This year we had to find a new pick-your-own farm as the one we have been using had not been cared for as well as it should, the cherries were good but it would appear that the fields hadn't been watered so the fruit wasn't very good. The farm we found was near Sittingbourne http://www.pickyourown.org/PYO.php?URL=http%3A%2F%2Fchiltonmanorfarm.co.uk best range of soft fruit we have seen for a long while, they even had redcurrants and blackcurrants.
Usually after hot (yes there were a few this year) summer days picking fruit I freeze it so I do not have to spend hot summer evening sweltering over the jam pan.
This summer a lack of foresight meant that the freezer was too full to stock with fruit, especially as I still had some beautiful golden cherry plums that I had been given last year lurking in the bottom of the freezer.
Jam making for me always means pouring over the pages of one of my favourite cookery books - THE GOOD HOUSEKEEPING COMPLETE BOOK OF HOME PRESERVING, 1981
before using a strawberry jam recipe - slightly modified Strawberry and Raspberry jam. The other jams I made were :- blackcurrant (a half batch of this one); cherry and pineapple; golden cherry plum jam.
1.75kg fruit
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1.5kg sugar
knob of butter
Place the fruit in a preserving pan with the lemon juice and simmer gently stirring occasionally for 20-30 minutes untill really soft.
Take the pan off the heat add the sugar stirring until dissolved, then add the butter return to the heat and boil rapidly for about 20 minutes.
Test for a set and when setting point has been reached, take pan off the heat and remove any scum with a slotted spoon. Allow jam to cool for 15 minutes to prevent fruit rising in the jars, then stir gently and pot and cover in the usual way.
I use this recipe for mixed fruit jam especially if I have any small amounts of left over fruit.
CHERRY AND PINEAPPLE JAM - this is a really nice jam. I wasn't sure if I would like it and had only made it because I had been a little carried away while picking cherries.
Labelled and ready for storing.
A very small house and kitchen means storing the jam where there is space. Lots of room behind the DVD collection, which is just as well as this year I seem to have made an awful lot of jam.
Just the mincemeat to make in a couple more weeks, when the apples are ready. That will give it pleanty of time to mature before Christmas.
This is the latest card that I have made. Some time ago I used a pre-printed kit to make this effect, this time I wanted to start from scratch. The end result has a different picture depending on which side of the card you view it from.
To make my card I printed two photos just under A5 size - one was a picture of Broadstairs, Kent and the other was of Campbells Bay, Auckland.
I cut each picture into 1cm wide strips being very careful to keep all the strips in order.
Then I stuck alternate pieces onto a sheet of A4 paper with double sided tape.
I photocopied the photo onto thin card.
Using a bone folder I scored the line between the different photos.
Making nice sharp folds I worked my way across ....
The beach at Broadstairs.
The beach at Campbells Bay.
With the photos scored, folded and stuck onto the card it was time to add some papers and embellishments to finish off the card.
A few paper flowers, card fish and some tiny seashells .... then a twist of ribbon.
After visiting the WAR AND PEACE REVIVAL SHOW at its new venue (Folkstone racecourse) I became very inspired by the fantastic array of vintage clothing, hats and bags. If you love vintage then this show is a must for you. It may be advertised as the largest display of military vehicles on the planet but don't be fooled. There has always been vintage clothing stalls and as there are dances 'for the troops' in the evenings places to have a make-over 40's style. This summer was even better with an entire vintage village. Original and repro items to suit every budget. I even found a parasol. http://www.thewarandpeacerevival.co.uk/
We also went to MILITARY ODYSSEY - we have been visiting this show at the Kent County Showground since the first show.
https://www.military-odyssey.com/index.php?ix=1&iw=251&iz=0
This is a multi-period show and covers so much history from stone age through to modern day. Quite apart from all the 'living history and arena events there are wonderful opportunities to buy items that would be either hard to find or only available on line. This year I found the range and number of stallholders very disappointing - several traders that I have dealt with in the past weren't there and things seemed to be spread out so the lack of traders wasn't as noticable.
Still I did manage to find a fabric stall and get some very nice linen and cotton. A length of what I think may be matress ticking and most importantly a length of (small) dog tooth check.
This weekend dressmaking has begun! A pinafore out of the ticking to begin with and enough left for at least two more items of clothing. And now I have the sewing bug again I might even do the few items that need mending.
This is an overview of the tea sets I played with as a child. Three different tea sets and a few extra little bits and pieces.
Playing tea parties started in earnest when I was five years old.
My first tea set was given to me by
my Grandad. This was the only present for one of his grandchildren that
he brought himself instead of sending my Gran back to get it. I can
only suppose that he fell in love with it. I know I did. He died not long after he gave me this which makes it even more cherished.
I
played with the tea set so much. My Mum brought little loaves of Hovis
bread which she sliced so they were the right size for my tea set and baked me little cakes and tarts.
I can remember buying this tea set when I was eight from a toy shop in Ramsgate and a whole new era of tea parties began.
Luke warm tea in the teapot and multi-coloured sugar crystals meant that the cups were always filled with undissolved sugar.
This set had its good and bad points.
The shape of the teapot, milk jug and sugar bowl meant it was easier to use but it did not have plates. Mum found me some small plates that matched.
This enamel Chad Valley set was given to me when I was about ten or eleven, My sister who is nine years younger was also given one.
I find it surprising that this set that was not played with as
much is the one that shows signs of wear. All my tea sets were used - a lot, the handle of this milk jug is broken and I have lost a tea cup.
I aslo had this lovely peices of minature glassware. A cakestand, fruit bowl, wine glass and six tankards.
There were breakages, after all I was a child, this little Noddy teapot has a broken lid. And one of the white tea plates was broken into three and had to be mended.
Other treasures include this little tea cup, the coffee cup and a very small milk jug.
With all of my tea sets washed and ready for action I may have to put them to use again and have a tea party. Baking is fantastic fun and I have quite a few mini cake and loaf tins. So the question now is who to invite first .......... that is if I can bring myself to share my precious toys.
With the embroidery finished I had to decide how to display it. I could have had the work framed (would have meant to and put it into a box) but while I was sewing the idea of a bag kept sneaking into my head.
This is not how a bag should be made, this bag kind of evolved around my embroidery - so there are flaws! The pattern was just a piece of A4 paper with the corners rounded and I cut the handles using a wide ruler as a guide.
Pieces cut out and ready to go.
Handles cut and pinned ready to sew up.
The back of the bag with the pleats pinned. By this time I have a good idea of how I want the back to look. So this picture shows where the handles will go and the clasp I am going to use to fasten the bag.
Pleats sewn into place front and back and the lining has been attached. It was because I didn't want to damage the goldwork that I lined the work before attaching it to the clasp. I did this with glue, unfortunately it was only after gluing the back into place I realised I had not inserted the handles so I had to take it apart and do it again.
I had made the coin purse that was the cover gift on a recent MOLLIE MAKES magazine - very clear instructions - so I did my handbag in a similar way.
First I sewed some blue paper string so the top of the bag would fit tightly into the clasp.
Then I glued the bag into position. I then let the bag dry thinking I could sew the bag to the clasp later (there are times when I am a belt and braces kind of person) this was a mistake because when the glue was dry it was impossible to get a needle through the glue.
I stitched the bag together twice. First sewing the linings together and then the blue linen fabric I had used for the outside of the bag. I did it this way to make my seems as strong as possible.
I know a lot of people will read this and be screaming 'THAT'S NOT HOW YOU MAKE A BAG' and I quite agree it isn't, but as the bag evoloved around the embroidery this was the only way. Next time I start a project like this I will try and have a better idea of it's purpose and how to achieve it.
