Today's effort ...
simple little hot water bottle cover ...
just a bit of messing about with scraps of fabric.
Hello there ....
Well .... it seems we all like a lump of Manchester Tart ..
it was very nice ...
perhaps a bit sweet .. but hey .. it was tasty ..
As far as the recipe is concerned ..
well I just kinda made it up .. with what I had ..
as I remembered it from school dinners .
So ... I made a bit of shortcrust pastry and lined a flan tin (it was all I could find deep enough) ...
baked it blind.
When cooked and cool I spread the bottom with jam
(the jar I had open in the fridge .. I think it was Damson).
Sliced an old (seen better days) banana over the jam.
Found a packet of instant custard in the cupboard and made it up ..
thicker than usual ... I think I used half the amount of boiling water...
and spread it over the banana.
When cooled a bit I sprinkled dessicated coconut over the top.
Easy .. bit fiddly .. but easy enough ... and tasty.
Give it ago ... school dinners all over again.
Today's important 'work type' job was to make myself a sign ...
and I'm not great at freehand painting ..
Its something I perhaps didn't really want to get into ...
I find mending a bit boring .. to say the least..
... But Needs Must As The Devil Drives ...
Things work wise always slow down during the winter ..
and although we are fine ..
and have prepared for these slower months ..
another 'String to my bow' .. will be a good thing.
The decision has come about because last week another two people asked me if I did alterations ...
I am always getting enquiries .. its because I sell haberdashery ..
I am seen as a 'sewing type person' ..
apparently!
I have always done bits and bobs as favours for people ...
After talking it over with Hubby P ...
I decided to offer it as a service ...
I can just put the board out when we are selling at out regular haunts ...
and see if I get any work.
Thinking about this new venture ...
and .. clearing the sewing table to make space to shorten a lady's new curtains ....
I came across a nice scrap of flowered flannelet fabric..
just a little scrap I had saved ....
the darker ridged fabric was an old vintage robe ... too damaged to sell ..
So it became the body of the hot water bottle cover and the flannelet an extra bit of decorative padding.
And the lacy bits .. well .. I just felt a bit .. kinda .. well .. lacy!
I quite enjoyed my bit of sewing ..
and it will be useful ...
I have just 'invested' in two new hot water bottles ....
A must for the cold weather and Hubby P's dodgy back!
And you know me of course ..
I get a funny sort of thrill from making something out of nothing ....
I know !... Strange Girl...! ha ha ...!
Take care .. bye for now x
I like my hotty, my btm turns into a block of ice just as I get into bed. I remember Manchester Tart from school, loved it then but could not eat it now. Just like Gipsy Tart it is far too sweet yet I love steamed syrup sponge swimming in custard. There are a few of us strange girls floating about.
ReplyDeleteLove your sign for your new venture. You'll get loads more scraps now from shortening curtains etc so you can use them for hot water bottle covers or maybe take up patchwork . ;-)
ReplyDeleteI think your new venture is a great idea.
ReplyDeleteTwiggy x
I love the hotty botty cover. I trust you will get lots of mending work, but I don't envy you the zips!
ReplyDeleteThings are quiet where we have our Unit (though we sold two big things yesterday thank heavens) but big lumps of furniture have been selling. Odd world . . . However, Fleabay folks like my blankets, so the weather has done me some favours . . .
Manchester Tart - haven't had that in a good few years.
Best of luck in your new venture...here in the US where I live you would be really busy as not many do anything for themselves! When I say we are putting on a sunroom, I mean we are doing it all...they mean they are having builders in and writing checks!
ReplyDeleteThankyou for sharing the Mancester Tart recipe, I will add it to my recipe collection, a tasty thrifty desert lovely thankyou.
ReplyDeleteYou are an example to us all, Vicky. As for the Manchester tart, thanks for explaining it. My memories of school dinners are different since my school was French :) xxx
ReplyDeleteYeah, there was jam at the bottom!
ReplyDeletexx
Funny that you should also offer some sewing to people. I`ve just advertised my services to my local community web site, too.
ReplyDeleteSo, as your picture with the sewing machine is so lovely for an advert, I was wondering if you would mind at all if your pic was
being used for an avatar pic for my own community advert. I understand if you find this question too cheeky.
wonderful, I love the blue!
ReplyDeletehope you make a million!
Good Work!
ReplyDeleteYou can take on the jobs as you need. Wish there were more folks around here who would take on the mending and alteration work. Thanks for reminding me to go out and get a new hot water bottle! Good post as always.... Phil/Minnesota
Not strange at all (well no stranger than me anyway) something out of nothing is ALWAYS good.
ReplyDeleteI used to love Manchester Tart when I was at school, although ours didn't have any banana in, well I am from Manchester after all. Imagine the ribbing I would get from Lovely Hubby if I made him one.