distilled down to cooking and sewing.

Cooking is essential for feeding ourselves and I try to build up a bit of a supply of meals as well as condiments. In the past few days I have made grapefruit marmalade (recipe here) from fruit which was in a giveaway box in the next block, a new batch of gluten-free pizza bases (recipe here), sourdough bread (GMan’s handiwork) as well as Eggplant Rolls and Pumpkin, Eggplant and Chickpea Curry. You can check our my vegetable curry recipe here.

The next blog post will be the full recipe for the Eggplant Rolls.

On the sewing front, I have completed a couple of mending jobs.

New elastic (salvaged from worn-out undies) to replace the elastic and drawstring in this pair of pyjama bottoms which were originally purchased 2 years ago from the $1 rack at the op shop.

This jacket is 11 years old and still in excellent condition but the zip had broken so I bought a new zip and replaced it.

I think that is the mending out of the way for the moment so I do need to set my mind to making a dress to wear to a family wedding in 7 weeks time. Watch this space as the saying goes.

Slant & Schooldays

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We have had done all manner of things since my last post. When we made a trip to Melbourne to deliver the refuurbished step stool we also helped our daughter install some new blinds in her unit.

I have also replenished our freezer stock of soup with 12 serves of leek and potato soup and 11 serves of pumpkin soup. It is great to have a supply of hearty, ready-to-eat meals.

Socialising has not been forgotten either. We met GMan’s cousin and husband for lunch one day, went to a local bar last night to hear a local band and today we watched a movie at the Theatre Royal in Castlemaine. It was not just any movie but an independent Australian film called ‘Slant’ starring Sigrid Thornton.

I must admit that I had not heard of Slant until a few weeks ago when we received the July programme for the Theatre Royal as we are members. You can read a bit more about the theatre here. As well as the prospect of supporting a local independent film it was exciting to read that the event included a Q & A session with some of the cast and crew, including Sigrid Thornton.

The film is described as ‘darkly comic’ which is quite apt. It was quirky, fast-paced, interesting and definitely had its humorous moments. To say anymore would be to give too much away. Please consider going if you have an opportunity to see ‘Slant’ and support independent creative locals.

The icing on the cake was the opportunity to chat with Sigrid Thornton after the event. It is 53 years since we were in the same class at primary school in Brisbane and I am so pleased that I made the effort to introduce myself. She was thoroughly delightful and seemed genuinely pleased to meet me.

Thank goodness for a phone camera to record the moment.