How to Make an Applique Draught Excluder

Brrrr, isn't it chilly?

Our flat was even colder than it should have been because there's a half inch hole below the front door and the carpet!

My finger can fit under the door!

The Boyfriend said I should make a draught excluder to block the gap. I don't usually like to admit when he's right (it goes to his head), but this time he had a point so I got to work!

I had an old pair of holey jeans waiting for just such a project. (Someone did this on Superscrimpers too, but I like mine better!) My Mum also gave me a book on how to applique, complete with some fabric scraps and Bondaweb. Perfect!

How to make an an applique draught excluder:

1. Cut a leg off an old pair of jeans, turn it inside out and sew along the cut edge to close it.

2. Design a pretty pattern. I drew some Cath Kidston-inspired flowers.

3. Trace your pattern onto the paper backing of fusible web (Bondaweb or similar).

4. Iron (I KNOW, IRON!) the fusible web onto the wrong side of the fabric for the design. Make sure you leave the paper on or your iron will be stuck to the fabric!

5. Cut out the design. Turn the jean leg the right way round.

6. Pull off the fusible web paper and position the design right side up on the jean leg. Iron to secure it place.

7. Using embroidery thread, sew each design piece into place. Two common ways to applique are running stitch (the yellow thread) or whip stitch (blue). 

8. Stuff the leg with whatever free padding you have knocking around. I used: lots of odd socks that The Boyfriend refuses to wear, the other leg of the jeans and had a clear out of old pants that I never wear! :)

9. To seal the draught excluder, I folded the opening like an envelope and secured with a few stitches in a dark thread. (This way I can easily unpick it and wash the contents if I have to).

Tell you what, this thing is amazing! You won't believe how much of a difference it makes!

What's Your Favourite Thing About Christmas?

Hello all! How is your run up to Christmas going? We've been busy visiting The Boyfriend's family, going to carol concerts, wandering through the Christmas markets in town, drinking mulled wine... :)

My question to you is: What's your favourite part of Christmas (or this time of year)?

I'll start! 

My favourite part is putting up the Christmas tree with my family, with the CD full of top tunes blaring in the background (favourite songs: Wonderful Christmastime - Paul McCartney, Stop the Cavalry - Jona Lewie, Baby It's Cold Outside - Tom Jones and Cerys Matthews). 

Wearing a scarf, wandering through the Christmas craft fayres with the family (perhaps with a cheeky cup of mulled wine to keep you warm!)

Wrapping Christmas presents with my sister with a movie on in the background. (Top Christmas films: Elf, The Santa Clause, Love Actually).

Carol concerts - am I the only one who can't hit most of the notes in 'Hark the Herald Angels Sing'?


Hope you are all having a nice month! Only a week to go! :)

Homemade Christmas Decorations!

Hello! I come bearing tidings of great joy, in the form of a couple of snazzy Christmas decorations you can make on the cheap!

Glitter swirl bauble

These are so simple to make but I love them! :) You can personalise them to suit your tree or make one for each family member.

Get yourself some cheapy cheap plain baubles. I think Poundland do some, but I got 30 from Tesco for £2.80 (ish) because we didn't have any for the tree! You will also need some glitter glue (or glue plus glitter). You can get three bottles of glitter glue in Poundland for... £1. ;)

All you do is draw a pattern onto one half of the bauble using the glitter glue. To do the swirls, draw one coming down from the top, then add another coming off that one, and so on until you fill the space. Instead of swirls, you could draw stars or snowflakes if you like.

Then leave it to dry overnight and do the other half the next day. (To dry the baubles, I cut some toilet roll tubes in half and balanced the baubles on them - pretty sturdy!)



Fabric bauble

This one's a little more complicated than the glitter baubles, but they still only take about fifteen minutes.

Cut out two shapes from your favourite fabric, leaving a 5mm seam allowance. I used heart and star shapes, but Christmas trees could work too.

To embellish the bauble, I used a piece of ribbon and a button on the front. If you'd like to do that too, position the ribbon over the right side of one of the pieces of fabric and pin it into place. Next sew your button into place, remembering that it will be closer to the sides both because of the seam allowance and because it will be stuffed.

Pin the two pieces of fabric together with the right sides (and button/ribbon) facing in. Make a loop of ribbon or twine and position it in the top centre of the bauble, with the loop facing down between the fabric and the ends of the ribbon pointing up and out (see my Advent calendar posts if you don't know what I mean).

 Sew the two pieces together leaving a 5cm gap along one edge for turning and stuffing. Make sure the gap isn't where the ribbon is or you're making the final seam much more difficult for yourself!

Turn the fabric right side out and fill with stuffing or scraps of material.Using small pieces to stuff will give a more consistent shape overall.

Use a ladder stitch to close the seam of the bauble.



I made some paperchains instead of tinsel, as you can see in the photos! :) Also the Advent calendar is hanging in our living room as a bit of additional festive decoration.

Do you make your own Christmas decorations? Post a link below if you've done some Christmas crafting!

Ready for Christmas! :)

At the start of November I gave myself one month to get ready for Christmas by December. It was based on SFT's challenge to get all of her Christmas shopping done before the 1st of December, but I added that I wanted to finish making an Advent calendar for The Boyfriend and I, as well as a few decorations for the tree.

Well good news! I finished! I have precisely one person left on my Christmas list, but The Boyfriend is sorting their present out (his side of the family), so I'm done and dusted! :) I've wrapped the ones I have in Bristol, but most of the things I ordered online were sent to my parent's house in Cornwall so that I didn't have so much to bring home in the car!

The Advent calendar is up and filled with chocolatey goodies and challenges.

I've also made some decorations for the tree, which I will show you soon. :) We have a few cheapo baubles from Tesco, with a couple of nice ones from the amazing Trelawney garden centre in Cornwall and paperchains that I made because we don't have any tinsel!

I will be spending December enjoying frugal festivities like carol concerts, mulled wine and Christmas films! :) Can't wait!

How did you get on?

What NOT to Buy for University

I'm writing this whilst “packing” for our big move to Bristol and post-graduate studies. (This has involved several hours of surfing the net and very little putting stuff in boxes!) We're moving on Thursday so by the time you read this I'll be up to my eyeballs in cardboard. Wish us luck!

Going to University for the first time can be very expensive. People keep reminding you of things you will need, like duvet covers and shampoo. Most are things you've probably never bought before and the cost of buying the furnishings of a complete new life might be quickly mounting up!

Good news: you don't need to buy most of this stuff!

People go crazy buying hundreds of pounds worth of kitchen stuff equipment they'll never actually use and all the latest gadgets! Don't do it!

Here's a handy list of stuff you probably WON'T need to shell out for:

• Pens and stationery – You will get A LOT of free pens during the first weeks of Uni. Hundreds of companies line the walls of the Freshers Fayre, eager to give you pens as a way for you to remember them. (Barclays bank also give out free pens in their branches – jus' sayin'!) You can easily hoard enough pens/erasers/calendars etc. to last the year. Get anything else you need from a cheap supermarket when you get there. Don't buy fancy stuff - it'll just get slung into your bag anyway!
  
  
• Kitchen stuff – If you are in self-catered accommodation, wait until you get there before buying pots and pans! I found that EVERYONE turns up with 3 saucepans, a frying pan and enough cutlery to sink a ship. There's usually not even enough storage for it all! Check to see what you all have, then share the use of the equipment. Offer to cook them a meal for use of their saucepan! I would say to bring your own tupperware though, because people seem to be incapable of washing it properly.
  
  
• Laptop – Most people arrive at Uni with a shiny new laptop. If you don't have one, don't spend £400 of your student loan before you even arrive! (DON'T get a tablet - it's just asking to be nicked/dropped/beer spilled over). All universities have multiple computer labs dotted around campus, or you could pick up a second hand one very cheaply on eBay or even fairly often on Freecycle. You'll probably only need an old-ish one for using the internet, typing essays and the odd spreadsheet. (If you are studying any intensive-graphics course, for example The Boyfriend's architecture course, you will probably need a more up-to-date computer).
  
  
• Clothes – Don't be tempted to rush out on a spending spree with your new 10% student discount! People generally turn up to lectures wearing comfy clothes like hoodies and even jogging bottoms. I've seen a LOT of people wear pyjamas to lectures, so don't feel you need to be the trendiest kid on campus!
  
  
• Textbooks! - Your parents will kill me for saying this, but DON'T buy new textbooks! They cost anywhere from £30 - £100 EACH! Yes, that's what your student loan is for, but it's also for eating and rent and it barely covers that! You have several free or cheap options:
  1. Use the library (you're paying tuition fees for it)! There are often many copies of the most important textbooks available for loan on a rolling basis (as long as someone doesn't reserve the book, you can keep renewing your loan indefinitely).
  
  
  2. At the start of the year there are often LOTS of second/final year students selling off their first year textbooks very cheaply. Look on student noticeboards, on the intranet, even posters in the toilets! You can offer them less than they are asking too, because they'll be glad to get some money back. 
  
  
  3. Other cheap options are eBay/Amazon! 
  
  

If you do buy them, follow my tips for selling old textbooks when you are done with them.

 

Everyone knows your first few weeks at Uni are the most expensive (going out most nights, going for lunch to get to know your new flatmates, etc. etc.), but be careful with your student loan. I knew a few people in the first year who ran out of money by the end of Octover and had to scrounge food from their flatmates, living on pasta and bread until the next loan instalment in JANUARY!

All in all, have a great time! Make a budget, try to stick to it and DON'T GET A CREDIT CARD! :)

Any other advice for things new students may or may not need? I might be able to use the advice myself! :D

Lovely Weather for Ducks and Vegetables!

Most of southern Britain has been hit hard by the rain during the past week or two. It's starting to feel more like Spring or Autumn than Summer! The good news here in Cornwall that the rain has been interspersed with periods of warm sunshine; perfect veggie growing conditions!

Tomatoes are taking over!

My tomato plants are getting almost big enough to flower. I have sixteen plants, which are currently taking up my entire windowsill. I am trying to harden them off, but it takes a good 10-15 minutes getting them all arranged for a day in the garden because I can only carry two at a time!

Top tips for tomatoes:

• Make sure you tie your tomatoes firmly to a stake at several places along the main stem, leaving just enough room so you don't damage the plant (about half a centimetre).
• Regular watering is essential, especially when fruiting. If you allow the soil/compost to completely dry out, the tomatoes will split when they next receive water.
• Apply fertiliser weekly once the fruits begin to develop.

Basil

I planted some basil at the same time as the tomatoes. Can you believe the difference in size of the two plants?? The basils are about 1.5 inches high, the tomatoes are about three feet tall!

I also sprinkled some out-of-date carrot seeds in a tub of compost in the hope that I might get some germination. Usually we have very little success with carrots but lots of them have come up (far too close together, so they will have to be thinned later on). They're starting to get their true leaves now too! :)

Tiny carrot seedlings

Top tips for carrots:

• Carrots require a sandy soil, so if you have a clay-type soil like mine, your best bet is to grow them in a deep container.
• Try not to damage/crush the leaves because the smell will attract carrot fly (top tip from my Dad!).
• Keep plants well watered to avoid woody carrots.
  
  

Pea

 

I have three tiny pea plants too. The seeds were again old ones from a couple of years ago and did not germinate very well. I need to stake the plants now because they have started putting out tendrils looking for support.

A month ago I had a few cooking potatoes left in the bottom of a bag that had started to sprout. This is “chitting” and means that if planted they should develop into new plants. We planted them and the resulting plants are coming up nicely.

Potato plants

 

Top tips for potatoes:

• Potatoes should be watered during the growing season if there isn't regular rain.
• Apparently you should cut the green, above-ground part of the plant off two weeks before you lift the crop. This enables the tubers to develop a thicker skin less prone to damage from digging up and storing.

Sharing the vegetable patch with the potatoes are some onions (growing nicely from sets), some lettuces, swiss chard, swedes and some cabbage plants. (The leeks did not fare well against marauding pigeons!) These little guys are coming along well, although none of them are without a few slug-chomp-marks.

Cabbage

 

Tips for growing cabbages:

• Grow cabbages in a different spot every year, to reduce build up of the many diseases they are prone to contracting.
• Watch out for butterfly eggs (small oblong-shape) on the underside of leaves. Caterpillars can devastate your crop almost overnight!
  
  
  
  

Over to you, Mary, Mary, quite contrary. How does your garden grow?

A Week in the Sun on the Cliffs

This is a post about my trip from Bude to Newquay (Cornwall). Normal posts will resume shortly!

I'm baaaack. I have weird tan lines, including hiking boot feet with flip-flop lines on top for good measure! That can only mean one thing: it was sunny in Cornwall!! Yessss!

We visited: Bude, Boscastle, Tintagel, Padstow and Trevone. (And much of the coast between them!)

We only spent about £100 each for the week too, including accomodation, food and drinks and fuel. We already had tents, hiking gear and rucksacks, but once you've got them, they last a LONG time, so if you fancy a cheap holiday, invest in some good camping gear!

The Plan
My Mum and I went hiking and camping around the northern Cornish coast. The original plan was to carry our gear on our backs like nomads/snails. Unfortunately, two people need almost as much stuff as four people (tent, food, fuel, camping burner, plates, pots etc. etc.), but with fewer people to carry it all!

We tried lugging it all in hiking rucksacks from Bude to Boscastle (17 miles), but it was roasting hot even at 8am and the cliffs are some of the highest in the country. We made it 11 miles (to Crackington Haven) and collapsed in a pub, calling a taxi to take us the few miles to the campsite!

(Check out my sweat patches in that photo! Niiiiice!!)

Change of plans!
That first day of walking was hard; too hot, too heavy, too far, too steep and no fun. Luckily we only live in mid-Cornwall, so we were able to rope good ol' Dad in to move our gear some days, so we could live it up with small day bags. The walks were still long, and it was still hot, but we skipped up 500+ ft high cliffs with relative ease! :) It was fun!

 

Look at the size of these cliffs!

 So here are a few photos of our trip. I would thoroughly recommend hiking the South West Coast Path. It is one of the best maintained paths in the country. We met some people attempting the 630 miles between Minehead (Somerset) and Poole (Dorset). (Even they only made it to Crackington Haven that first day!)

Alpacas in Bude!

Huge vegetarian pasties! (Not quite peppery enough mind you!)

Cornish language. (I can speak a little Cornish too. Little known fact for you there!)

Boscastle harbour. I loooove Boscastle. I don't think I've been before. It's a beautiful village.

The coastal watch outpost at Boscastle. Volunteers work 4 hour shifts to keep an eye on people on the sea and coast paths. They especially watch for people walking alone and make sure they reach the next outpost.

My Mummy. :) She loves her hiking poles!

The thrift was beautiful. It covered most of the headlands!

Me! :) Do you like my sunhat? :D

This is the remains of Tintagel castle, where King Arthur was meant to have been born. There's really not much there now.

Windsurfer in Padstow.

If anyone wants more info about Cornwall just leave a comment and I'll get back to you! (I live in mid-Cornwall, but have visited most parts of the Duchy by now!)

Homemade gifts: A Tote Bag

I am feeling quite chuffed with myself! I made my sister a tote bag out of some material my Nana gave to me and some that I had left from textiles at school!

The bag is made in the pattern of St. Piran's flag. St. Piran is the patron saint of Cornwall, and today (5^th March) is St. Piran's day! Dydh Sen Pyran lowen! <-- I bet you didn't know I had a Grade 1 Cornish language qualification! :D Go forth and eat a pasty, but not that Ginsters muck! BLEH! 

Top pasty tip: the best pasties north of Plymouth are from the West Cornwall Pasty Company. I was so excited to see a sign celebrating St. Piran's Day in their window when I lived in London. I ran in and started rabbiting at the cashier, but he didn't have a clue what I was on about. :(

Anyway, tote bags are simple to make. If you have durable material, you could make a single-thickness bag. I lined this bag because my sister tends to abuse bags, cramming them full of stuff!

I didn't have a pattern, so I kinda made up how to make it by examining other bags we own! The best part about it is that I made a pocket to hold a phone/wallet! :) It is high enough inside the bag to be reachable but not enough to let the items fall out or be pinched easily.

I am still learning how to sew so this simple project was educational yet achievable for me! I am ignoring any imperfections! The perfect is the enemy of the good!

Good News For Hikers!

If you are in need of new hiking boots, you're in luck! In my Free Exercise post I mentioned that Lidl occasionally have good quality hiking boots for a fraction of the normal price you'd pay. This week, Lidl have trekking shoes for £12.99! Here's the link if you want a look. (No, Lidl aren't paying me to say this, I just think it's a good deal.) :)

Exercise is good, FREE exercise is better! Post 2 of 2!

Yesterday I posted about hiking, cycling and dancing as free ways to exercise. Here are another three I enjoy!

Swimming

I would only recommend this to a confident swimmer, but have you ever considered skipping the pool and heading for the nearest beach/lake/river? Never disregard safety signs and only swim at a lifeguarded beach. For rivers, check that it is safe to swim before you jump in. (NEVER SWIM IN THE THAMES – Bleurgh!)

Swimming burns around 400-600 calories an hour.

Three important things to consider:

1. Is the water safe? Water is a lot cleaner than it used to be in the UK, but make sure you check out your local river quality using the Environment Agency's map. Grade A is perfect, grades B and C pose a low risk to health if swum in, grades D, E and F should not be swum in. If the water looks scummy or full of algae, do not swim. Some rivers have strong currents, so follow any signs preventing swimming. For beaches, check the information provided to see whether it is safe to swim.
2. Don't swim on a beach when the tide is going out, or if you do not understand how to escape a rip current.
3. The water will be COLD at this time of year. Wait until summer for nicer conditions!

If you do swim at a beach, remember that the water is salt water and that you should wash your swimming gear as soon as you get home to prevent it rotting.

Gardening

Think gardening is relaxing? Think again! An hour's worth of digging over your vegetable patch can burn 350+ calories an hour, and even raking or mowing the lawn can burn over 300 calories in an hour. Spend a warm spring day sprucing up your garden!

Bodyboarding

Another favourite of mine in the summer is bodyboarding. I LOVE IT! I'd go every day if I got the chance. You can do it without a wetsuit, but a cheap one will keep you warm – mine was £20 from Tesco and you could get one a lot cheaper than that! The board itself will cost £5-10, but you can use it forever! :) Very cheap boards are made of fabric-covered polystyrene. These might work for little kids but they are pants for adults. Get yourself a foam board!

Swim out to where the waves are breaking, then jump onto the board on your belly just in front of a wave about to break and paddle like mad! If you catch the wave, you'll shoot forward riding the white water. It's fantastic, and you can do it for hours without getting bored.

Safety tips: Only bodyboard when the tide is coming in, and bodyboard at a lifeguarded beach between the yellow-and-red flags. (Black-and-white flags are for proper surfers with boards that could easily knock you out if you get hit in the head - not a good idea in the sea!) 

You'll think you're not really exercising, but you can burn 200-300 calories an hour without even trying!

Got any tips? 

What's your favourite free or nearly free exercise? :) I hate jogging, but I'm open to anything else!

Exercise is good, FREE exercise is better! Post 1 of 2!

The original post was a bit long, so I've split it in two. See tomorrow for post 2!

I made a New Year's resolution to lose weight and get healthier (I know, horribly cliché and yawn-city!). In true New Year's Resolution style, by mid-January I had somewhat fallen off the wagon, but lately I've been turning it back around!

Exercise is a major factor in the fight to de-chub and build muscles. No matter how much lettuce you eat, if you don't do any exercise you won't be fit, just skinny. Luckily, there are plenty of ways to lose weight for less! :)

Hiking

I LOVE hiking! I love to explore nature, see some of the most beautiful places in Cornwall, and get fit at the same time. Hiking burns around 250-400 calories an hour, depending on how heavy you are. If the terrain is difficult or you are carrying a heavy load, it may be even more.

If you have never hiked before, you may believe you'll need some expensive kit. Hiking boots can be expensive, maps, rucksacks and a lifetime's supple of trail mix can add up, right? If you're a beginner, just do some easy walks in trainers. That way you'll see if hiking is something you'd enjoy.

If you decide you want to get some proper boots you have two cheap options; 1) Possibly not for everyone, but often people give away new or nearly new hiking boots on Freecycle. The Boyfriend got me some free boots from his workplace, which someone had worn once and forgotten about when they left! 2) Lidl often sell good-quality hiking boots for around £15 in the spring. Keep your eyes open in the next month or two, because my Mum absolutely loves her pair!

Many websites give free walks to do in your local area. See Walking Routes for links to your local area, or Walking Britain for walks in your nearest National Park.

Cycling

Many people have a bicycle sitting in their garage/shed. If you're not one of them, chances are you could procure one very cheaply by looking in your local paper, or even for free on Freecycle. Once you have a bike, you have a free mode of transport that can get you places at 10-15 miles an hour, or over 20mph if you are willing to arrive very sweaty!

A slow cycle will burn around 400 calories for a 150lb person. It will be significantly higher if you are heavier or cycle faster! Another plus is that you could cycle to and from somewhere you need to go, saving fuel!

Dancing

I really enjoy Zumba, a cross between salsa dancing and aerobics. I used to pay £3 a class at University, but in Cornwall the cheapest I've found is £5 for an hour. Not bad, but free is better! If you have a bit of free space at home, just look on Youtube for some videos showing you the basic steps. Once you have the basic moves, you can make up your own routine to your favourite songs. It doesn't have to look amazing, no-one's going to see you. Just get wiggling!

Do you have any favourite free ways to exercise? 
 
Come back tomorrow for three more free ways to get fit! :)

Charitable Giving on a Budget

When you're barely keeping your head above water it seems inconceivable to give money to charity, even if you'd really like to. I'm here to tell you that there are a lot of different ways to make a difference without breaking the budget!

• Do you have an old mobile phone you no longer want or used printing ink cartridge? Even if it's broken, many companies will recycle it for you for free. Recycle 4 Charity let you choose who receives your money, paying £1 for an ink cartridge and up to £70 for a working phone.
  
  
  
• What do you do with old pairs of glasses? Did you know that 10% of the world are disabled or disadvantaged because they don't have access to spectacles? Many are excluded from school and cannot see properly to work. If you get a new pair of glasses, please don't throw the others away! Take them to your optician and they will send them to Vision Aid Overseas free of charge.
  
  
• Have a bit of a spring clean and donate old clothing, CDs, DVDs, games, ornaments or even furniture to your local charity shop. Most places are always in desperate need of new stock. Charities range from animal welfare to medical research to global humanitarian groups, so you can choose who you want to support.
  
  
• You can make a donation in someone's name as a birthday or Christmas present for someone in your life who wants to help too, but perhaps can't afford to make a donation themselves. Oxfam have a great range of clutter-free gifts that allow you to provide water, food, education or shelter to people in need.
  
• Many people save their copper coins but even with a full piggy bank you are left with little reward but a lengthy trip to the bank to get it changed to more usable tender! Why not donate your 1p and 2p coins to charity whenever you pass a collection box? It'll be a quick and easy way to make a small difference.
  
  
• What about taking part in a sponsored event, or organising your own? Most charities have a link on their websites for information on events and how to help. You might even get to try something you've never done before – skydiving, anyone?
  
  
  
• Volunteer! You can find out about a huge range of volunteer work in your area using Do-It. From conservation work to working with the elderly, from charity shop work to helping to run a youth centre for children; pick a charity you feel best suits your concerns about the world and then go out there and make a difference.
  
  
• Many charities rely on small monthly donation. A £2 a month donation to Oxfam provides food for people that need it most, at a cost of £24 a year to you.

“We cannot do great things on this Earth, only small things with great love.” 

Mother Teresa