The Utmost Challenge?

Like Floss, Pomona and Denise of A Bun can Dance , dottie angel’s challenge to herself and others has struck a chord with me.




Tif at dottie angel has challenged herself to a 42nd year of thrifty living and creativity. As I am also in my 42nd year (or do I have to call it my 43rd year having recently turned, arghh, dare I admit it...42?) I thought this was one I should seriously think about taking on myself, especially as I do many of these things already. However, it has taken some thinking about, as like Tif and several of the others I have been wondering whether I could pull it off. Having only recently just discovered the joys of treating myself to several magazines of the country living/period/vintage/crafty type for example, (never having been a magazine reader/purchaser before) could I now give them up again? Well I’ve managed for 42 years without them so I’m sure I can manage again, and anyway I have a subscription already in existence for a couple and may ask my MIL to treat me for Christmas for a third one that I particularly like – is that allowed do you think?

At last after a lot of thought I think I am able to take on the challenge. Currently suffering from a severe lack of motivation, particularly in the mornings, difficulty concentrating on tasks and the dreaded housework adversion syndrome, I have recently been diagnosed as having Depression, probably largely due to my shoulder injury and various other stress related issues. As such I am ready to try and turn my life around, however hard a process this may be.

So, like Pomona, I am going to choose from 1st October to start my pledge for a year to only buy secondhand or handmade - and also aim to buy only what I truly need, rather than merely desire. Oh this is going to be a hard one!

I will have to make some exceptions/provisos, for work and educational necessities as some things I will have to buy new. Clarinet and saxophone reeds for example; I currently have a good supply and as I’m still not really playing yet, this certainly isn’t something imminent but I am forever hopeful that I will be able to return to playing and if I do I will not be using/buying second hand reeds – yuk! Sometimes I may have to purchase supplies for teaching, but where I can I will source 2nd hand as first port of call. I am fairly well stocked with supplies so feel reasonably confident that I will be able to make do.

Most of my beloved possessions and clothing have been either bought second hand or made so I am well on track in this area, although as mentioned my current weakness is magazines – Never having really bought magazines this is a new found joy. I do know that the library have some for borrowing, and sometimes there are some available in charity shops.

A few planned house renovations that have been on the pipeline for the last 10 years will hopefully still go ahead – well I have been waiting a long time. These are new windows (long term goal, to provide extra warmth and sound insulation), our bedroom decorated - walls and wardrobes. Oh and the bathroom – the toilet has been cracked since we moved in and the whole area really does need revamping – but I’m being really optimistic that that might get done!

Good news on the window front though, it looks like we can get our current crittal windows ‘serviced’ and also have double glazed panes put in all but the lovely leaded front ones so we will be only having to replace the glass. I love our windows as they give a really authentic look to our property so to know that we can keep them by simply renovating them is a big plus as it seemed such a terrible crime to replace them with uPVC. We may still need to get some replacement secondary double glazing put in the front windows – the ones we currently have are virtually unusable and unrepairable, but we can address that once we know the success of the servicing. Anyway we are exploring all options available to us and will weigh up the pros and cons.

Not sure what is happening with the wardrobes, we will either get new doors and draws for our current inbuilt ones or hopefully source some secondhand/antique wardrobes.

School Uniform – where I can I will try to source secondhand, but our youngest son as the uncanny ability to completely ruin clothing (amongst many other things!). Just this week he has destroyed three white school shirts. They have been completely stained with pen ink – not one, but three. Fortunately although his NEW! blazer is also stained, being black, you can’t tell so much.

The other proviso’s are underwear and footwear, of which fortunately I have recently stocked up on both so can’t foresee me having to replace these in the next year.

I will also make an exception for necessary sewing equipment, such as notions, thread, needles, etc, which will enable me to make and mend my own things, or presents for others. I love being creative and I look forward to this challenge, but I will not increase my yarn or fabric stash, (which isn't particular large) unless absolutely neccessary as on the odd occassion I may need to replace certain fabrics, yarn or equipment in order to produce the goods. I will endeavour to use materials to hand first except in the case when I am making for a commission.

I have one more exception - oops, sorry, but next year I have a planned trip to NZ with my MIL to visit my family and I would like to be able to purchase NZ made gifts for family and friends and to restock up on T Shirts and woollen jumpers for my husband, after all it would have been five years since we last bought these items.

I have included an extra challenge to myself and that is to try and meal plan in order to use the produce we have more successfully to avoid unneccessary spending and wastage and also to provide for healthier more balanced meals to be available.

So I, The Balancing Kiwi, (aka Serenata, aka Lorraine) for 365 days from 1st October 2009 have challenged myself to avoid buying new items for our home and my wardrobe or to give away as gifts. Instead I will

Make things,
Buy secondhand
Buy Handcrafted goods

I also intend to try and meal plan in order to avoid unneccessary wastage and last minute panics of What's for dinner?

What are my chances do you think? Any hope?

Bags, bags and more bags...

The last two days have seen my sewing machines whirling away inbetween my teaching. I've made 5 bags, 2 purses (cosmetic?) and a cushion cover. I need to finish another couple of purses this evening and stuff some lavender hearts and sew them up. The bags are all overlocked, fully lined and have two pockets, one of the inside and one on the outside.

First up I have blue - in flowers and stripes.

Pocket trimmed with ribbon


Labels on the inside pocket.

Next up is a red floral bag.




Pink flowers and cosmetic purse.

All fully lined with pockets on inside and outside.

More vintage flowers.

Poppy flowers.

Pocket trimed with ribbon.

Finally the cushion.

I've got a couple more purses to sew up and some lavender hearts to stuff and close this evening, which will hopefully keep me busy and keep my mind off things.

I'm feeling a rather sad though as Cloe, a lunkarya sow who was expecting babies today gave birth to five - four of which were left in their sacks. Whether they came too fast or not I don't know. I checked on her around mid-day and she hadn't had them. Now I'm feeling guilty for missing them as I may have been able to help. I sway from letting nature taking its course, to then feeling guilty for doing so when it goes wrong - I should have been there! I just hope she nurses the little one that is left. This has been a long awaited for litter as the Lunkarya's don't tend to fall pregnant very often and the most in a litter they've had so far is only two, so this would have been such a big bonus, but it is very seldom they give birth on their 'due' date. I am gutted I missed it.

Peaceful Sunday

Another simply gorgeous, gorgeous day here today - the sun was glorious and the temperature just right for just sitting outside and enjoying.

We've had a lovely walk, had lunch outside and even the guinea pigs got some time in their runs as well.

I've done a spot of this:

Sitting outside on the deck chair, soaking up the good weather and working on 'Peanut's (younger son) birthday blanket.

It's growing and hopefully I'll get it finished by the end of the week.

Now I have several lots of material cut out for bags and purses so better get cracking!

Corners of my home

Having got up nice and early yesterday I had the whole day in front of me which was nice. Lately I seem to be finding it so hard to get up in the mornings and tend to get up far too late and as such the day seems to disappear on me.

My big goal for yesterday was to reorganize our living room. I needed to make a more permanent 'sewing/craft' corner and also have the dining table free. So I set to work. I moved my 'Lusty' into the bedroom - well makes sense really, moved the arm chair and put a table in the corner.

Seems to fit in reasonable well and is nice and bright as the sun shines in and I can look out into the garden.

Bit more of a squash this end as I had to move my blanket box down here (contains some of my material stash) but at least if we need to pull the table out to all sit round it we can. This is the end people see first, so will be easier to keep it 'tidy' - or so the theory goes.


Of course a change around isn't complete without having a little change round on my dresser:

The other day I convinced hubby of the need to bring this lovely old trunk home from the loft in my FIL's house. I gave it a clean up, lined it with some scented paper and have stored my fabric in it and it fits perfectly under my sewing table.

Of course I had great plans for today as well but due to a particularly bad headache/migraine this morning the day has been pretty much written off. Why didn't I remember to mention the headaches to the doctor yesterday morning? I knew there was something else to ask him about - Doh!

Still had a lovely walk with the dogs and got some washing on the line....hmmm that is another story - what is it with boys? Not one, but THREE ink stained shirts and blazer! Not just little stains, but the kind that completely ruin the shirt and don't come out type!

Big Blue

Well I could hardly contain myself last night when I finished my BBCB 'Big Blue' Crochet Blanket.

I started on it sometime in April - around the 26th, had to have a break of many weeks when I ran out of wool, got frustrated so subsituted for a lighter blue, then finally the original arrived in and so I was able to then continue with that. This is the biggest thing I have ever made and I love it. I can't quite believe the excitement that I felt last night when I finished it. So much so that I couldn't wait until this morning to take photos so they are as representative of the colours as perhaps they could be.

It is lovely and soft and snugly and with the lovely blues will remind me of the summer skies during the grey winter months.

It is another glorious day here today - I just can't quite believe the absolutley lovely gorgeous weather we are having and I'm going to make the most of it while it lasts.

Hope you all have a good day today!

Simply Gorgeous!

It was an absolutely glorious day today - you couldn't really ask for a much better September day. I awoke to a clear blue sky and lots of sunshine - just perfect!

I've collected sweetpea seed pods to plant next year.

Yes they are still flowering!

Yellow

Pink

Red

Purple

Oops, where did he/she come from?

Wonderful flowers coming out of this plant and just look at the sky!

More gorgeous blue sky

What more could you ask of a day?

I've put the new quilt I got yesterday on the bed so I could take a photograph - it fits beautifully and is huge, but the picture doesn't show off the lovely colourful flowers very well so I will have to try again sometime.

Right better go and finish my Big Blue Crochet Blanket as I'm on the final row!

GOO - Gifts, Opportunities & Organizing!

A parcel arrived for me from the lovely Floss. It was her lovely giveaway which I won. The parcel was a bit damaged but fortunately my kind postie had popped it into an extra plastic bag so nothing was missing.

Wrapped in pretty tissue paper tied with lace.

Beautifully handwritten sewing instructions - not that I can understand a word! But beautiful to look at and will be treasured.

A lovely postcard, magnet, some stickers and a diary - just what I needed!


Aren't these lovely?

Now on to something else exciting that happened to me today. I went to my favourite Antique Shop and was delighted to see she had in some gorgeous 'new' vintage materials. As I was asking how much they were, the lady who owns the shop asked me if I sew and commented on my lovely bags I had made. Well after some lively talking and discussions she has asked if I will make some things for her to sell. I was absolutely delighted. She will provide the materials and I will make the items and we will split the proceeds. Sounds pretty fair to me and very exciting. So I ended up coming home with a nice lot of goodies to start crafting with.

A lovely tin full of...

Yes you guessed correctly - buttons!

A lovely basket for me to line and to display some of my 'goodies' in, which is currently full of gorgeous materials for me to start getting imaginative with.

Aren't these fabrics just the business? Gorgeous!

I just love all these and have such a lot of ideas bubbling round in my head that I now need to get into some semblance of order!

Some of the things she would like are bags, make up bags, purses, aprons, peg bags, lavender pillows and hearts and perhaps some cushions. That is just for starters!

Now if ever I need to become organized it is now!

Talking about getting organized how did I get on with my list yesterday?

1. Phone carpenter to see if he can do something about our wardrobes - Yes, done this

2. Phone the Crittal window company and see about a quote to have our windows replaced - Yes, done this and booked in

3. Oh and I also need to phone Bupa tomorrow - Oops, still need to do this - have to do tomorrow now.

So this week's list is:

Meal and shopping planner. - Still working on this

Sort Summer and Winter clothes - (which should result in a tidy bedroom) Sorted, but not quite finished

Finish kitchen - started today. Hmmm - not sure what happened here!

Lastly, while at the shop I saw this lovely quilt and fell in love with it so of course had to have it!

It is really pretty, and this isn't the best of pictures, so I will take another picture tomorrow of it on our bed. (that way I'll have to continue my efforts in tidying up!)