Of Mice And Martha

One of my sewing pupils has a pet cat, and wanted to make a toy for him.

We found an idea for mice in this MS book.

The pattern is on the CD which comes with the book, so I printed it off.

Here you can see the ones from the book and the ones my pupil made.

I have to say that I was a little disappointed with the pattern and instructions [reading a few blogs, I find I am not alone in this – I found others using phrases like “instructions a little light”]

The narrow rouleau loop tail was really hard for a novice sewer [next time, I would suggest using a length of shoe lace] but the main problem was lack of marking on the pattern. It would have helped to have had “Nose” and “Tail” on the pattern pieces. My girl tried incredibly hard, but the tail somehow got sewn onto the nose end! She also needed an indication of where to stitch the ears. I think too that the ear pattern could have done with a clear marking as to which was the edge and which bit joined onto the head. Also a reminder to ‘clip curves’ would not have gone amiss.

We added some catnip to the stuffing – and I suspect the cat will enjoy these mice whatever they look like. My pupil loved them and that is what matters. This is the first time I have printed off a pattern from the CD – I look forward to trying something else. If I can find an appropriate piece of fabric in my stash, I may make myself the drawstring pants to wear as summer pjs.

WHAT Did You Call Them?

“Fish’n’Chips Babies” repeated my friend from the URC Church in Groby. In Africa, many babies born to women with AIDS are taken home from hospital wrapped in newspaper, because their parents cannot afford proper clothes. To the Charity Worker they looked like little bundles of fish and chips – and so she determined to get people making warm vests, hats and blankets for these newborns.

So that has been my April Great Stash Charity Project

The pattern is very easy – you start at the bottom rib, knit up the front, cast on for sleeves, cast off a slit for the neck, then knit down the back and cast off – and sew up two side seams.Done!

Using 50g dk wool and 4mm needles, cast on 44 stitches.
Work 18 Rows in K2, P2 rib
Work 30 Rows stocking stitch (1 row plain, 1 row purl)
Cast on 12 stitches at beginning of next 2 rows and at the same time change to K2,P2 (for sleeve)
Rib 22 more rows.
Next row: Rib 21, cast off 26 stitches, rib 21 (Please cast these stitches off loosely in rib, to Allow
The neck to stretch over a baby’s head)
Next row: Rib 21, cast on 26 stitches, rib 21 (Please cast on loosely, using one size bigger needles if necessary).
Work 22 rows in K2, P2 rib
Cast off 12 stitches at beginning of next 2 rows
Work 30 rows stocking stitch
Work 18 rows, K2, P2 rib
Cast off. Sew side and sleeve seams.

PLEASE use bright and dark coloured wools, stripes are good – these garments may not get washed much!

The original charity is no longer accepting the vests as they had enough – but there are lots of other groups who want them – just google ‘fish and chips babies’. Mine are going to my URC friends for their collection.

All the chip shops round here use cheap white paper these days – I cannot remember the last time I had chips in newspaper, can you?

Thirty Ways To Save A £

Did you realise the Pound Coin was thirty years old this year? The people at Moneysupermarket.com are asking bloggers to suggest ways of saving. Here’s my attempt at a list

1. never shop without a list – and try to stick to it
2. use supermarket ‘loyalty’ cards, but shop around for good deals
3. take your own bags – most supermarkets give you loyalty points for using them – worth pounds over a year’s worth of shopping
4. semi skimmed milk freezes well- so when it is on offer, buy an extra bottle or two and pop them in the freezer. Keep the freezer as full as possible [with a plastic box of ice if nothing else!]
5. barter don’t buy – swap sewing skills for some baked goods, an hour of gardening for fixing the computer.
6. look for yellow sticker reductions in the supermarket [and adjust your menu plan accordingly]
7. mix budget muesli with better stuff in ratio 2:1 – that way you save money but still get a fair amount of nuts and raisins!
8. make milk puddings with reconstituted dried milk
9. use last year’s pretty calendars to wrap this years gifts
10. use last year’s birthday and Xmas cards to make new ones
11. give home made gifts – learn to knit or crochet and make hats and scarves
12. store any leftover sauce sachets from takeaway meals in a jar in the kitchen – and use to pep up casseroles
13. clip coupons and keep them in a small plastic wallet with your purse, that way they are on hand when you get to the supermarket. And mark the items on your shopping list with a C to remind you that you have a coupon!
14. when the oven is on, fill it – put in crusts to dry for breadcrumbs, or a vegetable stew or curry made with the odd bits from the fridge.
15. hang up clothes after wearing, and do not feel you must have a different outfit every day- the savings on laundry will be significant
16. If you use wash tabs, then try 1½ instead of 2 in the machine.
17. skip fabric conditioner altogether – but if you must have the fragrance just use ½ the amount
18. forage fruit and berries in the autumn and make jams and chutneys – for yourself and for gifts
19. read the newspaper online or in your library
20. worn out clothes which cannot be passed on [to friends or charity shop] can be dismantled to provide cleaning rags and spare zips and buttons. Good bits of fabric will make patchwork.
21. If a recipe requires just the zest of a lemon, then freeze the juice into icecube trays. And put the remaining shells into a bowl of water and bake for 2 minutes to clean your microwave.
22. a tube of denture tablets from the Poundshop will last years and provide an excellent cheap cleaner for stained crockery. Drop a tablet down the loo at night and it will clean it more cheaply [and safely] than other chemicals.
23. A pack of cheap disposable nappies can be cut up to line hanging baskets and flower troughs and the granules in them will help retain water in the summer. Cheaper than garden centre granules
24. In many recipes requiring ground almonds, you can replace half the quantity with semolina and ½tsp almond essence.
25. After the date, buy reduced Easter eggs, chocolate advent calendars, Valentine hearts etc – melt and set into small moulds to make sweets for the children- or mix with cornflakes,crispies or broken biscuits to make teatime cakes.
26. stretch cottage pie filling with a can of beans
27. collect small freebies through the year [pens, shampoo sachets, keyrings, balloons] and use them to fill advent calendars or homemade crackers
28. when you hear of an upcoming price rise in stamps, buy an extra book and put it to one side for later.
29. serve food on slightly smaller plates/in smaller bowls. People will hardly notice the difference, but your wallet and waistline will benefit.
30. If you serve fruit juice at breakfast, put an ice cube or two in the glass first, and you will use less juice.

Why don’t you have a go at this one? Those Epic People at Moneysupermarket.com are offering prizes!

No Cheers This Morning

Here are my keys- I use them almost every day. House keys, car key, bike padlock…plus a Swiss Army knife and a ‘trolley token’

…and a very worn red key fob,a treasured souvenir of our Silver Wedding Trip to the USA in 2004 with Liz and Steph. I bought it from the ‘Cheers Bar’ in Boston – the four of us had a fabulous day in that fine city. The Cheers Bar is only a few streets from Boylston Street, where yesterday’s bombing took place.

And today, as I pick up my keys, my heart is aching for all those affected by those bombs…that father who crossed the finish line, and briefly hugged his family…minutes before they were caught up in the explosion that took the life of his son…those people enjoying a day of holiday and celebration, which ended with horrifying, life changing injuries. In a moment, the cheers of celebration turned into screams of pain.

Father, may the people of Boston know your comfort today

give your peace to the bereaved

give your healing to the injured

give your skill to the surgeons

give your wisdom to those in authority

give your grace to all

Among The Prophets…

Something has been bubbling away on a Very High Shelf in the kitchen, way above my reach

[And don’t ask why the Bible Commentaries live in the kitchen – it is too long a story. Fortunately I tend not to preach from the book of Daniel very often!]

It was the starter for Bob’s sourdough bread. Here is his first attempt. The appearance and taste were good, but he feels he needs more practice!

Rather holey!

It was a great accompaniment to our lunchtime soup.

Tokens Of Affection

What a lovely day! We went into Leicester so that I could spend my birthday gift tokens. The city was fairly busy.

The pavement artist was out in Leicester – I am glad it was bright and dry today – the rainy weather must have been annoying for him. Having made a donation I took a few pictures. I think he is good!

Top of my shopping list was a new winter coat – last time I had a new one was 1997 . I revamped it two years ago [here] but it has worn very thin and even torn in places. I felt it really was beyond the point of wearing for ‘smart’ occasions anymore.

I had some John Lewis vouchers, so we began there. Bob found a superb black wool funnel neck coat for me hanging on the sale rail– half price! I don’t expect to wear it very much now the weather is warming up - but it definitely ticks almost all the boxes, and will be great come the cooler weather. Steph had suggested not buying black or navy, and going for something bright- but sadly there was nothing on offer other than black or camel. [Apart from a rather attractive size 22 scarlet red coat. But that was WAY too big!]

Then onto Accessorize, to spend those vouchers on a new purse. My existing one has split, and I keep scattering pennies hither and thither. It has a zip section for cash and the ‘heart turnlock’ opens to reveal a section with cardholders. The lining is really pretty too.

My other ‘treat’ in the John Lewis Sale was an Amy Butler pattern. I am not sure when I shall get round to making myself this little rain jacket, but I liked the shape and it seemed a useful sort of garment.

Gift tokens are so lovely – you get to choose exactly what you would like. Thank you to all my family for my birthday gifts which have given me great pleasure.

Bob’s hunt for a banetton for his breadmaking proved unsuccessful, but Liz has said that she has one which he can borrow.

We came home for lunch, as he had to knead his fougasse!

Faith, Folk, And Charity

Friday night’s “Africa Aid” Folk Evening went well. The audience enjoyed the various bands. Bob worked incredibly hard on the sound system

[I spent much of the evening in the kitchen, so took my pictures through the serving hatch!]

We raised around £175 for three charities working in Africa - including Tom’s East African Playgrounds and a couple of others in Malawi. We could have done with a few more people there!

Here’s Moira and Marilyn in the kitchen, looking a little anxious about when [if?] the interval will start! Along with Janet and Julie they helped me served teas and coffees throughout the evening- and in the interval, everyone got a mug of soup and a roll [That Soup Kettle is definitely earning its keep!] followed by far too many cakes.

Here’s Dangerous Dogs – with their Djembe. Spot the Washboard at the back, too!

We got everything cleared up and packed away…and fell into bed around midnight, with the satisfaction of a job well done.

Anyone remember this songbook from the 60’s? It came out the year after Youth Praise 1. I still have my copies of YP1 & 2 – but I don’t think I ever possessed my own copy of FF&C. Back then, we did not have YouTube, Facebook, or Twitter, but even in the middle of Norfolk, we still managed to find out what were the cool new songs for the enthusiastic young Christians!

Hope!

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

I love this verse from Romans 15. The world sometimes seems full of sad, discouraged people. We need God to fill us with His joy and peace, so that we will overflow with hope as we share the Good News with those around us.

So I was especially thrilled with one of my birthday gifts on Wednesday – this charming little notebook from my best friend Chris. It is one of those very sensible ones with an elastic strap to keep it closed in my bag.

The inner pages are equally beautiful with blue and lilac prints.

Chris also gave me a bowl of hyacinths when I saw her last Friday. They were in bud then , but now…

The fragrance is filling the lounge. It is lovely [so much nicer than any chemical air freshener!] Thanks Chris …really lovely.

My cousin, Gill, who knows me far too well, sent a really great card

…and some goodies from Wilko’s new ‘Sustain’ range – all woodland themed, trees, owls, foxes etc…

I also received a book from Steph [to be reviewed later] lots of cards, and a number of gift tokens. People are so thoughtful. Thanks everyone!

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Then There Was Naan

I completely forgot to post this picture last weekend. On our final Saturday evening at Cornerstones, I made a curry. Bob produced some delightful curried naan bread from his Hollywood Book. Here is one of them cooking in the frying pan [the addition of curry powder gives it the golden colour]

Some Food For Thought

I found this interesting graphic here [originally from DEFRA]

But sadly the data is rather hard to interpret. It tells me that in the last five years, the price of bread has increased by 30%, and the average person is buying 10% less bread each week [but wasting 32% of it] Furthermore, 60% of people are still eating food after the ‘use-by’ date. What does that mean?

• If I buy a pack of yellow-stickered bread rolls at 8pm in the supermarket which will be out of date at midnight, then does eating them next morning count as ‘after the use-by date’?
• If I freeze them as soon as I get home, and then use them a week later then does that count as ‘after the use-by date’?
• If I bake them into a bread and butter pudding, and put it in the fridge for 24 hours for the next night’s dessert, then does that count as ‘after the use by date’?

And does the 60% of us who risk life and limb with expired food also include any of those wastrels who casually sling sad carrots in the bin?

And I am intrigued by the fact that despite the increase in home baking, there has been absolutely no change in the average percentage of butter purchased, and very little increase in sugar purchasing. What is on the top of all those cupcakes at the School Fete then?

The only line that is clear – and the saddest one – is that food prices are up 12% and incomes in low income households are down 12%.

Find out more about supporting your local Foodbank here

The Great British Stitch Up

SPOILER ALERT –do not read this if you have yet to see the programme shown on Tuesday April 9th as it reveals who was eliminated!

I was SO looking forward to this programme

From the same company that did “The Great British Bake Off” a four part series “in which eight hopefuls are tested on their sewing and dressmaking skills as they compete to be crowned Britain's best amateur sewer”

But I have been a little disappointed thus far

The problem is, for me, it just does not match up to the GBBO. Judges May Martin [WI] and Patrick Grant [Savile Row] don’t have the same on-screen chemistry as National-Treasure-Mary, and Paul-The-Pilsbury-Doughboy. And the ubiquitous Claudia Winkleman doesn't quite have the wit of Mel’n’Sue. It’s all too earnest!

It is my own fault – I should have seen beyond the blurb and realised they were making a TV programme and it would be totally formulaic. According to The Rules of Good TV, our eight contestants must be

• a mixture of ages from twenties to eighties
• a mixture of races and gender
• a mixture of newbies and experienced sewers
• a mixture of different social backgrounds and interests

So we ended up with

1. Traditional West Indian Young Mum, “channelling Grandma’s love in every stitch” Prone to anxiety
2. Retro-style Newbie Needlewoman [drafts her own patterns]Not much experience or technical know-how, and lack of practice means she is slow to finish things.
3. Merry Widow, loves classic cars, and looking different from everyone else. Very individual style
4. Steam Punk Macho Guy – brilliant at effective, and economical costumes, which looks good [but has little or no experience of zip insertion] Trustworthy East Midlander.
5. Conscientious Scottish Newlywed Head Girl, Lauren, sewing since she was in the Brownies [and a wizard with bias binding]
6. Brummie Mummie Sandra, who has made the family clothes for thirty years, dressing daughters in cutesy matching outfits back in the 1980s [oh Liz, Steph, I am so sorry…it seemed OK at the time] Very competent, but panics under pressure
7. Cheery Chappie – camp as a Boy Scout Jamboree – probably there to lighten the tension and entertain. Cannot topstitch, not good at working with pattern fabrics or fly-front zips.
8. Ann-the-Gran – sewing since the days of WW2 clothes rationing, producing semi-professional couture garments. Traditional styling, immaculate zip placement and clothes-fitting. Works steadily and safely. Prefers to take her time and achieve perfect results.

The top four were eliminated by the end of Programme Two.

For me the problem is that Ann is far and away the most competent of the lot. That was obvious from the get-go. So what on earth are they going to do for two more shows? My family [who know far more about the making of TV programmes than I] tell me that I was wrong to expect a genuine ‘competition’. “It’s entertainment – don’t expect realistic ‘judging’” Sadly I realise they are dead right.

Patrick has repeatedly referred to Ann’s ‘safe’ style, and praised Stuart’s ‘quirkiness’. I am not surprised Sandra ‘made a bit of pork’ after he told her he didn’t like scalloped edges, the poor woman is a bag of nerves to start with. And he wasn’t very kind about Lauren’s trousers either! [I can’t do zips at all, I thought L did extremely well]

My final gripe is that the weekly Programme Project [1- Laundry Bag, 2-Cushion Cover] is not explained clearly, and the instructions are rapid and hard to follow. I wanted to encourage my ‘sewing girls’ to watch it – but I am not sure how much they’d really learn. Lots of important details seemed to be ‘presumed’ and omitted.

I would not be surprised if Programme 3 shows Stuart falling at some complex technical hurdle, and Sandra panicking herself into a disaster. One of them will depart. And then in the final, Ann will somehow be judged too ‘trad’ and not sufficiently ‘cutting-edge’. So Lauren will be crowned Queen, and this will be just the boost she needs as she sets up her new haberdashery. [I suspect I am getting too cynical]

And I suspect that Ann will display her usual impeccably gracious behaviour and say what jolly good fun it has been to take part with these young people, and how she wants to encourage the next generation to pick up their needles and sew.

But if I needed someone to make an important garment [like a wedding dress] I would choose Ann out of this octet, no question. [Actually, my friend Susan is pretty good at bridal wear too…]

I am sorry, you are all shocked now, because I have been so awfully negative. But I really did so want it to be about genuine sewing skills, and the best amateur needle-workers. I naïvely expected that the contestants would all be wearing clothes they had made themselves, and at least be able to insert zips, and topstitch properly, in order to get into the final eight. Bob is now insisting I should go and read Ben Elton’s “Chart Throb” and then I’d understand how such TV shows work!

On An Arctic Roll…

I struggled into school this morning feeling somewhat under par, and was grateful that my small groups were well behaved and working hard. But we did hit a little bit of a problem. We were doing a comprehension piece [or “Reading Test” as they call them now] It was about Whale Hunting. The boys could not understand how anybody could justify killing and eating whales.

I pointed out that for some people, whalemeat** has been a traditional part of their diet for centuries. “Like the Inuits” I said, aiming for Political Correctness.

Child 1 - What’s an Inuit?

Me – It’s the same as Eskimo. Do you know what an Eskimo is?

Child 2 – I know about them- they are miserable teenagers who wear black clothes

Me – I think you might be getting confused with EMOS

Child 1 – [genuinely confused] Aren’t they big weird birds, Miss?

Some definitions

Eskimos (or Esquimaux) or Inuit–Yupik peoples are indigenous peoples who have traditionally inhabited the circumpolar region from eastern Siberia (Russia), across Alaska (United States), Canada, and Greenland (Denmark).

Emo - The stereotype for a kid(13-19) who has a lower tolerance for sad emotions, and feels inadequate of their own personal worth. Many emos feel so depressed that they resort to self harm. Emo boys often wear girls trousers and dye their hair black, with a pyramid spiked belt, and tight tee shirts(usually black). It is known that emos have a kind of rule that 40% of their face must be covered by hair, although it is actually a subconscious feeling of wanting to cover up their sad eyes.

Emu - The largest bird native to Australia. It is the second-largest extant bird in the world by height, after its relative, the ostrich.

Postscript – I had almost finished typing this when Steph phoned. When I told her the story, she said I ought to have finished the conversation with “Are you sure you aren’t thinking of Elmo?”

** I love that whalemeat is an anagram of wheatmeal

On A Roll

Bob had a delivery in a large cardboard box. Instead of the usual bubble wrap, there was lots of scrunched up brown paper. It seemed too good to shove in the paper recycling bin.

I spent a few minutes unravelling it, and then ironed it with a warm iron. I rolled it all up round a spare cardboard tube from the garage and now have 10 metres of wrapping paper [it’s 75cm wide]

I plan to use it for my Christmas presents – but haven’t decided yet whether to leave it plain and tie up with bright ribbon scraps – or decorate it with potato print stars and snowflakes – or tie with string and add cones, holly and ivy for a ‘rustic’ look.

Not that I have got any Christmas presents sorted out yet [it’s only April after all!]