Thinking Frugally

 Hello I hope you are all well and having a good week, I have had a busy day so far despite it being my day off and I have been thinking about how I use my time and also how I intend to use it in the future to enjoy it and also to spend less. 

 Now I am not a big spender and I have never been one of those, I left school at sixteen and although I have always worked I have never been a big earner.  However I think because of this I have always been very good at making my money go far and in many ways this is better than earning a lot as people can fall into that trap of always thinking that they have to impress or have the latest things.

I am thinking about this more this week due to a few things that are going on, now I cut my hours a few years ago so I don't work Fridays anymore and for the most part I do like my job, however there are times when things change and it does get you thinking.  Being an employee means that another person can change your job at the drop of a hat, or they can affect what you do, how you do it or just bring some negativity to your day that is completely out of your control.  Now I am fine currently but I have a couple of friends and colleagues that are going through something like this right now.  People get you in their sights for some reason and decide that is it.  

So all this has got me thinking more about independence and how we use our time and money, I have always tried to do as much of what I can myself, pay off anything and keep costs low so that if ever I did feel the need to stop what I am doing I will have the choice to do so.  I cut and colour my own hair and cut all my family's hair, make my own clothes, decorate, cook and pretty much DIY whatever I can and may husband does all the things I can't do.  

I am always busy and have a lot of hobbies all of which are low cost and in many ways save  me money, I have no desire to work long hours to buy over priced stuff to impress other people. There are times when people seem shocked that I don't want to work full time anymore (I did from age 16 until a few years ago) and how I can afford that.  It is that I spend so little and that is all there is to it, my hobbies create rather than consume and I think if you can switch your thinking around to that then you are on to something.  Our big purchase of the last few years was a used caravan but we intend to holiday in that for years to come so it was a means to an end and not just an object.

This morning I made some GF bread just a small loaf as it was an experiment, it was along the lines of soda bread and had no yeast.  I buy Schar and it does go right through me to pay so much for it, the loaf is tiny, often has a large air hole running through the already tiny slices and sometimes like this last week it tastes dry!  I do not want to pay £2.49 for a dry tiny loaf, so I am either going to master this now or just go without.  My little loaf was pretty good, I have a few slices, I just used half and half gram flour, plain gf flour, flaxseed in water, soy yogurt, soy milk and baking powder. There is no point making a big loaf as they don't keep and only me eating it anyway.

I then did some sewing and made a bag for my Etsy shop with supplies I already have in...

I really enjoy making these, it is relaxing and any I don't sell will either be used  me or gifted I don't want this to become a chore. I sometimes read articles or listen to podcasts that suggest I should do all kinds of things to get my Etsy store noticed and I think no, it will stop being something I love if I go down that route.  I have a little splurge on making them every now and then if I have given a few away for birthdays and sold a couple but other than that it is when I want.

Shortly I will be waking my dogs and when I get back doing some pilates from workouts on you tube.  I don't go to the gym as it is not for me and I know a lot of people love it and that's great if you do and also worth your money if you enjoy it.  I like the freedom to exercise when I want for free and also to be able to do it wearing whatever I want so no need for fancy leggings.  I did have a swim membership for a number of years that was well used but shortly before our local pool closed it had started to get very busy and the crowding  made it less enjoyable.  I didn't really want to go and have to struggle to swim across the pool without getting kicked in the face.  There seemed to be a few people who swam there who thought they didn't need to look where they were going and would crash straight into you head down and then look at you like you were in the wrong! Not a relaxing experience plus it had fell into disrepair so the changing rooms were a bit smelly a times.

 We also have bikes that we go out on together whenever the weather is good at the weekend so this is a day out when we do that, we have found some really lovely routes all direct form out house and you certainly see more from a bike.  

I am still reading Tidelands that I bought form the charity shop for 75p but I get most of my books from the library.  I enjoy reading both online in the form of blogs and books fiction and non-fiction.  Most of what I do costs nothing or very little, our biggest expense is meals out with friends very occasionally.  We have had two quite recently due to a family birthday and seeing some family properly for the first time this last year!  So those things I will happily pay for.

My garden has been keeping me busy too and I have passed on a few plants, I have so many plants from the seed collecting that I did last autumn that it is again mainly free.

I did buy the alliums last autumn with a discount from Farmer Gracie, I do have a lot of things that just look leafy at the moment but I remember from last year they all start flowering so I have to be patient.  The big alliums have gone over now but the other varieties are blooming.  I am not a great gardener just someone who enjoys trying I have to keep checking things on my plant app because I am not always sure what things are but if you like what is growing then keep it, that is what I think.

Well that is all for today, hope that wasn't too much of a ramble for you. Back soon. 

Summer Sewing

 Hello, there has been a bit of summer sewing this week, make those summer clothes and wear them quick while the sun is shining that is what I say. Well we have had a couple of meals out so a reason to get dressed up right there, disappointingly the food has not been good both times.  You try and do your bit to boost the local economy and then feel like it was a bit of a waste when the food is terrible. It is not cheap to eat out it is a treat so that was a shame.

Anyway it is done now so onto the sewing so the first item I made for a minerva post so the fabric was gifted to me.   It is Art Gallery Fabrics damask in coral.  If you want to  have a look at the full post have a look on the minerva site.  The colours are a bit different to what I usually go for as I didn't think I could wear a light pink, this one is just on the side of coral so a bit better I think.

The fit of this pattern worked out really well and I like the shape of the dress  It is called the Sienna dress and you can also make it sleeveless, the pattern was passed onto me from a friend some time ago, she got it with a magazine and it wasn't her style so a free dress all round!

It did feel a little dressed up to go to a pub for meal but when else are we supposed to wear all these lovely clothes we make? I think these days most people go out in jeans so some of us are always going to feel overdressed but as a dressmaker I want to wear mine.  Does anyone else feel the same?

One of the other dresses I wore for a birthday celebration night out for a family member is going to be in a content video for minerva so I will not share that.  I did finish this purple blouse that I partially shared a few weeks ago, I have not worn it yet though.

So this was the one where I played around with an existing pattern a little bit, I don't personally think we need new patterns for every style of top most can be made from just one good fitting one.  I have all those burda magazines now from that year subscription and I can look through them and think that there are pretty much the same patterns in almost all of them with just a little twist.  

I am lucky that I have had quite a few patterns passed onto to me so that I can play around with them and there is always the case that other people like to see something made form a pattern as they might not have the confidence to make clothes without.

How do you fall on this subject? Would you rather work with a pattern, make your own or have a go at hacking a few staple ones?  It would be interesting to know.

 I often see a lot of clothes  on instagram  where people are buying the latest indie patterns and it might be something as  basic as a t-shirt and they are twenty pounds a pattern!  That is not cheap if you are just starting out and learning to sew, in the beginning you need to keep costs low I think so you can experiment and make mistakes.  You don't want expensive patterns and fabric to practice on, maybe go and have a look in the charity shops for patterns you may have to look in a few over a few weeks and ask the ladies at the counter tooo if they have any in the back.  Ask friends, I know I passed a couple of easy ones onto a lady at work who has just started sewing  and a few years ago I was showing someone at lunch time how to make a dress. (over a few days of course!)

Sewing can be made into a very expensive hobby when years ago it was something people did to keep costs low, you can still do it on the cheap now but I suppose it is just a case of not getting sucked into buying all the latest trends.  

We were suppose to be away in the caravan this weekend but that hasn't happened because our electric

packed up after the van had had a wash!  You know like when you wash the car and then it won't start well it was a bit like that.  Some part has gone in a unit so we have had to take it to try and be fixed, I hope it can be repaired or it will be more expensive to replace the whole thing.  I think they make things now so it is very difficult to repair them, years ago people could replace parts on things but now every thing is sealed inside so you can't get at it. Even taking a picture to send the electrician was tricky as the unit was sealed, our neighbor came and helped as he is a gas fitter but also does some electrics and he got inside so we could take the images. It feels as though everything is set up to throw away and not repair, so sad. 

So as we couldn't get way in that we went to North Yorkshire yesterday for the day to see some family who have just bought a static caravan up there.  It is near Leybourne, we had a good walk and a potter around the village so all was not lost.  We also had a walk over to the caravan site that we will be staying on later in the year and it look like a really nice one.  The lady who owns it came out and had a chat with us so I am looking forward to that providing our van is fixed.   The sun made an appearance a few times but it was mostly overcast that didn't matter though as it stayed dry.

Well I hope you are all having a good week, back soon. 

 

10 Reasons to Holiday in the UK

 Hello everyone I hope you are having good week, I thought I would post a little about UK travel (or a staycation as some like to call it) as there has been so much talk about it recently and also we are just now starting to get out and about on our own travels. I think sometimes people feel that it is not exciting enough or that they are missing out somehow and that is a shame as there is so much to see and so many benefits.

I have heard a little of this talk myself this week hearing people complain about how dreadful it will be if they can't get abroad and have a proper holiday, I know this is how some people feel and a very recent way of looking at holidays I think as years ago travel abroad was not the norm.  Somehow the idea of a holiday has become linked with travel to another country and anything different from this can be viewed as a compromise.

So I  have a list of my reasons why I think a holiday in the UK is something you should embrace and I am going to start off with a an image of me sitting outside our caravan last weekend.

1. It is so much more accessible, in terms of getting around, cost and being available as an option to more people. I will get to each thing in turn in a minute but if you just stop and think about what is involved in travel  to another country there are a whole list of things that need to be in place before you even set off.  That involves passports and other documentation depending on where you are travelling, foreign currency, holiday insurance in case you are taken ill or are the victim  of a crime while away or extra vaccinations depending on what part of the world you are visiting.  It all adds up to quite a bit of paperwork and expense. A holiday in the UK can be affordable for many people as there are so many options from renting a caravan, pitching a tent sorting a house share, bed and breakfasts and hotels if you want something more fancy. You can be away in a hour if you stay close to home, hop on a bus, train or take the car if you drive and there is no hidden expense. 
2. The expense, I think we can all agree that holiday in the UK can also be very expensive depending on what you book but if we are being conscious of the cost it is so much much affordable to holiday closer to home.  There are of course all the factors listed above that will not be required and will therefore save you a lot of money. That is a big saving before you even choose where you want to travel to and also a part of the holiday cost that is a little hidden and that people just forget about. Your transfers to and from the airport, this may be parking for a week or two or getting a taxi, this may happen at both ends of your journey and can sometimes be very expensive when you arrive. The cost of eating while travelling and once you are away, again this may be dependent on what form of accommodation you chose but food can be expensive if you have not rented a space with cooking facilities. Losses on currency exchange I know a lot of people pay on cards these days but differences in rates can still have an influence on how much things cost while you are away and whether or not you get good value out of your holiday.  If you stay in the UK the travel alone can be so much more affordable, knowing your own surroundings means you can self cater and know how to shop if you need to stick to a budget while away. You can buy or borrow a tent to make it super affordable or look into house swapping.  If you want more luxury a good hotel in the UK will still all expenses considered still work out cheaper than more basic accommodation abroad if you take out all the other hidden costs I mentioned. 
3. Timings, now this can be anything from when you are able to travel to how long it takes to get there. So if we begin with travel to your destination just a short flight is made into a longer journey when you factor to in transport to the airport, check in times at the airport, waiting for your baggage at the other end.  Then you have transfer times to your holiday destination (these can be quite a journey as well depending how far from the nearest airport you are) then check in and settling in.  This alone can leave people tired when they arrive but most people just accept this as part of their holiday. The other timing issue I find is when you can travel, holidays abroad are very much dependent on flight times and ferry times etc. This again largely depends on where you are going but it often needs a fair bit of planning ahead.  When you travel in the UK I find you have so much more flexibility in when you go, if you are staying in a rented house this is usually still Friday or Saturday change over but when you set off from home is in your power.  You usually roughly know the travel time and there are no long waits in airports, no waiting for luggage. If you are camping this can be sometimes spur of the moment, spot a nice weekend of weather and try and book a spot on a quiet site.  This has been our reason for returning to caravaning we want to be able to make the most of the sunshine here in the UK.
4. Seeing the UK, how much of the UK have you seen and experienced? I like to watch travel shows about the UK and I have to say I am always jotting down new places that I want to visit. Walking shows are good like the one by Julia Bradbury and the shows about train journey's also show a lot of what there is to offer. Even if you travel to a few favourite locations each year you are bound to find something new if you look.  Try looking on the local town pages for what is going on and the top attractions in the area. You could make a list of places you would like to see and plan your holidays around that, or is there a theme park or attraction you would like to visit? Maybe decide on a weekend nearby and make that just one of the things you do that weekend.  We love Whitby and one time when we visited the Abbey there was a live theatre group in the grounds doing a production of Dracula, we all sat on the grass and watched.  We had been many times but never seen that before.  Below is a picture of the pretty town of Congolton that we visited on our last weekend away last week.  It is not that far but I had never been, then was a gorgeous country park where we walked.  These trips out do not need to cost a lot of money or be big organised events.
   
   
   
   
   
   
5. Being green, not taking that long haul flight is one way of doing your bit for the environment, if this is something that you are keen to do more of then not taking holidays abroad is a big one.  There are also holidays here in the UK where you can actively get involved in conservation if that is your kind of thing, and supporting nature reserves by using the cafes is one small step that you can do.
6. Supporting the economy, this has been mentioned a lot recently too in the news but why not give it a boost by spending your money here at home. We all want local businesses to do well and it may be that the UK takes a big hit by so many people taking their savings elsewhere every year. I don't think that it has to be any major spending either, if we all just our money to the local high streets while we are away even for the little things like cosmetics and that book you want to read. Wait until you are away before buying on Amazon then buy what you need in the local shops and bookshops. 
7. It teaches you to embrace the weather! A holiday doesn't always have to be about the sun although we do look out for good weekends mainly because we have dogs to walk. There are many indoor activities and if you look out for them there are so many things you can do in a new town that don't need sunshine.  We are used to rainy days here in the UK so having a holiday can mean you have a plan for what to do when the weather is not great.  I have to say we travelled to Cyprus one year for Christmas and it rained all week, without the sun there we couldn't find anything local to do near our resort in poor weather.  That is not to knock Cyprus but rather to highlight how much easier it is to source things to do here in the UK without any language barriers and also if you were not relying on the sun to begin with.
8. To learn more about your local history, when my boys were young we were in the English Heritage and spent many weekends exploring castles and houses.  |If this is something you have not tried I suggest you do as the cost of a family for a year is well worth all the days out you can have. It is great for children and adults, some sites allow dogs in the grounds but not buildings.
9. To feel good about where we live, I don't if you have heard this but when asked if they have been away a lot of people say oh yes but we only went to (insert UK location here!), people seem to apologise for having a holiday in the UK as if it is not as good as one in another country and that we should hang our heads and ask for forgiveness! The UK is beautiful and we should celebrate that, if you don't agree I think maybe you need to see more of it. We need to get out and teach our children what a brilliant place this is and how lucky we are.
10. You can take your pets, now this is a big one for me as a dog owner and of course it depends where you go but we always take our pets away with us.  We  have rented houses, cottages, static caravans and owned our own touring vans and they always came.  No need for kennels, house sitting or the worry of them pining for us staying in the UK means the whole family can go away if that is what you want.

Ok that was a long one, thank you for reading if you made it to the end.  I thought I would try something a but different today so please let me know if you enjoyed it and what your thoughts are on any of it.  Take care. 

Sunny Days

 Hello, I hope you are all enjoying the sunshine if you are here in the UK it has been a long time coming and to everyone everywhere I hope you are all having a good week.  We have been making the most of it here in Sheffield and I am reluctant to do anything in doors for fear of missing a bit of the sunshine!  I am currently typing this next to the back door so I can  see the screen with the door open, yes I love the sunshine.  We have had a few meals outside and I am just generally enjoying the garden.

These Alliums are finally opening and looking beautiful, I have taken quite a few pictures of these I have to say.

Just be prepared for a few garden pics first of all or skim down if you are not interested in the garden, as soon as it is nice out I have to take a few every year to see how things are looking.

There are such a lot of things on the brink of opening so I will be sure to take more over the coming weeks, currently there is a lot of green, and I know I foolishly pulled out a lot of my seedling the other week when tidying.  Note to future self wait for thing to open and weed out later!

We have moved this seat a lot further back as it was in front of that tree before, it has created the look of more space.  Our garden goes to a sort of point at that top end so we thought this was a good idea.  There are also conifers all the way down that left side while providing privacy they also intrude into the garden by quite a way.  We are thinking of just trimming the bottom branches off like we have at the top on that big one, that way I can plant down that side with woodland plants, has anyone else done this and if so what are your thoughts?  It would certainly give us more space on that side, I keep the center area as slate due to the dogs, the grass used to look lovely but they churned it up and spoilt it.

On Sunday we had a lovely bike ride out to Wentworth it is always very scenic out that way and also a decent ride from our house.

Monday we had a lovely walk around Dam Flask first thing before all the people got there, we like to that as it can get very busy especially on weekends and bank holidays.  There is something very special about arriving while it is still quiet and peaceful.

I have been tinkering with a new top, I used the same pattern as last week from the mia set but this time I have hacked it.  I have altered the sleeve, the shoulders (they stood a little proud) made it a bit narrower and I am going to do a tie at the bottom front too but I haven't added that yet.  I started it yesterday morning but then had a day of visiting people so it got left.  I will post an image of the finished blouse on in a few days, here is the work so far...

Here it has one side pinned just to check the sleeve, I got his far then my mum called and I went over to her house for a visit.  Can you see my mannequin has tape around the neck?  The neck sort of exploded a few weeks ago and a spring came out, it won't go back in properly so it is tape for the time being.  I will probably put ribbon around it as I don't need the neck to go wider it is quite big to begin with.

I have started one of my new books from the charity shop 'Tidelands' it is interesting so far...

Also found a place for the two pictures I got from the charity shop, one is in my sewing room and the other is on the wall just outside, they were £3.50 and I am very happy with them.

Well that is all for today, have a lovely week. 

The Mia Set Blouse

 Hello this week I have made a few things but again can only share the one, the first thing was a top and I will have to share that at a later date because it was for a video post and then I made a purse for a friend but forgot to take the picture before wrapping and giving it!  Oh dear, anyway I can share this blouse that I made using the Mia set pattern that came with a magazine.  The magazine was Simple Sew and it was quite some time ago so a few of you may have this pattern knocking about the place.

I have made it before but last time I made it as a dress, again I have only gone for the one layer to the sleeves as I think two layers looks a bit much on me, plus I tend to get too much sleeve caught in things. The fabric is from minerva.com and is shade carmine  my husband did say it looks like reindeer but I have made this top as a summer make not a winter one as I feel they are just stags and that is a design for any time of year.

If you are going to make this design I would say check the shoulders are sitting correctly before you finish up, I found that I had to run them down a bit as they stood up on me.  Just try it on to be sure other than that it is quite a straight forward easy pattern.

I did a bit of tucking in there at the front as the blouse does hang quite loose  at the bottom, I also chopped about 4cm off the bottom of the flounce because they were a bit long and I wanted three quarter sleeves.

I had to take a chance last week and plant out a lot of my greenhouse plants, it has been so rubbish here that I didn't want them to get a shock but they were so big I just spent the afternoon putting it all out.  They did initially flop but now seem to have perked up I look forward to having more colour out there to share with you.  There will be more garden pictures as the weather improves I'm sure. 

We managed to get out for an Italian meal last week also the first in a long time, we went during the day time as we like it quiet but there were still a few in for a Friday lunch, that is a good sign for the business.  I suppose people are just eager to get out and do something.

It is the school holiday now so I have a full week off to look forward to, I hope you are all keeping well and staying busy I will enjoy having the time to get around all your blogs and seeing what you are up too. Bye for now. 

McCall's Dress

 I have quickly made this dress over the last few days, it was an nice one to work on and the fabric is great so that always helps.  I have made this before but in a fabric that was quite stretchy and I ended up taking that one in quite a lot, I chose to leave this one a bit bigger but I still added my own darts as I don't like things to hang too loose.  In fact this till feels quite big to me but the style is not supposed to be super fitted so I will leave it for now at least I will be able to move in it. 

This is a cotton poplin Art Gallery fabrics print from minerva, it is actually called catch and release. The weather is gloomy again so I braved it for the photo then put my jeans back on! Oh the British weather. 

I have lined the dress but not the sleeves, I also used a regular zip in the back then top stitched to make it invisible and I have to say the zip goes up and down much better than the invisible ones.

I have also been and sorted some of my patterns that I have cut from trace off from Burda.  I don't know if anyone else is such a messy dressmake as me but I have ended up with bits pushed in drawers and a box next to my sewing table!  I have made nice covers for them and put them neatly in a box that I have covered with paper.  I will try and do this as I go in future, well I say that now but lets see ;)

This way I also remember what I made in it rather than just a sketch on the front of the line drawing. 

After I had done that I had a look through my magazines because I was wondering about renewing my subscription for Burda as it has just ended. Looking through there are still things I have marked down to make and a lot of style do repeat so for now I will stick with what I have got. I can always buy it if there is a particular one I want.

There are at least three things marked on my to make list in this box so it is pointless adding to it for now. It was nice to have it drop through the letterbox once a month though.

Now this next bit of news is for anyone who suffers with their  tummy after food, I have this issue and all kinds if things can set me off with cramps.  This week I| was not well and I have discovered fennel seeds, they seem to be working and I don't want to speak too soon but ever since I have been eating them I have been so much better.  I just bought them from Asda in a pot and chew half a teaspoon after each meal slowly until all the flavour has gone then swallow. It feels a bit like a magic cure but lets hope it lasts, I am not a fan of the flavour but it is worth it.  Why not give it a try if you are having the same issues.   My mum said it is all that veg you eat but now that is a good thing, I am not going to eat junk to avoid bloating. 

Anyway that's enough medical advice I am not a Doctor, I hope you all have a lovely week back soon. 

White Blouse

 Hello, I am still waiting to get into my spring clothes I don't know about you but over here it is still thick tights and my big coat!  I know I'm going to be standing on the yard at school so I have to make sure I am warm.  I had one day I think where I was a bit over dressed but that was it and then the heating was back on.  

Not to be deterred I have made a white summer blouse and I look forward to wearing it without being layered up.  The fabric is art gallery fabrics from Minerva and the code is LTO-9233 if you are interested in it, or you can head over there and read my post about it there.  The pattern is from Burda January and is style 106  if you have that issue.

I have never been really into overly fussy sleeves but I am sold on this one, when I cut the pieces out I did wonder why I so was bothering but the finished result is very nice so I am glad I went ahead with this style.

 

There is a button at the front of the collar so it is quite fitted around the neck.

It is a lovely fabric I don't tend to have a lot of white as I work in a school and I am quite messy too, so how long before I spill my tea down this or a child uses me as a tissue we will have to see. 

In other sewing I made a dress at the weekend and filmed it but I am unable to share that right now more on that soon I hope.  I have also had some bits of altering and repairs for a colleague.

In books I have loved Pan's Labyrinth and also found interesting The Element by Ken Robinson, one thing I have to say about that though is I had already watched a lot of Ken Robinson's talks on TED and YouTube and this made it so that I was already familiar with most of what was in the book.  I have found this before and if you are like me and watch talks and long interviews with people on YouTube and think oh I'll buy their book maybe don't. 

This isn't the first time this has happened, I watch and listen to the Rich Roll podcast and he has lots of interesting people on as guests. The interviews he hosts usually last around 2hours, if they are talking about a book you have usually got all the important information in that time.  I am not being negative here but books are expensive so it avoids disappointment sometimes.

I nearly bought one the other day after watching a talk about the microbiome of the digestive system, he was really in depth and I looked for a used copy but they were still £14 plus postage, after watching a few reviews I got the idea I had all the important facts and chose not to buy.  If it comes right down in price I may consider it, the book was Fiber Fueled if you have read it please let me know.

Well that is all for now, have lovely week.