It's about blimin' time you got that dishwasher fixed!
Saturday, 8 November 2008
Friday, 7 November 2008
Grime and Dirt
Kitchen Poetry :: Five
Just for Monkee Maker who wanted to see the grime and dirt in my kitchen. This first photo was meant for day two but the greasy splashes up the tiles were horrendous. I cleaned the tiles and took another photo but it was still disgusting. I cleaned them again and this is the third photo. It is still not clean but in reducing the size of the picture for blogger I've also reduced the size of the splashes!
But more obvious dirt can be seen on this little plaque on a cupboard door - meant for day three. This is the original photo complete with clumps of dust on her hair... because I don't do housework...
Just for Monkee Maker who wanted to see the grime and dirt in my kitchen. This first photo was meant for day two but the greasy splashes up the tiles were horrendous. I cleaned the tiles and took another photo but it was still disgusting. I cleaned them again and this is the third photo. It is still not clean but in reducing the size of the picture for blogger I've also reduced the size of the splashes!
Thursday, 6 November 2008
Kitchen Poetry : : Four
Spicy Pumpkin Muffins
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
4oz caster sugar
12 fl oz pumpkin puree
(pumpkin flesh, simmered in water for 20 mins and then pureed with some of the cooking water)
1 large egg
3 fl oz vegetable oil
1 tablespoon runny honey
4 oz raisins
Mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and cinnamon in a large bowl. In a second bowl or large jug, whisk together the pumpkin puree, the egg, the oil and the honey. Stir the wet ingredients into the flour until just combined - lumpy batter is okay but there should be no visible flour. Stir in the raisins. Divide between 12 muffin cases and bake at 190 deg C for 20-25 minutes. They are cooked when the tops are brown and spring back when gently pressed.
This was poetry!
Wednesday, 5 November 2008
Kitchen Poetry : : Three
I could see there being a danger of all my kitchen poetry pictures being of food... as especially some of the other snaps I've taken have been very cruel in showing up the splashes and grime lurking in corners of my kitchen! But I have found something else - sitting on a corner of the kitchen dresser is this basket of painted stones. Something I did probably about... twenty nine years ago (at least)? Such crafts were very trendy in the late 1970s!

Also today I've been teaching my City and Guilds class. At this early stage of a two year course there isn't often much to show as the students are getting to grips with design and new techniques, but Jann brought in two beautiful samples of textural stitch that I thought deserved to be shared. Keep up the good work Jann... and perhaps we can have some more to share from the rest of you soon?
Gorgeous colours!

On arriving home there was another lovely parcel of Wiggly Bags, this time from Dotty Cookie. Thank you so much Val, they are lovely... especially like the "Rocket" fabric.

By the way... the pumpkin bread tasted pretty good... had it for my sandwiches today! I've enough puree left to make another loaf but it occurred to me today that it might make good muffins... watch this space. Could be kitchen poetry number four!
Also today I've been teaching my City and Guilds class. At this early stage of a two year course there isn't often much to show as the students are getting to grips with design and new techniques, but Jann brought in two beautiful samples of textural stitch that I thought deserved to be shared. Keep up the good work Jann... and perhaps we can have some more to share from the rest of you soon?
On arriving home there was another lovely parcel of Wiggly Bags, this time from Dotty Cookie. Thank you so much Val, they are lovely... especially like the "Rocket" fabric.
By the way... the pumpkin bread tasted pretty good... had it for my sandwiches today! I've enough puree left to make another loaf but it occurred to me today that it might make good muffins... watch this space. Could be kitchen poetry number four!
Tuesday, 4 November 2008
Kitchen Poetry :: two
Kitchen Poetry today.... the pumpkin bread made from yesterday's pumpkin, inspired by Marmaladekiss and the recipe from here. Being unable to follow a recipe to the letter I reduced the salt and yeast by about half and added a knob of butter. It looks okay but has been tasted yet... still hot from the oven.
Other happenings here... another consignment of Wiggly Bags this time from Lesley... Thank you Lesley, they are gorgeous and such wonderful fabrics.
Monday, 3 November 2008
Buttons, zips and poetry.
The latest assignment in my current Opus module has been about materials. We have had to look at a particular culture and how they use certain materials. I started by looking at the region of northern India, Pakistan and Afghanistan where garments are richly decorated with materials such as mirrors, coins, shells and buttons which offer symbolic protection to the wearer.

They often use items such as zips around edges and openings, not as functional items but again as a form of protection as in this jacket from Pakistan.
What I love about these modules is they are like journeys of discovery and can go off in all sorts of directions. Looking at buttons I got to look at Pearly Kings and Queens and from there to the fabulous work of John Galliano who has used bright coloured buttons to decorate garments.

Back again to zips on edges and I started to think about shark's teeth!
We then had to look at modern waste materials and how we might use them for protection and from this evolved my version of protective edging like teeth - rows of "teeth" made from crisp packets! The added "buttons" are from bottle tops from fizzy wine... oh how I suffer for my art!

From here I wondered what this would look like as an actual edge on a cuff...
... and what if I used the coloured side of the packaging and made extra rows...
... and then made this as a cuff too! I'm now starting to plan a whole jacket covered with these protective elements but think I might be getting carried away!

Completely changing the subject some of you may have seen Ali's post about sprucing up her kitchen... all part of a little game going on this week called kitchen poetry. Details can be found on Simple Sparrow. I think mine might be less poetry and more limerick but I thought it would be fun to play! And so today in my kitchen.... my shopping!

A pumpkin to make some pumpkin bread, a squash to make spicy butternut squash with cashew nuts and fruit just to eat!
They often use items such as zips around edges and openings, not as functional items but again as a form of protection as in this jacket from Pakistan.

Back again to zips on edges and I started to think about shark's teeth!
From here I wondered what this would look like as an actual edge on a cuff...
Completely changing the subject some of you may have seen Ali's post about sprucing up her kitchen... all part of a little game going on this week called kitchen poetry. Details can be found on Simple Sparrow. I think mine might be less poetry and more limerick but I thought it would be fun to play! And so today in my kitchen.... my shopping!

A pumpkin to make some pumpkin bread, a squash to make spicy butternut squash with cashew nuts and fruit just to eat!
Saturday, 1 November 2008
Tassels!
I've had a fun day in Chelmsford teaching twelve super ladies to make machine wrapped cords, tassels and beads which they've put together to make these super pendants... fabulous!

I did persuade a couple of them to let me take pics of them modelling to show they look just as good on as off.

It has been a great day with lots of laughs despite the horrendous drive back up the M11 in the rain. Back home there was a parcel awaiting me... Wiggly Bags from Kitty. Thank you so much Kitty... they are gorgeous! Such lovely fabrics.

I did persuade a couple of them to let me take pics of them modelling to show they look just as good on as off.
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