WIP Wednesday: Pretty and Practical

Tags

bags, DIY, sewing, travel, WIP Wednesday

Today needs a lot of pretty colors, I’ve decided.

(WIP = work in progress)

I’m not sure how it happened, but I’m suddenly in the midst of about 12 projects here.   And my sewing room–even AFTER this morning’s clean-up–looks it.  I did actually finish a thing, though, so let’s take a look at that first.

This project was the result of a happy convergence between this situation . . .

. . . and the new fat quarters that I won recently.

I’m a little bit picky about oven mitts (as you get about things that you use all the time) and this one was my favorite because it was wider than most (so it fit my weird wide hands) and it had that handy metal ring on it so that I could sling it back up on its hook with one hand.  So I decided to make a couple of new mitts with these same features.

I used the mitt pattern here, but widened it a bit.  For the padding, I used a layer of Insul-Bright and one of thin cotton batting, as the Insul-Bright instructions recommended.

Are these fabrics fun or what?

These were a bit challenging to quilt, what with all the layers in there, but I do like how the extra batting makes the quilting show up.  Can’t vouch for their ability to protect my hands from heat, though, as I haven’t used them yet (poor planning on my part!)

The blue fabric I used for the lining, binding, and loops came from the stash.

I didn’t have the patience to bind the raw seam allowances, but I’m thinking oven mitts don’t get washed all that often, anyway.  They’re wide enough that if I need to re-sew the seams later, I’ll be able to do it.

Let’s see, what else am I planning?

Well, there’s the Sew Together Bag, which I have been lusting after for a while (don’t judge).  I actually purchased the pattern at full price–such is the depth of my desire.  😉

I’ve got this long-term goal of paring down the amount of stuff I bring with me when I travel, and I’m thinking this bag might be a good way of organizing my toiletries.  I need it to coordinate with the three travel bags I use regularly–travel is no excuse for not being FABULOUS, my darlings–so I’m planning to make the exterior a patchwork of various olive-y, sage-y greens.

I’m having a hard time judging whether this bag will actually be big enough, so I want to try it out on our next weekend away in a couple of weeks.

Just some of the green scraps I’ve pulled out of the stash for this.

There’s also the Cloudsplitter Summit Pack, which I bought back in November, also for travel.  This is going to have a Laurel Burch applique on the outside pocket and use various stash fabrics for the rest of it.  I have a feeling this is going to be very purple.

I’ve also cut out the blue McCall’s 7571 blouse I mentioned earlier.  And some progress has been made on Mending Mountain–the things that just needed quick repairs are done, and now I need to take a couple of “before” pictures and get to work on my refashioning projects.

That’s not actually all of the things in the works here, but it’s probably enough for one post.  😉  I hope you have an excellent Wednesday with plenty of color.

STH

Bits and Pieces

Tags

DIY, e-mail, Flickr, meta, Seattle ReCreative, sewing, skin care

Happy Friday!

My Friday plan–less talking about sewing, more actual sewing.

Some tidbits that may be of some interest–

—  Flickr:  I’ve added a Flickr widget to the sidebar, and here’s the linky to my Flickr photostream.  Not much there yet, but I thought I would put extra photos there so that anybody who’s interested can go look, and those who aren’t interested don’t have to see them.  The Flickr pics will be mostly ones that I haven’t put up on the blog.

—  E-mail:  I need to figure out how to add this to the sidebar, too, but you can contact me at livingincolorblog@outlook.com.  Feel free to drop me a line and have a chat.

—  DIY skin care:  Way back in the mists of time, I did a couple of guest posts for a friend on how to make your own moisturizer and lip balm for sensitive skin.  These are sort of last-ditch recipes for people like me whose skin is so sensitive they can’t use anything else.  They’re easy and quick to make, but they aren’t as effective or as pleasant to use as commercially-made skin care products.  If you want to try them out, be sure to read the comments on the posts for more information and ideas on variations to try.  If you have comments to make, however, please make them here as I don’t think that blog is active any more.

—  Fabric sale:  Seattle-area crafty types, you might want to check out Seattle ReCreative’s big fabric sale this coming Sunday.  $1 a yard!  BOGO patterns!  Donate $5 to get in early!  Even if you don’t need fabric, they have materials for making mosaics, scrapbooking, woodworking, etc., etc.  If I weren’t 4 hours away, I would totally be there.

Have a great weekend, everybody, and make sure you make time for some fun stuff.

STH

Freezing Garlic (and More)

Tags

cooking, DIY

This all started when I was in the local restaurant-supply store and saw three-pound bags of fresh garlic for some ridiculously cheap price.  So of course I had to get a bag, then went to work figuring out how to keep all that garlic fresh.

My first thought was to chop it up, cover it in oil, and store it in the fridge.  You can buy it that way, so why not DIY it?

In a word, botulism.

Garlic stored in oil creates the perfect low-acid anaerobic environment for botulism to grow, and there isn’t a reliable way for home cooks to acidify the mixture enough to make it safe to keep for a long time, even in the fridge.  You can keep it for a few days, but not much longer than that.  Which is not very helpful when you have three pounds of garlic sprouting in your crisper drawer.

So I came up with this method for chopping the whole mess up with some oil, freezing it in small portions, then thawing small quantities that I can use up in a few days.

First, separate the bulbs into cloves, then peel the cloves.

(There’s a nifty method here for peeling a whole bulb at a time, but I can never get it to work for me.  I grab a handful of cloves, put them on my cutting board, mash each one with the side of my big knife, and peel the skin off.  Yes, it’s a pain.)

IMPORTANT TIP:  USE GLOVES IF YOU ARE HANDLING THIS MUCH GARLIC.

The first time I did this, I wound up Googling a few hours later trying to find out what the hell was happening to my hands and WHY ARE THEY ON FIRE.  Turns out that having raw garlic on your skin for a long time can give you a sort of burn, similar to what you can get from chilies.  I’ve got a whole box of latex gloves that I’m trying to use up, so I use those and change them when they get too sticky with garlic (and here’s a question: should I ask partner why he had a whole box of latex gloves when we moved in together, or is this liable to provide me with information I would rather not know?)

Throw a bunch of the peeled cloves into the food processor, add a big glug of oil (I usually use canola), and process to a fine paste.

Lay two overlapping sheets of plastic wrap over a muffin tin, making sure you’ve got some extra hanging over the edges–it’s going to get pulled in when you fill the wells in the pan.  Make sure your freezer is big enough to accommodate your pan!

Put a dollop of the garlic mash into each well–remember, it needs to be a small enough amount that you can get through it in a few days–starting with the middle ones in the pan.  Use a spoon or spatula to smooth each dollop into a nice disk.

Cover the pan with another sheet of plastic wrap (if you don’t, your freezer will smell like an Olive Garden for about six months . . . ASK ME HOW I KNOW THIS) and lay flat to freeze.

When the disks are frozen solid, you can peel them off the plastic and put them into a freezer bag.

When you run out of garlic, you can just pull out one of the disks, put it into a jar, and store it in the fridge.  The disks I freeze in my standard-size muffin tin fit perfectly into a half-pint canning jar, but a jam jar would also work (I don’t store garlic in plastic because I doubt I’d ever be able to get the smell out afterwards).  I use about half a teaspoon of minced garlic for each clove called for in recipes.

Here’s the thing, though:  freezing small quantities of cooking ingredients that are cheaper to buy in bulk works for LOTS of things, not just garlic.

I also use this method to freeze jalapenos, which I can buy dirt cheap in bulk during the summertime, but don’t use every day.

I cut the ends off, halve the chilies, cut out the core inside, rinse out any remaining seeds, then process.  You can add some water, but I don’t find it necessary.  (I probably don’t have to remind you to wear gloves for this, keep your hands away from your face, and wash really well afterward, right?)

Because recipes tend to call for one or two jalapenos, I freeze them with one chili per well in the muffin tin (that is, if I started with eight jalapenos, I divide my jalapeno mush into eight wells, and, because I can be absent-minded, I keep the stems on my cutting board to remind me how many I had to begin with).

And I’ve already written about chopping up fresh ginger in the food processor and freezing it in one tablespoon portions (with a little water or stock).

Other ingredients to keep in your freezer:

—  When a recipe calls for one tablespoon of tomato paste (CURSES BE UPON YOU RECIPE WRITER), you can freeze the rest of the can in one tablespoon portions on a silicone mat or piece of foil placed on a baking sheet.  Again, be sure the pan will fit in your freezer first!

—  Save vegetable peels and other scraps in a big freezer bag, then turn them into vegetable stock.  I freeze stock in canning jars, which you aren’t supposed to do, because I am a REBEL.  If you do this–you rebel you–make sure and leave plenty of space at the top of the jar.  You still may crack a few, but the good news is they don’t make a mess when they crack because the stuff inside is already frozen by that point.

—  Make chicken or turkey stock from bones and scraps.  Best way to do it is to cover with water and simmer on low all day, but if you can’t manage that, you can cook it on low in a slow cooker for 24 hours.  Strain, chill, remove the fat on the top (or save it, I don’t judge), and freeze in one or two cup portions.

—  You can also use a small silicone ice cube tray like the one above to freeze fresh herbs–fill the wells with about one tablespoon chopped herbs, then fill with oil, water, or stock.

—  I just clicked over to see what Beth is up to, and lo and behold, she is freezing garlic bread in individual slices, a great idea for folks who live alone.  I had to LOL at this sentence, though:  “I’ve made my own garlic bread in the past and it’s to die for, but when do I ever need a whole loaf at once?”  Answer:  ALWAYS.

STH

 

 

 

 

 

Sunday Sevens 02-01-15

Tags

bags, cats, Columbia River, cooking, DIY, sewing, Sunday Sevens, swears

I am trying really hard to be positive here, and not let on how grumpy and harrumphy I am feeling these days, but GOOD RIDDANCE JANUARY with your 30 days of gray and drizzly weather.  And, SWEET JESUS, if I see another fucking Facebook post about the fucking sportsball, I am going to LOSE MY SHIT.

That was positive, right?

On to February, which I have just decided is going to be MUCH BETTER THAN JANUARY!  We will continue to soldier on here and hope for the best.

On to happier things.  Like this lovely curry I made this week with chicken and veg.  I love, love, love the sauce recipe here, but I’ve had to reduce the curry paste a bit for the delicate palate of the resident Brit.  (I’m from California, so can take a little more spice.)

Pooh butt fringe.

Still life with travel bag straps.  Unfortunately, my entire sewing room looks about this tidy right now.  😦

I got some kitchen projects done this week, including chopping a mess of fresh ginger in the food processor and freezing it (with some water) in 1 tablespoon portions for later use.  Super handy, as I am not a speedy cook and need all the help I can get.

From Thursday’s walk with my mother.  We were mobbed by 8 well-fed squirrels who obviously have humans all figured out.

Shelby is sure those drops of water are up to something.

All you sewers, take a good look at the zippers on the side of my bag.  Notice anything strange?  Yep, I am a genius and accidentally bought AND PUT IN 6 separating zippers into a travel bag before I noticed that they are separating zippers.  I blame it on January.

The good news is–and we’re focusing on the positive, right?–that the bag should be finished today and I’m really happy with it.  YAY!  Then I can finally finish my partner’s vest and it’s on to new projects!

Have a great week, everybody, and hang in there.

STH