Last year I taught a beginners patchwork class. I had made random sample blocks for each lesson. As the lessons went on we all realised that it would have been helpful to see the various patterns in the setting of a quilt. It has taken me a year to get the little cot quilt finished. All my students are now on at least their third or fourth quilts and we now have an evening a week that we get together. I have now starting looking at quilting techniques and patterns with them. You will see that later.
Monday, March 19, 2012
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
I have been at the power tools again
Yes I just can't resist them. Though I had to use our sander and it is really pathetic compared to Aaron's Dad's one. But I got there. I made a coat rack. I used the front of an old Rimu draw that had been smashed up and given to use by Aaron's Dad. (Bit of a waste of Rimu but as the rest of our stuff is Rimu it seemed appropriate).
A set of old EPNS spoons and forks that Anna gave me ages ago when moving to Cromwell. I used the same method as before. Sanding it all, smoothing the corners and then just oiling the wood.
I even polished the cutlery before putting it on (whilst thinking that really I should be polishing my own silver that we actually use.)
I do not think it as professional as the drawer I made but it is ok and makes me laugh. The boys thought it was really cool and Aaron was OK with it. So it does the job of picking up all the swimming bags etc off the laundry floor. They were bugging me so much that I just had to do something about it. At some stage we will get proper shelving in their but at the moment while it is all still unplastered etc this works.
Obviously working with builders etc is starting to rub off on me! Who would have thought!!!!
A set of old EPNS spoons and forks that Anna gave me ages ago when moving to Cromwell. I used the same method as before. Sanding it all, smoothing the corners and then just oiling the wood.
I even polished the cutlery before putting it on (whilst thinking that really I should be polishing my own silver that we actually use.)
I do not think it as professional as the drawer I made but it is ok and makes me laugh. The boys thought it was really cool and Aaron was OK with it. So it does the job of picking up all the swimming bags etc off the laundry floor. They were bugging me so much that I just had to do something about it. At some stage we will get proper shelving in their but at the moment while it is all still unplastered etc this works.
Obviously working with builders etc is starting to rub off on me! Who would have thought!!!!
Friday, March 9, 2012
Fantastic Op Shop finds
This is so much better than anything I could have bought new.
Aaron has promised me breakfast in bed tomorrow with it. Hot croissant and coffee - YUM.
I also got this awesome shaped carafe. Last year I tried to alter the Lemoncello recipe I have, to use the abundance of fejoas up, and the resulting Fejoacello worked so well everyone loved it. So this year it is going into mass production and what better than to put it into awesomely shaped carafes.
Seed Collecting Time
rainbow beet, eating pea, bulb fennel, sweet pea, kurly kale |
Sunday, March 4, 2012
The ice cream recipe
My cousin Alison has asked for the recipe re the blog about making home made icecream. Note that this makes about 3 to 3.5 litres of ice cream.
500ml cream
8 egg whites
3/4C castor sugar
1 tsp Heilala vanilla - pure vanilla bean paste (bought at raewood fresh)
(if you do not have this you can use 2tsp of real vanilla essence but the bean paste is way better)
Give the egg whites a beat until stiff and holding together. Slowly add the caster sugar as though you are making a meringue or pavlova.
In a seperate bowl whip the cream. Add the vanilla and beat to mix through. (if you beat the vanilla into the egg white it will affect them)
Mix the two together. Put into containers to freeze. Yes - no churning, no fussing needed and it is delicious even a few weeks later.
If you want to do a flavour just use some homemade jam. Beat 2 T of jam into the cream before putting with the egg whites and then swirl another 6-8 T jam into the finished mixture to leave a pattern and threads of the fruit. (home made raspberry jam works really well)
500ml cream
8 egg whites
3/4C castor sugar
1 tsp Heilala vanilla - pure vanilla bean paste (bought at raewood fresh)
(if you do not have this you can use 2tsp of real vanilla essence but the bean paste is way better)
Give the egg whites a beat until stiff and holding together. Slowly add the caster sugar as though you are making a meringue or pavlova.
In a seperate bowl whip the cream. Add the vanilla and beat to mix through. (if you beat the vanilla into the egg white it will affect them)
Mix the two together. Put into containers to freeze. Yes - no churning, no fussing needed and it is delicious even a few weeks later.
If you want to do a flavour just use some homemade jam. Beat 2 T of jam into the cream before putting with the egg whites and then swirl another 6-8 T jam into the finished mixture to leave a pattern and threads of the fruit. (home made raspberry jam works really well)
Saturday, March 3, 2012
Fresh Strawberries - Mixed Berry Jam
Anyway, I picked about 250g of strawberries and was stuck with what to do with that amount. We had Strawberries and Meringues just last week. So I thought that I would put together a mixed berry jam as the first lot I made in the height of the soft fruit season was all finished. Gosh it was good. I still have a lot of fruit frozen to deal with "some other time", so that time is now.
In a pot goes on low heat
250g frozen blackcurrants
250g frozen redcurrants
250g frozen blackberries
500g frozen raspberries
Put a lid on and let the fruit soften and thaw, the juices should start running. I then added
1/2c water
250g chopped fresh strawberries and brought it all to a simmer.
Into the pot goes 1400g sugar and stir until well dissolved. Let simmer for 5 minutes, add the juice of 1 lemon and let simmer for another 5 minutes (the longer cooking time is for the currants). Take it off the heat and stir for 5 minutes, leave for 5 minutes and stir for another 2-3 minutes. (What this does is ensure that the fruit evenly distributes through the jar when setting - prevents the jams where you get the fruit rising to the top)
Put into clean sterilised jars and put lids on securely.
There was a little left over that I put in the fridge. I then made a batch of raspberry jam using the same utensils - saves me washing. By the time that was done we needed to try it all. A batch of pikelets later with the taste testers declaring it scrummy!!!!
Making a recycled Eco friendly laundry bucket
Today being such ghastly weather I am tackling a pile of things that should have been done months ago.
The first on the list was getting a bucket to use for soaking clothes etc in the laundry.
This bucket is very sturdy with a metal handle which has a wooden holding piece where you pick it up. So comfortable and easy to use. It is an old 10 litre paint pail.It was covered in a cream coloured paint inside and out from the messy painters.
first - put it outside in the rain. This made the outside labeling easy to come off and starting working on releasing the paint from the plastic of the bucket.
second - put it in the laundry tub and use the grey water coming off the wash cycle of the washing machine. This lifts the paint and the last bits do with a brush. Don't forget to clear out the drain as you do this.
Third - fill the bucket with the clean water coming from the rinse cycle. Put in your soaking aid. Put in the clothes and you have a fantastically strong laundry bucket.
Why is it Eco?
The first on the list was getting a bucket to use for soaking clothes etc in the laundry.
This bucket is very sturdy with a metal handle which has a wooden holding piece where you pick it up. So comfortable and easy to use. It is an old 10 litre paint pail.It was covered in a cream coloured paint inside and out from the messy painters.
first...clean it up |
second...add water |
Third - fill the bucket with the clean water coming from the rinse cycle. Put in your soaking aid. Put in the clothes and you have a fantastically strong laundry bucket.
third - use it. |
Why is it Eco?
- No extra water was used cleaning this up to use for a new purpose.
- It has not had to go into the landfill
- I have not bought a cheap bucket from a new shop that will break the handle and perish or snap in the first few months of use.
So good for the environment and very good for my wallet.
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Damaged Quince Treet
Still lots of fruit on it but I hate to see the garden damaged.
Great Secondhand Shop finds
The Duvet Cover |
The down inner. |
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Friday, February 24, 2012
Finally untangled
Lots of tv watching later the beautifully silky smooth angora is in knitable form. Thanks to a wool winder. My sewing machine was fixed faster than the untangling took but I have also been clearing out my craft area, a very t tough job.
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