This weekend saw a relative flurry of activity on my part. I finally got the sewing machine out and sorted out the old velvety trousers which I wear around the house. One pair I've had for five years (an ebay purchase) and the other pair for about seven years (a charity shop purchase before I moved to Essex.) Both pairs had lost all the stretch in their elastic waistbands and consequently were constantly slipping down in a most annoying fashion.
I cut off the old elastic waistband (it wasn't an elastic insert more of an eactual lastic waistband), folded over a couple of inches and sewed the new channel on my sewing machine. This sounds so easy when it's written down but this stretchy velvety stuff was a total pig to sew in a straight line and much cussing went on whilst I was doing it. The easy part was threading the elastic through the new channel. Et voila, two pairs of trousers which are now mucho more comfortable to wear and which should, hopefully, give me another five years or so of use!! As the fabric is 100 per cent man-made poly-something-or-other I can't imagine they'll ever really wear out, although they have gone a bit 'worn' around the bum and knee areas. But, honestly, as I don't wear them outside of the house that doesn't bother me one little bit.
So, I was mighty pleased with myself for doing that (finally!!), then I moved on to dealing with the pears I'd picked in from the garden weeks and weeks ago. Those little swines just would not ripen. They'd look like they were ripe but, oh no, cut into one and it was still rock hard. Then a couple just sort of went off in the bowl so I decided to stew up the rest. I cooked them in a little red wine and sugar and was going to make a pear crumble with them but Mum, very wisely, suggested I try blitzing them to a pulp and making a pear fool instead. Which is just what I've done, having mixed the pear and wine 'mush' with whipped cream and some custard. Don't know what it tastes like just yet as I'm saving it for pudding this evening but it looks quite pretty. I'll let you know tomorrow.
Ha ha, laughed at your cussing. I've been doing a load of fabric effin'n'blindin today! Linen. Might be classy but it's a toad to sew. I totally sympathise with you on the velvet. I will likely never go there! No thanks!
x x x
Posted by: Catherine | 11/09/2009 at 06:34 PM
Your desert sounds great, I love a good fool.
Posted by: Jennifer | 11/09/2009 at 09:14 PM
No I don't think I will try sewing velvet after hearing your story! I've been having my own struggle with huge lengths of voile material to make curtains. It is so slippery and hard to get measured, cut out and seams pinned and sewn. Phew, am just so pleased to get one pair hung up okay, have nearly finished the other pair thank goodness.
Posted by: Wendy | 11/11/2009 at 12:43 AM
It seems like we are all inundated with pears at the moment!!!
Posted by: Frugal Trenches | 11/11/2009 at 08:59 PM