Me Made May 2020

Day one of me made May and it was harder than I thought to get started as I stared into my wardrobe wondering what to wear.  The problem being the weather, the reason that is a problem is that we are at that funny in between stage here in the UK where some days it is warm and other really cold.  I had decided that during the month of May I will try to wear something different each day rather than reaching for the trusty jeans and a handmade top whenever I am home.  The thing is I make a lot of dresses and today is not a bare leg day! Especially when out dog walking, so I was pondering the clothes in the wardrobe and thinking what days I am at work, what if it rains and so on.  I know I am over thinking it but I thought as this is the first year I have done this I will make a good effort, my wardrobe is packed with handmade clothes but I do favour the summer months.

So today I have opted for my grey jersey t-shirt, self drafted pattern with a ruched v neck (made quite recently) with a skirt I made a few years ago also own pattern but this time using the Sew What Skirts book.  I have mentioned this book before as it is fabulous and have used this for a few of my skirts.

Here I am wearing this with tights but due to the length of this skirt I prefer to wear this one with tights anyway.   It is a lined skirt and as it is fitted and made from cotton I do tend to get a crease across the front when I have been sat, small problem as creases are mainly unavoidable.  The sun was out earlier but it has now gone in so I have grabbed a hoody now (not handmade but years old!) to wear over my t shirt while out dog walking.

From the book I used instructions for straight skirt with fitted waist, added darts and belt loops.  As I have had this a number of years now I tend to be able to do it without the book, make my own modifications, darts and details etc.  If you haven't heard of it, it is well  worth a look.

Yesterday I made another bag, I tend to have a little run of making these when I am home.  This time I made my own patchwork design on both sides of the bag so this one took quite some time to complete. You can see my shop here

There has been more baking and my son asked me the other day why I was making more when the last cake hadn't been finished (er... I have lots of time;) well it didn't matter as it was all gone pretty quick.  I made the recipe for  gf vegan ricotta cake but I didn't have the correct size tin so I just used fairy cake cases and that worked out fine, I think they would have risen more with more space but my mixture was pretty much up to the top.  Still they were light and fluffy which is not always easy with GF vegan baking. 

We have already been at them here as I made twelve, so yes another good little cake recipe from Vegan and Gluten- Free Baking. I think I only paid five pound for that book a few years ago and everything I have made has come out well. 

That is all for today, on the days my clothes are made from patterns I will of course include the details but I have quite a few items where I have just made my own patterns.  I think I have used more patterns since posting for Minerva as people need to have something to work from if they want to recreate what you are showing.

Take care. 

Making and Doing

Well another week passed and we have sort of settled into a routine here, my husband and oldest son are working from home again this week and they seem to be getting on fine this way.  A lot of what they do is on the computer or the phone so I suppose that sort of work is more suited to home working.  My husband was based in the office for the last two weeks as they are alternating the number of people actually in one place at a time, a sensible way to do it and that way it varies who gets to work from home.

I have been varying what I do during the day and also where I do it, having a change of room can be helpful I feel and that is why I never understand why my youngest lives in his bedroom. I know I was that age once and I'm sure I did the same but I at least went out in the garden.  The weather has helped and I have been busy planting more flowers, weeding and watering.  Yesterday  I treated the newly cleaned deck with a coat of protective oil so that was a couple of hours work.  It needs another coat but it won't be today as it looks like rain.   The lettuces I planted are just starting to come up and all kinds of flowers, I keep going into to the greenhouse for a peep and I am sure they are coming up by the hour just now.

My sewing scraps are greatly reduced but this is making me even more inventive with my bag making, I had a woven throw my friend passed on to me some time ago so  some of that has morphed into a bag.  Also I turned my sons chinos into knee length shorts last year for his holiday and saved the legs, these have also been repurposed into a bag and I really like they way the teal colour goes with the mustard scraps from one of my handmade skirts.

Just small pieces pattern fabric as that is all that is left of that.

I thought I would applique the birds to the pocket to bring it together a bit.

My daily walk is more appreciated than ever and fortunately we have had lots of sunlight to do it  in, I decided  to take a few photos the other day as the light was so beautiful in the park but a couple kept stopping about ten meters behind me so I had to carry on as I didn't want to hold them up. So I went a different way so that I wouldn't have to rush on and they stopped and changed direction and still came the same way!   How very odd, we wouldn't normally notice these things I suppose but with the social distancing we are all very aware that we don't want to get in each others way.  I did manage to snap a few so here they are...

Getting these three to sit down and pose is near impossible so I had to be very quick.

This week I changed my supermarket shopping day, I have been doing it Mondays while I have not been at work but after a fifty minute wait in the queue last week I thought I'd have a change.  It worked as the queue was moving along the whole time so I was only in it less than ten minutes, so Sunday morning first thing from now on. While I am on the subject of shopping I  had got into the habit of buying us these individual vegan pasties, not very cost effective at all but they were well received so I sort of got in a rut of getting them.  So this week I said no this is ridiculous as I make everything else I will make some, even with ready roll pastry it is much cheaper.  Yes I can make the pastry but this way it still keeps it a reasonably quick meal and you can get gluten free ready roll too.

It is a shame that the regular ready roll is £1 and the GF is £2 but that is the case with all free  from foods.  I used a whole pack of ready roll pastry and it made four pasties, but mine are not very pasty shaped more of a rectangle with a lid so little pies, but they tasted good.  Here is the breakdown if you are interested.

Lentil and Mushroom Pie

ingredients

one onion   20p

one can lentils in water  400g ( I like napolina)  60p

one pack mushrooms   70p

one knorr herb infusion stock pot   25p  (these are a £1 on offer at the moment)

one pack ready roll pastry  £1  (£2 if gf supermarket own)

oil

Method

Fry the onion in the pan until soft, add the mushrooms let these cook a little then add the stock pot and lentils.  Stir so it all heats together for a few minutes, arrange half of the pastry on a baking sheet and score either as a large piece or four small pies.  Score around the edge about a cm in then add your filling to here.  You won't need all of the filling you will have a little left to eat with a baked potato another day. Then arrange the tops of the pastry, cook in the oven but check your pastry pack for timings as they vary mine was about twenty minutes on a medium heat.

Here is one that was left, as youngest son doesn't like lentils.  I am no food photographer but they were really tasty and the verdict was better than the overpriced ones I have been buying.  So that is £2.75 for four pies or £3.75 for the GF ones.  Now the vegan pasties were £1.80  each so a big saving making your own and depending on the cost of your other ingredients/where you shop/if you make your own pastry etc it would be lower cost still.  So let me know if you try it and what you think.

That is all from me for now, back soon. 

  

The Sophia Skirt and Another Cushion

Hello I hope you are all well. That is an odd title I have chosen isn't it but I do find that when I am looking back sometimes I can't find old posts because I have given them obscure titles this one on the  other hand reminds me exactly want I have posted about.  So I have made the Sophia Skirt from the Simple Sew pattern this week and the pattern is really easy as the name suggests.  Now I do make a skirt pattern free very similar to this style so it was interesting to see how this version came together.  Very easy so if you want a loose skirt with pockets this is worth a try.  I'll leave it at that for now as the fabric is from minerva and they will have a more detailed post.

There are pleats either side front and back, pockets and a centre back zip.  The fabric I used here is quite heavy and has a bit of stretch, that is not needed for the pattern and this time of year would certainly be better in something light and drapey. I will save mine for colder days.

There is fabric left so I will probably make the top too.

Next up I made another scrap busting cushion for my bedroom to go with the one I made last week. I have tried to keep similar colourways so the two would tie together and fortunately I did have a bit of lemon cotton left so that pulled it in I think.

Now the fabric with the blue little waves on was a bit of shirt I ha a go at fabric painting on ages ago, I never used it  but saved it.  See these things do come in handy eventually.

So as you can see  they are different but similar and I like variety of fabrics among them and yes Jo there is some of the floral fabric you gave me in one plus bits from different dresses, pillow cases and a shirt.  It is like they tell a story and that is something you just don't get with shop bought items.  I am very happy with them and feel they are well worth the time they take.

As I have both sons at home during the day I made us a really nice soup, I thought I would share it here in case you want to try it.  You get a good sized portion each for four and it is thicker and no doubt healthier than a can, oh cheaper too of course.

Lentil, Carrot and Apple Soup

ingredients

3 large carrots 

1 onion

1 apple

1 potato

I stock cube

1 cup red lentils

2 tsp mixed herbs

1 tbsp tomato puree

water

A little soya milk

Method

Steam the carrots and potato until soft, cook the lentils in the water.  While they are cooking chop the onion and apple and fry in a pan. Once everything is soft add to the food processor with the tomato puree, stock, herbs and water.  The amount of water you add depends on how thick you like your soup, just add a little at a time.  When it is the desired consistency you can return to the pan or store for later.   When heating in the pan stir in a little soya milk as this gives it a creamier taste. Everyone enjoyed it so I hope you will give it a go.

While blog reading and browsing a few days ago I made the pledge for me made May, now this is not difficult as just about all of my clothes are me made anyway.  What I was wondering was do I post an image every day or do we save them all up and share once a week?  What is everyone else doing?  I have seen this in the past but never shared for the month, any tips would be appreciated.

 That is all for now, have a good week everyone and stay safe.