Thanks For The Push

Vic posted yesterday that she made some play dough for her DD for the first time. I always remember my Grandma making play dough for myself and my siblings to play with. But shamefully I had never, ever made it for my kids :( I commented on Vic's blog and woke up this morning to an email that simply said "Make it! Go on! ;)"

Well I have a doctors appointment this morning and my two darlings are going to my sisters so I can go in peace. My DS who is 7, can be slightly hard to entertain, as my sister has 2 girls and he just gets a bit left out I think, with no boys to play with. I suggested play dough to my sister, and she was more than happy - so the challenge was on - make some play dough for the first time! hehe

I wasn't fussed on having to cook it though - I like simple. I quickly googled realised I use boiling water instead of cooking. And did you know that there is a recipe for play dough on the back of the cream of tartar tub!

So I used that recipe, substituted boiling water for cold and just stirred it altogether in a bowl. Tipped it out, kneaded it on the floured bench top until it was smooth and then added my colours. Easy peasy. I think it took me about 15 minutes tops!

So the recipe I used is:

2 cups plain flour
1 cup of salt
2 tablespoons cooking oil
4 tablespoons of cream of tartar *
2 cups of boiling water

*I only used 2 tablespoons as I didn't have enough.

Put all ingredients into a big bowl and mix until they are all nice and stuck together. Tip out onto a floured board or bench and knead until it is smooth - be careful though, as it will be hot! Seperate into as many lots as you want different colours. I did 4 - purple, orange, lime and aqua.

I put mine into ziplock bags for storage after they hand cooled down.

Seems like they are a hit already!

So thank you Vic - I tried something new today :)

Cheers!

I Was Tagged :)

With a Beautiful Blogger Award by Heather from Sewing on Pins. Thanks Heather.

Now apparently I need to share 10 things about myself that you, as readers, don't know. Hmmm - that is going to be tough.....so I will give it my best shot - so no laughing ok ;)



1. I studied horticulture. I wanted to be a vet but didn't get the marks - which is probably a good thing, you can rescue unwanted plants by the trailer-full, not quite the same with un-wanted animals lol

2. I grew up on a dairy farm. I loved milking the cows, doing cattle work - pretty much all aspects of farming. And there is nothing better than icy cold fresh milk straight from the vat!

3. I only started sewing 2.5 years ago - there is still so much I don't know, but I am looking forward to learning.

4. When I started sewing, I wasn't afraid of anything - I just jumped in and tried it, I still do mostly.

5. My husband and I got engaged after just 6 weeks together. We were 19 :)

6. I love swimming at the beach, but don't do it often enough anymore.

7. I had two horses growing up - one called Johnny who I got when I was 7 and Tiffany who I got as a foal when I was about 13. I haven't ridden in about 8 years though.

8. I really don't like watching reality TV shows. I think I half watched the very first Big Brother, but that was it. Can't stand Masterchef, X-Factor or Idol (or any of the rest). But I do love watching Australian TV series - we have some very talented stars here :)

9. My longest running hobby has been competitions - love entering and waiting for something in the mail, though I don't do as much now.

10. One of my nick-names growing up was motormouth - guess I talked a lot :)


So there you go - 10 things. Good thing I didn't say they were going to be exciting lol

Now I need to nominate 5 people for this award. It is just a fun thing to do - so don't feel pressured or anything.

So:

Tas - from Little Boozle, because she has such a fabulous way with words, and sews some awesome clothes for herself and her kids.

Sara - from Willow & Moo - her sewing is just amazing!!

Joy - from 21 Wale. I love seeing all the clothes she makes for herself.

Helen - from Stitcharooney. Not only does she create gorgeous clothing for her kids, but she shares scrummy cooking.

Vic - from Punky & Me. Not only does she find some fantastic stuff at her op-shops, but she is pretty awesome with her drawings!

Cheers!

Well finally!

I have some pictures to show of my new jeans :) My first pair of jeans (in adult size) that I have made. Woohoo! Even though they are not quite perfect, it does not detract from that fact that I made a pair of jeans lol And they weren't hard to do.

I did procrastinate for a fair while, a month or two at least, because I was scared. And it was probably a good thing I did, as the denim I had bought wasn't enough. Also it had lycra in it and if I had used it, well, I wouldn't be so happy right now. Although I used the size according to my hip measurement, they were slightly too big, so a smidge of adjustment over the hip/waist area got them fitting snugger.

But oh dear, one slight problem, they are most definitely considered high waisted on me :( Sitting pretty much at the smallest part of my waist, they are a good 4cm + too high for my liking. This is ok and live-able with in looser tops, but certainly not with anything that fits snugly - well not after wearing for a few hours, as I develop a little pooch in front lol But I know what I want to change next time around, so it isn't a waste of time.

The colour of the jeans screamed home made when I first finished them, very solid and flat, with no high/low lights. So I took to the jeans with some steel wool - what fun that was! The result was much preferable.

To go with my jeans, I decided to make a new top as most of my long sleeved ones are looking pretty tatty. Gorgeous charcoal marle stella from Crafty Mama's, with some LoveChirp embroidery from Huups. (I know it isn't centered perfectly, I still need practice).

The joy of this top is that I got to use all 4 of my machines on the one project, sewing machine, overlocker, cover stitch and embroidery - I knew I needed all of them for a reason!

Top is Ottobre 2/2006 #1 with a slightly rounded v-neck. Jeans are 5/2007 #10, the bootleg variation.

Cheers!