Category Archives: lucy

abra-candle-dabra

Posted on by
1

Having been inspired by Ali Thomson to complete a long-overdue task, i finally got round to making these little recycled candles. I’ve been collecting up wax odds and ends over the past year, and with a vast and ever-expanding collection of cups and saucers, it was time for action. The wax is initially melted down in a bain-marie. Meanwhile, cut wicks from ordinary white string, tie one end to a long stick, coat them in wax and straighten before they harden.

I found that once the wax was molten, it became quite grey in colour with all the burnt wicks etc. I threw in some red wax, but am told a coloured wax crayon can also do the trick. With care, pour the wax into desired receptacle, balancing the prepared wicks and ensuring they remain straight.

I have since learned that you need to top up the candle centre once dry, as they tend to sink with the weight of the wick. Otherwise, some pretty, recycled table decorations!

The pheasant plucker

Posted on by
1

I recently was bestowed with these two pleasant pheasants via our secretary at work. This is one of the clear advantages of a career in the countryside – the fruit of the land. A pair is traditionally known as a brace, one male and one female. They need to be hung for 1-2 weeks to allow the meat to tenderise; i am told they are quite inedible prior to this.

My plan was to bravely pluck, eviscerate and prepare the birds myself, despite having no experience to bring to the task, other than a youtube video (what more does one need in this day and age?) However i quickly realised the error of my ways when faced with the aromas, time-scale and general gory-ness of the process, so i opted for the simpler route of skinning the breast and legs, and doing a casserole. Here i am preparing for action…

The task proved to be only mildly nauseating, but my symptoms were suitably eased by the smug feeling that comes with being this intimate with your food, from source to plate, minus food miles and corporate mark-up prices. I was shocked to hear that the fella that shoots these birds receives a mere 75p per bird from the butcher.

I elected to spare you the photographic details of the intervening process, but here are the fruits of my labour. the quantities were a little underwhelming, but more than enough for a nice pheasant stew last sunday. The recipe came from Darina Allen’s wonderful book Forgotten Skills of Cooking. The gist was – fry up chopped onions and carrots til soft. Seal the pheasant in a hot frying pan, then de-glaze the pan with some white wine and chicken stock and add all to a casserole dish. Add in some nice herbs (bay, thyme etc), and cook slowly, covered, in the oven at around 160 – maybe 2 hours. I was relieved to find it wasn’t too tough in the eating, and some happy table mates made all the effort worthwhile!

And to finish, here’s a merry little folk song, apparently ‘not to be sung by the faint-hearted…’

 

I’m not a pheasant plucker, I’m a pheasant plucker’s son
I’m only plucking pheasants ’till the pheasant plucker comes.

Me husband is a keeper, he’s a very busy man
I try to understand him and I help him all I can,
But sometimes in an evening I feel a trifle dim
All alone, I’m plucking pheasants, when I’d rather pluck with him.

I’m not a pheasant plucker, I’m a pheasant plucker’s mate
I’m only plucking pheasants ‘cos the pheasant plucker’s late !

I’m not good at plucking pheasants, at pheasant plucking I get stuck
Though some pheasants find it pleasant I’d rather pluck a duck.
Oh plucking geese is gorgeous, I can pluck a goose with ease
But pheasant plucking’s torture because they haven’t any grease.

I’m not a pheasant plucker, he has gone out on the tiles
He only plucked one pheasant and I’m sitting here with piles !

You have to pluck them fresh, if it’s fresh they’re not unpleasant,
I knew a man in Dunstable who could pluck a frozen pheasant.
They say the village constable had pheasant plucking sessions
With the vicar on a Sunday ‘tween the first and second lessons.

I’m not a pheasant plucker, I’m a pheasant plucker’s mum
I’m only plucking pheasants ’till the pheasant plucker’s come.

My good friend Godfrey is most adept, he’s really got the knack
He likes to have a pheasant plucked before he hits the sack.
I like to give a helping hand, I gather up the feathers,
It’s really all our pheasant plucking keeps us pair together.

I’m not a pheasant plucker, I’m a pheasant plucker’s friend
I’m only plucking pheasants as a means unto an end !

My husband’s in the forest always banging with his gun
If he could hear me half the time I’m sure that he would run,
For there’s fluff in all my crannies, there’s feathers up my nose
And I’m itching in the kitchen from my head down to my toes.

I’m not a pheasant plucker, I’m a pheasant plucker’s wife
And when we pluck together it’s a pheasant plucking life !

 

Re-purposed Storage 1

Posted on by
3

I’ve been loving this post from Re-nest, on all things up-cycled, repurposed and reused. It’s packed full of ideas for transforming just about anything into a useful, stylish piece for your home. Some of my absolute favs include this ladder-come-shelving unit (bottom right), or even a pot rack, and some new ideas for an old door. So i got thinking about my own re-purposed items and ideas around the home. A common theme you will note here is of one of storage, storage, storage….

1. Toast rack for books

2. Vintage picnic baskets for garden storage

3. Old box for magazine rack (with ikea insert)

4. Sputnik magazine rack to keep trays tidy

5. lid-less pretty tea pot for pens etc

6. Mug rack for scissors

7. Driftwood earring display

8 Handmade vintage lace pocket storage for bracelets et al

A novice at the auction

Posted on by
Reply

Last wednesday was my first foray into the world of auctions. DJ Manning in Bo’ness was to be my initiation. So with my closely perused and annotated catalogue, snack supplies and a bundle of anticipation, i set off in search of a bargain. I arrived an hour before the sale for the viewing. After a heady 1/2hr of vintage and antique everything, i began to realise that it was going to be a long day….my specific items of interest were spread across the 1000 lots, and thus the 11-4pm sale time. Not having any idea of an approximate price tag in order to leave a bid and depart, that meant sticking it out until the bitter end. I consoled myself by thinking that this would equip me more readily for ‘next time’, in which i would feel more confident bypassing the actual auction.

Surrounded by old men with wads of cash sticking out of grubby back pockets, i settled myself into a corner and attempted to look inconspicuous. Clearly i was not doing a very good job, as i found myself having unsuspectingly bid £30 upon an utterly horrible armchair whilst swiping my hair. Evidently, swiping one’s hair is indicative of a bid. By divine intervention, someone with no taste continued to bid further. My heart racing, i prepared to bid on something i actually wanted – an oak arts and crafts set of shelves. But they eluded me. Then, so did a cheval mirror, 2 towel rails, a fireside chair, 2 footstools, both oak kists and 2 beautiful lamps. Despair was looming. Nor was it dissipated by winning a rather random oversized beaded foot stool for £20 – i admit it, it was an impulse purchase, a consolation. Then again, everything at an auction is an impulse purchase, given that you have about 1 second to decide on your readiness to spend. This certainly goes against all my furniture/home-wares buying principles. (Which are, if you are interested, look carefully for unworkable flaws, consider the actual value, envisage its purpose and home, deliberate on it for a while, maybe even phone a friend. Above all, be selective.)

As the day wore on, i soon realised that having your sights set on a particular item is not the way to go. Despite coming away with a reasonably satisfying haul (see below), as i drove home i started to think about the things i let slip, having focused too much on the key items none of which i won anyway. However, i must say i am thoroughly delighted with my British Rail Notices framed poster. Catches the eye in the porch.

So, what are my auction conclusions? Firstly, its not for the fainthearted! Its a long day, and you spend most of it on tenderhooks. Each lot tends to be quite large, so you often end up with a few choice items mixed in with other rubbish (eg wicker baskets with a 1970’s cooler), which will invariably go straight to the charity shop. On the positive, i saw stunning pieces of furniture going for nothing – antique mahogany or oak drawers and wardrobes selling for around £35. Those buying furniture were definitely onto a winner.

In summary, a time-consuming way to pick up a potential one-off piece for a fraction of its value. If your lucky…

Darina Allen’s Marmalade

Posted on by
Reply

Come January and preservers everywhere are pulling out their pans as Seville oranges hit the shops for a brief window of opportunity. Last year was my first attempt to make marmalade from scratch, having never done so before due to my belief that i didn’t like marmalade. I now realise that i didn’t like mass-produced, shop bought marmalade. The real deal is a different story indeed – spread some a-top home-made toasted bread (if you’re lucky enough to live with 2 artisan bread-makers) and melting butter….a moment of solace every morning.

I use Darina Allen’s recipe from her excellent book ‘Forgotten Skills of Cooking’. The advantage of her method is that you don’t have to spend several tedious hours chopping up the hard, waxy peel, before soaking it overnight. She calls it the ‘whole orange’ method – namely, boil the fruit for several hours to soften, making the chopping a breeze, especially if you use the slicer function on the Magimix (which all self-respecting kitchens should have..)

So, start with 2.25kg of seville oranges in a large preserving pan, add 9 pints of water, and boil for around 2 hours. Place a plate/smaller lid on the oranges to keep them submerged. Leave to sit overnight, then drain, reserving the water.

Cut the oranges in half and scoop out the soft centre. Put the pips in a muslin bag. Finely slice the peel (manually if you dare…)

Put everything back in the pan, bring to the boil and reduce by half-two thirds.

Add 4kg of warmed, granulated sugar. (If you pour in cold sugar, it takes longer to return to the boil, which is supposed to affect the fresh flavour.) Boil hard until you reach setting point. If you have a thermometer, that’s 104*C. Otherwise, put a spot on a plate and refrigerate. After a few minutes, if it forms a wrinkly skin when touched, its ready. (Note: i have never actually managed to achieve firm, well set marmalade, no matter how long i have boiled it. I guess you could sneak in a bit of jam sugar, but i quite like it a bit runny.)

Pot in sterlised jars and cover immediately. If you don’t have a jam funnel, buy one. Its worth it! And voila – a year’s supply of golden nectar, including a give-away allowance for lucky acquaintances and nice people in your life.

 

Christmas Crafts 3

Posted on by
1

At some point in November, i started feeling adventurous. Using guidelines from a sewing book, i began making various cosies. These egg cosies, made from tweed and free Cath Kidston swatches, have been personalised for my brother’s family.

I then expanded the size to make tea cosies. Tractors are a big theme in Tullyroan, so i attempted an applique design.

The last one i made was probably my favourite. Its a coffee cosy for a 1-person Bodum, with height allowance for un-plunged coffee.

‘This season’s look’ – Jackets

Posted on by
Reply

For part 2 of our fashion hotspot, we bring to you 4 particularly pleasing jackets, fresh from edinburgh’s fine charity shop selection. Exhibit 1 came from a very random 2 week pop-up-shop in aid of the Conservative Party. I was delighted to purchase this green velvet beauty from Jigsaw for a mere £2! The next (rather uninformatively pictured) blue jersey jacket comes (originally) from Topshop – very current.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The collarless jacket works well with a simple scarf to adorn. I’m looking forward to trying out this dusky pink linen jacket come the summer. And finishing on a similarly summery note, this striped lightweight coat works well with anything.

A word about the photography. We have been really inspired by 2 particular blogs to experiment a bit with backgrounds, lighting and themes. I’d say we have a way to go before achieving anything as wonderful as Skiorta (see Gallery) or Bleubird Vintage, but thanks ladies for your top tips and beautiful pics.

Christmas Crafts 2

Posted on by
1

Patchworking is a favourite of mine when it comes to sewing. The main reason is that its really quite easy, whilst also being very prolific (once you have all the materials.) I have been steadily building my patchworking resources over this year, almost entirely from charity shops. Old skirts and shirts, curtains, sheets, remnants – its amazing how a bunch of very discordant patterns come together once carefully arranged and coordinated. Whilst i’m all about mixing it up, i have generally found that too many different textures and types of material generally don’t work, due to the variety of tensions they create in a row of sewn squares, so i now stick mostly to cotton.

I made these single quilts as gifts for Lucia and Isla, my two cheeky little nieces. Both are backed using salvaged thermal curtain lining, making them fairly heavyweight and cosy. I have previously experimented with patterned or decorative borders, but having done so i resolutely conclude that a plain edging brings out the best of the main patchwork area.

Giving everyone a patchwork quilt wasn’t really a feasible option this Christmas, nor any other Christmas for that matter, so i made these smaller cushion projects for my sister-in-law x2 (can’t seem to work out the plural). With less expanse to work with, selecting the fabrics takes a bit more thought. I used some Sanderson prints and a bit of good old Cath Kidston to make sure they were pretty enough! And finally, to step the whole thing up a notch, i got these woven labels made up to personalise my work.

‘This season’s look’ – Wools

Posted on by
1

Thanks to Gem’s latest fashion newsflash, i have been keeping my eyes peeled for cable knits and camel colours. Following on from her last modeling experiment, she takes to the catwalk once again to showcase my thrifty finds. The first is a purple cable knit, handmade, from the local Hospice of Hope charity shop, £5. Next, an oatmeal short sleeve woolen, £3, Thrift Shop 1 (factoid: oldest charity shop in Edinburgh!)

This blue Boden cardi came from Gem’s latest fashion venture, Urban Angels Fashion Event in Bangor in December. Bring your quality cast offs and receive an upmarket exchange – everyone’s a winner!

Finally, woolens aren’t just for grown-ups. Kiddie fashion guru Lucia Steen sports a White Company winter knit, with jersey Osh Kosh skirt, both thrifted by auntie Lucy.

For more highlights on knitwear, the urban fashion show, and our next thrifted fashion category (coats & jackets), check us out later on this week….

Christmas Crafts 1

Posted on by
1

This year was quite prolific for homemade Christmas presents, and as promised, i am going to do a little series on the projects and how they came together. Having always been someone who can’t understand those who start doing christmas shopping in the summer, i rather surprised myself by starting some of these projects in October. Our holiday in Skye in November also featured quite significant sewing productivity.

These little make-up bags were my first projects whilst there, which were made for salvage sis Gemma and my sister-in-law Marianne. The red cord was a charity shop remnant, and the lining a very thrifty find indeed – 3 metres of Liberty fabric for a few pounds, same source. The bunting is composed of various scraps and off-cuts.