Author: Cathy Tremain

Cathy Tremainhttps://austerity101.wordpress.comI am a successful self employed bookkeeper. I am self taught as a seamstress and this has been my passion for years. By the way I am a little loopy!
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2015–the backside of another year– Time to look forward too

It was a good year overall.  Not enough sewing projects were completed but I still have not given up on them.  I guess it is to be expected having a full time job and an almost full time self employed business and family to help keep it all together.

DSC07789Not enough posts either. Perhaps I will get to more of these in the new year.

There is the Mona Lisa – my red. So named  because I have been working on it for over a year.  It will look good and fit like a glove but as of yet I have no where to ware it.  So I will be patient. DSC07773

There is the almost finished kimono that I have started for my partner – mostly finished so perhaps this weekend.  Both the Kimono and the Mona Lisa red dress are currently residing on my dress mannequin dummy– (Daisy is the dummy’s name – just in case you ask.)  Daisy is residing in my office at the moment and doing an additional duty of holding the felted wool coat – just because it is very cold outside and it is a good fit.

 

DSC07718 (2)And for some reason as if I had nothing to do I started knitting again.  It is fun and sometimes I can actually do two things at once.

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The photographs are a nice distraction from the everyday pressures so they continue to pop out of my camera. I enjoy sharing them here on the blog – keeping it simple while I do.

I am looking forward to sharing a stellar 2016 here when I can.  Life sometimes just gets  busy!

 

Have great New Year Folks.

 

Cathy

Weekly Photo challenge: Now–to break fast. Instructions for a quick ham and cheese omelet, hash browns and toast

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Nothing like a fresh omelet, hash brown potatoes and toast for breakfast.

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Clean and cut into bite size pieces three potatoes.

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In a hot pan have some fresh ground pepper with the oil.  I use coconut oil to cook with.

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Add your spuds and stir so that all pieces are evenly coated with pepper and oil.

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Sauté for a few minuet – to speed up the process add some water – take the pots lid and fill with a bit of water.  Pour over the spuds and put the lid on quickly to hold the steam.

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For the omelet crack three eggs in a deep bowl and add about two tablespoons of water – I just eyeball it but not too much.  Set aside.  Finely chop one or two thin slices of onion.   Heat up your pan but not too high of a heat.  Add oil and spread evenly over the pan with a paper towel.  When hot add the finely chopped onions and sauté.  Chop the ham (or nuts – cashews are wonderful in an omelet) finely and set aside. 

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Grate the cheese finely into the eggs and water.  Whip it good (only place that I can say this and not have the authorities banging down the door).

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Pour the egg and cheese mixture into the hot pan.  DSC07763

Add the finely chopped ham.  Note that you can sauté the ham with the onions but the omelet will stick to the pan if you do.  When chopped finely it will cook in the eggs just right.

 

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Cover and cook until done.

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Serve with the potatoes, toast and coffee.  Enjoy Smile

Mending my fav blue dress.

 

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The upper back along the neck had begun to ware very badly.  I figured it was my long hair that sped up the process.  Hemp and oil do no go well together and  I normally let my hair dry naturally and of course I use a good conditioner which has oils. Between the friction of the hair (I have lots) and the conditioners over time wore the hemp to the fashionable grunge look.  That was ok until the neck line split.  .

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So I hunted down some thing suitable and found it in a cotton scrap.  I trimmed the cotton to the neck line leaving the seam allowance which I then sniped to just under the seam allowance and basted it into a little neat shape.

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This same fabric was used to make a bit of cording that I stitched to the facing side of the dress.  This was to secure the neck line.

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Once that was done I stitched the little panel that I had neatened the edges on above to the top of the back neck line.  Once done – I topstitched it together at the top of the neck line.

 

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So, I then reviewed the machine stiches and found a broad patter and stitched across the back down to the last ware point.

The finished results will hold it together till winters is past.  In the spring  I am planning to cut the bodice off to make a summer skirt and salvage what I can from the bodice and sleeves for projects and pockets.

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