The Garden Fence - help and support in tough times

[Deleted User]

I do mine on the hob GINNY I much prefer the texture to a baked one. I find it takes about 45 minutes in the double boiler once the rice and milk have come up to the simmer. If you want to be REALLY naughty and tempt him you might melt a few squares of chocolate in with the milk at the beginning of cooking, Mmmmmm yummy!

Hard_Up_Hester

GQ, you crack me up with your descriptions of Nursie.
Sunny here today so hubby is out in the garden, I'm bottoming out the living room.
Mmm, rice pudding, I have plenty of milk & some leftover cream so I'll make some today.
Hester

FairyPrincessk

Softstuff I'm afraid I was just going to give her a nip of OH's gin. It happens to smell like a very famous pine floor cleaner used in most institutional settings in the US and I can't fathom drinking something that smells like floor cleaner. It was always used at school if a child was ill, usually followed by someone else being sympathetically ill so I don't have fond memories---probably why I thought Nursie might like it! I'll happily give you her ration.

Ginny I hope your DGS recovers quickly. I like the sound of the distracting train ride.

Fuddle, glad to hear you've found a meal plan scheme that works. We've taken a broadly similar approach of smartening up the rental. Unfortunately I don't think we'll get permission to paint over the lime green kitchen, but I can do a lot with curtains and fresh magnolia in the other rooms. Looks like you have plenty of teaspoon tips. I usually do bicarb and do the mugs at the same time.

Successful vintage market trip, nice catchup with OH's parents and then I found a couple of table cloths perfect for cutting up and a set of side plates. We have a plan going similar to your blue and white plan, Lynn. We have a mish mash of dishes but I've been working on a scheme for a couple of years now to acquire a full set comprised of woodsware (the stuff used in church halls for years) or its slightly more down-market cousin petalware in blue, green and pink. I'm not fond of yellow so I give those a miss. So far we have four green dinner plates, two blue dinner plates, four blue cups and saucers, a few blue cake plates, two blue pasta bowls and a pink pasta bowl. I've also got four mis-matched burleigh pudding bowls bought before I started the scheme which compliment the set. Not much left to go, although some of the stuff has become popular and I won't pay the current prices in the trendier vintage fairs. Fortunately a lot of it turns up in charity shops and the like so I can buy it piece by piece. To fill in the gaps we have a random selection of hand-me downs and bought from ikea bits, but that stuff tends to break and chip very easily so I'm always happy when I can replace another piece. I guess if the Queen ever comes to tea she'll have to put up with our patchwork plates as I quite like the look and it is nice knowing that none of it is so precious that it can't be used every day and replaced should anything happen to it.

I've also seen something in the fair I fancy replicating. There were two footstool/pouffe type things in a sort of clover or flower shape. The tag said they were WWII and made from cans. They had been upholstered, papered on the bottom and trimmed with braid. Judging by the look of them they were bigger than the tins tomatoes come in so I'll have to have a look and see what I can come up with. I think the cans were probably about 4inches in diameter and the thing was 8-9 inches tall, but the cans may have been stacked. There must have been one in the center and then the rest arranged around it to make the flower shape. It was covered in a green upholstry fabric so I couldn't see exactly how it was assembled. There must have been some thin wadding involved, but not any foam. They were fascinating, but out of the realm of my purse. Still, I like having a go at things like that and like seeing the ideas.

FairyPrincessk

just saw the ETA about rot-gut whiskey I think I'll keep her away from my new plates!

meanmarie

FPK.....I remember a work colleague making what sounds like the footstools you describe, she used the tins that $ellotape came in as the base....they would have been 9/10 inches high I think.......that was in 1966 or 67 so not sure if the same tins are used, but you might be able to get similar. She stabilised them by filling with sand I think . HTH.

Dreading the thought of a rejuvenated Nursie finding her way here......

Marie

FairyPrincessk

Thanks Meanmarie! That makes sense, gauging from my roll of sellotape. I've never seen it in tins, but I'll ask OH to check at work and see if it comes that way for large orders. I don't think they'd mind if he took the tins home if they're just going to bin them. Barring that, I think I might be able to use tuna tins. I've found some modern day instructions here:
http://www.country-magazine.com/good-neighbors-blog/tin-can-footstools/

It might take me awhile to eat that much tuna, as by my estimation I'd need about 35 tins. I'll mull it over and see if I can come up with anything else.

[Deleted User]

We have carpeted the summerhouse, OK it doesn't all run in the same direction so it looks patchy but it's all the same carpet and He Who Knows will get some double sided tape and stick all three patches together to make it sit properly then I'll be boot fairing for furnishings. I missed a trick this morning as there was a LLoyd Loom (or lookalike) corner unit in cream which would have been perfect but I didn't have my 'Summerhouse' head on. Never mind, it's a start and an ongoing project. I'll keep an eye open for some pretty lace curtaining to make 'Cafe Curtains for the three windows and prettify it a little. Then see what turns up that will be the look I want.

FPK my china is all blue and white some is willow pattern, some is Johnsons Old English, some is Danish Pattern, some is Spode and some is just random blue and white, the odd saucer and side plate, a very few though are my favourite which is Asiatic Pheasant and Burleighware but those don't pop up very often. I don't mind that the patterns are all different in fact I think it actually adds something and I've a couple of really old pieces which I still use as I like to think I'm carrying something on through the ages. I'll leave them to DD1, she'll use them too!!!

Floss

FPK I'm intrigued as to the brand of your OH's gin if it smells like industrial disinfectant?! Also, my parents had green Woods Ware, and if I'd known you 10 years ago she clearing their home you could have had it rather than it going to the hospice shop. There were dinner & tea plates, cups & saucers, bowls, milk jug & sugar bowl, large platters & tureens - all bought when they were first married, or given as wedding gifts.

Floss

BTW, how is Nursie at cleaning ovens? My range needs doing, andvwe have some Laphroaig that tastes of TCP if she would be happy with that as her tipple? There's 2 ovens, a grill/top oven and 6 burners...I can disconnect the gas if that's advisable before she starts?

silvasava

Just spent 1/2 hour catching up with the thread. GQ you have given DH & I a good laugh with the antics of Nursie - she sounds like the evil genie in a bottle - let her loose at your peril!!
Mrs L - many years ago when funds were even tighter I thought I'd collect Willow crockery as you could see it everywhere, not realising that every manufacturer made theirs slightly differently! So started my collection........strangely I've ended up with a piece from every grandparent on both sides and my ex MiL so good memories. I'm selective now & I like Woods Yuan and Masons Old Chelsea & to keep with the blue theme I have Denby Imperial Blue that I've also collected o er the years for everyday.
I've some lovely lacy net curtains with frilled scalloped hems that I no longer use - if any of them would be of use to you pm me (some of them are very big)