3 Months On….

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Posted on October 12, 2011

It is now a little over 3 months since the details of the carbon tax were released and now the proposed legislation has been passed in the House of Representatives. It is almost certain to to passed by the Senate and will become law in July 2012.

I am very pleased to see that something is finally being done to ensure that the biggest emitters of carbon in this country will be held responsible for their emissions. This may mean that some of us end up paying more for some goods and services.

If you want to offset any perceived or actual increase in costs, now is the time to change your habits and consume less goods and services. If you consume less you will pay less – it is that simple.

Things that you might consider include:

Drive less – plan your trips and combine errands.

Buy local products where possible – save on transport costs.

Reduce electricity use – dry clothes on the clothesline, do not leave appliances on standby when not in use.

Then there are bigger changes that will make a difference in the long-term. A perfect example of this is the solar PV panels which we had installed nearly 12 months ago. We are a household of 2 adults and we chose to install 20 panels on our north-facing roof. Since they were connected to the grid we have had 3 credit statements from our electricity provider. As well as paying $0.00 for our electricity we are on track to receive about $1,000 credit in the first 12 months of exporting electricity to the grid.

This has required us to make some changes to our habits. We try to minimise our use of electricity during daylight hours so that we maximise the amount of power which goes to the grid at the feed-in tariff versus what we use at night which is billed at the standard tariff. I have never made a habit of washing at night but that has now become my routine because it saves us more money.

Change of habit is what is at the heart of the carbon tax. As a nation and as individuals we have to stand up and be prepared to make some changes. Those politicians, individuals and businesses who refuse to change and are determined to selfishly continue on the same course are giving no consideration to the future generations. I hope they will show some generosity of spirit before it is too late.

Meanwhile, I will continue to do everything I can to reduce my personal carbon footprint and encourage others to do the same. Time to hang the washing out. There is enough moonlight not to turn on the outdoor light.

What changes have you/will you make? Are you interested in reducing your carbon footprint or just offsetting any extra cost?

Crafting for a Reason

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Posted on October 11, 2011

When I read today’s post at Down to Earth I realised that much of it rang true for me. None more so than this section where Rhonda writes:

“Many of the older readers here would know that I don’t consider craft to be a hobby. For me it’s part of my housework. I sew, mend and knit so we have good quality and long wearing scarves, cardigans, jumpers, hats, dishcloths, tablecloths and napkins. I see that as part of my homemaker’s work, not a hobby. Back in my great grandmothers’ day, making clothing and woollens for the family was part of almost every women’s home tasks. Somehow those tasks where either moved to become separate hobbies or were not done at all. They still hold an important place here, I still do all of them, still enjoy them, and they’re a part of my work.”

Any craft that I do is almost exclusively for practical purposes. I remember being invited to join a patchwork group some years ago. I probably could have been a bit more tactful but my response was along the lines of, “Why would you cut up perfectly good fabric so that you can sew it back together again?” I also reminded my friend that I had had quite enough sewing to fill my days making clothes for all the members of my family.

I am appalled by the amount of time and money that is spent on useless and impractical craft materials such as patchwork fabric. Patchwork evolved as a way of making use of every last bit of fabric, often being unpicked and re-made into other items.

Here are a couple of examples of making the most of scraps of material.

I made this bag last week using the facing from the hem of a dress. You can read more about it here. Scroll down towards the end of the post.

Here is a photo of Belle (in 1993) wearing a patchwork jacket I made using up scraps of sweatshirt fabric. I sewed the scraps together to make a large piece of fabric and then cut the pattern pieces out as if it was a normal piece of fabric.

Do you do any practical crafts?

UFO’s

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Posted on October 9, 2011

I haven’t posted for a few days as I was determined to clear my sewing room of some of the unfinished projects. Some of them were physically started and not completed and others were just in my imagination and not even started.

Anyway, here are some of the finished items.

Shorts for Izz.

And a pair for Miss O.

This is another pair of shorts for Miss O using a different pattern.

This playsuit is one that I didn’t finish when Miss O was a baby (I did make 7 others) so it will be donated to charity. Perhaps they will be able to use it in Christmas gifts.

A tiny blouse for my niece for her birthday.

And a pinafore to go with the blouse. This is made from the leftovers of the pinafore I made for Miss O earlier in the year.

A summer blouse for myself. I have had the material for 2.5 years and started making it last summer. This is a tried and true pattern that I made from a purchased blouse. I have made several using the same pattern.

This is not strictly something that I made. I bought this dress for Miss O a few weeks ago at an op shop for $8. It is ‘Fred Bare’ brand and in excellent condition. There were a couple of small stains which were removed using Sard Wonder soap and a good wash. The hemline is scalloped at the sideseams and had a facing which was pulling away in places. I removed it a replaced it using plain fabric. I salvaged the facing fabric and used some of it to make this matching shoulder bag.

It is a great feeling to have a collection of finished items ready for use rather than half-finished projects and fabric taking up space.

I still have several things to do including a pair of summer pyjamas for Miss O, dress for Belle and 2 polo shirts for The Duke. I have drafted the pattern for the pyjamas from an old Enid Gilchrist pattern book and am about to start cutting them out.

What unfinished projects do you have?

Through a Child’s Eyes

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Posted on October 2, 2011

I mentioned yesterday that this simple living can be darned hard work – gardening, planting, harvesting, preserving, storing and cooking from scratch – not to mention the million and one other things that need to be done.

A sure-fire way to rejuvenate the enthusiasm is to see the ‘chores’ through the eyes of a child. Our granddaughters stayed here this weekend and spending an hour or so in the backyard with them was a sheer delight.

Collecting the eggs.

Checking out the onion patch.

Splitting open beans to retrieve the seeds.

The excitement of finding a bean seed. We will be letting them dry out and saving to replant. We have also saved snow pea seeds. Miss O had fun sorting the bean and pea seeds into separate containers.

Helping with the harvest.

There were lots of other things that did not get captured on film. Pulling up the spent broccoli and cauliflower plants and dragging the up to the compost bin as well as pulling the old snow pea vine off the trellis.

Miss O helped me cook and we made a fruit slice with passionfruit icing as well as currant, orange and poppyseed muffins. The girls took some muffins home to put in their lunchboxes for daycare tomorrow.

I also managed to get a little sewing done. 2 pairs of shorts are finished. Here they are on the models.

And the second pair.

It is a pleasure to see the sheer delight on the faces of my grandchildren when they can help with the jobs we do every day. I am reminded that what I am doing is ‘right’ and I look forward to sharing many more things as they get older.

What We Have

Spring has Sprung

Keep it Simple

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Posted on September 28, 2011

While I will never live a truly minimalist lifestyle, I try to simplify my life as much as possible

Most of us in developed countries use much more than our share of the resources on this planet. We accumulate ‘stuff’, need bigger houses to store our ‘stuff’ and are so reluctant to part with what we have accumulated that self-storage facilities are a growth industry.

I am on a decluttering journey, but not one that entails hiring a skip and tossing garbags full of stuff into it with no thought as to their destination. No, I acquired these items and I feel that it is my responsibility to use or rehome things I no longer need or want in an ethical manner. My aim is to send as little as possible to landfill.

This is my laundry. It is clear and uncluttered which is good for a utility area. I took this photo after I had used the bench to fold the clean clothes.

The cupboards are well-used but not full to overflowing.

I do have some ornaments and decorative items as these next photos show. Nevertheless, I do not want to feel overwhelmed by lots of things so I have a small number of things that are precious to me. I think this strikes the right balance.

Another view.

Behind all of this is my motto – “Live simply, so that others may simply live”. It is not original but sums up my ideals.

Are you decluttering? What is your goal and how do you go about achieving it? I would love to hear your stories and experiences.

Till next time.

What To Do………..

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Posted on September 27, 2011

with a microwave oven that has ceased to work?

Our microwave stopped working a few days ago and now I have the dilemma of what to do with it. I do not believe it is worthwhile taking it to see if it can be repaired. Microwaves are certainly not something that can be repaired by an amateur but the thought of it going to landfill is not great either. It seems hypocritical to be saving every little thing that I can from landfill and then I turn around and dump a microwave.

I cannot think of any uses for an old microwave without possibly compromising the safety of those in the area.

So………..what would you do??

I am going to buy a new microwave because I have realised that I definitely could not live without it – at least while I am working full-time and arriving home after 7pm each evening.

Be Thankful

The Recycling Trail

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Posted on September 20, 2011

I read Rhonda’s blog at Down to Earth today about recycling and her suggestion that we link together our innovative recycling ideas.

While recycling is good it is even better to refuse and reduce as your first 2 options.

A lot of the things that we have re-used or recycled her at home are no different to what others do so I have tried to add a couple of more unusual ideas.

Here is my shower cap and a piece of elastic that I salvaged from a dress that I refashioned into a skirt.

The elastic edging on the cap had completely given way so I revamped it using the salvaged elastic.