Ready, Set,Sew

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I have my next sewing project planned which is to make a dress for my niece who is almost 12 months.  She won’t wear it for another 6 months or so as she lives in the Northern Hemisphere.  Tonight I assembled the things I will use and I hope to do it on the weekend.

2011-09-15 01Here is the fabric and buttons I will use.  The floral print fabric was given to me recently from my friend whose mother who no longer sews.  The plain blue came from my mother-in-law’s stash of fabric.  The buttons are ones that I found at the op shop.  Priced at 5c each I buy buttons if I see ones that I think will be suitable for my sewing – particularly on children’s clothes.

The pattern I am going to use is from an Enid Gilchrist book that my mother gave me.  The books are mostly over 50 years old.  I have about 6 of her books and although some of the clothes are a little dated there are lots of good basic designs.

2011-09-15 02I have made dresses several times using this pattern.  This first time was for my sister when I was only 10 years old.  I have made dresses for my daughters and more recently, my granddaughters, from this pattern.

This is Belle, aged 12 months in a dress from the pattern.

2011-09-15 03Here is one I made for Miss O.  She wore it on her first birthday.

2011-09-15 04Even a version for Christmas.

2011-09-15 05

A New Idea and a New Toy

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It is now 6 months since I began this blog.  A couple of previous efforts had fallen by the wayside for a variety of reasons but I was determined to make this an ongoing project.  I decided that the best way to make blogging a habit was to do it every day.  I have managed to stick to my plan pretty consistently except for while we were on holidays and a couple of other glitches.  Therefore, I apologise for the lack of posts in the last couple of days.

I have decided to reassess how I go about maintaining my blog, keeping it interesting and relevant for those who read it and still find time to go to work and do the very things that provide the basis of my blog posts.

So, from now on there will not necessarily be a post every day, although sometimes there will be.  My goal is to generally have 3 – 4 posts each week with a minimum of 2 posts each week.

I know how frustrating it is to go to a blog and find that there is nothing new since last time you visited so here is my suggestion.  Go to the ‘Email Subscription’ on the right-hand side of the blog and click the button marked “Sign Me Up”.  This means that you subscribe to the blog and will receive an email each time there is a new post.  You can change the settings in the future if you wish.  Alternatively, you can be friends with me on Facebook and you will see each new post that I make from the Facebook page.

Thank you for your interest in the blog and comments.

And now, the new toy.Kitchen Aid mixer

This is my Kitchen Aid mixer which I got a couple of years ago.  One of the reasons I chose it was because I could purchase additional attachments which run directly from the driveshaft.  My main interest was the pasta maker attachment. The Duke did all of the research on the internet and found the best price of $285 which compared favourably with the initial price on the Kitchen Aid site of $349.  Whilst it seems like a lot of money I feel confident that it will be worthwhile.

Today the parcel arrived.

So it was time to unpack.

There are 3 attachments – lasagne roller, fettucine cutter and spaghetti cutter.

I have made my own pasta previously but found that the manual pasta maker was too difficult and time-consuming – not to mention that it ended up breaking.  Hopefully, these will be a great success and I will never buy dried pasta again.  The bonus is that I will not have the packets which are non-recyclable.

Watch for a post when I make the first batch – perhaps on the weekend!

Clever Cupboards

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Well, it is not actually the cupboards that are clever but the cabinetmaker for suggesting a solution for ‘blind’ corner cupboards.  When we were redesigning our kitchen he suggested these and I immediately agreed that they were a great idea.  The rails stop things falling off as the shelves are moved.

When I was putting the clean dishes away this morning I noticed that the shelves were looking a bit grubby so I removed everything and cleaned the shelves.

The shelves are on an arm mechanism and swing in and out by pulling the rail.  They are easy to manoeuvre and give access to an otherwise useless corner.

Here it is replaced in the closed position.

These shelves hold all of my bowls, jugs and colanders as well as scales, measuring cups, funnel, juicer and the attachments for the Kitchen Aid mixer.

I also cleaned the matching set of shelves in the opposite corner of the kitchen.

Mousetrap

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No, I have not been catching rodents.  It is my excuse for no post last night.  My mother, The Duke and I went to see a production of Agatha Christie’s, “The Moustrap” by the Centenary Theatre Group in Brisbane.

After running for nearly 60 years in London’s West End there is a small window of opportunity for amateur groups to perform this iconic play.  We thoroughly enjoyed the performance and it has whetted my appetite to see the London production when we finally make a trip to the UK (hopefully in the next few years).

Today it is cold – a renewed blast of winter – but fine and windy so looks like a great day to get the washing dry and clean the house.

Speaking of houses, the Sustainable House Day is running again this year.  Homes with are variety of sustainability features are open to the public tomorrow, Sunday 11th September from 10am – 4pm.  Check the link for locations and information.  Major cities and many regional areas are participating.  We went to some Sunshine Coast ones last year and gleaned lots of ideas for our own home and garden.  One day ours may be featured, who knows?

Spare a Thought

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I had written a post which I planned for tonight but I have set it aside for the moment.  Instead, I ask you to spare a thought for a family torn apart in the most tragic of circumstances.

Here is the news report.  A girl has suffered a terrible, violent death.  A troubled mother has taken her life.  A father is traumatised and a young boy has witnessed things that no-one should ever have to face.

My thoughts are with the family and all who know them.

The news reports all seem to be focusing on the wealth and assets of the family.  Whatever the circumstances surrounding the deaths, one thing is certain, money does not guarantee happiness.

Sidonie – Rest in Peace.

Creative Cookery

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Many of my recipes are adaptations of ones I have been given, or based on meals that have been served to me over the years.

Tonight I made Chilli Chicken with Corn Chips for dinner.  This recipe was given to me many years ago.  It was one of those recipes that did not rely on specific quantities and mine has evolved over the years.

My quantities are for 2 of us with leftovers for lunches.  It could easily serve 4 adults.

Chill Chicken with Corn Chips

Make a fairly stiff white sauce using plain flour, butter and skim milk.  Season with black pepper.

Add shredded cooked chicken (I use 1 chicken breast fillet, steamed)

Add sliced mushrooms – I use about 250g because we have an abundance of mushrooms.

Place mixture in a shallow casserole dish.

2011-09-07 01Dice 1/2 onion and lightly fry.  Make tomato sauce by adding 400g tin of diced tomatoes, 1 tablespoon of tomato paste, fresh chilli or chilli paste (as much as you like to taste) and a splash of white wine (optional).  Simmer until reduced a little.

2011-09-07 02Pour tomato mixture over the chicken.  Top with a layer of corn chips and grated cheese.  Cook in the oven or under the grill until heated through and crisp on top.

2011-09-07 03Serve with rice and vegetables.  I usually have broccoli and carrots.

2011-09-07 04I usually have nachos the following night to use the rest of the corn chips.  If you want to be organised you can make a double quantity of the tomato mixture and use the extra instead of salsa on the nachos.

NACHOS

Corn chips

Crockpot refried beans

Tomato salsa

Grated cheese

Layer the corn chips on a baking tray, spoon refried beans, salsa and grated cheese over the chips.  Repeat in layers until all of the chips are used.  Cook in the oven until hot and crisp.

I plan to make an Anzac cake tomorrow night to maximise the use of the oven.

12c per Day

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I bought a new handbag today.  This might seem like an impulse buy – no discussion, searching the internet, comparing prices – I just went and bought it.  In fact, I had given it quite a bit of thought and kept putting off buying.  However, the old one was starting to look a bit worse for wear so it was time to do something.  I did not consider buying online because I like to check the feel of the bag and how it feels to carry it.

Here is the bag.

I had some fairly simple criteria for my new handbag.  Firstly, any colour as long as it is black.  Not too big but big enough to hold the necessities.  Easy to carry.  Enough inside pockets and sections to hold the important stuff, like my phone and access card in separate, easy-to-access spots.

The inside

Some of my acquaintances seem to always be buying bags, often for as little as $20 or so.  My bag cost $120, which may seem extravagant so I thought I should consider my bag on a cost per wear basis.  I use my bag almost every day and it is the only handbag I own apart from an evening purse.

The last bag was bought in Canada when we were there in 2007 and cost $180 so I calculated that I had been using it for 50 months and it worked out to 12c per day.  That seems pretty reasonable to me.

I plan to make a note of how much my new one cost and how long it lasts.

Do you consider the cost per wear/use of any items that you buy?

Weekly Challenge – Week 17

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It is now less than 7 weeks until we head off to New Zealand on our holiday.  This challenge has certainly helped me get some things done but there is a lot more I want to achieve before we go.

The items in bold are ones that are still not done from previous weeks.  I do need to try to clear some more things off the list.

3. Create a spreadsheet for future holiday packing needs

17. Follow up what I need to do to change my superannuation

23. Organise quote to have poinciana tree lopped and mulched

We have almost decided that we can do it ourselves.

32. Thin out and re-pot bok choy seedlings

I have planted 12 of the strongest ones in the garden and will stagger planting of the rest.

35. Make a vinyl cover for the newly-created day bed

39.Arrange to close a bank account that is no longer required

47. Take glass jars to op shop

I will give them to a specific person who would like them but can’t be done till next month.

51. Add more notes to my Christmas letter draft

54.Search for accommodation for weekend in Sydney next month.

56. Clean and pack away the doll’s house I received through Freecycle (for when the girls are older).

59. Finish sorting out my stash of fabric.

65. Put away the fabric and sewing goodies that have been given to me recently (Thanks Judith and Carol)

66. Wrap Christmas gifts for Miss O and Izz

67. Start making some home-made goodies for Christmas gifts

68. Tidy up the top of the filing cabinet

Til next week. 🙂

Friends and Fun

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The Duke and I are still in Victoria, catching up with friends and family.  We stayed in Melbourne on Friday night and then an obligatory spot of shopping yesterday morning.

After lunch we travelled by train to Bendigo.  I love the trains – it is great to sit back and let someonelse do the ‘driving’.  All I had to do was gaze out the window and admire the view.

We had home-made pizzas for dinner.  There is nothing extraordinary about that but the pizza oven that they were cooked in is certainly extraordinary.  I had never seen one but now I want one – just like this.

It is another glorious spring day so we will be making the most of the weather and heading out and about.  This is the 5th consecutive day of sunshine here which is very pleasant.

We will be home tomorrow and I may or may not get to post again before then.

Till next time 🙂