Make do, Mend and Minimise in 2015

[Deleted User]

nursemaggie I found a Jean Greenhowe pattern book in a CS a few years ago and it had a Brownie outfit as a pattern which i made for a relatives little girl.She took it into to Brownies one night and I had an order for another 7 outfits.I did them as I had quite a bit of light brown wool in my stash so they didn't cost anything but my time which was free anyway.The brownies all loved them and I believe they eventually were raffled off to raise funds for the pack:):):)
I also made the set of four tiny mice that were labeled Spring,Summer Autumn and Winter .They were really easy to make and made a lovely little presents for little girls.One of my friends little granddaughter is autistic, and loved lining up all her little knitted toys, and adored the little mice figures.If you see a Jean Greenhowe pattern book in a CS its well worth getting as you can so easily make the knitted animals with left over oddments of wool and they make great tree present or to go into Christmas stockings.I think I paid 50p for my book and its been a great book to use.I also make toys for bazaars to help raise funds for our local Demelza hospice for children. I once knitted a whole nativity scene with Mary,Joseph and all the animals etc and it comes out every year at my DDs.The 'stable' is an old shoe box covered in brown paper which we drew 'planks' on to make it look like a real stable

Last night I knitted another two squares for DGS Henry's football blankey now up to 22 in his Liverpool colours of red and white .

Dinner was Cottage pie from the freezer with a few brussel sprouts from the fridge.
Tonights dinner will be a piece of pork loin from the freezer with the rest of the brussels and carrots, I dip the loin in flour egg and dried stuffing mix then cook in the Remoska along with a couple of potatoes roasted

No more shopping to get this month and enough fresh veg in store to last at least until next Thursday I think fingers crossed I am out to dinner on Saturday night and also on Sunday as well so not a lot of cooking to be done this weekend.New month starts on Sunday so left over loot from food purse will go into the holiday fund :):)
Frugally onwards chums
JackieO xxx

Siebrie

I made do this morning, and had 2 left-over slices of cheese pizza for breakfast

fuddle

Hi Karen, welcome

Pumpkin curry for tea, reasons most probably obvious I do hope my rabbit likes pumpkin too. No Halloween costumes for the kiddies this year, instead they're wearing black and I will do up their face with make up, black lips, mascara and swirls of eyeliner. I am sure I have some pale foundation somewhere. I am going to curl their hair and back comb the curls slightly to give a bigger, frizzy look. They are excited so hopefully my cost cutting Halloween will go down well.

Not sleeping well at the moment so have been crocheting. I need more yarn for my hat (lovely mustard number, they will see me coming as I intend putting a big pom pom on the top ) I am pleased to have found out how to do a rib like stitch so the band looks quite good compared to all my other makes. I am on with some slippers, using my little stash of acrylic yarn. I have sourced some squeezy bottles of 'stuff' to paint on to the bottom to make them non slip when finished.

Lego. My girls have occupied themselves with those little plastic bricks all week. I however, closed their bedroom window during the night as it was windy and raining... my foot doesn't appreciate lego :mad:

meritaten

Thanks for the tip about Jean Greenhows knitting books. I am sure I have seen them in my local 'Shaws'. I think if I use the basic 'Rupert Bear' type teddy and don't do a 'snout' and change the ears to huge bunny ears it might work.
I didn't get around to photographing Flop or even finish Woolly as first of all the grandtwins turned up, then No1 Son with his son and two large pumpkins! with request to carve said pumpkins - the stinger here being grandson wanted 'The Joker' and he wanted a 'Hello Kitty' one for his sister!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! frantic look on tinternet and then spent a good couple of hours carving the pumpkin with a broken craft knife as Son couldn't find pumpkin carving tools in the shops!
Still, Woolly IS coming along - I have the body done, writing the pattern as I went, and four of the legs. will get some of those 'flat kitchen sponges' up the shop later, as I want the body and head to retain its shape and thought it would be better than using ALL soft toy stuffing. fingers crossed it will work.
I will post a pic of Flop tomorrow - all being well and I can remember how to upload, download whatever - and even which ruddy site I uploaded to before!

meritaten

[

Lego. My girls have occupied themselves with those little plastic bricks all week. I however, closed their bedroom window during the night as it was windy and raining... my foot doesn't appreciate lego :mad:[/QUOTE]

I have bad memories of lego fuddle! my kids loved it too and my mum used to keep a huge tub of lego for them up her house. she had the 'no shoes in the living room rule', so I walk in in bare feet, tread on a piece of lego and start hopping about swearing a blue streak as my foot was bleeding rivers of blood! Mum shrieks, runs into the kitchen, Dad hands me half a box of tissues to staunch the flow and mum comes back in with a bowl of water and a sponge .......................and proceeds to clean the carpet!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rofl - I also got a telling off for swearing while she was scrubbing away at the blood on the carpet! Dad had to phone my OH in work to come pick me up and take me to A&E who glued the cut on the sole of my foot. Bluddy lethal toy! Elf and Safety have no idea how many ways lego can hurt someone!

meritaten

meritaten wrote: »

[

Lego. My girls have occupied themselves with those little plastic bricks all week. I however, closed their bedroom window during the night as it was windy and raining... my foot doesn't appreciate lego :mad:

I have bad memories of lego fuddle! my kids loved it too and my mum used to keep a huge tub of lego for them up her house. she had the 'no shoes in the living room rule', so I walk in in bare feet, tread on a piece of lego and start hopping about swearing a blue streak as my foot was bleeding rivers of blood! Mum shrieks, runs into the kitchen, Dad hands me half a box of tissues to staunch the flow and mum comes back in with a bowl of water and a sponge .......................and proceeds to clean the carpet!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rofl - I also got a telling off for swearing while she was scrubbing away at the blood on the carpet! Dad had to phone my OH in work to come pick me up and take me to A&E who stitched the cut on the sole of my foot. 3 stitches!!!! Bluddy lethal toy! Elf and Safety have no idea how many ways lego can hurt someone![/QUOTE]


for some reason it posted this twice when I went back and edited - realised they didn't glue the cut - I had stitches THAT time! it was a couple of years later they glued a cut on my foot - and yes it WAS lego again!

nursemaggie

meritaten The cheapest way to stuff soft toys is to use a cheap polyester pillow. The trick is to make it firm but not so hard you stretch it out of shape. They charge about 3 times as much for the same thing to stuff soft toys and it is usually a smaller bag too. You can also use the stuffing from an old duvet as long as you wash it. Just pull it about until it is all fluffed up.

meritaten

nursemaggie wrote: »

meritaten The cheapest way to stuff soft toys is to use a cheap polyester pillow. The trick is to make it firm but not so hard you stretch it out of shape. They charge about 3 times as much for the same thing to stuff soft toys and it is usually a smaller bag too. You can also use the stuffing from an old duvet as long as you wash it. Just pull it about until it is all fluffed up.

Yes nursemaggie - I did use an old polyester pillow for Flops stuffing. I did wash it and tumble dry it first. then pulled it out and used the cats detangle brushes as a 'carding' tool. (as if I was preparing fleece for spinning). it fluffed it up nicely! I figured pillows would have the same safety regs as toy stuffing and it cost me nothing! I cant believe how much they charge for 'toy stuffing'!
I am wondering though, and as you seem to know about knitting soft toys - whether to try to knit the overalls Bing wears separately or to knit them into the body? as Bing wears a green Tshirt underneath I thought it may look better to knit them separate and I have enough wool to do that. but the baby is only 11 months old - it may be better to try to work out colour changes for each clothing element?

nursemaggie

Have had a sore eye for a couple of days. Called Doctor this morning waited until 4.17pm for a call back only to be told to go to A&E. Thank goodness it is only a scratch will clear up in a couple of days. Looks much worse than it is.

Could have done without this right now. We have been offered the flat we bid on a few weeks ago in this area but nearer Mr M, drs and the park. DD was right this is a "nice area". We saw the homeless prevention team yesterday. Assuming this flat is OK we will be in by the end of the year.

I struggled all afternoon to fill in all the forms with one eye in use and my right hand covering my right eye to try to keep the light out. The property is still occupied but they have given us until Tuesday noon to get two references from different parts of the country too them. As I had to go to the hospital I missed the post. Did not get the offer until late afternoon yesterday and thy think that is reasonable. If I had caught the post they would not have got the forms to fill in for the references until a couple of hours before the deadline.

Rant over! I expect they will sort it out.

nursemaggie

meritaten I would knit them separate babies do not stay babies very long and they love to dress them later.