I am continuing making potholders and these are for my own kitchen. Once again, the fabric is all salvaged from other people’s offcuts and discarded garments.
This is the first of 2 matching double-handed potholders. I still need to add the plain black binding around the outside edge.
I think these will look great in my new kitchen.
Today I set about assembling a piece of patchwork for a small quilt. This one came about after I had saved the embroidered panels from the landfill pile at a thrift shop. They were clearly part of an unfinished project and I simply could not see someone’s handiwork discarded without a second glance.
Initially, I was unsure of how I could use them but I gradually developed a plan. Some of the plain fabric came from offcuts in my own stash and the remainder from a couple of friends.
In due course I will add batting and the backing and outsource the actual quilting as I do not have a long-arm machine.
The other project was much more modest. This is the second of a pair of potholders that I have made for a friend. They were both made from a discarded cushion cover and with 2 layers of flannel fabric for heat resistance.
I am really pleased to have achieved these and the patchwork will be packed away until we are settled in our new home.
I have had some full days at the Eco Creative Festival since my last post. We did not have any pre-conceived ideas about what interest there would be in our stall.
We shared our stall with the local Boomerang Bags group who had a selection of bags for sale.
Ready for action.
However, it exceeded our wildest expectations. We had many excellent conversations about waste and how we can all contribute to reducing the amount of landfill being generated. As a bonus we also sold bunting made from salvaged fabric and upholstery fabric samples suitable for various sewing and craft projects.
Definitely a successful weekend.
At the end of my last post I mentioned that I had been able to borrow a sewing machine. This is not just any sewing machine. It is a very solid metal Elna machine which was made in Switzerland. A bit of research indicates that it dates to the early to mid 1960s.
As well as the Boomerang bags and bunting I have also made a pair of trousers for a friend. These were made from a salvaged piece of vintage curtain fabric and she is thrilled with the result. We are involved in an Eco Creative Festival this weekend so these pants will be a perfect real-life example of upcycling.
Finally, here is a throwback photo which I dug out today. I enjoyed lunch with 3 friends from my schooldays and during our reminiscing the conversation turned to our Home Economics lessons and our rather dysfunctional relationship with the teacher. I had been sewing for a few years under the guidance of my mother before I completed the green tunic dress in this photo. Yes, it really was that short.
It has been a week between blog posts and that is primarily because there has not been much to share.
We are staying in a small house and there is no real organising to be doing. The household chores have consisted of preparing a few meals, sweeping the floor and doing a couple of loads of washing.
Apart from that we have been out to lunch, attended a film festival in the local town and I have been doing some sewing. I had barely touched any sewing for the last 6 weeks as I was entirely focused on packing. However, a few days ago a friend and I were gifted a big box of unwanted fabric so we have had some fun sorting that out and choosing what we can use it for.
I have made 6 Boomerang Bags. Here are some of them. They still need pockets and labels to be added.
I also found several pieces which will be suitable for a future quilt. So I have been cutting out 5 inch squares in preparation for that use.
My sewing machine has been packed and sent with the removalists but I have been fortunate to be able to borrow one from a friend. I have a couple more sewing projects planned in the next week and I will share more in the coming days.
I have finally resurfaced after a crazy few days which culminated on Friday in the removalists loading all of our possessions in the container ready to be transported by rail freight to Victoria. They will be held in storage until the purchase of our new home is finalised in the second week of May.
In the meantime we are spending the next 4 weeks housesitting.
We are only 2 blocks from the main street yet this is the view from the back deck.
There is also a view of the western horizon which is quite a novelty for us as we have spent the past 17 years in a house tucked against the base of an escarpment on our south-western boundary so there have been no sunset views.
If the weather behaves nicely I may have some sunsets to share in the next couple of weeks.
I think the title says it all.
I started packing boxes about 6 weeks ago – a little bit at a time but the effort has really ramped up in the last week as the removalist deadline approaches – Friday is the big day.
Today we loaded the final few things onto the ute and took it to a friend’s place to store it until we are ready to leave Queensland in about 6 weeks.
Meanwhile, back to the boxes. We had packed boxes stacked up in no fewer than 4 different rooms so this afternoon GMan decided that it would be a good idea to put them all together downstairs in the garage.
This is the result!
And another view.
In other news, I received a notification from WordPress overnight to let me know that this is the 12th anniversary of Organised Castle. I must admit that I never imagined I would still be writing this 12 years later. My sincere thanks to all of my readers over the years. I have made some really special friends through the blog, too. Don’t forget to join the Facebook group of the same name if you would like to interact more and meet other like-minded readers.
My blog has been with me through some interesting times and probably none more so than our impending relocation. So, strap yourself in and come along for the ride.
The last week has slipped by while we have been occupied with packing.
Our primary focus has been sorting, cleaning and packing up the contents of the garage and workshop.
Most of the big items will be moved by the removalists but GMan has packed quite a bit into the ute as we will be driving both cars to our destination and it seems somewhat pointless to take an empty vehicle.
Although we will not be leaving Queensland for about 6 weeks, the packing of the ute need to be finalised before the beginning of next week as it will all be relocated to a friend’s carport when we leave this house.
An important consideration was making sure that everything was covered and secured for the impending trip. After careful consideration, we decided to buy a new waterproof tarpaulin to cover the contents. There is no risk of it flapping or blowing off as it is securely tucked under the heavy boxes at both ends as well as being tied to itself with the ropes going right underneath the entire contents of the ute. The tie-down straps over the tarpaulin then anchor everything.
There are days when even I must admit defeat and today is one of them.
I have written before about a pair of shorts which I have modified and mended over a period of close to 30 years. You can read a bit more detail here.
Yesterday was the death knell for this much-loved garment. GMan and I went to the dump with a load of garden waste for a friend and I managed one final rip to my gardening shorts and I have to confess that they are now simply beyond any type of further repair.
If you are in any doubt here are some final photos before they go in the bin.
Front view.
Back view, including the final rip.
The inside showing multiple patches.
There is one more thing to do though. There is a perfectly good zip and button which can be salvaged.
Removalist day (17th March) is fast approaching and it is time I gave some serious consideration to the kitchen and food.
It will be almost 8 weeks between the date that everything is moved and when we actually move into our new home in Victoria. In that time we will be housesitting near our existing home, spending a few days with family and then house-sitting for a week in Brisbane before spending 5 days driving to Victoria and another 10 days in an Air BnB before our final relocation. All of this means that although I will have the capacity to cook meals, my access to a full range of ingredients and implements will be somewhat limited.
So, this morning a made a list of some of the major ingredients I have. The next step is to create as many meals as possible that can be frozen and fairly easily reheated or finished off with the minimum of ingredients.
The first cab off the rank was a batch of chilli con carne using up diced onion, mince, kidney beans and refried beans from the freezer. It made 5 serves.
Ingredients
1 large onion, diced
250g mince
500g kidney beans
1 cup refried beans
1 can crushed tomatoes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup water
2 teaspoons beef stock powder
1 teaspoon cumin
2 teaspoons smoky paprika
1 teaspoon powdered chilli
Tabasco sauce – to taste
Method
Gently saute the onion in a little olive oil, add the mince and stir until fully browned. Add the remining ingredients, combine and simmer gently for about 30 minutes. This will allow the flavours to combine and thicken slightly to a spicy, rich sauce.
NOTE: Adjust seasonings to suit your taste.
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