Sewing

I don't very often sew; usually only when I need to make curtains but my machine has been out loads lately.  I seem to be in a sewingy frame of mind of late and keep thinking of things I need to sew.

It all started when I said I'd make a roman blind for my sister's bedroom.  I had about half a metre of fabric left over from a blind I made years ago (and got paid for it!) and bought some extra to go with it - luckily there was a tiny flaw in it so I got it for £2.99/metre rather than £8.99.  Then when I opened the bag of lining I realised that it was blackout lining rather than ordinary so it was even more of a bargain!  I love bargains...mainly because I am tight I think.  This is the story so far on the blind:

"Just" got to add the tape and rods and hem the top and bottom.  Oh, and find time when Mr D and I can go down to Devon and put it up.

Then, I was sorting out my knitting stuff as I had a new knitting bag from my (not wicked) step-mother for Christmas.  I looked at my needle roll and it was all tatty with about 3000 needles stuffed into each segment and I thought, "ooh, I could make that".  Then I thought, "ooh, I've got all the things I need to make that," and THEN I thought, "I'm going to make that".  And I did.  And here it is:

Of course as soon as I'd finished it I thought of loads of ways I could have made it better, but that's ok, because I also thought of lots of other things I could put in rolls.  Like my small but growing crochet hook collection, my DPNs and the lovely knit pro needles which Mr D gave me for Christmas.

Aren't they pretty?  They are lovely to knit with and very portable.  One of the girls at Knit Club has them and says she will never go back to using straight ones.

And finally on the sewing front (for now), I went to visit my friend in Exeter yesterday and we had a lovely crafting afternoon at her house whilst our husbands went to visit an old friend. She has been having Taiko (sp?) lessons and wanted to make a bag to put her drumming sticks in (as you do) and I'd seen instructions for a sewing machine cover on the Mollie Makes blog, so we perfected the art of chatting over the noise of the sewing machines.  Here's my cover (you may recognise the fabric!):

By the way if anyone has any tips about making photos on blogs look better, like making little collages and stuff, do let me know as I think my posts look a bit samey.

Sew long all!

xxxxx

Blanket (not the Michael Jackson baby)

Hello, Happy New Year!
So much for more regular blog updates, I don't know where January has gone.

I was lucky enough to be given some money for Christmas - and I have spent it all on wool at Suzie's!  I'm going to make myself a lovely blanket to go on the bed in the spare room. 

Here's the wool (I know I should say yarn really as it is actually cotton but I just can't seem to change the habit of a lifetime!):

 You can't see the colours very well in this picture but I had to post it to show you how Suzie packaged it up for me in the bag, she is nearly as daft as me.

This is what I've done so far; mmm, textured.....  Yes, those are cables on the bottom one, get me.  The pattern is called Sampler from Debbie Abrahams' book Blankets and Throws to Knit. 

Knitting it is going to be interrupted as two of my dearest friends are expecting their first babies this summer so I shall be making baby things.  I'm thinking of crochet, maybe this blanket from Mollie Makes which apparently is suitable for beginners.  Look out Cuckoo, if you find me weeping on your doorstep you will know it is because the beginner's crochet has beaten me!

Can you see the crochet hooks in that picture?  They are old-fashioned bone ones and they belonged to my Nan's grandmother, Sarah.  My mum gave them to me over Christmas.  I feel very lucky to have something which has been passed down and to think of all those women using them. 

Right, that's it for now, I am going to aim for little and often from now on.  The road to hell etc etc.

Lots of love to all.

Christmas makes

I've made a couple of things for Christmas recently which I am really proud of, so thought I would share them.

Firstly, as every year, mince pies.  I always make my own mincemeat and pies as I don't usually like bought ones.  The recipe I use is the one my mum always used to make and her pies were always the most popular at the various school fetes, Guides meetings and parties we went to over Christmas. It's a brilliant recipe as you don't need to mess about with sterilising jars, you just make it and keep it in the freezer.  I've even been known to use it direct from the freezer and because of the amount of syrup it's still quite flexible when frozen.  Also it doesn't have any suet in it so is suitable for vegetarians.

Ingredients
450g raisins
350g currants
225g sultanas
350g soft brown sugar
150g butter
2tsp ground cinnamon
2tsp ground nutmeg
1tsp ground cloves
900g cooking apples - peeled, cored and chopped
Quarter pint medium cider
2 lemons, grated rind and juice
4tbsp golden syrup
4tbsp brandy/rum (apricot brandy is particularly nice)

1.  Mix all dried fruits, sugar, fat and spices in a large bowl
2. Gently heat cider in a large pan till it bubbles around the edge
3. Stir in the fruit mixture, lemon rind, juice, syrup and apples
4. Simmer, covered, for 40 mins, stirring occasionally.  Remove lid, simmer for 15 mins or until the juice is almost absorbed
5.  Cool slightly, then stir in the brandy or rum.
This makes about 6lb of mincemeat which is enough for about 3 lots of 24 mince pies.  You can also stir it into home-made ice cream or make mincemeat muffins.  Or do what Mr D does and eat it from the container with a spoon!

For the pies I use a version of a Nigella Lawson pastry recipe, which is:
300g plain flour
75g Trex
75g cold butter
1 egg yolk
Water to mix (or you can use all water)

Blitz the flour and fats in a food processor until it looks like breadcrumbs.  Then pour the water and egg yolk down the funnel, pulsing until it looks as if the dough is about to come together - stop just before it forms a ball.  Refrigerate for half an hour wrapped in cling film.  Roll it out nice and thinly (I hate mince pies with too much pastry), then cut out the bases and lids - fluted bases and star lids are best I think. 

Use the bases to line a buttered 12-hole tart tray, pressing them down with your fingers to avoid air bubbles.  Then fill each pie with mincemeat - again use your fingers to press it down so it is level.  Then top each with a star.

Bake at 200 for 10-15 mins.  Keep an eye on them from the 10 minute mark so you avoid the mincemeat bubbling out.

When they are cooked, dust them with icing sugar - and I put red glitter on mine to make them even Christmassier!

For the last 3 years I've also made my own Christmas wreath for the front door.  The first time, I went to a workshop at a local National Trust property to learn how to do it which was brilliant.  They had a barn full of enormous piles of foliage from around the estate.  Now, I don't have an enormous estate and I didn't want to go and buy Christmas foliage so I hit on the idea of using the clippings from my bay tree which usually needs tidying up by this point in the year.  So now I get to make a home-made, home-grown wreath for free which makes me feel even more smug!

I forgot to take photos as I went along so this will just have to be a show off rather than a tutorial, although there is a similar method shown here.  At the workshop we were taught to use a wire ring which we covered with hay using florists wire.  You then make several bundles of about four pieces of foliage which you wire onto the hay-covered ring at an angle until it is all covered.  Then wire on any other bits and pieces you are using; baubles, fir cones, dried orange, flowers, bows, bundles of cinnamon etc.  I used a few bits from a box of Christmassy pot pourri.  You have to soak it in a bowl of water overnight so that the hay absorbs some water to keep it fresh - make sure you've drained the excess off before hanging it up or you will have dirty water all down your front door!

Ta-da!

Merry Christmas Everybody!

My holiday

Hello, I thought it was time I showed you what I was up to for most of October.  For the last few years, Mr D's sister has been working for Princess Cruises which means we have been lucky enough to go and visit her.  The first time was to the mediterranean for our honeymoon four years ago, and I didn't think cruising would be for me, but I loved it and have never looked back!  Since then we have been a further three times; to Norway & Iceland, South-East Asia and the med again.  Because we are staying with a crew member, we are not allocated a cabin (or stateroom as they like to call them), so we stayed in my sister-in-law's room for the first few nights until a lovely passenger cabin with a balcony became available because the passenger had complaint that it was too noisy - didn't cause us a problem.  We are very lucky.

As you might imagine I took LOADS of photos, but have tried to limit myself and just show you enough to give you a flavour of what the holiday was like.

My sister drove us to Southampton to meet the ship and we showed her around and had lunch together before departure.  I had a little tear(s) in my eye when she left as I do miss her and my niece and nephew when we are away.

  First stop, Cadiz.  We went to the beach first, then on to a farm in the Andalucian countryside where we had some fantastic tapas and tasted some different types of sherry.

 Our next stop should have been Valetta in Malta but the sea was quite rough so the captain decided it wasn't safe because the harbour is very narrow.  We weren't too disappointed though as it meant we had an extra half-day in our favourite port, Venice.  The main disadvantage about cruising for me is that you don't usually get to spend the evening in the places you visit, so this was a real treat.  We went out with a big group of crew members and didn't get (should that be "stagger"?!) home until 3am!

 The following day we had a walking tour of Venice where we saw this gondola repair workshop....

 ...and drooled over this yummy-looking pizza, then went around the Doge's Palace and walked through the Bridge of Sighs. Venice is an amazing place with a fascinating history.

 Next, we went to Split in Croatia where we went to Diocletian's palace and saw some of the lovely Dalmatian coastline...

 

Before returning the the ship we stopped for a drink in the sunshine at a waterfront bar, where we saw this brilliant menu.  I absolutely love mistranslations into English, I just find them completely hilarious.  I managed to resist the temptation to try a marcipan stump!

 After Split we went to Dubrovnik, again lovely views of the coastline on our way to Cavtat which was where the King and Mrs Simpson went on honeymoon - I can see why they chose it as it was lovely.

 Then on to the main town, where I couldn't resist taking a photo of this lady crocheting lavender bags to sell on the street.

 Mr D. was very excited as the new series of Game of Thrones, which is the TV adaptation of his favourite books was being filmed in Dubrovnik - sadly the day before we were there!

 I took this one from our balcony as we sailed away from Croatia.  I would definitely love to go back, it is a gorgeous country.

 In the evening after we had been to Dubrovnik, it was pirate night in the ward room/crew bar; as you can see we entered into the spirit of it whole-heartedly!  This is me, Mr D and my sister-in-law.  The funniest part was walking back through a passenger area dressed as pirates (and I blush to admit, just a titchy teeny bit drunk) - we may have freaked out some of the passengers on the way.

 Sadly, this picture sums up our visit to Corfu - it was rainy and miserable.  I don't think we saw the best of Corfu! 

 Our last port was Gibraltar, another fascinating place.  Very surreal to hear people speaking English and see all the British street signs etc.  We went to the top of the rock,

 and saw some of the famous apes, very cheeky monkeys.

 I sat in a hot tub (it's not me in the photo though!!) as we sailed away from Gibraltar, such a perfect moment

 Obviously I took my knitting - couldn't have had a relaxing holiday without it!

Every day on  returning to our room, the room steward had folded my nightie into different shapes.  Not sure what my overnight guests would think of me doing origami with their nightwear!

Our home for 17 nights!  We had quite a few sea days so there was lots of opportunity for relaxation as well as seeing all the lovely destinations.  We had three formal nights, so when I get round to it I'll scan some photos of us in our finery to show you.

A whole string of wonderful experiences and best of all loads of time where it was just the two of us.

Nicest day for ages

Hello, I'm back!  Sorry to be so quiet for so long.  I was on hols for nearly three weeks and just haven't felt up to blogging since I got back.

But today I have had a lovely day.  I flew over to Cuckoo's nest and as well as having a good ole chinwag, she taught me to crochet properly.  I have tried it before and made some little granny squares but had never really got to grips with it, but now I really feel I can get going.  Here's what I did this morning:

I am calling it the banana.  It is yellow because I used yellow wool, but we don't know why it is bendy.  Perhaps I added extra stitches in my enthusiasm.  I've decided to add it to a t-shirt as a collar in a Victorian stylee (I AM joking before you think I am a crazy person).

I haven't had such a nice day since I got back from holiday.  We had an amazing time (post to follow) but since we've been back there has been so much to do.  The plasterer came whilst we were away to do the dreaded music room and the downstairs bathroom, so amongst other stuff,  I've had lots of painting to do.  I've managed to get all the emulsion done, and it is looking pretty good so far:

Don't worry if you are thinking, "pretty good?! What is she on?!"  I know it's still all building-sitey (and the piano is in the middle of the room) but it's so much better than it has ever looked, so it looks good to me!  When we moved in every single room in the house was covered in horrible blown-vinyl textured wallpaper and this room was very very damp and had a corridor down the right-hand-side, so just having smooth walls seems amazing to me!

This weekend Mr D is hopefully going to put in some architrave and skirting so that we can get carpet fitted by Christmas.  The plan is for it to be a music-slash-dining room (the slash is pronounced as per Graham Norton on Radio 2) and I would like to have dinner in there over Christmas - we are going to my mum's on the day but I am thinking of a lovely festive dinner a deux.

In other exciting news, the chimney sweep has been today so I am writing this next to a lovely blazing fire.  A bit extravagant as Mr D is out at a Nanowrimo write-in this evening but you have to have a bit of extravagance sometimes.

When we moved in the wooden mantlepiece/surround was visible but the rest was covered up with a nasty nasty gas fire in front of it.  We had the gas fire removed and were left with a piece of board with a letter-box shaped hole in it - I shone a torch through the hole and saw the lovely cast-iron bit - I was SO happy.  We have the original tiled hearth too - it's a bit cracked but I can't bring myself to replace it, just keep telling myself it's "shabby chic"!  My sister recently moved to a house without an open fire so I have inherited her lovely log baskets and firelighter tin (as well as two ENORMOUS bags of kindling) - lucky me!

Right I must be off - there is crochet to be done!  I have good intentions of blogging more often, fingers crossed!  Lots of love to you all.  xxxx

Sneaky update: Seeing as I am so good at making bendy crochet I gave rippling a try:

Sorry about the dreadful photography but you get the general idea.  Not bad for a first attempt! xx