I like making things: Now for something completely different.... No it's not about cards today!

Monday, March 20, 2023

Now for something completely different.... No it's not about cards today!

Last year, it must have been around April or May we went to a local Swap Meet. I bought the red gingham curtains there that I recently altered to fit one of our bedrooms. I also bought something I had always wanted but could never justify the cost of. A food slicer! It is something I had wanted for years and years. Well I saw one at this swap meet. It was priced at $15. I offered $10, we haggled back and forth and I ended up paying $13 for it. I didn't fare too well in that deal lol.

Anyway, I bought it home, checked it out, cleaned and sanitised it and put it away.

As you know Friday was St. Patrick's day and we always have corned beef and cabbage. Here in the US corned beef is a piece of beef, usually brisket, that has been infused with spices and goodness knows what else which makes it red and salty. I boil it for many hours, (with the additional spices that come with it) to make it nice and tender. With about an hour to go I throw in a cabbage that has been quartered, potatoes, onions and carrots. Totally delicious. I slice up some of the beef to eat with the dinner then we use the rest to make Reuben sandwiches for a couple of days.

I had forgotten all about the slicer at Christmas for the pork and Friday and Saturday too for the corned beef but got it out Sunday to slice up the meat and cheese for the Reubens. This shows it just as I was finishing the last batch of cheese. Afterwards I cleaned and sanitised it again and put it back up until next time.

As you can see it slices very well, I vote it a success! It isn't something I would use for just a cheese sandwich but I might slice up my next block of cheese in one go. That would be worth all the effort of getting it out and cleaning it all up afterwards. It isn't a really high dollar one either but it is perfectly adequate for anything I might want to use it for and it was very nice to eventually use one.

Bet you're glad this post wasn't about cards again eh? But, be warned, I am working on our anniversary ones and I have new cutting dies!!!

4 comments:

JoyMarch 21, 2023 at 2:29 AM
If I had a larger family instead of just me, I might invest in a meat slicer - you can get such economical slices from it.
I grate big blocks of cheese for the freezer - it saves so much time in the longer term.
I love your card posts, by the way! :-)
xx
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meandmysmallcornerMarch 26, 2023 at 2:58 PM
Hello Maureen. That slicer looks so good for beautiful thin slices of meat and anything else you want thin slices of. Hope you enjoyed celebrating St Patrick's Day. I loved seeing your cards too. Sending best wishes from my small corner x
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As in the words of Thumper: If you can't say 'nuffin nice don't say 'nuffin at all.

Glad you stopped by

I started this blog in 2011: Ever since my Mum taught me to knit at the age of about six or seven I have made things. Back then it was doll clothes. I was also inspired by Mrs Levitt an elderly lady who had a sewing room in a conservatory type room on the back of her house. I would sit and watch her in awe as she sewed.

When I was a child living in England the school system was such that you started at 5 years, did two years in Infant School, then four years in Primary School then five to seven years in Secondary School, depending on whether you chose to stay on after fifth form to get qualifications to go to University. I can't remember much of the Infant school other than making the standard square doily thingy from fabric that had holes in it so you could embroider patterns into it. A bit like the modern day cross stitch fabric but with bigger holes and spaces to make it easy for small hands to use. I also remember with great joy getting a toy sewing machine one Christmas which sewed only chain stitch but I did make doll clothes on it and that was before I started Primary school. I do have very vivid recollections of Primary school and having sewing and knitting lessons. In Primary school I knitted gloves and made a dress from scratch hand sewing it all.

Secondary school continued on with sewing by which time I had progressed to using full sized sewing machines and was making more intricate skirts and dresses. My parents bought me a proper sewing machine when I was thirteen. I used that same machine right up until I emigrated to Canada at age forty six years.

I have always had a fascination for sewing machines and knitting machines. I bought my first knitting machine at around age twenty one from an ad in a newspaper for twelve pounds. I had absolutely no idea what one was just that I wanted one. I trundled on the bus to the address in the advert and handed over my twelve pounds having absolutely no idea what I had really bought. Fortunately it came with a manual. It was an aged Knitmaster, very basic and I loved it. I wore it out. Next was a Brother push button one which I didn't keep because it was at a time in my life when things were difficult. Later on in my life, around forty, when things were better I bought a brand new Brother punchard machine with a ribber attachment. I loved it and made many things. Life took a different turn, I moved countries twice and along the way, regrettably I sold it.

Now, through the universe's blessing I now have another machine. It is a vintage one because they stopped making them early 90's but works perfectly and I love it. So I decided to make this blog to document my knitting progress and include sewing projects.

In 2013: we embarked on a new hobby, leather-work. My husband got started with it and it drew me in. It is something we can do together. We have a workshop so have plenty of room to work. We added another workbench for me to work on in 2013. We already had one but we were tripping over each other both trying to work at it. We only make things we want to make. It is strictly a hobby. We made some things for our good neighbours who help us out a lot. I am also working on Christmas presents. So this blog now incorporates the leather-work. Knitting and sewing will always be my first love though.

Fast forward to 2023 and now age almost 75 years. I have seven sewing machines, four knitting machines, several ribber attachments and a garter carriage for one of the machines. I am blessed beyond words, but I know that I have more than enough machines to keep me going in my lifetime so I don’t think I will be adding to my collection any time soon……….unless a nice embroidery machine manifests itself very cheaply.

I am a Brit living in the USA, sometimes I spell like a Brit and sometimes like an American. Sometimes I use slang and even make grammatical errors. I blog for the pleasure of it and to record my endeavours in the event that my memory fades, as I am sure it will with more age. I will be able to look back and remind myself of the things I have made along the way. So please forgive my mistakes when reading about my life making things here in the hinterlands and I hope you get as much enjoyment from my blog as I do from reading the blogs I follow.

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Monday, March 20, 2023

Now for something completely different.... No it's not about cards today!

4 comments: