Ancestral Traits

I apologise for the break in regular service and thank you all for all your messages and comments that have been sent to me over the last few days and weeks and my apologies if I haven't replied to you or have been slow, or haven't left a comment on your blog.... I just seem to be so snowed under at the moment - or perhaps the shorter days are playing tricks on me but I can't seem to fit everything in! I am very grateful for every single one of your lovely words, and I am still lurking about on your blogs, even if I don't always comment. I think I have become a BlogLiner ... Also special thanks to Primrose Corner, Lesley's Creations and Kitty's Bloggy Bits for the awards and tags! I will get to them soon. Promise!

It's been a funny old day today on this festival known to the ancient Britons as Samhain (pronounce Sow'en) which is the day and night where the veil between worlds is thinnest, hence the more modern tradition of witches and ghosts and trick or treating ... in reality, this time was when the ancestors were especially remembered by the living, and the 'treats' were offerings to them. And so today I was at my usual post behind the counter in the cafe, when I saw a little old man at the door. My heart lurched because I thought it was my Grandfather. This little old man was the same sort of size, old and wizened with sallow skin and sunken cheeks and he was smartly dressed, wearing an old fashioned hat, and raincoat. When he walked in through the door and I could see him properly, I was certain it was and yet my grandfather died 11 years ago. Then the man made a grimacing gesture with his face exactly as Pepere would have done. It was uncanny and I got that funny lump in throat and watery eyed feeling as I stared at this man like he was a ghost. The spell was broken a little when he asked politely for the menu with a crisp English accent - my Pepere spoke with a thick French accent and it was always a regret of his that he could never communicate with my sister and I easily. The old man infront of me however, read the menu, but decided not to have anything after all, and left. I've never seen him before, and I wonder if I ever will again, but I am glad for his appearance today and the wonderful memories he brought of my beloved Pepere.


Now, if hubble bubble toil and trouble is the order of the day, can anybody please explain why my lovely, recently pickled beetroot, has fermented? I caught it leaking all over my cupboard, and when I opened it - luckily over the sink - it was a beetroot volcano! Jimmy found it highly amusing!

While Jimmy has been grounded over half term, we have been cooking together - fitting for this time of year as most of our ancestors were chefs and I am hoping their gifts will carry on through him. Jimmy did a fine job of carving his halloween pumpkin yesterday, so with the pulp, we made some pumpkin bread.

It turned out DELICIOUS! Soft and fluffy on the inside, crispy on the outside. I thoroughly recommend the recipe which we found here.

And from The Italian Connection who loves to get into the sprit of things, a recipe:

Pumpkin Soup Drizzled With Bats Blood

Ingredients

SOUP
500 g pumpkin flesh; cut into chunks
100 g potatoes; cut into chunks
2 md onions; peeled and chopped
25 g butter; (1oz)
600 ml vegetable stock; (1 pint)
1/2 ts plain flour
1/2 ts grated fresh nutmeg
1/2 ts ground mace
125 ml double cream; (4fl oz)
1 tb sunflower oil

BAT'S BLOOD:
1 tb sun dried tomato paste
1 tb olive oil
1 ts tomato puree

Instructions

Place a saucepan on a moderate heat and add the oil. When the oil is hot add the onions, pumpkin and potato and cook for 5-6 minutes. Once the vegetables have started to soften slightly add the butter and some salt and pepper, along with the ground nutmeg and mace. Add the flour and vegetable stock and bring to simmer for 15 minutes. Once the soup is coooked place it in a liquidiser along with the double cream and blend until smooth. Season to taste.

For bat's blood: Mix all the ingredients together and use to drizzle over the soup and serve.

If You go Down to the Woods Today ..

You're sure of a big surprise ...


Beneath the trees where nobody sees ...


If only ...

BootyFull

It's been a busy few days in the MarmaladeKiss household, I wont bore you with the details but suffice to say that last week Jimmy was suspended from school for a day and so a severe "emergency rehabilitation" programme has been imposed and he's been grounded for the whole of half term (this has changed my plans for the next few days somewhat!).

Previous to the newly established "boot camp" however, whilst blogging around, I had discovered the very talented Pink Feather Paradise and her post on "scrapstore". Have a look, she provides a full explanation. I couldn't quite believe the wonder of the concept of it, but immediately googled to see if there was one by me, and hurrah!! THERE IS!!

Friend R does a panto every year for the kids of the staff where he works. He writes the script, makes the scenery, co-ordinates the rehearsals and directs the whole thing, so a scrap warehouse is his idea of paradise! And he needed some garden tools too. So off we went. And this is some of what we got (for me):

A HUGE 'ball' of Italian yarn ..


These cones of 100% cotton yarn - still wrapped ..


Three large bits of leather to play with - the very pungent leathery smell reminds me of the old Kensington Market. There was a whole bucket of this!


Lots of little scraps of silk! Big enough for bags, purses, linings.


Lots of little zips!


Perfect for finishing my now 100% salvaged purses..


Not photographed:

Fabric paint - 2 bottles, a buckle, some other odd bits of yarn. All of this, fitted into 1 carrier bag which according to the Orinoco staff is "the standard unit of junk". How much? ... Ladies, don't bother to lock up your purses .. this entire haul cost a death defying, £2.00!! And there were other things - rolls of fabrics, rolls of bookbinding materials (we are in oxford after all), more yarn in all colours, more paint than you could shake a brush at, publishers blank books, rolls of vertical blind making stuff .. the list goes on .. and on ... and on ... .... and on ....

We also managed to salvage a garden fork and spade for Friend R, for the grand sum of £1.50!

I love saving the planet .. just think, all of this would have gone to landfill! Unbelievable!

Randomness

I have received my scraps from the JC Handmade Scrap Challenge 2008! EEEEeeeek! I now have 2 weeks to make one fabulous thing from all of them!

And i've been tagged by Fancy Elastic with the 7 random things about myself meme. Well I have already done that tag but I hate to be a spoilsport, and in the manner of Dottycookie, I thought I would do 7 random things about something ... Val wrote about her wedding as it was her anniversary, but I already covered my wedding too .. so I am going to be an extreme bore, and do 7 random things about my favourite obsession - corsets!

1. According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, a corset is ..." an article of clothing worn to shape or constrict the torso ... "

2. The earliest records of corseting - reducing the dimensions of the torso with "accessories" - goes as far back as the early minoan culture c.2500 bc. Evidence has shown that narrow waists were a sign of althletic prowess and were often re-inforced by wrapping stiff leather belts around the torso or even straps of wood! ouch!!

the emphasis on small waist is clearly evident from these Minoan artifacts

3. During the renaissnce, some ladies wore elaborate metal corsets for fashion and for orthopaedic reasons.

4. In the 18th century corsets (then called stays) were more triangular in shape as their purpose was to give a "flat" look to men and women. They were stiffened with cane or whalebone.

this set of stays from 1786 is entirely hand sewn!
picture from here

5. Whalebone - used as corset boning in the 18th and 19th and early 20th centuries, is the elastic, horny material forming the fringed plates that hang from the upper jaw of baleen whales and strain plankton from the water. Like horn and human hair it is a protein substance which when processed can be easily filed and shaped with heat and moisture. Obviously, it is no longer used these days!

6. It wasn't until the Victorian era that corsets started to get curvy. Before cutting techniques were perfected, the more rounded sillouhette, providing small waist and full bosom and round hips, was achieved by adding gussets into the hip and bust area.

this corset from 1860 has approximately 168 whalebones!
picture from here

7. There are several ways to lace a corset but the most popular and best (in my opinion) is to do it with only one continuous lace which is threaded from the top to the bottom with loops at the waist which control the upper and lower sections respectively. This enables the wearer to lace herself in quite easily.

Desperate Measures

Today I am almost hysterical with excitement!! Just as I was leaving work earlier feeling rather deperate and despondant about ever being able to make my own clothes from my own patterns, and even resolved to put a desperate plea for private tuition in the Post Office window in the hope there might be a local dressmaker watching, I was introduced to a lovely lady who not only lives in the village but is an ex teacher .. of PATTERN CUTTING and DESIGN!!!!!! I have arranged to call her tomorrow to set up a session or two with her so she can "point me in the right direction" !! I wonder if she noticed the tears of relief in my eyes!! (I am now deciding which offerings of thanks to leave for which gods now that I have discovered that there really is someone up there listening to me ! Or was it the wish I made on the chimney sweeps brush last week?)

You see, after months and months of web searching and site trawling, looking for a course where I can learn Pattern Drafting and Cutting - so that I can design my own Corsets and make custom made ones for other people, and perhaps the odd dress or two, it seems that the only course within commuting distance for me which is part time and seems to do everything I want it to do, is at The London College of Fashion. Next Summer! Boo HOO!

This isn't much good to me really, so I ordered some books from the library and resolved to teach myself.


I made my first ever Block yesterday. Here it is (apologies for the photo-quality. easiest option when alone is to take it on the trusty mac cam). As you can see it's not a brilliant fit which is fine, since it's the first ever. BUT the most frustrating thing is that after I made it, there was nobody to consult regarding the problems - not least because the instructions I followed weren't that clear. Now you see why I was so relieved today!

I've been glued to the programme British Style Genius on BBC2 (iplayer), and not so glued but interested nevertheless in Twiggy's Frock Exchange which led me to this handy BBC site which is all about green and recycled clothes. You might not like the re-styled garments (I didn't), but there are lots of handy little sewing tips in the watching - like using a safety pin to turn through bag straps etc.,

This is .. My Favourite Movie (of all time)

Hot Pattoottie Bless My Soul! I Really Love that Rock and Roll!

I doubt anybody who regularly reads this blog be the slightest bit surprised to find out what my favourite films of all time are!

The first is Grease. When I acquired the video at age 14, I would come home from school every day and watch it - 3 times in a row at least! I know every line, every song, every move... STILL..

For my 15th birthday I had a Grease style girly sleepover complete with blonde wig, illegal alcohol (in a jam jar; i've never been able to even sniff whiskey since that night) and boys with leather jackets climbing up the drainpipe outside. Oh yes .. There were lots of renditions of "Look at Me I'm Sandra Dee".

Although I love every single scene in this film, if I had to pick a favourite it would be "Born to Hand Jive" at the school prom, I just love that song and that dancing! I still want a red dress with black spots. I still want to be a Pink Lady (when i'm not being a Pans Person!) - a proper one like Rizzo my favourite character of course!

Even today, after all the million squillion times I have watched this film, I could watch it 3 more times this afternoon without getting bored! Grease is my kind of Retro.

And now for something completely different...

This is the other film I could watch 3 times in a row every day and never get bored. It's a work of absolute genius by all concerned:

I've only ever seen the live show once, and that was on 26 October 1991 in Oxford.

How do I know the exact date? It's the night that Mr Marmalade and I got together!

With thanks to Hollie at Hokey for the stupendous theme, and ofcourse as ever to Angela of Three Buttons (click right).

Sew Crazy!

Could someone out there please order some more hours for the day? Whenever I ask, all I get is... "Computer says No" ...

I've been catching up with some reading, and trying to figure out how to make patterns for dressmaking. I've ordered some books from the library that are typically used by fashion students (did you know that dressmaking is not in the curriculum for fashion design courses?!). Luckily, last Xmas, Mr Marmalade bought me a subscription to the magazine "Sewing World" which this year has included a fantastic series entitled "Creating Fashion" by Betty Foster. Month by month lessons have covered everything you need to know in order to make your own fashion patterns, from design, to draft, to creation! I'm revising with relish. I have a curious compulsion to make a wedding dress! I don't know what's wrong with me. Perhaps they are in my blood having worked on so many -from the catering side of things - in my life. Ofcourse it would have to be a dress with a corset - that's the point.

I also received my first copy of "Sew Hip" today, a new magazine which I first saw reported on Primrose Corner. It's a bit like a blog in a mag .. by bloggers for bloggers ... And I don't know about you, but sometimes I like to sit down and read a bit of print ... it's not the same a screen that's for sure. Different to Sewing World, Sew Hip includes lots of inspirational ideas and product reviews..


along with projects and stories ..


and interviews with famous crafters and designers...

In the spirit of all this enlightement, I thought i'd show you some of my latest toys and tricks....

This is my newest gadget. It's a button covering contraption. I'd seen them on American craft supply websites, but never here in the UK. However, my favourite sewing/craft shop recently came up trumps as usual! Hurrah! I've tried it out .. It's definitely easier than covering a button without. I like to use every scrap of fabric that I possibly can, so this is useful!

I still find it easier to sew a gathering stitch around the circle of material used to cover the button and gather it in before finishing, rather than use those silly spikey bits around the inside of the button as pictured on the instructions.

This here is a mascara brush. If anyone is having a Body Shop party or a Virgin Vie party - or any other type of cosmetic party, then grab one of these!! They are sterile brushes supplied to party plan ladies for make-up demonstrations - therefore they are clean (not encrusted with dried up old impossible to get rid of black mascara) ... What have they got to do with sewing? WELL ... when you unpick a seam, you brush each separated side with one of these, and it gets all those irritating little bits of cotton out of the fabric completely effortlessly and quickly, giving you a good as new surface to re-sew in a fraction of the time! Who'd have thought it?

Last time I visited my favourite fabric store, at the same time as finding the button covering contraption, I picked up a packet of pop studs for £3.75. The owner of the shop who served me said "these work out at 40p each, and i sell these (indicating huge jar of the same) for 10p a set". And guess what .. they have fancy tops too - unlike the ones in the expensive packet. I think they will be useful for purses and pouches amongst other things. All you need to fix them - as demonstrated by said nice man - is a hammer and an old cotton reel which you place over the pop stud before hammering it in. Amazing! I bought 10 sets for £1.00. That's what I call service!!

My Moo stickers arrived yesterday and I am extremely pleased with them.

But did you know that you can get free business cards from VistaPrint. There are 42 designs to choose from, and most surprisingly a few of them are very acceptable for freebies - just be careful of the "added extras"! Which one will you choose???

Marmalade ... Kids?

I have loved making dresses for my nieces lately. This is the latest.

My Sister-in-Law (mother of all neices) loves them too .. apparently she has received comment after comment in the playground ... so she has given me an order..

Purses for: Niamh, Hannah, Amy, Mae, Eve, Maisey, Connie, Patience, Hope, and Harmony (the latter three are sisters). Apprently, Patience, and Mae are names which are difficult to find on "things" so those purses are to include those embroidered names.

A dress for Megan

An embroidered bag for Audrey

Hairclips for all.

Here are the first 2 purses ...


They are triangular, made following this tutorial. Between these and PG Tips, I was inspired to make new soap nut "t-bags" in the same shape ...

And guess what!! I got ANOTHER delicious parcel through the post today ...

Mr Marmalade has just this minute been called out on an emergency...

... a perfect opportunity to start reading ... I've wanted to read this for AGES!

THANK YOU GINA!

Solitary Confinement

You know how sometimes a woman can feel quite murderous. You find yourself saying things you wouldn't normally say and whilst in speech the rational mind is thinking "I shouldn't be saying this" or "i mustn't be so vile", but still the voice trills on without care for conscience and ignoring all mental interventions however earnest. Family members are used to these infrequent interruptions to service, and for the most part smile and pass knowing looks to eachother, then find something else to do. Quickly.

Which is when you might find yourself alone in the house. Everyone has run for cover .. to the shed, or garden, or pub, or generally anywhere you aren't.

You feel pleased to be alone (finally!) and yet at the same time, resentful. And you know you are feeling this and why, but you can't help it.

And so it was in the MarmaladeKiss household yesterday.

I had quite alot to deal with on my own ...


It was hard work!


But in the end, I had enough Borscht for the entire Russian Army!


And pickles for us ... and friends, family, friends of family ... etc.,

There is more to pickle, poach and pot:

Apples

Piri Piri

Quince

I haven't dealt with those yet.

This is ... My Current Reading Material

I find it quite hard to keep up!


and this (as previously posted)

And i'm still trying to get to the end of this which was given to me last Christmas. It's by my favourite author, Barbara Kingsolver and is about a her family's year of seasonal eating. It includes lots of essays, facts, figures and recipes. It makes me angry. In a good way.

This book by the same author is probably my favourite book of all time. I adore the way this woman writes about her life, ideas, thoughts. I could never hope to be as eloquent.

This was my last haunting read. I've been to Havana twice. This book describes everything you know and feel is there, but can't see. Since reading this book, I can't quite decide whether I want to go back to have a closer look, or never ever go again! Which would be hard, because Havana is one of my very favourite places on earth.

With thanks to My Champagne Dreams for this week's theme and to Three Buttons for hosting.