Make your own...

...Oven Mitt, in just a couple of hours!

You may be thinking, why on earth would I make an oven mitt when you can pick one up so easily in almost any store, but I say why not?! Especially when you can make it all pretty and match your kitchen accessories. Once you've got the basic pattern you can go bananas with embellishments, yay!

Here's how, lets get started!

You'll need just a few things to get started:
- Your chosen fabric, four 20x30cm rectangles should do it (2 of these rectangles can be left over fabric as they will be on the inside)
- Thick heat resistant wadding, two 20x30cm rectangles
- Paper to draft a pattern on
- Some binding
- The essentials: Scissors, thread, pencil etc
- Then the fun part, embellishments!! I used a bit of lace trim


First you'll want to take your wadding and sandwich it between two pieces of fabric (one outer and one inner piece). Next pin and tack the fabric to the wadding to secure it in place. Repeat with the other piece of wadding and fabric rectangles.

Next sew parallel diagonal lines all the way across the pieces of fabric/wadding in one direction, and then the other direction to create a diamond pattern. The spacing of lines could depend on your fabric design, mine were about 1inch apart. You should end up with 2 quilted rectangles.



Cue tea break, and a sneaky biscuit :)

Lay your hand on the pattern paper and roughly draw round your hand with a space for your thumb, this takes a bit of judgment and practise as you don't want to end up with a really tight oven glove! Don't forget to add a seam allowance all the way round too (I may have done this 1st time around).


Cut out your two quilted rectangles using your newly created pattern piece. Then pin and sew the two pieces right sides together all the way round, keeping the bottom open. If you'd like a little hook to hang up your oven mitt this is the time to add it in. Pop a little loop of binding inside the two pieces before you sew them together.

Nearly there.... Turn the mitt the right way out and use the binding to encase the raw edges.

Now the fun part, embellish embellish embellish! Lace, applique, ribbon, buttons, anything you like!

All Done :) Well done.

What embellishments did you go with?

Homemade footstool/storage box

I must admit this project had been half finished since Easter, but last weekend I finally completed it, and I'm so happy I did. Although there's lots of things I could improve on next time, I'm really excited to share it with you as I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out :)

                       

I took my inspiration after a trip to one of our local home furnishings shops. On sale were these storage cubes on little feet which were really sweet and I was tempted to buy a couple... until I saw the price. £45 for what is essentially 6 pieces of wood - I don't think so. I decided to make one myself with a few added touches.

I had a few scrap pieces of wood, a tin of wood stain, some spare fabric, wadding leftover from another project and some spare tacks and hinges in the shed, so all I needed to find was some foam and some wooden feet. I was on a mission. A trip to the market later and I had the foam square (for 50p)! Next the feet - If you had time then I would suggest searching markets and carboot sales for old stools where you can chop off the feet. TIP: Alternatively you could make it a little bit more contemporary and use brass door knobs as feet (I was very tempted). But I was determined to find the perfect thing the same day, so I logged on to eBay, and to my delight found 4 hand crafted wooden feet. PERFECT!

Now here's how I put everything together...

My first tip would be to draw out your plan and make sure you've got the measurements correct. There's nothing worse that chopping all the bits of wood and finding out that it doesn't fit together. 

                                   

Once you have your plan, you can start cutting your wood to size. I based my sizing on a couple of books that I was intending to store inside. Once you're done, make sure they are all sanded down and then you can start assembling.

I chose some 180 degree hinges, but you can play around with some in a DIY store. Some you can see when you close the box, some you can't.

TIP: I would always recommend pilot holes before putting in the screws, that way your wood won't split, especially if it's a fairly thin piece of wood!

Once everything is screwed together (including the feet) it's time for one last sand. Maybe you'll be more accurate than me, but I always end up with a little overhang of the edges when screwing things together, so I like to sand everything down so it's all nice and inline.

                     

Got your wood stain ready? Time for painting! You could change the effect of the stool by painting with emulsion and then sanding it down for a weathered look, but I wanted a more simple design, so I got my paintbrush and gave the box two coats of stain. Now that everything is painted, try and balance your box so that the least amount of edges are touching the surface so that everything can dry. If you were more patient than me, then you'd wait until one side was dry so you could lay that side down to paint the rest....but that's a little bit too sensible for me...

                           

Now, I happen to think this box looked good without the fabric cover on, and I almost stopped at this stage - but I had a plan, and I stuck to it. On with the foam and wadding!


Cut out your foam to the size of the lid, and a piece of wadding big enough to stretch over the foam and down to the bottom of the lid. Cut your fabric about 1cm larger (on all sides) than your piece of wadding. Now for the fiddly part - if you have a helper, call them over.

Lay your foam on the lid, wadding over the foam, and material over the wadding. Next your going to take 4 tacks and hammer them in on the middle of each side - pull the material tight over the foam and wadding, making sure the whole lot stays

central on the top of the box, hem the material so that the hem line is inline with the bottom of the lid, and hammer in your tack. Well done, you've done the most difficult part!



Work your way around the box with more tacks, folding the corners neatly, making sure to pull your fabric tight all the way around.

And that's it, you're done. One functional, yet beautiful footstool. Anyone can give this a go. And if you're worried about the woodwork, do not panic, if it ends up a little wonky just cover all the sides in fabric!

Send in pictures of your boxes :)

                                                

Pinny of the Month

This month's pinny of the month entry has been on my wish list for a while....it has a fabulous country bumpkin style and is from the Betty Boyns collection.

I was inspired by so many things after visiting London's 'Spirit of Summer' event; there were ideas for your home, exciting foods, clothes, jewellery... everything you'd expect from a Summer fair really, but there was one stall that I found myself coming back to again and again; the Betty Boyns stall.

Based in Cornwall, Betty Boyns has created their own fabric and oil cloth range; and subsequently made pinnys, tea cosies, cushions etc. They've successfully created their very own vintage country style. I love all of the fabric designs, and their products are a must have for any home; in the country or not.

Betty Boyns Red Cowslip Apron

   




     My favourite (I think...it changes quite frequently) of their pinny's, is the Red Cowslip Pinny, and at only £15 I think everyone should click the link and purchase it today!

     I really like to support small family run businesses, the products are so much more personal, and those little touches make all the difference.








But the real reason this company won me over was the fact that you can buy the fabric on it's own! I always get frustrated when I see a product which I like, but would want to change slightly, or do something a little different. Usually I find myself unpicking a finish product to try and adapt it to how I like it, and pay full price for the pleasure. Not with Betty Boyns; you can walk away with the fabric of your choice and inspired to create whatever you fancy.

Naturally I came away with a couple of meters of their duck/goose print cotton. How could I resist????

                      

                              















Now to decide what to make with it.... any suggestions?

The latest on Freddie and Delilah...she's a GIRL!!

After months of speculating, trying desperately to analyse the head bobbing, quacks and altogether disturbing noises the ducks make in the pond, we have an answer!! Delilah is a girl!

When we got Freddie and Delilah we were told, as the names suggest, that they were one boy and one girl. BUT she's never started laying...which is pretty strange we thought, given that they are about 9 months old now. For the last month we had almost resigned to the fact that she must be male.

And THEN we found the egg. Very exciting! Dances were had, songs were sang, meal worms were handed out by the handful. Slight exaggeration?? However, it was in a very strange place and we can't find any others nearby or anywhere else... we've looked everywhere. They're such adventurous ducks that they don't stay in one place for longer than 2 minutes, so we can't even think where she might be laying.

But anyway, Delilah is a girl; what on earth will I do with my evenings now?!? My computer may have withdrawal symptoms from me Googling 'When do Call ducks start laying?', 'Do female ducks laugh?', 'Do male Call ducks have orange beaks?'...

Pinny of the Month

Ok so I admit, this is a little late, but here's June's Pinny of the Month....

I spotted it a few months ago on the Jessie Steele website. It is an american website, but they do ship to the UK, and every single one of these pinnies is a winner, so you won't regret typing .com into your browser!

Apple of my Eye Black Gigi Apron

Loads of the pinnies also come with matching tea towels, gloves and heat pads etc.

Jessie Steele is a family run Mother and Daughter born company, and their love for pinnies, family and femininity really shines through. Most of them have a slightly retro look, and every one is special.

You'll probably be seeing a fair amount more pinnies on this feature that come from this website as they're all beautiful; choosing just one is so difficult! Go and check it out and I guarantee you won't come alway empty handed.

Pinny love -x-x-x-x-

Pinny of the Month

This month I thought I'd show you all some pinnies (or a whole website) with the fun factor! Wearing a pinny isn't exactly a necessary accessory, so why not lighten the mood in the kitchen with something from  Bambino Amore ?

Bambino Amore is an Etsy based shop selling retro inspired pinny's which focus on the large heart shaped stiff front panel... gorgeous.

I haven't been able to choose my favourite from this site because you could use so many of them for different occasions. I love their floral and fun patterned designs....

Secret Garden

Cupcake Delight

....but their whimsical 'party pieces' are real show stoppers, and i'm so tempted to buy one of the designs below....

Harley Quinn

Superwoman

Can you imagine hosting a themed dinner party in them? Even if you weren't going to use them in the kitchen, they'd make a really fun fancy dress outfit.

Help me decide?? Please :)

Pinny of the Month

You couldn't get much more elegant or stylish with this long-length pinny from Posh Paraphernalia

Posh Pinny

The 'Posh Pinny' is a timeless classic and will look great on anyone. They do several styles of print, but I think the plain blue stripe with just a hint of red looks beautifully sophisticated!

Posh Paraphernalia started as 'Posh Pinnies' but they soon realised they could make many things just as beautiful as pinnies; tea cosies, tea towels, oven gloves and more. The choice isn't huge but they've chosen a lovely collection of things. They also do half-pinnies which I think are really nice in the flower print :)

The idea behind Posh Paraphernalia is to make everyone feel glamorous, even when they're doing the washing up. Too right, who wouldn't want to feel glamourous when they're doing the washing-up!

So try adding some glamour to your day-to-day life :) I certainly will be. Oh, and don't forget to check out their blog.

Pinny of the Month

Here's March's Pinny of the Month....(it's SO cute)

Cute Kitsch Retro Apron - CreativeChics

I stumbled upon CreativeChics on Etsy a few weeks ago, and instantly I was hooked. It's full of handmade vintage inspired aprons (just up my street), and by full, I mean FULL. It was so difficult to choose just one - but here it is!

I think the gathered neckline is really unusual and pretty, plus the wide waist is flattering too! And everyone knows it's important to look and feel good when you're about to stuff your face full of homecooked treats! Plus the strawberries...who doesn't love strawberries!

I hope you enjoy browsing CreativeChics's Etsy page - I certainly have :)

Feature chimney breast

I admit, when I opened this from Josh on Christmas Day I wasn't exactly sure what it was...the only thing I knew was that he'd been hiding himself away in the loft making it for hours.

All became clear when I laid it out on the floor...

I'd wanted a big map to pin favourite holidays and plan adventures on, but I never imagined that he'd make me one from cork floor tiles!

The boards had a backing, which peeled off to reveal a sticky back, like double sided sticky tape

He pinned the boards to the wall and projected an image on to them so that it could be drawn straight on to the boards. Taking a stanley knife, the image was cut out carefully, and this was the result.

When I realised what it was I was so excited :) I couldn't wait to go home and put it up. The sticky backing made it really simple to put on the wall too.

Try it yourself, or maybe try something slightly different; how about a big map of the UK and plan  adventures closer to home? Oh, and don't forget to share your creations!

Pinny of the Month

February's pinny of the month award goes to......

Gillian Kyle Ltd's Tunnocks Caramel Wafer Pinny!

http://www.gilliankyle.com/products/
tunnocks-caramel-wafer-wrapper-organic-apron

Gillian Kyle does some really lovely Scottish themed items including aprons (of course), tea towels, mugs and lots more :)

Plus, a real selling point for me is that they are made from Organic Cotton: Thanks Gillian! Find out why this is so important on her website.

Seriously, who could possibly turn down a Tunnock Caramel Wafer?? I am a huge fan of both the wafer's and this pinny; it's fun, it's bright, it's everything you want from a kitchen aid and snack. Who wants a boring pinny?!?

Oh, now i'm hungry for caramel wafers

Go and check out this and all her other pinny's here!! Enjoy.

Don't forget to let me know your favourite pinny's :)

Freddie and Delilah...all grown up

The time came a few weeks ago to let Freddie and Delilah have a proper 'big ducks' swim in a 'big ducks' pond. So, on a very cold Saturday morning, 7 layers of clothes went on, and we embarked on digging a 'big ducks' pond hole...

...2 hours, umpteen wheelbarrow loads of soil and several spirit-level assessments later we had a perfect hole (ish). Apparently making a hole level when the ground is on a slop already is pretty difficult, not to mention the fact that the two end of the ponds had different depths...

...they were a bit nervous to start with...

...needless to say, once they got in they loved it...












...but Freddie did get stuck upside down a few times...












...they even learnt how to fly out!








They proceeded to repeatedly miss bedtime for the next week, refusing to leave their new haven; which resulted in a few late night trips down the garden to encourage them in to bed with the chickens. Cheeky twosome. Love them!!! x x x x

Venturing into the world of home smoked foods

Smoked bacon is my boyfriend's (Josh) favourite thing in the whole world (I'm pretty sure it comes above all friends and family). So after weeks of agonising over what to get him for Christmas, I suddenly had a revelation in the form of a smoker, so that he could make his own.

"Cold or Hot smoker?" I hear you ask... I didn't know there was a difference either :s

Simply, hot smoking cooks whatever you put inside, and cold smoking doesn't. Hot smoking uses wood chips, and cold smoking uses wood dust. Smoked salmon and bacon (as you would see in the shops) is cold smoked, and other fish, ham and ribs etc would be hot smoked.

I decided to go for a cold smoker, as bacon was the key driver to this smokey present plan. I researched several cold smokers, but found that this one, from "Hot Smokers" called the "ProQ Eco Smoker", seemed to tick all the boxes.

Smoking requires the wood dust to burn very slowly, so Hot Smokers sell an ingenius product, which allows the dust to burn in a long line, in a maze type fashion. Well done ProQ!!

TIP: You could very easily fashion one of these smoke generators out of some wire mesh, or even a flatish sieve, then fold some tinfoil into long strips (around 3 sheets thickness) and make a circular pattern. This would form a swirl which you can light at one end. Then all you need is a tall, sealable cardboard or metal box which will fit your smoke generator and a shelf in


I bought the ProQ smoker box set and a selection of different wood dusts. Plus the shipping is FREE, amazing! www.hotsmoked.co.uk

Starter Bacon Curing & Smoking Kit

Wood Dust Collection

TIP: Make sure the dust is well dried out, if it is a little moist and your struggling to keep it alight, try putting it in a warm oven for an hour or so



A present has never been so well received; everything you can think of has been smoked (garlic, cheese, pork, salmon, nuts...the list goes on), but the bacon is incredible, Josh's new weekend regime always starts with a trip to the butchers and then curing begins!

TIP: It's probably a good idea not to put your smoker inside your house as it does smell pretty smokey; a shed would be best, or outside when it's a little warmer

Here's a quick peak at the first lot of bacon that was made. This was made as per the the "Hot Smokers" instructions that came with the set, with a 1kg loin of pork. However we've since tried it using several different techniques, which i'll post full instructions for soon! YUM!!

TIP: We've found that smoking when it's freezing outside doesn't work as well as when it's around 10degrees. If it is freezing when you're trying to smoke, then try putting a heat mat down underneath the box

Our next project will definitely be making a hot smoker out of an old metal box! I'm so excited to see the results, and will share pictures when it's up and running.

This is a bacon lover's dream, try it, or buy it as a present. I can't recommend it enough; it's brought so much excitement to our house, and amazing meals with it.

Presenting a new contemporarytraditionalist feature ... 'Pinny of the Month'

Everyone has their weaknesses, and mine is for pinnys - I fall in love with almost every pinny I see, and spend far too much time (when I should be working) scouring the internet and shops for new additions to my collection.

So, instead of spending the money I should be saving for a house deposit on pinnys, I will be taking the time to search for my absolute favourites, and limiting my purchases to the real crème de la crème of pinnys!

To help me decide I will post my favourite ones from each month on here in my 'pinny of the month' feature. Can't wait!

I might even show you some of my homemade pinny creations throughout the months.

Enjoy :)

To start us off, here's my first one from Anthropologie. I love how Anthropologie make their pinnys look like old fashioned style dresses. I love this one because it's so colourful, and the pleats make it that bit more special. PLUS it comes in a kids version too...get them started early :) Ahhhh I might have to purchase it (bye bye house deposit fund).

http://www.anthropologie.eu/en/uk/aprons/bahia-apron/invt/7532455558930/&bklist=icat,5,shop,forhome,shopbyhome,kitchenaprons

If you have any thoughts or have found any better pinnys, please share them :)

Introducing Freddie and Delilah

Here are the two newest editions to our household (along with my beloved Bamix, which I am fully in love with)....Freddie and Delilah, two call ducks, who are now happily living, with the two hens in the garden. First collected at 5 weeks, they are now 3 months old and are my little babies.

At 5 weeks

Their favourite things are leaves and water dripping from a hose pipe. Too cute for words.

When we first got them home, ready to go outside in their warm house

At 3 months

They are now ready to embark on their first "big duck" pond. Cant wait to share the pics :)