Plain and Fancy

After the heavy rains we had from Cyclone Debbie up North, the cooler weather came in and we've been having some blustery days. The change of season is definitely here now bringing in Autumn. 

With the changes, I've dusted off my blog and added a simpler layout theme.

I've been puttering around the house using up my stash and trying not to buy anything new. I've also been going through a lot of my boxes which are packed up and seeing what I want to keep for when I move into my own place. I think the hardest things to decided if I want to keep them or not is books. I have a lot of craft books and other books I like to use. Although some I never actually make any of the items from or read much, they are just there for mostly inspiration. 

A long time ago my Aunt, who I live with, gave me a large tin full of old buttons. Some of the buttons are fancy and some of them are plain. Most don't like the plain buttons but I find uses for them.

I've been using the plain buttons on vintage hanky sachets and storing them in amongst linens. The hankies were given to me, or I found them at the thrift store in packets which were about 50 cents! The ribbon also came from my stash. I used potpourri from flowers and herbs from the container pots, so these make really sweet, vintage and frugal items. They also would make a nice gift. 

To make:

1: I use the whole hanky as I can't bring my self to cut them up. 

2: Then I fold them so they look like an envelope. 

3: Then on the back where the flaps are folded I slip stitch along the flaps to sew them down. 

4: On the front I sew a couple of buttons and add a ribbon bow.

I'm sure there is an easy way to make these without sewing, but that is how I do them.

We made these cheesy crackers to see how they were, ours were a little soft after cooking but still tasted fine. The recipe didn't use many ingredients and yet they were still tasty.

I hope everyone is having a good day or evening where ever you are.

March days

The weather has changed here to bring in Autumn. There have been some storms about which will likely bring in the cooler weather, I don't know about anyone else but I'm looking forward to Winter. The rain has been good for the container pots.

While it has been raining I've been working on new items for an April market stall. Tea towels, of course, and some more other items to sell as well.

In February the Toowoomba Simple Living group held it's first work shop for the year. We were shown how to make pineapple jam, very sweet but yummy.

I came home with a few goodies from the swap table, including an Aloe Vera plant. The Aloe Vera came in handy as I got sunburnt at the Cabarlah Markets. I had an interesting day and will likely do another stall at the markets as well.

I hope everyone is having a good day or evening where ever you are.

Market days

I've been playing with my scrap stash to prepare for the markets. Rag rugs and hand painted potholders with fabric appliqué getting ready to be made up for the stall - And a couple for a swap. My store Hilda and Lillian will be at the Cabarlah markets on the 26th February, 2017.

Hope everyone is having a good day or evening where ever you are.

Home stay

 

With the Summer heat about I have been pottering around inside organizing things and clearing out stuff. It's a good time to be indoors clearing out things.

 

I've also been doing a lot of crafting, I've signed up for a local markets at the end of the month.

 

In the garden, I've been cleaning out the pots. A lot of the herbs are doing well in this heat which is good for them.

 

And as always I've been painting too. 

 

 

Have a good day or evening where ever you are.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pom Pom crochet edge

Crochet pom pom edge

Row 1:

2 double, 3 chain, 2 double (Us terms: double = single)

Pom Pom :

Chain 3, Chain 3 again (Make first chain large), work cluster stitch = yo insert into 3rd chain from hook (The first chain that is large), yo pull through, yo pull through 2, yo insert into chain at bottom, yo pull through, yo pull through 2 ( 3 loops on hook) yo insert. yo pull through. yo pull through 2, yo pull through 4

chain 3

work into top of last puff stitch. yo inset hook into 1st puff stitch. yo pull  through. Yo pull through 2. Yo insert into chain at bottom. Yo pull through 2. Yo pull through 4.  (= two cluster stitches, one on top of each other).

Fold over the top cluster stitch by inserting hook into first chain 3 stitch. yo pull through.

yo pull through.

chain3

Work into next chain 3 sp.

Yo pull through. Yo pull through ( will make a slip stitch). chain 3 work cluster stitch to form the next pom pom. Continue until edging is complete.

Pom pom crochet edging to match a painted tea towel. 

I hope everyone is having a good day or evening where ever you are.

Soapy tips

Tips for painting on soap.

Tip 1: Remove any of the soap labels by shaving them away with a box cutter. Shave slowly to remove thin layers. 

Tip 2: If there is any soap name left, use a dishwasher scourer to 'sand' it back or use a very fine sandpaper.

Tip 3: Tip 1 and tip 2 gets messy with the shaving so add paper down to capture the loose shavings and shave into a dish.

Tip 4: Keep the shavings to melt down into re-milled soap.

Tip 5: Use a coat of modge podge first.

Tip 6: After the modge podge has dried, coat the top of the soap with a layer of white Gesso (Or black if you want a dramatic looking soap).

Tip 7: Draw your design onto your soap with a soft pencil and light hand. If you can't draw use tracing paper and carbon paper.

Tip 8: Carbon paper gets messy. The best tip is to trace onto tracing paper and turn the design over on the back trace over the design with 4b lead pencil and then flip the design over then 'trace' the design onto the soap. The lead pencil on the back will transfer to the soap.

Tip 9: Paint your design using acrylic paints. Don't get too fiddly with your design, unless you have the eye sight and patience for that; then go for it.

Tip 10: Finish off with a coat of modge podge and a light coat of all purpose artist sealer if you prefer.

One last note always use non-toxic paints. Mode podge and artist's sealers are always non-toxic and so is many of todays acrylic paints.

And there you have tips for painting on soap. The soap is used from the bottom, the design will stay on until the bottom of the soap is used up. Or if you use a very scented soap it can be for decoration only and added to scent the linen cupboard.

Wrap your soap up nicely and add a card for a thoughtful gift.

I hope everyone is having a good day or evening where ever you are.

Slow days

The weather has been hot, hot, hot. It's slow days here, pottering around in the cool of the house. I go out in the early morning in the cooler temps to see to my container plants. They need a good drink of water in this weather and I've been cutting back a lot of the plants. The heat loving plants are doing well: Basil is growing madly in the heat.

Some of the cuttings I've used for potpourri and I've dried a lot more of the kitchen herbs: Sage, Rosemary, and I have chamomile flowering now too. It took a long time to come into flower.

As usual I've also been stitching, painting and such. The tea towel in the first image was done using crayon tinting and I used a fine tip laundry marker for the out line instead of stitching. I have the finished tea towel up for sale in my easy shop: HildaandLillian.etsy.com

For those of us in the Southern Hemisphere I hope you are staying cool.

Spider web embroidery on a crazy quilt round robin 

I hope everyone is having a good day or evening where ever you are.

Fried Golden Chicken

Fried Golden Chicken

Ingredients:

Chicken pieces

Salt

Pepper

Paprika

Flour

Oil

Method:

Mix salt, pepper, and paprika in flour (I used about 1 teaspoons of paprika). Roll the chicken pieces in the flour.

Add 1/2 to 3/4 inch oil to a large heavy fry pan. Heat oil and place chicken pieces in hot oil ( oil needs to be smoking/sizzling - around 185 degrees c). Cover, and fry until golden turning once, 15 to 20 minutes.  Drain on paper towels.

Serve hot with mash or cold with salad.

Served with home grown salad mix and tomatoes

Have a good day or evening where ever you are.

Summer days

The New Year has come in and Summer is making its presence known giving us hot days. I've been cleaning up my container plants and cut a lot of the herbs back. I dried them, then added the herbs to jars. I have Thyme, Lemon balm, Apple mint, and Oregano. The mint needs to be cut back too, I'll dry that and add that to jars as well.  Having a store of dried herbs in the cupboard is useful for cooking and for adding in sachets to place among linen to keep the insects out of the clothes. 

Oregano is one of those useful herbs to keep in your garden as it is easy to grow and it grows well in a pot. Oregano has a strong camphor scent which makes it useful in potpourri sachets to be placed among linen. 

In culinary uses Oregano can be used for all different pizza’s and pizza sauce. A little can go in tomato juice. It an be used for all egg dishes, salad dressings, meat marinades and mixed in all types of sales. Oregano is a useful herb for casseroles, meat dishes, meat balls and poultry stuffings. Add Oregano to fish dishes as well. Oregano works well in soups - particularly: Tomato soup, vegetable soups, minestrone and in mushroom sauce and soups.

Oregano is a useful herb to grow in your garden and can be planted with Parsley and Thyme. Mixing together these herbs also make a useful Italian herb mix.

Hand painted tea towel. 

I hope everyone is having a good day or evening where ever you are.

Holidays

I just want to wish everyone a Happy Holiday, or Merry Christmas, or how ever you celebrate this time of year. Keep safe in the New Year and I hope to be posting again soon after the New Year. 

I also want to thank everyone who has left a comment through out this year, although I don't always reply, I do read, and I appreciate every comment. 

My surgery to help fix my voice also went very well. I have a good clear volume and can speak longer without breaking. Although the voice is a little raspy with the healing, I'm happy with the out come.

Have a good day or evening where ever you are.

Rambly things

We've had some really nice weather of late, a little warm, but still pleasant. My container pot garden is enjoying the weather and so are the caterpillars which I had to spray for. Hopefully the spray will keep the loopers away. I had to replant the mint but I'm sure that will grow as it likes to take over. 

In other news the house my parents are renting is being sold. They've been there for about ten years and now have a lot to pack up, they have found another place on the other side of town not too far away which eased the stress of moving but still they have a lot to pack up.

Also I have an appointment next week with the anaesthetist which means my throat surgery is going to be soon. For those who don't know for years I had doctors looking at my voice and was told: There's nothing wrong, I need to speak up, speak properly, and all that. On a good day my voice sounds like I have laryngitist, on a bad day it's a whisper.  I'm generally a shy person and talking was just painful to do and listen to so eventually I just got by with saying: Hello and a smile. The surgery is meant to give my voice back it's volume. I have a paralysed vocal cord and they can now fix that with day surgery.  I will be awake for the surgery and have an over night stay at the hospital, my blood pressure will probably sky rocket like it did for my hysterectomy and I'll end up staying another day or so. This video explains vocal paralysed vocal cord for the curious. I haven't had throat surgery or a stroke or any trauma to the neck, my voice just went this way. A cat scan cleared my lungs and throat of any tumours so I'm excited to get my voice back to a useable level.

While helping my folks and my surgery this will just mean my blog posting will be a little quiet.

While that is going on I've the crazy quilt stitching mojo back. This is for a round robin swap, the request was for bright summer colours. The geisha girl is from Q is for Quilter.

At home I've been pottering around. We've been making some biscuits (cookies) and slices from an old vintage cook book for slices and biscuits, so far they have all been a big hit.

I hope everyone is having a good day or evening where ever you are.

fabric tea towel edge

 How to sew a fabric edging to a tea towel

Materials needed:

Tea towel. I used the ones from our cheap stores here. They come in a pack of three or five for a couple of dollars. I pre-wash and iron everything before use.

Any scrap of fabric that will match the bottom width of your tea towel. You can patch together scraps of fabric to make up the length and width you need.

Quick unpick

Usual sewing equipment: Scissors, pins, thread, ect.

If you don't have a sewing machine this can also be done by hand.

Step 1: Unpick the bottom edge of the tea towel.

Step 2: Unpick the sides of the tea towel. Making it long enough to match  the height of your combined fabric edging.

Step 3: Choose scraps of fabric long enough to go across the width of the tea towel. I had fabric left over from the baby quilt and the kitty baby bib on my Etsy store. Add in extra length for when you have to fold over the edges towards the seams.

Step 4: Your first scrap of fabric fold together and match the raw edges together and press with an iron. Sew the raw edges to the second scrap fabric using a narrow seam.

Step 5: With fabrics wrong side to right side of tea towel sew the second fabric scrap with your first fabric scrap sewn, to the bottom of the tea towel where you unpicked the seam. If the tea towel edge is crooked you may have to cut it to straighten.

Step 6: Flip the scrap fabric edging up towards the right side of the tea towel fabric. Top stitch along the first scrap fabric at the top to hold into place and top stitch along the bottom edge of second scrap fabric to keep it neat and sitting flat.

Step 7: At the sides, fold over the seam to match the original seam of the tea towel. Match your sewing thread to your tea towel thread and if you have to; match the thread to your scrap fabric. I just used white thread through out.

And you are done adding a fabric trim to your tea towel. you can also add a crochet edging to your tea towel as I have done too.

Original hand painted design appliquéd to tea towel

I hope everyone is having a good day or evening where ever you are.

Steamed crock pot chicken - Slow cooker.

Steamed crock pot (slow cooker) chicken with vegetables

Ingredients:

Chicken pieces. (You may be able to do this with a whole chicken too but you might have to adjust the olive oil, lemon and herb amounts.)

Olive oil, 1/4cup.

Herbs: Thyme, Rosemary, Oregano, fresh or dried. I used fresh. Use what ever you think will go with chicken and vegetables.

Vegetables: Potatoes - quartered. Peel them if you like, I never did with mine. Carrots - trimmed and peeled if you want, I never peeled mine. Add in any softer vegetables, such as green beens, towards the end.

Freshly squeezed lemon juice, 1/3 cup.

2 teaspoons of crushed garlic.

Salt and pepper to season.

Method:

Place chicken and vegetables into the crock pot. Mix the Olive oil with the lemon juice, add the herbs and garlic into the oil and lemon juice. Then pour the mixture over the Chicken and vegetables. Keep the lid on the crock pot as the steam will cook everything through.

Cook for 4 hrs on High or 8 hrs on Low.

I hope everyone is having a good day or evening where ever you are.