Monday 31 May 2010

Hair again

I wanted to do an update on my hair. As mentioned in an earlier blog I have more or less always hated my straight fine limp hair, especially as my brother is blessed with the curliest hair ever so that it forms natural ringlets - I have always been so jealous of this (and his long dark eyelashes!!). In a final attempt to like my hair in it's chin length bob and allow it to grow to shoulder length rather than the cropped, I decided to stop using shampoo and use bicarbs and cider vinegar. It took a couple of weeks for it to settle down during which time it looked a bit greasy and then got a bit dry. I only use the bicarbs about once a week and this has stopped the dryness and in between I either wash with just the cider vinegar rinse or plain water. As we have loads of eggs at the moment I indulged in an egg hair mask on Saturday. I just mixed it up and rubbed it into my hair after I had washed it with bicarbs, it was a bit gloopy but I've used gloopier things that have been bought in pots. The I lay back in the bath and relaxed for a while, before rinsing it out and finishing off with the vinegar rinse and a blast of cold water from the shower. I couldn't have got better results from my hair if I had used heaps of specially formulated products. My hair definitely has lots more volume, although I often tie it back for work as in the pictures from last week. I can't claim that my hair has gone curly, but if I brush it before washing and just leave it to dry after washing it certainly has more movement than before, which I am not displeased about. It's more shaggy than wavy but any natural movement in my hair is an improvement. I'll get a picture next sometime during the week as the kids are away now there's no-one to take a picture.

Sunday 30 May 2010

Thursday

As per last blog, I got a little bit behind with everything and I seem to have completely missed Wednesday because I didn't have anyone to take a picture. Here's one I took of myself in the mirror in the ladies. It's a bit weird taking a picture there but it was a bit of fun taking a picture of myself.
Oh I'm sorry I didn't complete the blog posts for last week, my mum's been ill. She's had diverticular disease for some time and just keeps losing weight. She's now retired and I think that she may be a bit depressed, we went out for a meal today and she was talking about how she had chosen the coffin she wanted. It's all most upsetting and I'm not sure what to do, because she would never admit to being depressed. My kids have gone to visit her this week, along with my brother and his wife and daughter (she's only 4) and I'm hoping that this will cheer her up, but I don't think it will solve the problem long term. She should go to the doctor, but she won't and so thing just keep getting worse. I need to sort something out but she doesn't live close enough for me to cook for her or pop round every day so I need another solution.

Tuesday 25 May 2010

Tuesday


Sorry today's picture doesn't really do me any favours. The trouble is now I have to get son to take the pictures and to say he's not very enthusiastic is an understatement. Any way todays ensemble is some linen trousers made eight years ago a top that I bought as a sundress about four years ago. I bought it on impulse because I liked the material and as a dress it looked awful on me, so it was turned into a top and the little cardi thing is knitted from a patern in Ravelry http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/anthropologie-inspired-capelet

I always amazes me how two people knitting essentially the same pattern in the same yarn can produce quite different items. I admit I did make some changes to the pattern so that I could knit it with the two yarns that I had available and as I didn't have a button I made a crochet flower closure. My friend also knitted one of these, she used the same type of yarn, but hers was a sort of 'teddy' brown colour and she had a georgeous large button for hers. She also adapted the pattern to make hers longer (I would probably have done this as well but I had a very limited amount of the yarn).

Monday 24 May 2010

Monday - My week in clothes, day 1



Here is the little sundress made from the skirt and white shirts yesterday. It turned out well considering the skirt was only made from remnants of material in the first place (two of which were curtain fabric). I made the belt about five years ago from some leftover fake suade that I had made place mats from.

I also finished the crochet cardi yesterday, but more on that later in the week. As daughter has gone away for most of this week I won't have to share the computer so much and so I have decided to do something that I wanted to do when I started this blog. I want to blog 'My week in clothes' and put a picture of what I am wearing on the blog everyday this week.

ou may notice my sandals in the above picture these were made by the lovely Ren, they are an absolute favourite when it's hot like today. You can find them on the following link
http://www.fairysteps.co.uk

I keep promising myself another pair, but I just can't decide on the colour!

Sunday 23 May 2010




It's now so hot I needed another sun dress. I remembered an old skirt I had made with some remnants about six years ago. I loved the skirt and had kept it although the top tiers which were made of lilac linen had faded terribly. I found two old white school shirts that my son had grown out of and a pretty hanky and some ribbon that matched. I have taken the top two teirs off the skirt and cut out the white shirts for the top of the sun dress. I'm hoping to sew it up later and wear it tomorrow.

I've also made good progress on the special outfit for my daughter, the top is finished. It just needs a good press and the culottes are nearly done. They just need hemming and a waist band. Daughter's away this week so I will hopefully have it finished for when she returns, in case of last minute adjustments. She needs the outfit for a football presentation evening on 5 June, and both children are visiting Granny the week before the presentation so next weekend will be the only time for adjustments (what will I do without the children for a whole week!!!!).





Sorry about the pictures being sideways, they show alright when I view them in my picture gallery but somehow when I upload them they revert to being sideways!!

Tuesday 18 May 2010

Painting

I've been having a few technical hitches with the photo's but these are fixed now. Meanwhile, I have been decorating the conservatory. I use this room a lot as my workroom as the light is so good, but it does get a bit (lot) untidy, so I gave it a good springclean. I cleaned the windows, washed the blinds and repainted the few bits of wall that it has. I also sorted out the furniture something that I have been meaing to do for about a year. Last year a friends mum died and he asked me if I wanted her sewing box, so I said yes. It contained quite a few treasures, but the box itself was an old oak veneer type which didn't really go with the other furniture in the conservatory (or anywhere in my house). So I have finally painted the box and stencilled roses on the front. It now houses sewing paterns in the actual box, knitting and crochet patterns on the shelf below and there is a little draw that now contains my knitting needles.



I put up a shelf to house some of the items I have glass painted over the years and also to hang the picture my daughter made me when she was recovering from appendicitis.


And remember the dress in the last blog, well when I finished it I still had some material left that I had cut off the skirt - from the skirt itself and the lining. I combined these with a few other bits of material, some ribbon (from the shrug) and some lace that I inherited from my nan and had two new cushion covers for my chair.



I'm really rather pleased with the finished look, but I do wonder how long it will stay tidy once I start sorting out the materials for new projects.

I'm just starting on a posh top and culottes for my daughter, she has a presentation evening and a ball to go to in the next few months, but she refuses to wear a dress so I've sorted out a top and culottes pattern for her. They will take some adapting as the smallest size they go to is a womans size 10, my daughters only eleven and so doesn't really quite fit into womans sizes yet. I have some nice blue taffeta that was given to me many years ago by my mother-in-law, it's electric blue which is a really suits my daughters colouring (and also appeals to her hatred of anything to 'girly' as it's not pink!). As she has quite short hair, I'm trying to convince her to let me make a covered alice band with a little bow to match, but I'm still working on that one.

Thursday 13 May 2010

Party Frock




I've been wanting to share this for a while as I was very pleased with the result. In January my work had a big 'do' and I needed a party frock. I didn't really want to spend much money so I started looking round charity shops. I found a lovely dusky pink long dress - it looked like it might have been a bridesmaid's dress. It fitted me a treat but had a stain on the front, the lady in the shop said it would need to be dry cleaned. I looked at the material and reckoned it could go in the mashing machine and as it was cheap (because of the stain) I bought it. I put it in the washing machine on cold setting and it came out beautifully, it didn't shrink, tear or have any other ill effects and the stain was gone. So I set about making my alterations. I chopped it to above knee length and drew in the bottom with elastic, then I sewed some lace from my 'bits' bag round the bodice and made a tie to go round the waist from another fabric found in my bits bag. The original strap was missing so I made a new one from a bit of the material that I chopped off the bottom. I spent the rest of the christmas hols making a bag from more of the cut off skirt fabric and using a clasp from a rather hideous red bag that had come free with something several years ago. I hand stiched a variety of white and cream vintage buttons on it that I had been given by a friend after his mother died. I also knitted a cabled shrug to go aver it all - after all the party was in January. There was some material left from the skirt and I have recently used this to make some cushions.

Tuesday 11 May 2010

From old to new

A few weeks ago I went into a charity shop one lunchtime. I don't usually do this because the ones near my work aren't the best and I'm usually too busy. There at the front was a lovely chunky sweater. Or rather the yarn was a lovely variagated mix of pink, purple and grey, the rest of the jumper was out of shape and in some places a bit worn looking. However I had to have it, I just knew I could reinvent it.


I couldn't wait to get it home and start unraveling it, so much so that I forgot to take a picture until it was nearly all rolled into balls. I did quickly manage to take this one before it was completely unraveled. It does show how matted it was in places from not being looked after properly.

I have a fab patern for a bolero that I got from Ravelry some time ago and have knitted in several different forms. Its basically a pair of bell shaped sleeves that extend across the back and are joined together with ribbon. It knits up quickly with chunky wool and size 12 needles and so is good when a quick craft fix is needed.



and here's the finished item. I salvaged the pink ribbon from a top I made a few years ago (the ribbon was used to tie the waist), but the top never suited me. I tried adapting it by putting elastic in the waist but it still didn't work, my body seemed too long for it!!! So I gave the top to a friend, by that time minus the ribbon which I kept and it was ideal for this. I love this pattern its lovely and thick and extends down over my hands, which are always cold, but it doesn't add bulk round my stomach which is often the case with chunky knits. And as the weather is refusing to get much warmer it's just right for putting over my summer tops so that I don't have to half freeze to death.

Sunday 9 May 2010

I have been busy...










I know I have been neglecting this blog. I knew I would when I started it, but I have been busy. I have been crocheting a batch of string shopping bags. I create little material pouches for them and they make quite nice little presents. Here's the latest batch, the blue one is complete with it's pouch but the mauve and beige one's will have to wait until I next have the sewing machine out.





My daughter is very sporty and after having an emergency operation for a burst appendix in March she is just getting fit again. Yesterday was her first Karate competition for a while and we had to spend the day at a sports centre in Guildford. These event's aren't really my idea of fun, but the weather yesterday was horrid and I consoled myself by taking my latest crochet project. I was rather naughty during the week and one particularly frustrating work day I went out at lunchtime and bought the latest Rowan summer crochet book and enough cotton yarn to crochet one of the patterns. A rather nice little cap sleave cardi in a blue grey. It is much more blue than the picture shows it. I have some rather lovely white material with ditsy blue flowers and once the crochet is finished I will make a summer top or a dress from the material, I can't decide at the moment.

Monday 3 May 2010

Running,washing and cooking



I joined a 5 mile 'fun run' this morning, this really is the most inappropriate name ever!!! I do not intend posting a picture of me running. Anyway it was completed in 43 mins and 52 seconds which wasn't too bad.

Then I had to come back and try to get some washing done. There was a good wind as long as you missed the showers so it was fairly sucessful.



As the kids go back to school tomorrow and I go back to work, I had to do some baking for lunch boxes. A batch of rock cakes, cheese and bacon scone round and more bread. I bake cakes nearly every week for lunch boxes, one per day per person is proably frowned upon by the school but they have got to be better than biscuits.



I usually bake a savoury snack as well for lunch boxes and I also take this to work for lunch with some homemade soup if there isn't a savoury snack I just take bread . The soup frozen in individual portions in containers. I leave it defrosting at work during the morning and heat it in the microwave at lunchtime. I have found this to be an excellent way to use up lots of garden produce gluts. Unfortunately at this time of year there's not a lot about so my soup is mostly potato and leek (although these are definately worse for wear now) or for variety I make a batch of spicy lentil. If I'm bored of soup I have cheese and homemade chutney sandwiches. I am sure most of the people I work with are convinced that I am mad and do get some odd looks when heating up my containers of soup.

On the homegrown food front we do have asparagus and lots of rhubarb. Anyone got any good recipes for Rhubarb?

Sunday 2 May 2010

My aim in life

I'm back again. I think the last blog may have sounded a bit weird, I am not a weird person but I do like to do things a bit differently. In an ideal world I would live in the country, stay at home doing craft, baking and devoting my time to family and house. I do not live in that ideal world, I live in a four bed semi on a housing estate and have a (boring) office job. I have to live within the norms dictated by these, but as long as I am socially acceptable then I don't have do it the same way as everyone else. I was told that you couldn't use a mooncup in my work environment because the toilet cubicles don't have a tap in each cubicle. Of course this is nonsense it's perfectly easy to use a mooncup, I made some pads from material scraps as extra protection and it's worked great for years.

Everyone in the office seems to wear black or grey trousers with a shirt for work, but I have been wearing my handmade cothes for the past five plus years. I am probably known as being a 'character' but not in a bad way, a lot of people don't realise that I make my clothes and think that I buy them in trendy boutiques!

I see my mission in life as trying to prove that you can live a conventional life in a fairly tradiional and environmentally friendly way and without being seduced by advertising and hype.

I aim to make as many of my own clothes as possible (time constarints means that this limits what I have), make as much of our food as possible from organic produce quite a lot of it homegrown. I try to avoid big brand names and mass produced items.

Of course I can't smell and I do need to look cean and well presented but this doesn't mean I have to use a lot of products which may contain harmful ingredients and use valuable resources in their manufacture.

Help my Hair

I have been having hair issues this week. My hair is a constant annoyance to me as it is fine and limp. I have worn it short for years and I want to grow it a bit longer. The back had reached my shoulders, the front my chin and the fringe just about reached my nose. It was layered but seemed to be all different lengths so I had it cut into a chin length bob. It lloked fabulous immediately after it was cut, but as soon as I tried to do anything with it it was a disaster. The ends stuck out in all the wrong directions and I hated it. I was advised that I should blow dry it upside down with hair mousse and then use a hair straightener to make sure the ends went the right way. I could have cried, I don't use mousse and although I own a hair drier I don't use it and I have never owned straighteners - my hair is straight!! So I faced the option of having it cut really short again or finding something different.
I soon realised that part of the problem was that my hair was too clean and that it why it was limp and unmanagable and that is why I had been told to add the mousse. But what is the point of washing hair and then putting stuff in it. I decided to experiment and started washing my hair with baking soda and cider vinegar rinse. I week later and it looks fabulous. It looks thicker, is behaving itself and no one has noticed that I am not using conventional shampoo.
So far so good. Has anyone else tried this? Are the results good long term? I have some other 'non-soap' alternatives for both skin and hair that I intend trying. I'll keep you posted about how I get on. I would also be really interested in any home made natural hair and skin care recipes that other people have used.

No time for anything this week!

I knew that this blog was going to get neglected because other things have priority and I have to share the computor and when it is 'my turn' it never seems to be convenient for me. Never mind. Here is the outfit that was meant to be the first blog.


I worked on this jumper for ages and it wasn't very portable as I had two big bags full of wool 'odments' in order to acheive all the different colours. I wear it with some old flared jeans with flowers on I meade them about four years ago and they had a bit of a revamp. Here are some more images.