Alchemy

Hello dear ladies! I hope some of you are having a sunny weekend - it is pouring here in my part of Yorkshire.

My post today is a sort of 'teaching granny to suck eggs' - almost literally - as it is about that long derided and undervalued skill (and skill it is) that our female forebears did with gusto. It is called HOUSEKEEPING!

Before you all click away.....let me share my thoughts on housekeeping....

1. Housekeeping is about maintaining a well run and orderly home that works for you and your family;

2. Housekeeping is about value for money - making the best use of what you have and getting the most out of what you buy;

3. Housekeeping is about creating a calm and homely environment (or trying to!);

4. Housekeeping is so much more than cleaning (although that is part of it)!

When I think housework I think drudgery, having to do things around the house, begrudging time spent away from things I would rather be doing...you know the feeling.

When I think housekeeping I think about being in control.

 

Think of the fantastically efficient Miss Kenton in The Remains of the Day.....



Bike and beret optional but very fetching



It's best not to think of Mrs Danvers though...

The distinction between housework and housekeeping is important to me - all that stuff around the house needs to be done so seeing it as a specialist skill helps me to just get on with it and to take pride in what I do. If I have to do housework...mmm....where is that Country Living magazine? Whereas if I am going to do some housekeeping...yup I am a domestic goddess and my home is a haven!! (so I tell myself!). I find this is especially important as I work outside of the home (because, yes as we know, all you stay at home mums are working too!) and I have a continuous problem with low energy (thanks to menopause, anti-depression meds and dodgy thyroid) and I struggle to get motivated sometimes.

I remember my beloved great aunts would have a set day for doing things eg. Monday was laundry (yes and all the ironing done too)...and they had weekly and monthly and even yearly routines...washing curtains, cleaning windows, turning mattresses and cleaning down the paintwork...that sort of thing. And you know what?...they took pride in their housekeeping skills. So I am channeling the spirits of Auntie Mary and Auntie Sarah (although I am sure they must look down and comment that my windows are smudged!).

So housekeeping is not spending all your time cleaning - it is being organised so that you don't have to.

I became interested in green cleaning when my son was diagnosed with asthma and eczema around 7 years ago. I swept away all the chemical cleaners and replaced them with natural products. Some time later I began making my own.

I recently left a comment at Attic24 and the very lovely Lucy emailed me to ask about the cleaning products I make. So I thought it would be fun to share some recipes here.

So dear ladies - get out that apron...embrace your inner housekeeper...and prepare for some alchemy!

Wait a minute...before you rush out and start hunting down the rubber gloves we need to talk about kit!

The first thing to think about is the cleaning caddy or basket. This is a way of keeping your cleaning products together and in some sort of order. There is a balance to be found here between utility and aesthetics, but I really believe that having equipment that looks good is more likely to get used!!!

So here are some ideas for caddies....but be creative and find what works for you.

Practical and cheap, hard wearing and easy to keep clean....



 If you have a bigger budget....also hardwearing but prettier, this traditional housekeepers metal box....

 Be creative...if you like a vintage look then how about a hamper.......

 or this cute baby toiletries basket?

This is a craft caddy that I think could also be used for cleaning....

Whatever you choose, remember that the caddy has to be durable, have carrying handles and needs to be able to carry some weight.

So, you have your caddy...what else do you need?

1. A rag bag. Yes, you heard me. Dig out those festering cloths and filthy dusters from underneath the kitchen sink and replace them with a large bag of clean cloths...cotton floor cloths, dishcloths, sponges and (my favourite) microfibre cloths. Old T shirts make nice, soft dusters. Or make your own cleaning cloths....a quick Google search revealed lots of patterns for crochet cloths, such as this and this.

And look at these....don't they make you want to dash out and get those rubber gloves on?!



Free pattern from Lion Brand





 

I don't know who made these but they are gorgeous!

In fact, who knew that the humble dish cloth could inspire such loveliness? Search for dishcloths on Ravelry and you will see what I mean.

 

So you have a soft cloth bag full of cloths and after each clean you just chuck them in the washing machine and then return them to the bag when they are clean. No more damp, smelly cloths.

2. Spray bottles, tubs and bowls. It is best if your spray bottles have different colour tops for easy identification or else you can label them. They are used for natural air freshener and for general cleaning solutions. I use a small round plastic tub with a lid for keeping my surface/bathroom cleaner in. You can of course buy glass  bottles and use glass jars with screw lids for keeping cleansers in...depends how green and/or clumsy you are! And any smallish bowl for mixing potions in!

3. A small tin is good for keeping small bits in, such as cotton buds, a small scrubbing or nail brush, spoons for measuring and mixing etc.

So that is the basic hardware.

Next time I will blog about the recipes and what you need for a clean, green home!


Enjoy your weekend xxx

It's what it's all about

Good morning ladies

Thank you so much for all your lovely comments on the quilt. For those of you who have never tried quilting I would urge you to have a go. Start with something small like a baby quilt and check out all the fantastic advice available online. I would definitely recommend using a thimble though! Any advice on the best thimbles to buy?

Baby J's mummy sent me these photos of the said quilt in use by Baby J and I had to share them with you. This is what it is all about for me...making something and then seeing it being used by a gorgeous little one and knowing it will be treasured.

Enjoy your weekend! xx

A quilt for Baby J

Hello my dear ladies

I hope this weekend finds you happy and well and (if you are in the Northern hemisphere) enjoying some autumn sunshine.

We have a winner for the giveaway - chosen by the random number generator known as Little S - Sarah at All Fingers and Thumbs! Congratulations Sarah and sorry to the rest of you lovely people who entered the giveaway. I wish I had gifts for you all!

Now onto some crafting......oh yes, I have a finished project........ready?

 The patches were sewn together by machine but the quilting was done by hand...my first ever quilt!

I have to say that I was not prepared for how much I loved the actual quiling process...I am totally in love with quilting! This may have something to do with my fear of the sewing machine! I love how the whole thing is transformed into something cosy and comfy and, well, sort of quilty, just by adding these little stitches. It was all done freehand so you would be hard pushed to find a straight line here (!) but I think it has character!

This is the back. I cheated and made the back much bigger than the front and then sort of brought it round....if that makes sense....

My neighbour, who is a very experienced quilter, told me that I should have used a frame and then I wouldn't have got this puffed up effect....well I LOVE the puffed up effect! Isn't that what quilts are supposed to do, puff up????

And here it is in all its glory...my first quilt and hopefully the first of many. Many of you quilting gurus out there would no doubt question my methods and find lots of mistakes but I really am delighted with this and I hope Baby J's mum likes it too.

Enjoy your weekend!

Andrea xx

By way of an apology.....

Hello dear ladies!

I haven't been catapulted into outer space but have been here all the while trying to make all the different pieces of my life fit together in such a way that I can manage it all.

I'm so sorry for neglecting you all and, as way of an apology (and to celebrate my first blogging anniversary) I am having a giveaway.

These are some pretty little items that I found in my local Fair Trade shop. There is a lovely little purse - useful for storing stitchmarkers and such, a little owl wrist pin cushion and a sweet little measuring tape. Oh and this gorgeous (hard to part with!) bag....a make up bag, odds and ends bag...whatever you want to use it for.

Anyway, all you have to do to win these items is leave a comment...you know how these things work!

On the craft front, not much has been happening but I have finally finished the baby quilt I started ages ago. This was the fabric...

....post soon on this.

Before I go, something that made me laugh out loud in the street the other day.....

conversation with boy walking to school.

Boy: So are you feeling better now, Mum?

Me: What do you mean?

Boy: Since you had your testicles removed

Me: I think you mean appendix

Boy: Ah yes, appendix.



Enjoy your weekend! xxx

Sticks and stones

Hello! Back from the coast where the weather was horrid but the company was great. In fact I didn't take out my camera once!!! However, the Mr, the boy and I went to the East Yorkshire coast a couple of days ago and it was glorious - a hot sun finally dispelling the morning mist.

We went to a place called Spurn Point, which is an historic site because of its role during both world wars as a defence point for the river Humber. It is a strange place; not beautiful but very stark and interesting...

The beach was covered in the detritus of war...these huge concrete blocks were anti-tank defences...

Then we came upon the remains of jetties, the wooden posts still standing in line but with nothing to support...

I found them very sculptural and beautiful in an odd kind of way...

Then the sun came out and Little S and I stopped to strip off some layers as we walked to Spurn Point lighthouse...

And here it is!

I have a soft spot for lighthouses and when I was a child I used to fantasise about living in one!!! Sadly, this one is out of action and is boarded up so we couldn't go inside and have a look around. I'm pleased it hasn't been demolished though as it looks superb on the beach...

Then the boy and I indulged my passion for fossiling. I seem to have an uncanny knack to spot a fossil immediately I step onto a beach! Little S found some interesting stones too and he set them all out this morning...

I found this rather splendid bit of amonite about a minute after I started looking - much to the Mr's chagrin...he ever finds anything!

I plan to use these flat, smooth stones to have a go at Margaret Oomen's fabulous crochet stones pattern...

They are stunning, aren't they.

Ah, that brings me to a bit of my own crochet.....

A dear friend has had her first baby and I whipped up this blanket in a couple of days...

It is made from Debbie Bliss Cashmerino 4 ply and it flew off the hook. I love the muted, vintage colours - a change from the brights I usually use. It isn't huge but is perfect for a car blanket.

Well that's all for now, dear ladies. I'm off to catch up with your blogs and see what you have all been up to! xxx