Thursday, December 31, 2009

Gin and Tonic Jelly

As requested, the recipe for the Friendsmas 2009 dessert, courtesy of the Prima Domestica Goddess herself, Nigella Lawson.

Gin and Tonic Jelly

300ml plus 50ml water
300g caster sugar
zest and juice of 2 lemons
400ml tonic water (not slimline!) (that's Nigella's comment, I assume she means diet)
250ml gin
8 sheets of leaf gelatine
2 punnets of whitecurrants or 3-4 punnets raspberries, optional (I used blueberries as that's what was in season and looking good)
1 teaspoon icing sugar if using raspberries
1.25 litre jelly mould, lightly greased with almond or vegetable oil

Put the water and sugar into a wide, thick-bottomed saucepan and bring to the boil. Let boil for 5 minutes, take off the heat, add the lemon zest and leave to steep for 15 minutes. Strain into a measuring jug, then add the lemon juice, the tonic water and the gin; you should have reached the 1200ml mark; if not, add more tonic water, gin or lemon juice to taste.

Soak the gelatine leaves in a dish of cold water for 5 minutes to soften. Meanwhile, put 50ml of water into a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat, squeeze out the gelatine leaves and whisk them in. Pour some of the gin and lemon syrup mixture into the saucepan and then pour everything back into the jug. Pour into the mould and, when cold, put in the fridge to set. This should take about 6 hours.

When you are ready to unmould, half-fill a sink with warm water and stand the jelly mould in it for 30 seconds or so. Clamp a big flat plate over the jelly and invert to unmould, shaking it as you do so. If it doesn't work, stand it in the warm water for another half-minute or so and try again. If you've used a dome mould, surround the jelly with whitecurrants or fill the hole with them if you've used a ring mould. Raspberries are just as good, but dust these with icing sugar - it sounds poncey, but it makes the pale-jade glimmer of the jelly and the otherwise-too-vibrant red of the fruit come together on the plate. The whitecurrants should be left to glimmer, opal-like, without interference.

Serves 8.

Variation: To make a vodka and lime jelly, simply substitute 6 limes for the lemons and use vodka in place of the gin.

My notes: This is definitely a "make the day before" dessert. Also don't stand the mould in warm water for too long as this is a very soft wobbly jelly. It is also quite alcoholic as the gin is never heated so doesn't lose any alcohol.

Monday, December 7, 2009

Wardrobe refashion - #1 T-shirt to singlet

A while ago I was inspired by my more crafty friends who have taken items from thrift shops or those languishing at the back of their wardrobe and refashioned them into contemporary, wearable items of clothing.

Now my wardrobe is very lean to start with. Several years ago I went through it ruthlessly and many bags of wearable, just not by me, items went to friends or charity. These days, I tend to have the reverse problem in that I have a small selection of clothes that get such high rotation that I rarely have more than a weeks worth of clothes. And then there is the growing pile of clothes that are deemed "gym" or "gardening". These are items that probably started life as work or casual clothes, but due to wear, fading, stains or tears are now only fit to be sweated in or covered in dirt.

Where I've been looking for refashion candidates are the clothes that I don't wear at all, but still have for some reason. I have a few T-shirts that have sentimental value to me, mostly because they are attached to events and have various images and words screen printed on them. Unfortunately, like many "event" t-shirts, they are very boxy, straight cut "mens" style T-shirts. I find them too big and too high necked to be comfortable to exercise or garden in, but I don't want to part with them. My solution - refashion them into singlets, taking care to keep the screen-printing as a central feature. This will allow me to bring some function to a piece of nostalgia.

T-shirt to singlet refashion #1 - The College War t-shirt*I forgot to take a photo of the t-shirt before cutting it up. Fortunately the Cunning Plans Dept has one of the same size in green. Just in case anyone gets confused when it turns purple in the subsequent photos.

This t-shirt is probably the most worn and faded in the pile, mainly because I used to wear it for fighter training many years ago. I picked it to start with as it I was less likely to be upset if I failed miserably and ended up with an unwearable pile of rags.

First step was to unpick the t-shirt pieces and iron them flat. This was when I discovered that other feature of cheap t-shirts, which is that they aren't cut very straight. It's a pet peeve of mine as I hate how the side seams migrate around your body with garments that aren't cut straight. Fortunately, it looked like I probably had enough room to cut the singlet pieces straight.

I used one of my singlets to trace a pattern onto the t-shirt fabric. I ran into a bit of a challenge with placing the print on the front piece. I like a deep scoop-neck on my singlets. However, due to where the print was place on the t-shirt, it meant that to have enough fabric to reach the shoulder seam and still have a deep scoop, I wasn't going to be able to leave enough fabric to do a rolled edge on the neckline. No problem, I figured I could do a slim bound edge like most commercial singlets have.

I cut out the singlet pieces and sewed up the sides. I then cut lengths from t-shirt sleeve pieces to make binding for the neck and arm holes. I haven't worked much with stretch fabric before and I must admit I found it's tendency to curl up very annoying.
The end result of the edging I'm generally pleased with. Above is a good section with neat double row of top-stitching.
This shows both the raw edges on the inside and the bit of a wobble I had with the front neckline (it isn't meant to have that bulgy bit in the middle), which isn't as noticable when I'm wearing the singlet, but still it could have been neater.
I also had some trouble with the inside curve and need to make a note to stretch the binding a bit more so I don't get the little fold shown above.
And here is the end result - a singlet that I actually wear - even if it is mostly at the gym or in the garden. One garment that was languishing in a drawer is now back in wardrobe circulation.

Sunday, November 29, 2009

Holidays: Melbourne

The great Melbourne-Tassie-Melbourne holiday finally happened a week or so ago, after being in the pipeline for several months. The aim of the trip was to catch up with a bunch of friends, visit the block of land in Waratah, and generally chill out and do some sight-seeing.

We spent two weekends in Melbourne, with the Tassie adventure during the week between them.

I love Melbourne. Something about that city really resonates with me. Even when the weather is awful and unpredictable. First weekend was hot and dry, the second weekend we got drenched with rain. One of Melbourne's attractions is that it currently is the place of residence of many of our friends. We managed to catch up with Sam & Belle, Dan & Jen, Miss Bethany and, of course, Dr Krys.

There was much shopping, well perusing to be more accurate. I was reasonably restrained in my purchasing.

On the first Saturday, we went to the Melbourne Theatre Company garage sale with Dan & Jen. It opened at 9am and we arrived at 9:30am, by which time there was a line about 150m long. So we lined up anyway. By the time we got in, most of the "good stuff" had gone. We saw people coming out earlier with huge boxes of stuff. Still it was an interesting browse.

Sunday I went to the North Melbourne market day with Ms Belle. This was hosted by Thread Den, who I have previously visited and love their stuff. There was lots of vintage and vintagesque stuff and lots of crafts ware.

I have recently become enamoured of this apron. While I have searched in vain for an Australian stockist, many of my friends have suggested I simply make one myself. I have pleaded laziness and a general lack of sewing mojo as an excuse. Until I found this gorgeous fabric at the markets.
It was listed as a cotton, though it has a very papery/crisp feel to it. Like something you'd use for table linen rather than clothes. Still, it will certainly do for an apron. I think there is about 2m, though it isn't very wide. I will do a mock-up in some cheap fabric to see whether I will have enough.

I also discovered that badges and brooches are very popular in Melbourne. There were lots of stalls selling cute badges, often covered with retro/vintage style fabrics. I picked up a set of three ladybug badges that were too cute to resist. I shall be sending one of them to Miss Bethany as I always think of her when I see ladybugs.

There was much browsing of vintage patterns. Much bemoaning that many vintage patterns are in tiny sizes. And also some boggling at the fact that patterns from the 1980's are now considered "vintage" (the shoulder pads still beggar belief!).

The Cunning Plans Dept went to Camberwell markets, but didn't end up getting anything (as opposed to last time when a box load of tools and bits got mailed home).

The second weekend involved the great swimsuit mission. I've discovered that I cannot buy a swimsuit on my own. I've tried several times over the last few years without success. I need a good friend (or two or three), to get me into the store, make me try things on and provide objective opinions. Otherwise, the effort of trying to pick something to try on first, the effort of trying things on, and general fit issues will normally lead me to declare the whole thing hopeless and go home. Huge thanks to Ms Belle and Miss Bethany for being my swimsuit buying support crew. Their optimism, excellent taste and eye for good style were invaluable and lead to me buying the first swimsuit in over 10 years.

There was also a DFO shopping expedition with Dr Krys (as it was raining and we decided that being indoors was a good thing). We successfully found a couple of simple thin strap camis for me (to act as modesty panels under v-neck tops) and a stack of manchester for Dr Krys.

And it wouldn't be a trip to Melbourne without much fine coffee and dining. I love all the little hole-in-the-wall cafes and restaurants in Melbourne. I love the generally relaxed atmosphere. It doesn't seem as insane and frenetic as Sydney.

The trip has strengthened my view that Melbourne is a place I could live in very happily, though looking at housing prices was somewhat depressing. Still, the move the Melbourne option in the next year is looking better and better. Coming home I realised how much I miss my friends down there and how little there is for me here. Now to figure out what to do...

Friday, November 13, 2009

Steampunk and Vintage retail therapy

Aside from 1950's & 1960's vintage stuff, I've also been swept up by the flood of friends who are getting into Steampunk. I have long had a fascination with Victorian era fashion, which I think was strongest when I was a goth many years ago. There is an upcoming steampunk party that we've been invited to and while I've been both drooling and boggling at some of the steampunk costumes out there, I have failed to actually come up with what I'm going to wear. My thoughts so far have been along the aviator line, possibly a bit Sky Captain-ish. Though I think this is really cute.

To give myself a bit of a boost, and to take advantage of the good exchange rate, I decided to indulge in some retail therapy to give my potential costuming efforts a nudge. I bought these patterns from Reconstructing History:

I'm hoping that these will give me a good starting point to get the Victorian shape right. I'm hoping I can modify the riding habit to have a bit of an aviator feel, but with the Victorian silhouette.

And because I couldn't leave my other vintage habit out, I also picked up this:


It is actually quite good. I think my fundamental lack of dexterity and ability to hold my arms up for any length of time may prove to be my downfall, but it is a really nifty book. I finally understand how finger waves and pin curls are done. I'm curious about how well my hair would hold a wet set (which is touted as the strongest set), since my hair is incredibly fine and has trouble even holding a perm (it was a the early 90's and yes it looked ridiculous). Still, I have more of a clue about styling my hair than I did before.

Tonight I'm off to Melbourne, then Tassie, then back to Melbourne. Shopping will include the Melbourne Theatre Company garage sale, various vintage haunts and markets. Not to mention seeing fabulous friends who will no doubt inspire me so that when I come home I'm eager to get stuck in and make stuff.

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Domestic Goddess

While I'm not doing so well on the sewing front, let's get back to my main claim to being a Domestic Goddess - cooking.

I would describe myself as a confident cook. I know my way around most recipes, am undaunted by choux pastry, and have the ability to rummage around the fridge and cupboards and come up with something tasty and fabulous at a moment's notice without needing a recipe to guide me.

I especially love cooking cakes and cookies. These are things I usually cook because I feel like cooking or for a specific occasion. I will often look at the fruit bowl and see a few bananas that have gone soft and black and decide to whip up a banana cake. Or if there is a birthday, then something a little more impressive like a malteser cake (why yes, I do own most of Nigella Lawson's books. Love that woman and her work).


It's a skill that I think is sorely lacking in the younger generations. I'm generation X and I learnt to cook from my Mum. I grew up with cooking. Both Mum and Dad cooked. Mum involved me and my brother in cooking from an early age. I remember having parties where we cooked our own treats like peanut brittle and home made pizzas and sausage rolls. I was fortunate to have been immersed in cooking so that later in life it has never been a question that I would cook majority of what I eat.

Being able to cook has obvious cost benefits as it is far cheaper to cook for yourself than to buy take away or prepackaged meals. There are nutritional benefits in knowing exactly what goes into your meals. It is far easier to control how much fat and calories are in your diet if you're making your own meals. I remember many years ago joining Weight Watchers when I wanted to lose some weight and was astounded at the meetings as to how many people didn't cook and how many couldn't cook. I could understand people not cooking because they were busy or lazy, but not knowing how to cook seemed as foreign to me as not knowing how to tie your shoelaces.

I love cooking. Granted, I am not always enthused at the end of the day to make something spectacular for dinner, but that's where cooking confidence comes to the fore because I can practically sleep walk my way through making most dinners without thinking. My regular dinners are not grandiose affairs. I have a few tried and true staples that I use with an assortment of variations. That's the main trick to being able to cook dinner on a daily basis. Have some basic formulas that you can just insert whatever meat and veg you happen to have on hand.

I am pleased to see that with the rise of the celebrity chef has (eventually) come the return of the basic cook book with plain, simple instructions to get people started. I have an old Margaret Fulton cook book that was my bible when I was learning to cook. It has step by step pictures on how to do things like make your own pastry. If you don't know to cook, grab a basic cook book and get in your kitchen and have a go. It's one of the most rewarding skills you can learn.

Note for friends and family, the apron featured above is by Now Designs and the print is "cherries". I'm almost tempted to try and make one myself, but that depends on whether I can get a grip on my sewing mojo.

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

To sew or not to sew

That is the question. I've been spending a lot of time thinking about doing some sewing. Specifically about making some garments, either vintage or modern. I've been reading some fabulous sewing blogs and am inspired (especially inspired by Gertie's New Blog for Better Sewing). But there is one tiny problem. I have a confession to make. I'm scared of modern sewing.

Yes, I know, I've been doing medieval costuming for a while and while I can happily pattern a cotehardie from scratch, create beautiful hand sewn eyelets, fell seams, hem invisibly etc.. I am paralysed when presented with paper patterns, zippers, fusible webbing, and other things associated with sewing anytime in the past century. Even the language confuses me. I'm sure I probably know how to do some of the techniques, I just don't know them by the that name.

For my birthday this year, a lovely friend gave me a pattern for a basic suit (jacket, pants, skirt, and cami top) along with some suiting fabric.
About a week ago I decided to get out the pattern and fabric. I opened the pattern and started reading the instructions. It was like it was in another language. So I folded it back up and put it back in the envelope. I did manage to wash the fabric, which was about the only step in the process that was familiar. Since then I've been staring at the pattern envelope on the sewing table each time I go past it. It's like I'm hoping that if I stare at it for long enough it will suddenly become more comprehensible.

Today I decided it was time to put on my big girl panties and admit I have no idea what I'm doing and get some help. I went into Hobbysew and asked the lovely ladies for a good beginner's sewing book and came away with Simplicity's Simply the Best Sewing book, which appears to have information on most of the standard techniques, with diagrams.

I got it home, made a cup of tea, and started to have a flick through. After deciding that I didn't feel any more reassured, I figured it was time to wander out in the drizzle (cup of tea in hand) to retrieve my mail before it got completely sodden. It was then that I received a Sign. There was something on the road in front of our driveway. I thought it was junk mail that had blown onto the road, so went to retrieve it. It was not junk mail. It was this:
It's a pattern for a child's knit tops, slacks and shorts. I'd guess maybe an 80's vintage and rather well loved judging by the tape around the edges. Looks like it had also been run over at least once. The paper pattern was inside the envelope and in good condition (though a tad damp). I've got it and the instruction booklet drying in the lounge room.

While children's clothing was not really on my "to make" list, I take the random arrival of a pattern on my doorstep as a sign that I am to give this modern sewing thing a go. No more excuses, no more trepidation. Just get stuck in and learn as I go. First, though, I'm going to need another cup of tea.