Tidy Finds

Hello, well it is so cold now that I really don't want to go very far, I am quite happy to be home once I get in from work so other than walking the dogs we haven't been very far at all.  I have been doing more organising of cupboards and it does feel better to be able to see what is in them.  My husband has also got involved and sorted two mess drawers and the cupboard next to the fridge.  This last tidy up found two long forgotten books at the back of the cupboard and it was like getting a little gift!  The first one I bought many years ago and will come in extra handy now that I have a greenhouse (I'm looking forward to spring when I can use it again).  The book is by Geoff Hamilton if any of you remember his show from years ago.

I think we must have put it away years ago and forgotten all about it, so much information in one book.   The second book is full of pasta dishes and really is a lovely book, I remember I got it when I was a member of a book club a long time ago.  It has lots of meat dishes that I won't eat and the recipes are for wheat pasta but I think I can use the recipes for inspiration to make vegan, gluten free dishes, I'll let you know how that goes!

So due to the tidy bookcase that has had seven books removed and taken to the charity shop, these two books have been given a proper place.

My car has decided it does not like the cold, it came to a juddering stop yesterday but then managed to restart after a little rest, I've booked it in for a check-up and service better to be safe I think.  I know the feeling, these cold mornings are really not my thing at all so that must be fuelling all the nesting activities.

A colleague of mine told me today that there has been an increase in the number of donations made to charity shops since Christmas, supposedly off the back of the Marie Kondo organising craze.  This is good news for them I think, hopefully the people donating will not go and buy lots of mass produced items to replace what they gave away.

Etsy Shop

December

Hi there, I have been a little blog absent I know this past couple of weeks but it has been a funny month.  Just about everyone I know has had this awful cough/cold bug which has not been helped at work by the heating not working for the whole month!  It did finally get fixed a couple of days before we broke up for Christmas. Prior to that I had the sick bug at the end of November on my day off!  We did manage to get to the theatre at the start of the month to see Rock of Ages and that was fab, I mentioned that in my last post but I thought it was at least a positive start to the month despite all the germs flying around.

I did manage to take this photograph of the big wheel in Sheffield as we were coming out of the theatre and I thought it looked lovely all lit up.

We don't go into the city centre all that often not unless we have a specific purpose, my mum on the other hand goes a couple of times a week.  That was something we always did when I was a child, Saturday we went into town. Ok there was some food shopping to be done as there were not supermarkets everywhere back then but even as a teenager I went with my friends, it was as if we had been indoctrinated into the shopping as a hobby mindset.  It is not something I have ever done since, so our occasional trips often provide me with something new to see as everything changes so quickly.

My friends and I also has a trip out for afternoon tea this month at Wortley Hall as our little Christmas meet up, seeing my friends was lovely but the afternoon tea for me was a disappointment,  now if you have no special dietary need then it is fab because my friends got a lovely selection of food. They appeared to have just thrown a few bits together for me though, despite the fact that I let them know when I booked two weeks before, then again on arrival to be sure.  When they did bring my plate out my friend took this photo for me...

I look happy here but this was not my food!

So far so good but when I looked the sandwiches had meat in and that pudding is milk based, I explained I had the wrong plate and then had to wait about 25 minutes.  When it came back I had a sandwich containing just tomato, one with just cucumber and one just pepper with onion, the tall pudding was gone of course but not replaced this pitiful bit of food still remained £13.99 no offer of a reduction but saying that no one ever came back to ask if everything was ok we ended up paying at the reception desk as we left. This was a real shame as we had been before and they did a brilliant job that time making me up a vegan plate, it must depend on the chef, not that making sandwiches requires chef training.

In complete contrast to that experience I had an amazing Christmas lunch in school.  The cook did an incredible job catering for all the different needs of the children and staff, the food was so good and all for the price of a school meal.  So it just goes to show it is possible if she can do it on that grand scale.

I did treat myself to a new cookbook this month Cook, Share, Eat Vegan by Aine Carlin.  I have tried three things out of it already and they have all been tasty.  I am marking each page with a post- it as I go with the aim to try just about everything, I have had cook books in the past where I haven't made very much from them but I have a few by this author and they are usually good and the food is well balanced.  The post-it idea is to remind me to keep trying new things, I am also making little comments on them about the dishes.

We have visited family and had family over for Christmas lunch but  other than that no other outings over the Christmas period, we don't generally go out for New year either as we never have.  |That is all fine by me as we certainly won't have to worry about any huge bills come January.  I am happy to relax, walk the dogs, read and get a bit of sewing done.  Speaking of which this is what I am currently working on...

I am doing a long sleeved version of the top and the jacket may stay the same if it suits me, if not I will modify it a bit.
 The fabric was sent by Minerva crafts, also be sure to have a peak at my post on Saturday 29th December as my butterfly dress will be on the Minerva Crafts Blog then.

I hope you are all having a lovely relaxing time and are ready for the new year ahead, best wishes to everyone and thank you for reading.


Etsy Shop

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Minerva Post and Eating Out

I should have added this link yesterday but I forgot! So here is my link to my Minerva post, lucky dip bag.  These are some of the items I made during the summer using this fabulous surprise bag, I have since made a black dress also that I blogged about here, top to dress pattern hack using some more of the fabric.

Today we have been out for lunch to The Botanist in Sheffield, this is not something we do a lot but it was a little celebration.  I have to say I am starting to be in agreement with my husband that eating out is a total waste of money.  I know that I sound like a real grump but honestly after a main meal each you do not expect to still be hungry, especially at thirty odd pound!  That is half of the weeks food budget so really I was not impressed. My meal was a Malaysian curry, basically a very watery soup with the tiniest bowl of rice you have ever seen.  My husband had a kebab that had four small pieces of lamb and a few bits of red pepper and onion, with a side of skinny sweet potato fries (one very small potato.  Funny thing was that his dish came with this tiny bowl of sauce and a lady accompanied the waiter to ask if my husband would like assistance in pouring this sauce over the kebab??  Why I am not sure, maybe to justify the price, anyway he said no thank you he could manage! 

Needless to say we did not stay for desert and when we got home he had a bowl of cereal, how bad is that? The food was tasty don't get me wrong but you shouldn't feel hungry after paying for a meal.

Up to now I have always maintained that yes it is a bit expensive but for special occasions we see it as a treat, today I feel a bit like we were mugged!  I think for future celebrations we may do food at home, a nice walk and a drink in a pub to finish it off and let that be it.  We have found some nice deals where you get two for one meals in the past, perhaps we should leave the over priced food to those who don't mind.  

  

I have a pan of pasta on the go now, got to fill that space! Some nice cherry tomatoes and some olives, better than anything I ate today, you live and learn don't you.

On a thriftier note I did collect five books from the library today that I ordered last week, two of which I was looking at in Waterstones last Saturday but no way was I paying £8.99 a piece for books I may have finished in a couple of days.  That is some nice quiet reading for the coming weeks. 

     

Minerva Makes

Today I have a dress featured over on the Minerva crafts Blog   it is for the scuba floral dress I made follow the link to read the full post.  You will have to scroll down a little I am the third project they have on for today.

I have since worn this to go out in as it was a little warm to wear when we were having the heatwave in the summer months.  It is ideal for now though as this fabric is quite thick, I also thought it would be good for straight skirts for the Autumn/ Winter months so why not have a look at what other scuba fabrics they have on offer.   As it is grey and damp now looking back at that picture makes me crave the summer, oh well may as well embrace the boots and tights season instead.

It was a bit of an effort getting up in the dark this morning, I read somewhere that you should make your breakfast a treat so that you have  something to look forward to.  As I generally have the same porridge most days I am not quite sure how this will work but it might be something to think about.
There is a whole movement of people getting up at 5am when they don't need to just to enjoy the peace of the morning. I had enough of that when the children were babies but it would be good to manage 6am consistently on work days just to have a bit of a chilled morning, it is generally the alarm at 6.30 making me sad so some work there is required. I find I can manage a couple of days of jumping out of bed earlier but then  I slip back. The SAD clock does not work so don't waste your money, I found it just starts to come on brightening the room  about half an hour before the alarm actually goes off and therefore steals more of your rest.

There has been a run of poor books recently so I haven't been able to get my teeth into any of them,
I started reading the sequel to The Bear and the Nightingale and it was no where near as good and I gave up about half way through, I started The Beginning of the World in the Middle of the Night, but after the first few pages I decided that was a bit disturbing and perhaps not for me so I put that down too.  This evening I will start Any Human Heart by William Boyd, it was picked up at the charity shop for 75p so wish me luck with that one. I do like to have a good book on the go and recently they have been disappointing.

Thursday Thoughts

I have one incomplete garment, two pending and a couple of repairs but hey it is the weekend for me now ( four day week ) so I will be getting on with those straight away.  There is this thing that I do where I feel I mustn't post anything until I've finished each project, of course this is not all the time but I go through phases of this.  As a result that sometimes means I have an absence of over a week, so today I am going to share what I am up to even if it shows a slovenly lack of getting on with stuff this week. (Ha, ha)

 So first up I have one dress cut out and ready to stitch dress for a Minerva post in a lovely butterfly fabric, it should be a quick sew now. That will be my job for the afternoon along with endless cups of tea.  I am thinking it may be a bit floaty now for Autumn, but still hoping a good few layers will see it through the seasons.

I have gone for this wrap dress pattern and it was one of the gifted patterns that my friend gave me.  It does actually say it is for stretch fabric but I wanted to use it so I have opted to cut a larger size and allow a little extra around the sleeves.  I hope that does the trick.

Yesterday I received my order form Minerva crafts this time I had decided to treat myself.  A nice unusual check to make a pair of trousers and a plain brown for a tie waist top to go with them, I also bought a pattern as trousers need a level of accuracy around the bottom and as these are to be smart trousers (I hope!) I will use a pattern this time round.  When I made the  mock jumpsuit here I just made my own pattern as they were slouchy trousers.

I have had my eye on that pattern for a while. In addition to those items I have a few broken zips to replace.

One thing I did complete this week was a bit of baking, I haven't done any for a while but I have decided to try one new thing a week from my various books, Vegan and Gluten Free Baking being my favourite at the moment as things tend to come out well.  I made the Vegan Ricotta cake ( not ricotta at all ,rather cashews and dates, or in my case prunes!)  This was a really soft springy sponge and as any of you that bake gluten free will know, that is not always case. It was baked in a rectangular tin then cut into portions when cool. It was gone in two days so that is a good sign.

This week my son has suggested we make the pumpkin pie, he is suddenly interested in cooking so I want to nurture that interest therefore that is what we are making.  I have to confess I have not seen a pumpkin yet and it is October, maybe I have had my eyes closed?  We will have a good look  around on Saturday. 

While on the subject of food I watched another episode of eat well for less on the laptop while doing my ironing.  I can't decide if it as all completely false or if there really are people spending those ridiculous amounts on food and not knowing!  I mean how can you not know? You are always expected to pay at the end of a shop so how can any of these couples be so clueless as they spend a week, a month or a year.  I love the idea of showing people how to get away from all the convenience foods  but some of these families are spending more on food than  some families have to get by on for a week to cover everything.  I am not sure that it is helpful for them to see others mindless spending then chuckling about it.  Sorry, having a little rant there. 

Off now to get stuff done. 

Exercise Fads are OK

 One of my current forms of exercise.

Today I am writing about something a little bit different but something that I think about quite a lot and that is our relationship with exercise, or at least my relationship with it.  I can't be sure but I would think that there are quite a few other people who probably have the same experience as me so here goes.

When I was teenager I used to swim at our local pool every week with my friend and in the summer months we would play tennis regularly in the park, not unusual at all and I'm sure many of you did the same. Along came the winter, the tennis would stop and we would ice skate every week for a number of months.  This too would eventually end as we tired of it.  In addition to this as my parents didn't own a car I always walked many miles a day and I have to say this has stayed with me through life as I have always enjoyed walking.

On leaving school and having my own money I bought myself free weights, and a workout bench along with a book on weight training for women.  This was an interest that I maintained for three years, three times a week and only took a back bench ( ha, ha) when I met my husband.

Along came our life in our own home, the weights came with us but were not used for a few years but we did enjoy other things.  Our first dog got us out walking again, a new friendship took me back to the swimming pool and to weekly badminton sessions and the exercise continued.

When my dad retired early I also had a day off in the week so on fine days we would play tennis, on wet days darts and pool ( ok that's not really exercise!)  So an interest was revisited there, my dad was very good as he was at most sports and very competitive too, I am glad we had that time together.

Later when my boys were young I  would take part in Taekwondo with my oldest son gaining a few belts.  I enjoyed it at the time as there were two other women my age there but they eventually quit and so did my son, I quit then too I didn't want to be one of the only adults there.  I suppose I could have looked for another club had the interest been strong enough but it had run it's course.( I might also mention that after the birth of my first son I began using my free weights and bench again to get back in shape this continued for a few years until I was pregnant with my second child.)

At about the time we quit Taekwondo we had started riding bikes at weekends with the children until the winter came.
Then in  our current home we were near a pool (not so close anymore as they demolished it!) so I had membership for four years and would swim two to three times a week consistently.  I enjoyed that very much for a long time but eventually felt like it was no longer giving me any joy.  I think it is ok to recognise that but I felt a bit guilty at first as I had maintained it as such a good habit.

When that ended I had to replace the activity with something so I had a few months of going out for runs with the dogs.  Maybe not such a good idea as they pull me about quite a bit but I thought it was such a waste not to exercise them at the same time.  After that first few months I began getting  a lot of pain in my ankle so decided this was maybe not the exercise for me.  I mean it is supposed to improve your well being not create more problems.

A few internet searches got me doing at home aerobics workouts, then two solid months of yoga which again I enjoyed for a while but wasn't sure it was for me.  I have eventually settled on Pilates and I have been doing that for about two years maybe, from home, using online sessions 20-30 almost every day. (free on youtube)  We are also back riding bikes at the weekends and this is something my husband and I can do together, although I don't go fast enough according to him. The walking has continued throughout my life and I can never see a time when I would not enjoy going for a long walk.

So what was the point of my long and exhaustive list of lifetime activities?  Well the point was to say that we often beat ourselves up if we haven't chosen a form of exercise and then stuck with it forever.  people join gyms doing the same repetitive thing and then wonder why they quit and feel bad about it.  I don't believe it matters what we do to keep fit as long as we do something,  Of course whatever we do we have to enjoy it or we just won't have the motivation to continue.  So I look back on my activities stopped and started over the years with a smile.  I enjoyed these things immensely for months, sometimes  years but then it was time for a change and that  is fine, no guilt required.   Who knows what I will do in the future, more of the same or something new?

In regards to all these activities above I might also add that I never spent a lot of money on any of them. We hired rackets as children, skates my parents got me second hand, swim membership was cheaper than individual sessions.  Badminton rackets we did own but used until tatty, my son later used these too and they are still upstairs in the cupboard, they were inexpensive to begin with and they certainly earned their keep.  I suppose our most expensive sport was the Taekwondo as we had the clothing, membership and insurance to pay for, other than that everything has been pretty low cost. A basic swim suit, trainers and whatever t shirt and joggers I had knocking about I have certainly never been one  for buying clothes to exercise in.  Most recently we replaced my old bike on the ride to work scheme, I will not be riding to work as I am afraid of riding on the busy road however it did provide us with a good discount off the price of the bike.

So in all I don't feel it is the fad of trying new sports then quitting that is the problem, that is just experiences and variety and we all need a bit of that.  No I think the problem is when people feel they have to look the part and have the latest expensive equipment before they can try anything, only to quit having sunk a ton of money into it.  This is not only a problem in terms of wasted money but it also cause people to feel they can't try anything else because they know what will happen and they don't want to waste more money.  That is really sad because what if you only enjoy for two months? Great you did something healthy for two months!  A lot of equipment can be hired, bought second hand or borrowed. My exercise mat cost £7 including postage and I wear whatever clothing I want as I'm at home, actually when I go on the bike I just wear my leggings and a t shirt, no specialist clothing needed.

In conclusion I think we need to get away from this whole idea that we are flaky if we try new things and then move on to something new.  It should be seen as a positive thing to experience lots of different ways to stay healthy and enjoy our lives.

Beetroot Burgers and Decluttering

Well I am going to share this recipe first of all because Mamas Mercantile asked me to share what I did with the beetroot.  I have never had it fresh before only in those little pickle salads that you buy so this was new for me.  I suppose I was a bit uncertain what to do with it being so strong (or so I thought) and vivid.   I saw this recipe but can't find the link, needless to say I changed it a bit too.
I had read I could microwave the beetroot first so that is what I did, about 8-9 minutes turning part way through, oh and I pricked it too like you would a baked spud.  It also went in a bowl as I expected it to leak a bit, it did!
While that was cooking I put one chopped red onion, two garlic cloves and a tsp of cumin in a frying pan, fried that gently then added cannellini beans.  You are supposed to add red kidney but I'm not a fan of those and they make me bloat.  After that has cooked chop the beetroot and add all ingredients to the blender with two tbsp. of porridge oats then blend, you will have to keep scraping down the sides.  When that is done scoop it out adding more porridge to bind it a bit, salt and pepper and then form in to burger shapes in the pan.  I did all of this using two big spoons to save on the red hands.
Then fry them about five minutes on each side until browned a bit.

I used one beetroot and half a can of beans and that made three burgers that size, so if you were serving them in a bread  bun that would serve three people.  I ate mine without the bread, I don't eat regular bread and my family had chicken and did not want a beetroot burger!  To be honest they were ok and not unpleasant but I'm not sure they would warrant the faffing about for me.  maybe they would have tasted better in a GF breadcake with vegan cheese and dressing on. Maybe next time or I may just try another recipe.

Today I have been trying to get back into the habit of decluttering, I started this last year after reading Marie Kondo but somehow I lost my way.  It is not that I have brought more stuff in, I just haven't been keeping up with the reducing items like I had planned.  Maybe it got harder as time passed as  the things left to sort had more meaning.  Anyway spurred on by Jo's decluttering I have managed to take two large bags to the charity shop today, some of them were books.  Since my last declutter I have managed to keep the book habit under control and usually always order from the library, or buy charity shop then all but my very favourites go back there.   There was also a dress in one of the bags that I still liked but I haven't worn it in over four years, the reason being  I wore it for an interview of a job I didn't get and every time I looked at it I just thought of that negative memory.  Silly really as I am in a better position now but as it caused that feeling it had to go.  It is a bit strange how long it took me to realise and get rid of it though, it just shows the attachment we have to things.   On the plus side I came back from the shop feeling mentally lighter having removed more things so I must hold on to that feeling and keep at it.  Being someone who sews and likes to save money always gives me that little feeling of ' oh but what if I need it to make.....' so I will have to check that internal voice.  Chances are a lot of the time I will not make anything, it will just clog up a cupboard and head space for ages

This past couple of days I have had a bit of a marathon read of this blog raptitude.com getting better at being a human  It is brilliant when you find a new blog you like and  that speaks to you in some way.  There are so many talented writers out there!  Lots of   fascinating posts on there that really get you thinking why not have a look.

Lovely Fabric

I went to collect my fabric today and I always feel it's a bit like getting a present when the fabric arrives, albeit one you have to buy for yourself.  I have a definite plan for it all this time which makes a change.  Here it is still in the bags...

The pink will be started on tomorrow as the trousers I mentioned a few days ago, not yet sure if I am using the online pattern or not.  I will decide in the morning,  the green and white will become tops and the blue a dress.

As the parcel collection place is very close to the library I had a look in there too and got a lovely surprise, the book I was uncertain about buying yesterday 'How Not to Die' was right on the shelves in front of me!  How weird is that?  It is just like it was there just for me, I have read quite a bit already and it actually is really good.  I also picked up this book...

This looks really interesting as that is my kind of sewing, I like to do things without patterns I am starting to use a few recently however as Minerva like you to use one when you blog for them and also I've noticed fellow bloggers like to compare.  Generally however I like to do things my own way so maybe I can pick up a few tips here.

Right I am off to do some pilates, if you haven't had a look at The Balanced Life with Robin Long   workouts on youtube go and have a look now. They are easy to fit in and she explains everything so well, I have been using her workouts for a long time now and she sends you updates when she adds something new like this week.

Red Casual Top and a Positivity Blip

After cutting this top out last week I left it to simmer for a while, mainly because I wanted to add something to it but couldn't decide what.  The red is a good colour with a very faint sweatshirt distressed sort of look that it is hard to see in the images, think of the effect on denim blue but this is red?  Well maybe you get what I mean, I had seen a few t-shirts about with the little triangle detail at the neck so I decided to do that, I also used some mock piping on the sleeves  half way up for interest.

 As usual I only bought a metre so it was just £4.70, I also bought some binding but ended up making my own neck edging as I wanted it a particular way. Here it was straight off the machine, I have tried it on already and didn't feel like modelling it today it is too cold to keep getting changing and I am nesh as we say here.

The pale blue that I used is a piece from one of my husbands old shirts (they do get some use) and the mock piping on the sleeves is the same.

I like the effect of the little embossed stripe being on the diagonal, I just cut my sleeves out as two pieces, sandwiched it in and then topstitched.  I think it has added a bit of something rather than just a plain sleeve.

This is prior to ironing where it has sat on the worktable all week, it has been pressed now, Sunday is my ironing day anyway.  This used to bother me but now it is an opportunity to watch TED talks or listen to documentaries while I do it, it has given it a new meaning.

The fabric on this top is nice and soft and it just pulls on easy with quite a loose feel for me, just what I need with jeans because really these are the clothes that will get the most wear.  Now I am on the lookout for more little details  that I can add to tops to make them a bit different.  There are quite a few nice ideas fro Pinterest that I have save a lot of those involve pleating in different ways so this may be my next experiment.

It has been a funny week, and not in an amusing way.  I know we all have these weeks where it feels like buzz words and new phrases,  for things that have gone wrong pop up  I am trying to remain positive, reframe situations, see them for the passing phases that they are but sometimes I do wonder about this.  Are we just constantly making the best of things, convincing ourselves that this is just the way it is and if only we had the right 'mindset' (there's one for you) we wouldn't bother with these problems

Well I think perhaps not, if we only ever framed anything in a positive light then we would never move forward with anything, we would always have a shut up and be grateful attitude.  While I am not disputing the merits of being grateful there are times when we do feel enough is enough and at those times maybe we should be exploring something else.  I came from a family where it was very apparent you should be grateful and not rock the boat, my first job was a dreadful low paid factory where I stitched machine buffers that gave off plastic smoke, I had no mask and was often coughing.  I left after three years for a bar job that I enjoyed at the time, my parents were horrified that I had left a steady position even if I hated it and it made me feel ill.  They had always worked the same job and the thought of change or taking that chance were very alien concepts to them.  My mum is very different these days and will often say no, no I wouldn't have that do something else.  It is as if in retirement she suddenly has all the answers she never did when in the workforce herself.  I suppose everything is easier when you are looking back.

 I would like to here your thoughts on positivity, reframing  and just keeping on.  Are we just burying our heads in the sand and avoiding the necessary action needed for real change, or is it the only sane way to keep going when faced with nonsense day after day?   I would love to hear any opinions you may have and I will respond to all comments.

Sewing, Charity Shop Finds and Books

I know, I know I am supposed to be decluttering but seriously there is more going out than coming in at the moment and St Lukes had everything for a pound today so we had to have a look while passing.  So glad we did too because I found a smart little jacket and a monsoon skirt (the skirt is too long for me so I will shorten it) then my husband spotted a shirt he liked.  That was our spending done so we came home, we were only there because we had been to the opticians to make an appointment and passed the shop.

It has just been washed here and I am using the mannequin to hang it on as it dries so it retains a bit of shape then I will lightly iron it, but £1! brilliant I think and looks nice with jeans.

Everything has been has been washed and is ready for an iron, I just thought I would take the pictures before they are put away otherwise it wouldn't happen. The skirt is a better shade than in the picture it is darker in reality.

Really though some of the momentum at the start of the declutter has wavered so I need to get back on that, the idea being that I only bring in things I love and use occasionally (modest purchases)    but something needs to go out when that happens.  If I stick to that rule it should create some order and a habit I can stick to, in the  future adding good habits is something to work towards I think.  Is it just me or do we focus too much on trying to break bad habits rather than trying to acquire good ones?

Recently I mentioned I was reading the Essex Serpent, I really loved it.  There was a good assortment of characters and I really felt you got to know each of them, also the questions raised and the conversations between the Reverend and Cora the naturalist were fascinating.

It may not be for everyone but if you like historical fiction and books that focus on ideas and relationships between people this may be for you.  I will not go into it too much as I feel some stories are best left to unfold as they go.

Last week I read The Silent Companions, this was another good read but at the start I felt it was a bit silly.  It was just one of those you  just have to get into, maybe not on the same level as The Essex Serpent but entertaining, more the type of book to read curled up by a lamp while it's raining and just going dark.  A really interesting cover too, I know you can't judge a book and all that but I do enjoy good cover art. All of the books mentioned here are from the library so I have to admire them then return them.

Slightly spooky but not the kind of thing to give you nightmares, I really have no interest in reading anything that is going to unsettle you to the point of keeping you awake, do we really need that? With all the horror that goes on in the world and I want books that entertain, educate or lift my spirits, not scare me half to death!

At the moment I am reading The Ice by Laline Paul, it has an environmental edge too it, only just started this one so we will see how it goes.  There was another book picked up and discarded this week among my selection from the library, it was a crime thriller but I just knew after forty pages I didn't like the style of writing and reading for pleasure is not meant to be an endurance test so I put it down.  I will not say who it was by here as it may be someone's favourite author.

Yesterday I got a red top cut out and ready to sew, it is on the sewing table as I write this but I am undecided whether to leave it plain or add detail at the neck and maybe a pocket.

Writing this post is my thinking time (procrastination time?) I don't know but sometimes I feel if I add too much faff to a garment it spoils the look but then if I leave it too plain it will be just like any off the shelf top you could buy.  If you are like me you probably like your handmade items to look a bit different.

On a different theme we had some new visitors to the garden last week.

These fieldfare arrived on the front garden of my neighbour, stripped a bush of berries then flew around the back. Here they are perched on a hawthorn before disappearing again,  I had to get a book and look them up, my husband and I were in the window with a camera each trying to get a photo.  Sorry this was the best we could manage, but here below is an image from the internet of one close up.

So that's a bit of my week hope you are having a good one.

There are a few weird formatting issues going on above, sorry about that but no matter what I did I couldn't get it to line up properly on a few paragraphs!

Story Bags

Well I found a use for the printed fabric from the weekend, while I was at work yesterday I had just printed off some images for the children to work with to create silly stories and thought these need to be in little bags.  It just so happened there was enough fabric to make them and one is a bit bigger than the rest but that is ok, I wasn't aiming for perfection with these it was a quick sew up last night so that I could use them today.  The ribbon for the tops came with a throw a while ago, you tend to get a long piece of ribbon around throws, so they are completely recycled and the words I just wrote on an old piece of curtain fabric with a sharpie to make a label.

The children enjoyed using them, so that's good and they can't peek in the bag so it makes their selection more random than just putting the cards on the floor.  I have done similar things before so I must remember for future that even just adding little  bags makes the activity more exciting for some reason?

Yesterday I had another quick blitz in the wardrobe and now have thirty five items for charity shop and six in the bin, it doesn't look that different but I do have some spare hangers now.  How is it even possible to accumulate all this and not notice?  I do have an odd attachment to things at times I feel.

There is a dress in the bag now that I bought from a charity shop about two years ago it has never been worn, I do like it but it's way too dressy so why leave it sitting there when someone else could be wearing it, someone with a more formal life or just has reasons to dress up more often.  I thought it would be nice for a wedding but everyone I know is married or separated and in no rush to repeat, my friend got married four years ago the was the last wedding I went to, before that it was fourteen years!

  So yes I am working hard on this, I read that you shouldn't hold onto things for fear of the future. Well fellow dressmakers you will know it is not fear of the future that makes us hold on but the idea that should you get rid of something the very next week you will have an amazing idea about what you could have made with it.

I have also got things that I have made myself, bags and so on.  Even if I don't use them it seems to be harder.  Here it is not money spent but hours put in and even though the time is long gone there is that silent tug.  It seems more ridiculous now that I put it into words so there is some free therapy right there.

Another go at Fabric Printing

So here we are in February and I haven't got anything much to report on the sewing front again, just the usual repairs I always think they don't make for very interesting sharing unless it's a makeover of something or a how to.  This week we all have the cold again! We only had it just under two weeks ago so I will be really happy when the cold season is over.

I have finished another Margaret Atwood book 'Hagseed' and that makes three of hers in a row so I think I am going to go for something different now and come back to her as an author later. Also in books I have read and used The Complete Pilates Tutor' from the library and that book is amazing it gives really detailed information on the anatomy and various postural problems with workouts for correcting them,  really good if you are interested in this and like to try these things out at home.  I did try to buy a copy of this but it was not in stock at quite a few places and used it was coming up at £30! I am not paying that for a used book, so after reading a few reviews I found this one...

I am so pleased with this, it was 60p plus £2.80 postage and when it came it looked brand new, it is colour coded from beginner to advanced and again gives lots of background information.  The reason I wanted to own a book on this subject is because it is fine to get novels from the library but I couldn't digest and recall all the information I got from this book in a couple of weeks. Also there are so many detailed illustrations of the exercises so the  best thing to do was find a used one.

We did manage to get out yesterday for some food to celebrate my mum's birthday, everyone enjoyed that, mine was not great to be honest but I didn't let on as I didn't want to moan.  It was a chickpea curry, I make that all the time at home and it is lovely and so easy, what is it with these kitchens when faced with a meatless dish they have to serve up some crap! Sorry but I really don't get it.  It was our treat so as I said I didn't say anything because I wouldn't want my mum embarrassed she is of the old school grin and bear it even if your paying for it so I did. :(

When we got back I decided I wanted to make something but I didn't know what, my husband has put two shirts aside as they are no longer brilliant white and given them to me for buttons etc.  I decided I would do some printing with a pot of red fabric paint I had and a potato (Ha) I have done this before.  He said very primary school, well yes but it works.  I cut my shape and I was happy with it, I had resized the shirt pieces thinking I would make a little top so spent ages repainting the spud, and printing all the pieces ( you can' t just dip it as it isn't even) then when I looked at them hung up I don't think I like it.  Some of the shapes are a little irregular now that is to be expected but it is the shape and colour, I was looking at them and thought urgh, it looks like a chicken has wandered through some blood.  Now is that me being weird? but it put me right off it.

So now they are sat on sewing table and I'm thinking what am I going to do with those, is there any point making it up into a garment if I'm not sure. Also an hour or so when I could have been making something else. Oh well you have to try these things I suppose.

I still have my zebra fabric to make up but don't want to cut into to it until I'm sure, there is still that nagging feeling that a lot of what is currently in my wardrobe is not getting much wear so I am trying to be more careful what I spend my time making rather than just diving in.  Unfortunately this can result in a stale mate while I ponder what to do.

On Friday I managed to take nine items to the charity shop, this is something I need to get back into this year.  Having a bit of a sort through things that just accumulate, I am sure there are plenty of things in the boys cupboards from when they were younger and I have a way to go too.  I can be pretty good at leaving the charity shop with items so I have to make sure there is more going in there  than coming out.  That can be my challenge I am not allowed to leave with anything unless I have taken a few things in.  I did try about a year ago getting rid of an item a day, but you soon forget and can also cheat if you think about it as you could just be taking out a pencil or something trivial. It seems to work better for me if I do it in chunks at a weekend then I can see a full bag of items I no longer use leaving the house, and hopefully being put to use by someone else.

It will soon be half term and I have a lot of decorating to do so I am hoping I can get on top the decluttering mission, it is difficult when other people keep buying items in boxes and saying don't throw that out I may sell it on later and need the box. That is oldest son who has boxes breeding in his wardrobe.  I will keep trying though.

Practical Sewing and Secret Makes

This week has seen another batch of alterations, with a few more in the coming weeks.  Shortening pyjamas for my mum, a ripped seam, darned socks and replacement zips.  I also have a zip for a coat in the coming week and some curtains to shorten. I did do some sewing on Friday in the form of a new dress for our Christmas night out, I can't share that right now  though as the post was for Minerva fabrics.  I did however make an infinity scarf with the piece that was left...

I will share the link to the dress in the future if they decide to use it.

It is that time of year when there is lots going on and you try to fit in seeing everyone, going out and getting presents and cards delivered.  We don't go the whole way and buy for everyone, we decided as a family years ago we would just buy for the children of the family and there are a few friends but that is all.  It has taken all the stress out of it, one of my friends told me they always do theatre or other nights out as their present as they never know what to get.  

I put my tree up today, a little later than I usually do and had a nice meal and a catch up with my friends. The tree could probably use some new tinsel I have been getting out these same decorations for years now but on the whole the rest are ok.

  I also got out my Christmas handbag...

Blurry picture I know, my camera doesn't do dark nights.

So feeling a bit festive and I'm sure that will only increase as the week goes on at School, I still have the rest of my cards to write and none of the children's presents are wrapped but being older there are not lots of little bits.  

We went into town yesterday as well and I got the fabric to make my Christmas jumper, well mine will be more of a Christmas top but I would have been uncomfortable in a big thick jumper all day.  I will share later in the week when that is finished.  It is not needed until a week on Wednesday, we are finishing close to the big day this year. 

Hope the snow is not too disruptive wherever you are, it is lovely to see but soon becomes a pain when you need to get to work.  Have a lovely week. 

Catch up and Autumn Fabric

This last few weeks have gone by so quickly I only just noticed it has been so long since I posted anything!  The greenhouse is coming along nicely, it has had its first coat of stain and we need to order the glass so not long now.  I am saving all the images of the process until it is complete then I will share.

I have bought some fabric, both pieces are black so will see me through Autumn/Winter here they are...

The spotty fabric is a jersey and the one with the birds is a chiffon but a bit thicker than usual.
I must make them up this weekend as all I have been doing this few weeks is the odd alteration for other people and making some chinos into to shorts for my oldest son.  An odd time of year to do this I know but he has just been on  holiday abroad without us, he went with two friends and is back now safe and well.  He is all grown up but we still worry don't we?

There are quite a few things saved on my make it list on pinterest including little felt birds so that may be something I can do on the sofa, with  the darker nights coming and I feel like I need a few projects that can be accomplished by hand rather than at the sewing machine all the time.  With the fabric above I have in mind something like this...

I also really like this below but would need to source some non itchy lace for a large area of sleeve.

The above image is from the next website, I could always copy the style and shape but do it all in one fabric?  This is what takes me a long time, making up my mind, the sewing never takes that long.  I know lots of people have in mind what they want to make, go out and buy the fabric and that is it sorted.  I tend to go to the fabric shop or look online, browse for ages then buy whatever grabs my attention and isn't too expensive and then wonder what to do with it.  The problem with this is I sometimes don't have enough fabric when inspiration strikes.

We have been watching more Walter presents dramas recently, Eye Witness was very good, as was Acquitted and we are currently watching Black Lake.  The Scandinavian dramas seem to be my favourite right now and very well done.  Right I'm off to cut out some fabric and see where it leads. 

Just Gardening

Today has been mainly a case of getting on with the garden, we go through phases I think where we believe we are on top of it and then we leave it for a while and there is nothing in the pots and the weeds creep in.  So while we have it fairly low maintenance anyway it was time to put a bit of colour in, and pull a few more of those weeds.  Hottest day I think so not the easiest task but there will always be an excuse so we got on and did a bit, there is still a lot of topsoil needed for a bed down the side but that was not something to be bought at the local garden centre.  It can be bought cheaper and delivered in a larger quantity I think.

We didn't go too mad, we bought a couple of dahlias yesterday and another today and a few packs of bedding plants at 3 for £6.  It has made the front of the house look a bit brighter and filled a couple of pots on the back, I still need to do the hanging basket, there are plants left for this but we decided the actual basket had seen better days so we need o source another in the next couple of days.

A few on the front

A dahlia for each side of the door, I already had all the pots.

There is actually a grape vine in this pot that never has any grapes.

Amazing what a difference a few flowers can make but of course the sun is also shining and that always puts a better light on everything too.

I have started to re-read The Miracle Morning which I originally read and said it wasn't very good but now it feels altogether different, funny how that happens sometimes and the saying goes you are not who you were a year ago so this time around I am getting something from it. It does make me wonder about all those books that have gone to the charity shop though because I thought they were rubbish, maybe if I had held on to them  I would have enjoyed them at a later date.

That last thought however brings me on to something I was thinking about earlier in relation to clutter. The bottom of my wardrobe seems to have got out of control and I was tidying it and adding the shoe racks when I thought 'what happened to getting rid of an item a day?'  Now that was something I started a while ago as a war on stuff but it has somehow been neglected, so I am beginning again to remove one item a day (it doesn't matter how small) of useless stuff from my life.

A Fab School Trip

Today I had the treat of accompanying Y6 on their trip to Crucial Crew in Rotherham. This was a really interesting day out and I am sure the children got lots out of it, I had heard about it as both of my children had been on the trip in Y6 but as I mainly work with younger children I had never been myself.

If you are not familiar with this, the whole place is set up like a film set so that the children can experience and learn about different personal safety situations in a lifelike setting.  A lot of the staff are volunteers but some are employees of the fire service, police and St John ambulance etc.  I felt it gave them a taste of what could happen in a way that we couldn't in school. Anyway this may not be of interest to everyone but I just thought I would share as education often gets a bad rap and we fail to celebrate all the wonderful work that goes on. Thank you to all the staff and volunteers at the Lifewise Centre Rotherham

Dinner today was very simple just some veggie roll things for me with a baked potato and beans and fish for my husband and younger son. The thing is I really enjoyed it, so I spend all this time trying to find new recipes and faffing about in the kitchen and the thing I enjoy the most all week is just the easiest, throw in the oven meal.

That is my working week done for this week and I really can't explain what a difference it has made to have Friday off.  Of course it  reduced my income but as I watch what I spend this has not made big difference.  Everyone lives to their means so you naturally make adjustments as your circumstances change, the only difference being I chose to reduce my hours.  

We are not all the same and I know some people recoil at the thought of buying second hand, DIY, home cooking and sewing their own clothes but for many these pursuits are not only money savers but also hobbies.  Time is precious and I don't think you can buy peace, so if you ae feeling overwhelmed have a look at where you can cut costs it might just save you a day a week.

Bits and Pieces

A few random bits today grouped under one heading, the first being the pieces of my dress that I am in the middle of making.  I did mention that I needed tops and that is still the case but the piece of fabric was big enough for a dress so it seemed a waste not to make one and have a big bit left over.

I still have unused patterns left from the sewing magazines that I got at Christmas but as I didn't like one of the patterns I tried I have just returned to cutting around my own clothing.  This always seems to work for me and the fit is much better with my try as I go approach.

Now this is the fabric that changes colour in different lighting, I have decided to do an elastic waist which will then have a belt worn over it and small sleeves, I am undecided at this point whether to line the dress or not.

Last week I decided to buy Vegan Food and Living magazine, I am not a fan of magazines in general as they are usually full of advertisements and  a bit of a waste of money.  The only reason I requested a couple at Christmas was because they contained free patterns so I had been debating with myself if it would be worth the five pounds to buy one about food.

Well I bit the bullet and it has been quite an interesting read  but sadly the first recipe I tried did not go down well.  My husband politely ate it but told me after it was bland, I felt the same to be honest and youngest son just said this is horrible.  Oh dear! 

It was three bean paella and did look promising in the photo and ingredients but I hate it when that happens as you feel like you have wasted time and money, I ate all that was on my plate I mean it was healthy if not that tasty but with so many flavours in there I am baffled as  how it could taste so dull.   I took left overs the next day to work not being one to waste food but it tasted even worse and did end up in the bin.  Here is the magazine photo...

Now I probably won't try everything in the magazine but I have decided to at least try one new recipe a week from it for the next few weeks, I will keep you posted and won't let this little mishap put me off.

The magazine did have some interesting reading and not that many ads so I was pleasantly surprised at that but I won't be buying every month as I don't think it is necessary, they do have interesting content on their website.

I find it quite amusing that the Buda bowls on the front cover are considered a recipe, surely that is just arranging different foods in a bowl? 

At the moment I am still reading this book...

It is good but it is one of those that seem to take forever and I had promised myself I would read more by authors of some depth, the thing is I can't just whip through them and I tend to stop and think for a while, or sometimes think 'what?' as there are some strange goings on.

Also getting a repeat read through was this little book...

Very short but such a lot of wisdom, I know the message so well but just need a reminder from time to time, we are what we think.

Today has been a beautiful day and I have had a lovely walk with the dogs when I got in from work, early finish today out on a school trip all day tomorrow.  There was also a bit of sitting outside with a cup of tea what a difference the sun can make.