Slow Living – February

This is my second month of joining in the monthly round-up at Slow Living Essentials and already I seem to be struggling with what to write.  A couple of things seems to have conspired against me – it is a short month – is it really the end of the month already? and the weather!  Since the dry spell broke on the Australia Day weekend (26th January) it has rained almost constantly which limits our activities somewhat

Here are the Slow Living categories:

{Nourish}  With the onset of some cooler weather with the rain it was an ideal time to pull out the slow cooker.

I made a batch of pumpkin soup and and beef casserole.

{Prepare}  We had an excellent crop of figs.

As well as eating lots of them fresh from the tree, I was able to dry some.  This was very successful so I am hoping to have enough to do again next year.

{Reduce}  This is always a hard one as we do this each and every day.  I turned a singlet of mine that was too short into one for Miss O.

{Green}  The weather has brought out the mould but I am keeping things clean and smelling fresh with the use of clove oil.  You can read a previous post here.

{Grow}  The warm, dry beginning to the summer meant that we had about 8 mangoes on our small tree.  We planted it about 4 years ago and this is the first time it has fruited.  I suspect that it is generally too cool for them here but this year’s crop has made it worthwhile.  They are some of the best mangoes I have tasted and the flesh is as smooth as anything with no sign of stringiness.

Last weekend we had a rare fine day so we bought and planted some vegetable seedlings.  They have more than doubled in size in a week.

{Create}  Since my sewing machine has returned from being serviced I have got quite a bit of sewing done.  I am working through my stash of fabric as well as some pieces I have been given.  Here are some of the results.

Winter and summer pyjama bottoms.

A new lining in my skirt.

{Discover}  I don’t think I have read anything this month but in a different vein I did discover some fabric to be used when I was sorting out my stash.

{Enhance}  We gave away the used fencing wire via Freecycle.  I also shared some of the many self-sown cucumber seedlings with neighbours, work colleagues, blogging friends and also on Freecycle.

It is a shame that I did not take some photos of them.  Not so much for the seedlings but the innovative packaging.  I used some excess egg cartons that I had been given and each seedling and its soil was packed in a space in the carton.

An internet friend sent me some fabric and I used some of it to make a dress suitable for an 18 month old.  I will send it to her for her granddaughter who was born last week.

{Enjoy}  We travelled to Melbourne and spent a weekend with our daughter who moved there recently.  We saw her new home, sampled food at some local establishments and shopped.

I bought this dress to wear to a wedding in a few weeks.  I just need to finalise accessories.

The slow living this month has been heavily weighted towards sewing and I guess that is not entirely unexpected with being stuck indoors due to the weather.

Now I am off to check out some of the slow living blogs.

Til next month………..

 

 

Weekend Work

We have had a busy and productive weekend but it was not without some recreation as well.

Yesterday was the one bright spot, according to the weather forecast, in an otherwise wet  couple of weeks.  We set off early and headed to the markets at Yandina, which is about 40 minutes north of us.  Our main goal was to buy some seedlings for our vegie garden.  There is a great stall there and this was our first stop.  We bought cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, beetroot, bok choy and lettuce seedlings.

Yandina Markets

The main focus of this particular market seems to be plants and The Duke always checks out the fruit trees and yesterday we bought another mandarin tree.  I cannot remember the variety but it was not one had heard of, although the stallholder said she finds it is one of the sweetest varieties.  We are happy to give it a try.

Once we were back home our next project was to hang the gates to complete the new fencing.  I also did 2 loads of washing.  After lunch the Duke mowed the lawn.  I was very thankful that the weather stayed fine and windy so the washing was all dry and I got the ironing up to date.

It was easy to stay focused on what I needed to achieve as we had decided to go to the movies last night to see Quartet.  It was the first screening by the Maleny Film Society back in the revamped Community Centre.  We also had dinner there before the movie and had a fun night out.  The meals are catered by Pomodoras on Obi, a local restaurant and function venue which also has on-site accommodation.

Today the weather has not been quite as pleasant, and we had some rain this morning, but it has not deteriorated as predicted yet.  I have made some progress with several sewing projects.  Three pairs of trousers for The Duke have been  shortened as well as a new skirt I bought in Melbourne.

I have put a new lining in a skirt and am working on the waistband.

Here is the lining attached to the skirt.

And the right side with the waistband partly attached.

The reason I relined this skirt is because the original lining was straight and very narrow and I had split the side seam on it.  I find this disappointing and annoying when I pay for a good skirt and find that they have skimped by making a lining that does not match the shape of the skirt.  I am confident that my alterations will work well and I am looking forward to getting plenty of use out of the skirt.  I also did some sorting of my fabric and have some ideas for several pieces so there is plenty to keep me going for a while.

Finally, this afternoon we topped up the soil in the raised garden bed and planted the seedlings.  There are no photos as it was getting late and the light was not good.  I hope to post some later in the week.  It is now raining lightly so the seedlings will be enjoying that.

I am still waiting to hear from SarahN to claim the giveaway.  Once I send it I will share what it was with you all.

Sew Quick and Easy

Yesterday I finally picked up my sewing machine from having it serviced, so today I decided to spend some time sewing.  Some of it has been quite challenging, a pleated skirt which is now too big for me.  I have completely disassembled it and am in the process of re-making the skirt but in the meantime it was good to start and finish a couple of simple projects.

First was a pair of boxer shorts for summer pyjamas for me.  These were from some material kindly given to me by a friend.

I teamed them with an existing tank top to make this set.

She also gave me a piece of flannelette with a cute teddy bear pattern that was just begging to become winter pyjama bottoms.

I did some mending, too.  This pair of shorts is about 12 years old and I wear them when painting or gardening.  The fabric is in good condition but the elastic had given way so I unpicked the waist and old elastic, replacing it with 2 rows of new 6mm elastic.

The shirt which was waiting to have the buttonholes done is also finished.

I will keep you updated on the progress of the skirt.

In the meantime, don’t forget to comment on this post and follow my blog for a chance to go in the draw for the mystery giveaway.

Slow Living – January

Today I have decided to dip my toe in and join the monthly diary started by Christine over at Slow Living Essentials.  The idea is to post a round up of the slow living activities for the month based on nine categories.  I have watched with interest and think that this idea will link in nicely with many of my own ideals and goals.  Although Christine lives in Victoria, Australia I actually discovered her blog through Heidi’s slow living posts over at Lightly Crunchy.  Heidi is in Ontario, Canada – what a small world our online community is!

Here are the Slow Living categories:

{Nourish}  We eat largely unprocessed foods.  I eat a gluten and grain-free diet for my health.  I have been doing this for 6 months and am reaping the benefits.  Here is my ‘cereal’ recipe.

{Prepare}  A bumper tomato crop from several varieties gave me ample opportunity to save for later.

I made tomato sauce and tomato paste.

In the dying days of the month, I decided that I couldn’t bear to lose the 4kg of tomatoes that had been frozen and were rapidly thawing due to loss of power for 2 days. Using the gas cooktop, I boiled them up and reduced the liquid then bottled and preserved them using a hot water bath.

I needed to be a little inventive as I normally sterilise my bottling jars and lids in the oven at 140C.  This time I boiled the jars and utensils.  Finally, I used the same water for the hot water bath.  Remember, I had to haul the water in a bucket from the tank at the back of our block.

We also prepared for, and survived, the wild weather from ex Tropical Cyclone Oswald (hurricane).

{Reduce}  We repainted the old star pickets to re-use in the fencing project.  You can’t see them here – the timber corner and bracing posts are new.

{Green}  The timber chairs and table are sparkling after being polished.  I use some vegetable oil with a little lemon essential oil on a soft rag to dust and polish all of the timber furniture.

{Grow}  The tomatoes grew in abundance as did cucumbers.  Due to a warm, dry summer (until the last week) we managed to successfully grow cantaloupe and capsicums (red peppers).  The next month will be clearing and resting the beds ready for sowing again in March, weather permitting.

{Create}  My sewing machine has been out of action (and, boy have I missed it)!  I have been doing some hand sewing – mending a couple of items for Missy.

{Discover}  I have indulged in some fiction this month.  I bought the entire ‘Anne of Green Gables’ series for my Kindle.  It was only a couple of dollars and will provide hours of reading.  I did not read the books when I was young, although I did watch the videos when my daughters had them.

{Enhance}  We swapped a cantaloupe for 2 small pumpkins with a neighbour.  Also, checked to see how neighbours were going during the storms and flooding.

I also gave away 75 novels on Freecycle.  The recipient was a co-ordinator for the Lifeline Bookfest so that is where they will be going.  I feel like that is giving several times over.    They were ones that we now also have on our Kindles.  We are enjoying the space, too.

{Enjoy}  I introduced my granddaughters to live theatre.

Miss O and I went to see Chitty Chitty Bang Bang in Sydney and I took Izz to see Hairy McLary, based on the books by Lynley Dodd.

I hope you have enjoyed reading my first month of slow living as much as I have writing it.  Looking back back over a whole month and what you have done is really worthwhile.  I plan to continue this segment for the entire year.  There are lots more blogs participating so it would be great if you check them out as well.

A Pile of Clothes & Something For Me

I am gradually working my way through a pile of clothes that I brought home from Missy’s place nearly 2 weeks ago.  I was helping her to sort and declutter in preparation for her interstate relocation.

Some items were deemed not suitable, too old, worn out or simply no longer loved.  Most would suitable for someone else so they went to the local op shop.

I did score a scarf which Missy no longer wanted.  I am not usually a huge scarf fan but this was a small lightweight one in turquoise, black and beige/gold colours  which caught my eye.  I have worn it twice in less than a week.  The first time was out to dinner when I had a black skirt and 3/4 sleeve top of the same turquoise colour.  The top has a v-neck and no collar so the scarf really finished it off nicely.  Secondly, I wore white 3/4 trousers and a black camisole with a gold tie-up 3/4 sleeve mesh top.  I used the scarf as a belt for the trousers and it added a bit of colour and brought the whole outfit together.  I certainly had not gone out looking for a scarf like this but once I saw the opportunity it fits really well with my existing wardrobe.

Like most people she had some items lurking amongst her clothes which were not wearable for a variety of reasons.  We assessed the viability of each piece and I brought some home for some alteration/mending to return them to fully functional pieces.

The handiwork has included replacing buttons, letting down hems and a multitude of minor adjustments that enhance the wearability of a garment.

One dress gaped where the bodice crossed over but since it was a stretch fabric I just permanently sewed the crossover section.  Another top had fold back cuffs on the armholes which needed to be pressed into place each time before wearing so I stitched them so that it stays in place.  These adjustments are no usually evident at the time of purchase and it is not until you wear an item a few times that you realise that it is not as ‘easy’ to wear as you would like.  Sometimes there is a simple solution that can make all of the difference.

This is the pile that I have finished.  There were some other maintenance jobs like trimming off loose threads and pilled fabric.  All of this combined with washing has created a pile of items with a new lease of life.

I still have a bit left to do but it is not as bad as it looks spread over the ironing board.  Soon it will be a neat pile of wearable clothes.

One of the things that I have learned from my involvement in Project 333 is that nothing deserves a place in your wardrobe unless it is wearable and you love it.

Do you find yourself with a cupboard full of clothes and ‘nothing to wear’?  Perhaps it is time to check out what is lurking in the cupboard.

 

Back Again

Blogging has taken a back seat this last week as my ‘real’ life has been rather busy.

We have been away for the weekend to catch up with friends and celebrate a ‘milestone’ birthday for my girlfriend.  We had a fabulous time and I have returned refreshed and with renewed enthusiasm after our short break.

I am working through a pile of mending/alterations of clothes for Missy which I have promised I will finish before she moves interstate in a couple of weeks.  I have spent some time helping her declutter and sort some things prior to her move as it is an ideal time to rationalise exactly what you have and what you ned.  There is no point in paying to move things that you really do not want to keep.

Speaking of things you do not want to keep, this is a pile of fabric that a friend offered to me last week as she did not see the possibility of using it any time soon.  I have accepted it and have space to store it until I start creating.  I think that may be next year as the next 7 weeks are looking pretty busy in the lead-up to Christmas.  However, I already have some plans for some of the fabric and am looking forward to using it.  Thanks, Sandra.

I mentioned that it is 7 weeks until Christmas but my busyness is not really related to a crazy shopping frenzy or significant over-indulgence in food.  It is more about a self-imposed deadline for projects that I want to complete both at home and at work before the end of the year.  More about that in tomorrow’s post.

Still On Track

My tandem challenges for October are both still on track.

Frocktober – I have accepted the challenge to wear either a dress or skirt each time I leave the house.  In order to add a degree of complexity to the challenge I am trying not to wear the same outfit twice during the month.  So far this is going well.

Stoptober – in conjunction with Frugal Queen I am endeavouring to spend as little as possible this month.  In addition to my haircut and fruit and vegetable shopping which I mentioned in an earlier blog, I bought some hem binding to complete a false hem on a skirt for Missy.  My total spend in 9 days has been $59.70.  The Duke has ordered a new DVD player online since our old one simply ceased to work.  He searched for a good deal and this one is less than $5o, including delivery.

My organising has been fairly limited recently but I am working on completing mending and sewing projects.

I am busily making lists of what I need to achieve before Christmas which is only 11 weeks away.  Composing my Christmas letter and writing cards are things that I like to get done fairly early so will be starting those soon.  I am also keeping an eye out for recipes to include in our Christmas menu.  It will be a little different this year as I am eating a gluten-free diet.  I try to make it grain and sugar free as much as possible, too.  Creativity will be the key.

Have you started thinking about Christmas or do you have your head buried firmly in the sand?

Planning Ahead

We will be going to a wedding in March 2013 and while that is still 6 months away I have begun to consider what I might wear.  In fact, while we were on holidays I did look to see if I could find something suitable.  I do not even know what I am looking for which does make shopping rather difficult.

While I was sorting out some items in my sewing room I came upon this skirt which needs to be mended.

The skirt is fine – it is the lining that is the problem.

The lining is much narrower than the skirt and it has split at the sides.  I had only worn the skirt a couple of times before this happened and then I gained weight and it was a bit tight.  Now the skirt is fine and once I replace the lining with an underskirt that matches the shape of the outer skirt it will be fine.

This is the top which I originally bought to wear with the skirt and although I have worn it with other outfits it definitely looks best with the skirt.  The photo is not very flattering and the top looks better in real life.

I tried the ensemble on last night with black heels and have decided that it will be suitable for the wedding.  I am thinking of making a black jacket – possibly velvet and also having a black shawl/wrap.

My only concern is that the wedding is in Canberra in March (early autumn/fall) and the weather is totally unpredictable.  I could wear a camisole under the top and an extra slip if it is really cool.

I need to start looking at replacing the lining and choosing a suitable pattern and fabric for the jacket so that the sewing does not get left to the last minute.  A little bit of lateral thinking and planning may have saved me  a significant amount of money.

End of Life

Despite all the mending and repairs, there comes a time when things reach the end of their life.  This pair of The Duke’s trousers is a perfect example.

I have previously posted about patching them and while the patches have survived there is yet another worn patch lower down the leg.  These are not accidental rips – the fabric is simply wearing out and they are getting quite thin in numerous places.  Therefore, it has ceased to be worthwhile mending them any longer.

My initial thought was to throw them in the bin but then I realised that as well as being mindful when we are purchasing items we should also be responsible for them at the end of their useful life.  Many garments are cut up for rags or tying up plants in the garden but these are suitable for neither.

I decided to remove the zip and button for possible future re-use and decided that since these trousers are cotton they could go in the compost.

So that the fabric would mix with the rest of the compost I cut the trousers into strips and here it is ready to become part of the garden.

This is my seam ripper which is identical to the one that I broke while removing the zip from the trousers.  I am not sure why I had two of these but now there is only one.  The broken one went in the rubbish bin.

Mending First, Sewing Second

In order to keep on top of the never-ending stream of mending I have set myself the rule that I have to do any outstanding mending before I work on my sewing projects.

Today there was mending to be done.

This is The Duke’s backpack that he takes to work.  The stitching had ripped where the shoulder strap is attached so I restitched it.  Nothing fancy but it works.

Next, a patch on a pair of trousers (inside view).

Here is the end result.  You can see they are his best gear!  The patch on the left is the new one.  Not sure how much longer these will last.

Then it was on to the socks.  I think I did 4 altogether.  This shows the mended toe.  You can’t even call it darning.  I just use the zigzag stitch on my sewing machine.  Once again, not pretty but effective.

I then went on and finished altering the waistband of a skirt before finally doing some sewing on a summer top for myself.  It is just as well that summer is 6 months away at the rate I am going.

I also did some more knitting on my dishcloths.  I have now finished my third one and am about halfway through the fourth.

This evening we have finalised the itinerary for the touring part of our US holiday and started booking accommodation.  The planning is lots of fun so I can barely begin to imagine how good it will be when we actually get there.  It is now less than 4 months till we leave.