Hello lovelies, how are you all?
Sorry the blog has been so quiet – I’ve been busy making, baking, mending and cooking, which means I’m not online very much these days. But if you have time for a cuppa, I’d love to catch you up on all our latest projects.
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First our big news…we’ve bought ourselves a barbecue smoker! I’ve wanted one for about five years (ever since I first watched BBQ Pittmasters) but Pete took a bit more convincing. In the end, he agreed to a pellet smoker, which enables us to smoke (the American term for cooking low and slow over wood or charcoal) without the need to chop wood or light charcoal.
Our Traeger 34 Pro has electric ignition and a thermostat controlled auger, which feeds the 100% hardwood pellets through as needed. She’s an absolute beauty and the simplest thing to use! It’s our 30th wedding anniversary gift (in advance) and we’ve named her Rosie after the robot maid in The Jetsons. Can you see the resemblance?
We’ve only had her a week, but Rosie has already turned out a delicious six hour blade roast…
…and amazing pork belly, which we finished off on a cast iron griddle…
Stay tuned for more bbq adventures…we’re working our way through this fabulous book by Steven Raichlen…
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The denim mania continues, and the pile of $2 Salvos jeans is slowly growing in my sewing room. On top of that, my friends are now delivering their old jeans directly to our place!
Lovely Diana brought me her husband Ian’s old Wranglers – they’d originally belonged to her son Giles, but Ian had inherited them to wear as farm pants. Unfortunately, huge holes had worn through on the knees, making them unsuitable for hard yakka (that’s downunder speak for “hard work”).
Other than the knees, the denim was in excellent condition and I was loathe to cut them up, so I mended them. I unpicked the side seams and sewed denim patches in place, then reinforced over the top with lines of straight stitching, then restitched the seams closed.
Ian was absolutely delighted! As was I when I received Di’s wonderful photos of him wearing them around their farm..
I thought it might be fun to add labels to my denim creations, so I dragged out my Print Gocco set, burnt a screen, and stamped some old twill tape I had stashed away (it occasionally pays to be a bower bird)…
I sewed together the waistbands leftover from apron making and added the labels to the reverse side – they make great placemats…
These decorative feathers were a doddle to make – they’re simply cut from the side seams and fringed…
On Lorraine’s advice, I sewed denim hand towels to use with Rosie the BBQ. I added a little sashiko embroidery just for fun…
Diana loved Ian’s jeans so much that she asked me if I’d mend a small hole in her pair. I was more than happy to, then turned an old t-shirt that she’d given me into a tote bag to send them home in…
There are instructions on how to make a no-sew t-shirt tote bag online, but if you have your sewing machine set up, it’s much easier to just run a seam across the bottom of the shirt. Big Boy has just given me a pile of his old t-shirts to play with!
My young neighbour gave me her Barbie jeans to upcycle…
You know I love a challenge! I turned them into pincushions…
Lastly (on the topic of denim), lovely Steve Sheridan, potter extraordinaire and creator of my favourite tea bowl, asked me to make him an apron. Pottery aprons have two overlapping pieces below the waist to protect the knees while straddling the wheel. I used a pair of old Hugo Boss jeans donated by my friend Anita and sewed the designer labels back on for fun. It was a perfect fit…
Steve and Trish insisted that I choose a new tea bowl in exchange – I was soooo thrilled to come home with this one. When I was trying to photograph it, Pete suggested I should hold it because “it was made by hand to be held in a hand, not to sit on a shelf.”
If anyone is interested in making a pottery apron, here’s a sketch of the final pattern (and no, I’m not taking orders)…
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I have a small collection of Royal Worcester Evesham Gold pieces, including this water jug that we use every day, a wedding gift from Pete’s Aunt Anna…
So I was thrilled to find these unused vintage egg coddlers at the Salvos Store for just $10 for the pair…
They cooked our backyard eggs to perfection…
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I’ve read and listened to two fabulous books (it’s usually a combination of both these days, thanks to the sync function between Kindle and Audible), the first being The Keeper of Lost Things by Ruth Hogan…
The second was Mythos by Stephen Fry. Both books were a joy to listen to, if you have access to the Audible versions…
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We spent last Thursday night with our old friends Cliff and Kathy at Handpicked Wines on Kensington Street, tasting the award winning pinot noir…
I’m pretty fussy about wine, but every single one I tried that night was grand. My tasting flight was called “I Need A Vacay”…and it really did feel like a mini-vacation to be out drinking on a Thursday night…
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Finally, I’ve been madly mending. My friend Granny Annie suggested I investigate “visible mending” and it’s become very addictive. I picked up this Kindle book and started practising…
First I repaired a kitchen scrubber…
Followed by toe socks…
And then an Aldi bag…
…and I was off! I bought a vintage darning mushroom and now my sons hide their clothes from me for fear of having the tiniest holes attacked with brightly coloured yarn. If you’re interested in darning, here’s an old instruction pamphlet – as you can see, the process is more about weaving new fabric than closing up a hole…
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Phew! I’m all talked out! We have a brisket in Rosie at the moment, and Pete’s just come in to tell me that it needs checking, so I’m going to sign off now. What have you all been up to? ♥
Fig Jam and Lime Cordial 
Love your Rosie and I hope you have many happy years together. You have certainly been busy and I loved all the examples of your labours. Thank you for sharing
I love it you have been a busy bee…That meat looks awesome, Celia :)
Rosie looks very impressive! The meat looks so juicy.
I’ve been busy. Garden to harvest and put to rest over the winte. School has started. Busy digging potatoes now. Plus all the other things that need to be done. I sure wish I had some spare time for sewing. Maybe when things settle down over the winter there’ll be time for sewing.
Hi Celia. I need some reading material. I will take your recommendations. Xxx
You lucky girl, finding those egg coddlers! They also come in larger sizes- well worth looking out for…..we were given a set as a wedding present- 36 years ago and still going strong!
Wow, you have been busy. That Visible Mending book sounds utterly needing to be gotten, lol.
You are so creative – love the visible mending and the denim hacks. I find your posts so uplifting – you have a wonderful outlook. I was wondering if you still have time for those glorious early morning walks. Enjoy Rosie. x
Just arrived back from shopping feeling like crap, hot (bloody hot actually), sweaty, worn out… 6 hours of BLISS! NOT! But then I find your post in my email box. I feel refreshed, humoured and recharged already after reading it. Thank you so much.
Nick
Wow! What a woman! I have just made a bag using op shop jeans for the outer and a shirt for the lining complete with the shirt pocket!
You know, I’m almost convinced I might try and sew more! Thinking of bread bags made from ‘old shit’ for my regulars. I love what I see the Americans do with their smokin’ BBQ cookers, some amazing results. I actually used to find darning very relaxing when I was a kid, might re-visit that! Thanks, as always inspirational. :)
at first I got excited because I thought the small jeans were designer jeans for the Integrity dolls… if you ever decide to do jeans for the fashion dolls, let me know..
Rosie is beautiful! I’m very interested in the American style of BBQ, it seems very cool.
And I’m totally in love with your visible mending. I’m keen to embrace it!
Xx
Love all your stitching! Great that you can find ways to extend and repurpose fabrics into some pretty cool stuff! Meg:)
So lovely to hear your updates … as I type, my husband who regularly competes in BBQ competitions and has insisted on acquiring an upright smoker for our deck, is schooling me in the difference between a pellet smoker and an upright smoker 😂 Enjoy your smoking (so to speak!) – it is addictive!!!
Hi Celia,
I was lucky enough to stumble across your blog years ago and I’ve been reading and recommending it, to my friends ever since . I wanted to say thank you, for sharing your life, recipes, general know how and thoughts, so generously. You are such an inspiration, Celia! Thanks to you, I have learned to bake sourdough bread and that never gets old! When I’m in Sydney, I make a trip to Southern Supplies , what a treasure trove, thanks for that handy tip! I may well whip up a t-shirt bag this weekend. I love a new hobby! Hope you enjoyed the brisket! Anyway, thank you Celia . Tracey .
You’re an inspiration Celia, thankyou. We bought a smoker done years back, marvellous things. I’m not doing any of my usual cooking, sewing, crafting just now just driving back and forth to hospital to support my husband. Have renamed him Lazarus. It’s one day at a time for now. But I did unearth some tatty old t-shirts in his drawer, I’m giving myself aday off from hospital duty so will have myself a mental Holiday and make over the t-shirts. Best wishes to you and yours.
Oh Sandy, I’m so sorry your hubby is sick. I’ve done the hospital run a few times in my adult life and I wouldn’t wish it on anyone. All the very best to both of you. xxx
As we might say in Maine, wowsah! You really are an inspiration, and your blog always makes me smile. I am not as nimble of fingers as you are. Instead, I have been hard at work getting my second book, “Library Lost,” ready for publication. A different kind of creativity. ;)
And may I add, also from the East, WICKED GOOD :) great inspiration.
Glad you are well.
I enjoyed our chat, thanks. Evol
I knew you’d love visible darning :) You’ve had a very creative time.
I smiled at Ian’s patches – they’re typical farmer’s trousers worn out just above the knee.
We just bought a big green egg so I can relate to your excitement about the smoker. We’ve been experimenting with pizza. I thought nk we’re at 10 now and almost there. Your smoker looks amazing, and the meat looks awesome! I’m going to be sewing a lot t too, ive taken on a project for my cousin’s best friend to sew her slip covers for four kitchen stools and slip covers for two ottomans (they are white fur!!) I can’t wait, I love sewing so much. Fabric is prepped and I just need time to get to it. You’re sprons look amazing. I have my Mom’s old darning mushroom, she used to darn socks! I also have a darning hook that we used to fix runs in silk stockings. Although, in my day, they were nylon (I think we’re similar ages). I love that things weren’t disposable in those days.
All I can say is WOW! Celia your catch up was quite interesting to say the least and inspiring. I bought an old sewing machine to support a friend over 2 years ago. Sadly, it’s still sitting collecting dust. After seeing your ‘rampage’ of all things denim I have taken up the helm & shall follow in your denim mending craze! My hubby loves old jeans especially when mended. Hang on…I hear that old Singer calling me. God bless Celia xx
Your creativity and ingenuity knows no bounds Celia. Your denim creations need wider recognition. The egg coddler reminds me of a photo shoot I did with Royal Worcester (before the digital age). I was just part of the agency team not the photography or stylist. It took a whole day to do one product shot of the coddler. Those were the days….
Celia, it was SUCH a pleasure to connect again via your catch-up post. Life happens in between! Loved your patchwork thoughts (and handiwork), “Rosie” and her/your amazing results, the pinot noir photo of YOU :), xo, and exquisite tea bowl. xo!
You are an inspiration!
I am in awe of all that you’ve achieved…marvellous!
I have the very same egg coddlers, Celia. How about that? Your talent and amazing skills absolutely amaze me, my friend. I am a very busy person but I feel like a slacker in comparison. LOL! Love those denim feathers. Who, but you, would even conceive of such a result. :-)
Rosie is gorgeous, very appropriate name. I inherited those same egg coddlers from my mom, will have to pull them out and use them. Love the tea cup and pictures of your darning adventures.
It’s interesting -and somewhat comforting- that many of us who found community -our people- a few years back via blogging are still around but doing more, blogging less. A natural progression, I think, of the exchange of inspiration the blogging community is so good at.
Lovely post! The new denim works are amazing. Yes, I recognise Rosie…when we were little, had a tiny Lego robot made and christened such by my sister :) I must try visible darning for my tote — its handles are coming off and I tried normal stitching to reattach the handles. :) Thanks for the great idea!
Just loved reading this post . Rosie is fantastic and will now do some research on her to see if she would suit our needs too. Thankyou Celia :-)