Sew Easy

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Our granddaughters are staying overnight so this afternoon I took the opportunity to get some current measurements of them.

While I was in the sewing room I found a piece of fabric and was inspired.  I made this dress for Miss O, using the t-shirt she was wearing as a pattern.

Dress
The patterned fabric was a remnant that I bought from Lifeline a few months ago for $1.

The stretch fabric means that the dress can simply be pulled on over the head and there are no fastenings.  It will be a cool, comfortable addition to her summer wardrobe.

Chemical-Free Cleaning

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As promised here is a recipe for one of the homemade cleaning products that I use.  I found the recipe on the internet some months ago and have adapted the quantities to suit my needs.

It is simple to make.  You need only basic utensils.

Only 3 ingredients.

Cream Cleanser

1&1/2 cups bicarb soda
110ml dishwashing liquid
30ml eucalyptus oil

Mix all ingredients together to form a ‘Gumption-style’ paste.

Store in container.  I use glass because the original instructions cast some doubt over the compatibility with some plastics.

Use to clean sinks, baths and basins by rubbing a paste over the surface and rinse clean with fresh water.  You can spray with vinegar for added effect.  As always, test surface to ensure it is OK to use.

I use this paste and a soft cloth to clean my Neoflam frying pan.

You should never need to buy Gumption, Jif, Ajax or similar ever again.

The eucalyptus oil gives the added bonus of relieving any head cold symptoms while you do the housework!

I will have another recipe tomorrow but in the meantime feel free to share any chemical-free/homemade cleaning tips.

Planning Ahead

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We will be going to a wedding in March 2013 and while that is still 6 months away I have begun to consider what I might wear.  In fact, while we were on holidays I did look to see if I could find something suitable.  I do not even know what I am looking for which does make shopping rather difficult.

While I was sorting out some items in my sewing room I came upon this skirt which needs to be mended.

2012-09-27 01The skirt is fine – it is the lining that is the problem.

2012-09-27 02The lining is much narrower than the skirt and it has split at the sides.  I had only worn the skirt a couple of times before this happened and then I gained weight and it was a bit tight.  Now the skirt is fine and once I replace the lining with an underskirt that matches the shape of the outer skirt it will be fine.

2012-09-27 03This is the top which I originally bought to wear with the skirt and although I have worn it with other outfits it definitely looks best with the skirt.  The photo is not very flattering and the top looks better in real life.

I tried the ensemble on last night with black heels and have decided that it will be suitable for the wedding.  I am thinking of making a black jacket – possibly velvet and also having a black shawl/wrap.

My only concern is that the wedding is in Canberra in March (early autumn/fall) and the weather is totally unpredictable.  I could wear a camisole under the top and an extra slip if it is really cool.

I need to start looking at replacing the lining and choosing a suitable pattern and fabric for the jacket so that the sewing does not get left to the last minute.  A little bit of lateral thinking and planning may have saved me  a significant amount of money.

A Thorough Clean

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I have managed to get most things back in order since we arrived home 10 days ago but the bathroom has been neglected.  The toiletries that we brought back were unpacked but had not been sorted and put away.

2012-09-26 01This afternoon I finally had time to give the cupboard a thorough clean.  I took everything out and sorted through it.  There was not a lot to throw out but it was good to make sure that everything went back in the correct place and a couple of sample size containers of shower gel have been put in the shower to be used up.

I also cleaned the shelves as it was several months since they were done.  The mirror and basin were cleaned as well.  Of course, one thing leads to another and while I was standing on the chair to reach the top of the mirror I noticed marks on the ceiling.  These appeared to be insect spots and while not really noticeable I decided to clean them as they would only get worse and more difficult to remove over time.  The Duke had painted the ceiling in a semi-gloss paint in an attempt to reduce the chance of mould growing and this made it quite easy to clean the ceiling.  A damp cloth was all I needed and the ceiling is looking as good as new.

Here is the freshly cleaned and organised vanity unit.

2012-09-26 02I also tidied up the drawers and even took some photos but you are just going to have to believe me on that one as I am having issues getting the photos to the blog.  I hope it comes good before tomorrow.

All I used to do my cleaning today was some warm water with a drop of detergent and a couple of clean cloths.  I try to minimise the chemicals that I use and during the next week I hope to share some of the alternatives that you can use.

Budget Review

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Just when I thought I was back to blogging in earnest, life threw me one of those curved balls.  There was not enough time or inclination in my days to include blogging but now I am truly back.

We carefully planned our budget for when we were on holidays and stuck to it.  Since we have been back there have been several expenses, such as the doona covers, car service and lawn mower repairs as well as restocking food items after being away but now it is time to get serious again and get the debt reduction heading in the right direction.

We have discussed and set our financial goals for the remainder of the year.  If you break things up into small chunks it usually is less daunting and debt is no exception.  It is 14 weeks till the end of 2012 – that is 7 paydays for most of us.  What can you achieve?

A Fresh Look

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One of the benefits of holidays and being away from our home is that sometimes you can take a step back and review things from a distance.

A few months ago I considered buying a new doona cover for our bed since the one we have had for over 10 years definitely does not match the current colour scheme.  It has been like that for about 4 years but it had taken me that long to consider it.  One of the things that was holding me back was why get rid of the existing cover which is still in excellent condition.

While we were away I suddenly realised that the doona cover on our bed would look perfect on the bed in the guest room and then I could justify buying a new one for our bed.

2012-09-21 01Here is the revamped guest room.

On Wednesday we looked for a new cover which proved to be quite a challenge as it is obvious that the colours in our room (Wedgewood blue with cream trim) are  definitely not the latest trend.  Most of the bed linen was either neutrals in cream/grey/coffee palettes or bright geometric designs.  However, I eventually found something suitable.

2012-09-21 02I also bought another cover in a grape colour with a muted floral design.  I will use that during the winter months for a change.  This is the first time that I have ever had bed linen to change with the seasons.  Thanks to the sale prices, I was able to buy the 2 covers for the full price of just one of them.

I am very happy with the results of my rearrangement of the bed linen.  Now I have  the bedspread which was on the guest bed to put away in the linen cupboard while I consider its fate.

Most of our furnishings/colours are relatively classic and are chosen because they are what we like rather than what is this year’s “must have”.  This can make things difficult at times, especially when you are looking for a colour or design that is not ‘in’.

Do you follow the latest trends in interior design or are you happy with what you have?  Any tips for updating on a budget?

Back on Track

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It is now 4 days since we arrived back in Australia from our trip to the United States and I feel as though I am back into my routine.

I went back to work on Monday but yesterday was my day off so I caught up on the washing, packed the suitcases away and re-made the guest bed.

While I was emptying the cane waste paper basket in the guest room I noticed that the top edge was broken.  It is not really noticeable  because there is a plastic bag liner but I decided it would be better if I repaired it.

The cane binding had broken and the overlapping ends were sticking out.

2012-09-20 01I used some white kitchen string and a large curved needle which had been in some sewing notions that were handed down to me some time ago.  I had never used the needle before but it was prefect for this job.

2012-09-20 02I tied the string in place at one end to anchor it and then held the ends in place while I wound the string around the damaged section and tied it at the other end.

It is not superbly pretty but the repair returns the baskets to its original shape and makes it easy to fit and replace the plastic bag liner.

2012-09-20 03Do you take the time to make simple household repairs?  Do you keep a ball of string or do you see it as useless?

Garden Update

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Much of what goes in the the garden happens without a lot of input from us due to the fact that both The Duke and I work full-time.

Today I want to share some progress on a couple of different fronts.

On Monday we finally had the large poinciana tree near the driveway removed.  This has been planned for over 12 months but when another large limb dropped a few weeks ago we were galvanised into action.  The tree lopper came on Monday and by the time we arrived home there was no sign of it apart from a small pile of sawdust where the stump had been ground.

This is now the view from our front verandah.  We will be replanting beside the driveway but have yet to decide exactly what we will do.

This is the remainder of another tree stump which we also had removed to make way for a revamp of the vegetable garden area.

The harvest from the vegetable gardens has not been as great as last year but today I was finally able to pick the broccoli.

2.1kg of broccoli from 6 plants is not a bad return and that is only the main heads.  As usual, there will be more smaller secondary florets.  We will use some of this before we go away and the rest will be blanched and frozen.

The cauliflower has been a disappointment compared to last year but at least I got some.  There was also 1 other small head which I picked for dinner last week.

Like everything else, the snow peas have not been spectacularly prolific but here are enough for the stir-fry tonight and the salad for my lunch tomorrow.

Finally, this is 836g of ginger that we pulled up on the weekend.  It grew from 1 small piece that we planted last year.  There is still more in the ground but I saw no need to harvest any more!  We will be dividing it up and planting lots of separate pieces.  The plants look lovely and thrive with the other ornamental ginger, cordylines and heliconias that are growing in the shade of the the cedar tree.

Last but not least I wanted to let you know about my 2 new blogs.

Eating For Health is about my decision to try a grain-free, sugar-free diet.  Click on the link and find out more.

Somewhere, Anywhere  is my travel blog.  This will be an online journal of our travels, beginning with our upcoming overseas trip.  You will be able to follow our adventures as all of the updates will be posted on there.

Split & Stacked

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Today The Duke split some more firewood and I stacked it.  This is the perfect time of the year for this kind of job as the weather is pleasant during the day and we have had no rain for about a month so the wood is really dry.

Here it is all stacked along the side of the woodshed.  This is in addition to the stack that we have under the house.  We do not use a lot of wood so this will be a good start on our supply for next winter.  It is a great feeling to know that what we are doing know will keep us warm next year.

Do you do any seasonal preparation ahead of time?