Overlocker

 Now that I am sewing for charity, some are amazed that I dont have an overlocker to finish of seams. I generally sew the seam with a straight stutch and then zigzag the edges therefore taking twice as long.

The main organgisor of Uniforms for kids asked if I would like to borrow an overlocker as she had one that she wasnt using. Not to look a gift horse in the mouth, I said that I didnt know how to use one.

Not a problem, I could visit and she would give me a lesson. This happened before Christmas. Trouble was that I didnt really have anywhere to put it and therefore I put off using it but felt as though I should get on to it.

Warren came up with a solution which involved moving my iron and irining board out and adding a fold up table.

Here it is in place.

Scary looking thing. With moving it and setting it up, a couple of the cottons got tangled. Luckily I have a resident techo here and with the manual and a head torch, he was able to thread it up and then I gave it a tentative test run.

Yay, it works! It does only do straight lines and as it trims the fabric at the same time, its no good for hemming but does save a lot of time.

Boxing day sales are on so after a bit more practise, I am going to buy my own.

Even with other stuff happening today, I managed to make three little dresses so I will probably make my self challenge of 42 items by 18 Jan.

Christmas lights

 There have been a few houses of note featured on the news about the Christnas lights. When local newspapers were around (bc, or before covid) addresses were advertised and it was a bit of a tradition of the Christmas season to drive around to check out the lights.

With covid, cost of electricity and general cant be bothered, there are nit as many out there as there used to be.

We havent put ours up for a couple of years but Warren was clearing out a cupboard and found some and he placed them around the front a few days ago. They are all solar, work for about three hours then turn off until the next night.

Nothing spectacular but they do make the place look a bit special.

They change colour every few seconds.

A display on our garage door, also change colour and formation.

Pirates of Penance

 Warren bought tickets to see this on Sunday afternoon. 

He did well with the seats, we were in row G on the end of the row. Usually we dont go out at half time but it was easier to do that rather than get up every time someone else wanted to go out.

The orchestra was on stage the whole time which surprised us, there didnt seem to be enough room for the players but they managed it.

First half was quite loud and mainly singing.

We had seen the preformance before in Canberra years ago but good to revisit.

A bite with Alice

 A 30 minute program on TV that we have been watching just before the news. Dont know who Alice is but she does some good recipes.

The other night she cooked a roast chicken. I have cooked chicken as a roast but bever to sure about it so usually buy a roast chicken from the supermarket.

However Alice had some good tips and also how long to cook it. I thought I would have a go.

First dry the chicken by leaving it uncovered in the fridge for a day or so. Place breast side down in pan and oil, rub the oil all over the bird. 180 degrees for 40 minutes then 200 for another 20 minutes. DO NOT turn chicken.

I did a pan of root vegetables as well and added to the oven.

We bought a new cooktop and oven just after lockdown in 2020, since buying an airfryer, I havent used the oven. Needed the extra space so had to dig around for instructions.  Oops, I forgot, oven has a timer similar to the airfryer.

Select fan forced 200 degrees, 70 minutes. I want my chicken cooked through.

So so easy, crispy skin, juices ran clear, vegies were moist.

Then I made a sauce/gravy, Alice called it a gravy. A spoonful of chicken schamtz, basically the bottom of the pan juices, add ginger garlic sweet chilli sauce blitz it and you have a pouring sauce. Yummo, never done that before either.

No photo but I will be cooking it again. Two chickens cost $8, roast chook from supermarket is now $13. Not that this was a money saving exercise, jyst wanted to see if I could roast a decent chicken and yes I can.

Aluce says not to turn chicken as the breast being the tenderist will dry out so needs to stay in the oil and the legs and thighs need more heat and will get that by being uppermost.

Good old Alice.

Plumbers visit

 Our toilets cisterns were plastic and after 20 plus years had become very brittle with bits flaking off at times. Time to replace them.

We knew friends had had some work done by a guy so we asked for his number.

Surprise, surprise, he was able to come and give us a quote in a couple of days.

Quote was reasonable we thought so went ahead. Still thought that it would take some time but no, a week later he arrived with new toilets and tapware.

I stayed out of his way by sewing.

I made this in the time that he took. The pickets are from polo shirts of police, therefore keeping in the vein of uniforms 4 kids. Lovely fabric, I discovered that the charity buys the fabric with money from grants and some is donated. Bit fiddly and it took me about 3 hours.

New and smaller toilets, the pipe is completely covered at the back so no trying to clean around pipes.

New tapware

Shorts that I finished this morning. I had some dinasoar fabric so cut some out to add to the pockets. Enough of this piece to make five pairs of shorts so trying to make them more interesting.

A trip to the city

 It was a hot day so we packed an hat and a fan for the train. We caught the train intending to get off at Central and have some lunch. I had heard thaf there were track closures somewhere but not affecting our travel or so I thought. 

Whoops, yes it did, instead of going to the city, the train went a different way to Roma street. Ah, not a problem, we could change platforms and take the Gold Coast train getting off at South Brisbane.

Did a search for a Japanese restaurant that I had been too before, it was within easy walking distance.

Mine was pulled pork over rice with a free miso soup.

Warren had sweet and sour chicken again with miso soup. 

Meals were good and reasonably priced, $16 each.

While we were enjoying our meal, it started to rain and then it poured!

Ended up walking back to the train station still raining, in two inches of water on footpaths.

No escalators were operating so up the stairs we go onky to be told that all trains were cancelled, due to the rain.

Car was in the centre lane as the water was pooling at the gutter which couldnt cope with the volume of water.

Train lines with the water being the height of the rails.

We had to walk about 500 metres to catch a bus back to Roma street and wait quite awhile for a train home as soms trains couldnt get through.

On the news tonight it was announced that 57mil of rain fell in 30 minutes, at home, no rain had falken at all.