Recycling For Wrapping Presents

As part of my best friend's Christmas present, we got her an 'Experience' voucher. As you probably know, you can have this sent to you in a gift box type thing, which you pay extra for or you can just have it emailed. I chose the latter, thinking that I had plenty of supplies to do something pretty with it.

I printed out the email on some heavyweight paper and then went rummaging. It was then I came across some packaging my husband had brought home for me, in case I was able to use it for something (yes, he is well trained!).

So, from a boring plastic envelope, the piece became transformed, with the help of some washi tape and flowers, and a little bling into this...

 

The flap where the flower is lifts up and the documentation, telling her about her (hopefully fun!) experience is inside. She thought it was absolutely lovely so that made my day, and it was also nice to give something that looked pretty, rather than just handing over a piece of paper. And all of it was with supplies I already had to hand, plus the base packaging which otherwise would have been tossed in the bin!

 

I hope you like the result too, and may help you look at discarded packaging in a new light. If anyone else has done anything like this, I'd love to see it :) Please leave a link in the comments.

 

Love, Maxi



Handmade Christmas Wreath

In a previous house, we always had a beautiful fresh wreath on our door at Christmas. Every year I'd stop at the teeny weeny nursery I'd pass on my way to and from taking the pooch out on the forest, and hand over a fiver for a large, fresh, totally handmade wreath. Even then it was a total bargain!

Out on a walk the other day, I passed someone in a layby selling wreaths, again for a fiver. They were tiny! I'm sure it'd look fine on Bilbo Baggin's front door, but on any normal size door, it was sure to look a bit out of proportion. And I certainly couldn't afford the prices they were charging in the shops for anything of a decent size. I do love the look of a real wreath but, due to being laid up ill for a good ten days, there wasn't much opportunity to get out there and grab the leaves and lovely goodness I'd need to make one myself and our own garden couldn't fulfil those needs either. But whilst recovering, I did come across an idea for a fabric wreath. It was printed in Prima magazine, but I believe it is something they've taken from a company who actually make them - for far more than it cost me!

 

What it did cost me is time, which is probably why those online are more pricey - and of course, I already had a stash of fabric to delve into! It's basically little strips of fabric and ribbon tied onto a florist's wreath frame (I got mine on Ebay, still new, but cheap). I chose one that was '3D' rather than just flat but it all depends on what you like. I also cut my strips with pinking shears to minimise fraying but if you like the frayed look, then it would certainly add texture.

 

 

 

It's on the inside of the door because we see it more that way and I didn't want it getting dirty at all from anything carried in the air as I certainly don't fancy untying all those bits and washing them!

 

I'm definitely pleased with how it turned out and it's something a bit different from what's in all the shops, which always makes me smile.

 

I hope you like it and I'd love to see any hand made wreaths you've made for your home this year!

 

 

Love, Maxi



Journal Your Christmas 2012

This project is something I did for the first time last year. It's run by Shimelle Laine (who has all sorts of interesting courses both on her own website, and on the Two Peas site.

Journal Your Christmas is about taking Christmas back. Rescuing it from the avalanche of commercialism it has become buried under, and remembering what the real meaning is of it - for you. Once you sign up to the course, you are a member for life, so you'll get the prompts every year, without having to hand over any more cash - which is nice! You get prompts every day for 37 days, starting on December the 1st, and you can do every one, or just a few. You can take photos every day or none. You can journal every day or hardly it all. It's all up to you.

I definitely enjoyed creating my journal last year, even though it wasn't properly finished until (gasp!) June! I did learn from doing last year's, and am changing a few things this year. Which is apt as Shimelle has changed up the prompts.

Today was 'Manifesto' day. Whilst there is one in the handout, I created my own - mainly because I missed seeing the one that was there, but that's ok. I like what mine too.

 

 

I decided that this year I'd most likely just pick and choose which prompts to do, so I'm not numbering the days or anything. There were a few last year that didn't really 'speak' to me, and I struggled a bit with those. This way allows a bit more flexibility which I think will work better for me.

 

If you're fed up with Christmas before it's even started, thanks to supermarkets moving everything in order to make room for mince pies in September, I'd highly recommend joining Journal Your Christmas and start claiming it back.

 





Sewing a Blind Hem

I did it! I did my first blind hem and it looked fine! This is something that has always baffled me because of the whole folding it this way and that thing that goes along with it. Until I found this video. It explained the folding bit so well that it made you think - what was I worrying about?

I forgot to take a picture before I gave the skirt back to my Mum (for whom I was altering it) but it really did turn out well. I was pretty chuffed with myself. I did use a blind hem foot which came with the machine and I can see that not having this would make it more difficult as you wouldn't have the little guide that special foot has.

It really has made me happy that I got this done - I've had the skirt there for ages and whilst for much of the time, I was without a machine and therefore unable to do it, I was also a bit nervous when I did have one as I didn't want to mess it up, as it's part of a suit. I unpicked the lining and just did a normal hem on that, as had been done on it originally. I nearly cheated and did a normal hem on the main fabric but I really wanted to learn the technique.

Now I have done it once, I'll hopefully be less intimidated another time.

If this is something you're struggling with, I'd highly recommend you take a look at the video I mention. I watched it at 4am whilst unable to sleep and even got it then, so that must say something about how well she's explained it!

Happy Sewing!

New Sewing Machine - Eek!

Well, I finally decided and now have a shiny new sewing machine. I have to say that I haven't had much use of it yet, but I did actually manage to get the bobbin wound, in and working yesterday. I rummaged around and found a skirt I cut out more years ago than I care to remember - and due to that fact am not sure I'm even going to fit into anymore! :(  which is this one from New Look.

 

New Look 6300

 

As you can see, it's noted as 'Easy' which makes it even more annoying that I couldn't flippin' work out some of the instructions! I sewed the back together yesterday and it originally had a vent...well, not anymore. I'm hoping it's just because I'm out of practice and not because I'm actually being a bit dopey! So, having edged and hemmed the vent, I couldn't work out how it was supposed to lie, so I ended up hemming the back seam all the way down from the bottom of the zipper area and chopping the vent bit off.

 

The view I'd chosen and cut out is the one the model is...well, modelling in the picture. This is also throwing up issues for me. I'd cut all my skirt out of some really nice faux suede I'd got from Croft Mill years ago in brown and a beigey/creamy colour. However, when I've got to patch it together, it seems like some are going to be the wrong side up. I thought I'd cut them out wrong but having looked at the cutting layouts again yesterday, it does seem that I've followed them correctly. Which is why I ended up sewing the back together first.

 

So, at the moment, it's sitting in a pile until hubby who although not a seamstress, has a very clever and logical mind, can look at it with me and see if it's me or them. As I say, all this might be academic because I'm not the skinny girl I was so it might not even fit, but I did think that I might be able to put some panels down the side if things start looking that way, bearing in mind it's a pieced look anyway.

 

If anyone has had any experience with this pattern, I'd be happy to hear from you (more than happy!).

 

Any whilst it probably wasn't the best project to start out on a brand new machine after a long gap away from, being shiny on one side, and grippy on the other, I did at least sew a few bits of fabric to another few bits so it's a start!

 

 



Plum Crunch Cake

More baking! Although I have to admit I made this one a little while ago but didn't get around to putting it up on the blog.

It's an excellent recipe for using up some fruit that might be looking past its best a little. I actually had some plums to use up, but I should think it would work just as well with something like apricots, and even apples.

As you can see, I made two and froze one. It froze really well - no complaints when it was time to be pulled out and eaten. The recipe itself was torn from a magazine and had been sitting around for a while so I was glad of the chance to try it out.

The sugary syrup is poured one when they come out of the oven and then left to set, hence the 'crunch' part of the title. Of course, you could leave this bit out if you wanted to cut back on the sugar content.

The only downside with this cake is that it's not so great for transporting - probably not the best for lunchboxes (although hubby did manage it just fine. I can't say if all of the bits stayed on but they certainly got eaten, detached or not.)

Any other fruit you could think of that would be good for this recipe?

Chutney Surprise

I have never made chutney before but I had a bunch of green tomatoes, and a few reds one that really needed using so I went rummaging for a suitable recipe and this is the result.

First you have to chop up all the onions and the tomatoes, add a little salt, and then let it sit for 24 hours.

After that, it's a case of adding the rest of the ingredients and cooking it all down. I ended up halving the recipe amounts, just to make it tally with the amount of tomatoes I had, but I'm glad I did as I still ended up with about 5 jars and I think that's plenty for now, especially as it's an untried recipe!

 



I've tucked them away in a cupboard for now, but wondered if anyone knew what the best amount of time to leave them is before you start tucking in?

All info gratefully received!