Chillin', litt'a bit'a thrillin' (maybe): ways to keep warm in chilly places

neckersilk

2010-11-30T15:36:00.004Z

If you were a follower of my me-me-me blog you'd have seen this neckerchief feature in my last seven outfit posts. The one before that is from the day I bought it. What I'm saying, of course, is that this little silk square has become indispensable.

I don't like to wear scarves inside. Like wearing a coat inside - it just seems rude; it implies transience, which suggests disrespect to whoever I'm visiting (or the lecturer I'm learning from). At home I feel like I'm not at home, if I have a scarf of - like I'm just about to go out so I should get a move on. Makes me antsy.

But scarves were invented cos their aces in the FOIGHT against bodily chill. So it's useful, I have found, to have an indoor alternative to the heavy duty nature-proof mufflers.

Silk will keep you warm. Silk will breathe, so you can tie your necker up over your nose and mouth like a bandit to keep out the frost if you like. It's not ostentatious, because it packs down small. You can pick'em to match every outfit or you can stick with one that'll be your signature. Or somewhere in between. You can switch things up and wear it on your head if you feel like it.

Mine was a fiver. Supposing I only wore it on days I took a photo, so far that's seventy-one pence per wear at this point and for how cold it's been and how comparatively warm I've been, that's flippin' worth it.

Start looking here, for a warmer warm winter. It's snowing out there, y'know!

Soup, again! The warming-est food.

2010-11-07T17:27:00.002Z

I've given you a fancier version of my recipe for Pumpkin Soup before, but really - pumpkins are still on sale, probably reduced after halloween, and it's so delicious and warming. And this simple version tastes just as good, actually.

Cook on!

redlegs

2010-10-26T20:13:00.005+01:00

(or here)

It's the Garcia way.

Pattern-woven (lace, fishnet, etc) tights can be suprisingly warm by themselves, but when they aren't cutting it alone, go double-plus. Be stained glass!

Appologies for beaten-up slippers. :/

A look at how darning can go after only a little practice!

2010-10-25T19:11:00.002+01:00

Jaeger cashmere christmas present jumper + moth hole = auhhhhh

Moths can be bastards

2010-10-24T21:53:00.003+01:00

Oh, autumn-winter! You are a wonderful time of year!

Time to get out the woolens. All the beautiful jumpers that can't be worn in the warmer months.

Unfortunately, sometimes, you get out less than you put away. Because some sort of malevolent creature has noshed on your best warmer.

What does one do? Panic? Cry? Curse? Yes, perhaps. Throw it away and buy a new one? Are you joking?

No. We gotta learn to darn, guys.

Actually, it's not that hard. A little tricky, and nigh impossible if you have poor vision close-up or a lack of dexterity.. but otherwise, a needle, some matching (or almost-matching, or contrasting, depending on your tastes) thread.. and you're ready to go. You can watch these videos (found on youtube, I've not filmed my own as yet.. though that may change this week), you can wing it, or you can look it up for yourself.

It may not look perfect. It may not go exactly right. But it will be something you have done, a skill you'll improve gradually, and you can wear it with pride.

Tomorrow: Shots of the jumper I just finished darning!

मूमिन जिस

2010-09-04T16:16:00.000+01:00

Recipes to keep warm on, featuring! Moomin Valley Recipes! We tried it, it’s delicious, it cheered me so nicely through a foul cough. If you have spare money, this book is MARVELOUS. If not, maybe you can make a guess at your own version of this delicious drink from the following? Good luck!

Small tip for those who are cold

2010-04-24T18:13:00.002+01:00

How many times to you vacuum?

If it's every day, cut it to once a week. Adjust this to your own habits. Instead, get a broom -

And sweep, kiddo, sweep. It gets your muscles going, warms you up, and saves power. Plus, if you don't vacuum that often, sweeping your floors out might help get rid of bacteria and grime that's weakening your immune system and making you dislike the cold. Maybe? I don't know, I don't know science, but that seems like it might be true!

Seriously, though. Sweeping = warmth + cleanliness - electricity.

Peace out.

How To: Patch Jeans

2010-02-05T12:17:00.003Z

How to.. Close and cover a hole in a pair of jeans!

Holes in clothing let cold wind in. This is bad! Buying new clothes is a shame, if they old ones are salvagable.. especially when we're talking something personal, like one's jeans. Let's patch'em up!

Hole

Hole gaping!

Fold the material back into its intended formation, and pin the hole closed, if possible. If your hole is just a hole - rather than mostly burst stitching, like here - you will want to sew around the outside of it (imagine drawing a circle around the hole, and sew along that line) to steady the fabric.

Sew up, with reinforced stitching, anywhere you can see there might be stress. Make it as secure as you can. I used crossed stitches, because I wanted to and it felt right. I admit, I am not trained in sewing - I just do it. You'll want to use upholstery thread rather than normal cotton (usually the display stands are right next to each other, but you can ask a shop professional if you are nervous) to account for the heaviness and hard-wearing life of a pair of jeans.

Pick your picture.

Now, I started this project because I had a super-great idea of something that could make a patch and it just happened to coincide with my sister wearing a hole in the seat of her jeans. I have since (as in, just now when I google-checked) discovered that I was not the first to have this marvelous idea! But that is fine, because really - you'd have to be disappointed if no-one else thought of it in twenty-thirty years, wouldn't you?

Anyway, I scanned the blue version straight off the inner sleeve of a record, flipped it, scaled it and printed it on iron-on transfer paper (available from any art, craft or stationary store, I'd imagine). That meant I got a border around the logo and slogan - which is good, because it gives me an obvious line to sew around.

You don't have to go to all that trouble, though. You could buy a pre-made patch, you could use your great-grandmother's firefighters' pennant, you could just draw straight onto transfer paper if you pleased. It's up to you. You could also sew or glue your cotton transfer onto felt, as seen here. I drew this onto transfer paper and ironed it onto an old thick-cotton vest to patch a smaller hole..

Pin the printed, ironed, cut-out patch over the hole (you can place it as you please; it doesn't have to be centered, as long as it's covering it

At this point, you may become excited at how AMAZING your project (or your kind big sister's project) is going to turn out. This is ok. Perhaps it is even to be expected. There is no shame in having a bit of an early celebration.

When you have gathered yourself once more.. Sew it on! Backstitch is best. Do you know how to do that? If you don't, click here!

Now at this point in my example, we experienced a power cut. But that's no reason to stop! Especially when the person who wants this patching done has to go out to play a show in half an hour and is jigging about with sudden nervousness!

For example, an iPod can provide localised lighting until you finish.

Finished! Ready to rock, non?

Later in the week I sewed directly around the logo, to keep the patch close to the jean fabric. If you use a loose material for the patch such as jersey, it may bag a little if you don't add some anchoring stitches around the inner body of your patch as well as the edge). You could also try coating the back side of it with glue though, to hold it firm.. I wonder if that would work? Experiment!

Neckheads

2010-01-17T16:59:00.003Z

Cowl neck? Cold neck? Voila!

Just pin it! To a ribbon, a beret or.. your hair?

Anything.

It's that time again!

2009-12-06T12:30:00.004Z

Click all pictures for links/info

Time to put on several extra layers of UNDERWEAR!

I've talked about thermals and how to enjoy wearing them a bit more before, but some things can just never have too much said about them!

Yes, alright, there probably isn't a neverending story about wearing woolen vests. But that is no reason to forget about it.

Last time I talked about Droog and Rococo-inspired undies; this time I'ma shoot for Cowboys. Who doesn't love a good Western? Or at very least, the WARDROBE of a good Western? Preferably one that takes a focus that isn't "look how cool racism used to be", natch. They do exist.

I wanted to have a picture of Michael J Fox's Back to the Future pt3 half-bare arse here, hanging out the buttflap of his onesie, but it doesn't seem to be anywhere on the internet so you will just have to imagine it for yourself. If you so please!

The point, though, is that the Western onesie - "union suit" - is pretty iconic. Red or white, you'd know them if you saw them and it would probably put you in mind of some sort of character archetype. And isn't clothing that does that sort of more fun? Personally I would have a ball knowing all day that under my outer shell I was dressed like a cackling old loon who's been on the moonshine and will likely shoot you out of nerves when you climb the steps to the jailhouse.. Am I alone in this??

Surely not.

Click it to buy! Pretty good price, actually.

I know certain "basics" companies are selling similar items to this at the moment.. One in particular has advertising everywhere on the net, but I'm not going to suggest you buy from them.

If you're not into going the whole hog like that or prefer a more feminine slant, please consider like so:

Get a little saloon-y, no?

The shirt here, in a similar buttoned style to the union suits, is a hand-me-down originally from Fat Face. The thermal leggings (which are all over at the moment, if you like to buy new!) were 50p-ish from the PDSA charity shop. Need bloomers? If you can sew (even if only a little!), click here!. If not.. ebay? There's a search function to the left.. Or
try here!

When you're done, when you're a few seconds away from shootin' a bandit or singing a chorus and bending over on stage..

You get dressed (fully dressed). And go about your daily business. Feeling warmed!

You may not be able to find these items before the Challenge on Friday and Saturday, but there's no reason why you can't make a permanent lifestyle change, is there? Or set yourself this challenge a day every week, or every month, or..

It's good to be warm, wherever you are!

Lime!

2009-11-13T18:45:00.001Z

Copy and pasted, so sue me! It still matters!

2009-11-09T17:01:00.000Z

I just signed a petition asking Gordon Brown to make the UK's commitment on aid legally binding, and I hope that you'll join me.

Please join me in taking action here:

http://www.one.org/international/actnow/uk07law?rc=uk07lawtaf

This legislation would have 2 big impacts. First, it would help developing countries better plan their development based on the funds they'll know are coming. And secondly, it would set a standard within the international community that promises made at international summits must be kept.

Together as ONE, we can make a difference.

2009-10-25T18:30:00.000Z

Darn it, darn it - meant to say yesterday: 350!

Beat the cold off with a Hammer

2009-10-24T19:04:00.006+01:00

Horror of Dracula

The hardest time to keep warm is in the night. I've talked about hot water bottles, and I've talked about thermals, but specific night-clothes are another matter. There are a ton of different types of pyjamas of course, with different levels of comfort and cold, but you know what? Vintage nylon fripperies are actually, in my experience, some of the best. If you wear these in summer, late spring or early autumn (or in winter with your heating turned all up), you will be too hot. You will.

I like this type of gown because a) they're pretty and b) they remind me of Hammer Horror movies (and, you know, old-fashioned horror in general). Which I love. But honestly, I wouldn't wear them if they weren't also practical.

The Vampire Lovers

The ladies wear this stuff in basically every seventies-or-previous horror fiction. Your costume staples are: period costume with extra cleavage, roll-necked ribbed sweaters, and diaphanous nighties in a variety of colour and frilliness. And I do take issue with a lot of the values applied to female characters within Horror fiction, of course I do, but the fact remains that I like fun nighties and roll-neck ribbed sweaters. The costuming in gothic-leaning horror is usually quite.. soft. It just doesn't feel exploitative in an immediately damaging way. There's a lot of empowerment to be found in pre-late-seventies horror, if you don't demand that it's perfect.

You can get stuff like this on ebay EASILY. At basically every price. Check the search box to the left!I think I paid maybe £28 for the orange one in these pictures, because it is so nice. The pink one was a bit under five quid, I think. The fact that you basically have to buy second-hand to get something like this is a bonus, too.

Honestly, in the room I had last year where there was no heating, the sleeved versions I have would keep me warm until it got into late November-December. Now, in a house with heating (though it's rarely at a level visitors call "warm" I wear them to keep my arms and torso warm whilst I read sitting up in bed, and change when I go to sleep so I don't overheat. Seriously worth the purchase!

DIY tutorial: patches + thermals = year-round garment.

2009-09-12T19:23:00.007+01:00

Let's make a scene.

I know that thermals have a bad rep. My mum, for example, exclaims in either bafflement or disgust when I mention or wear such garments visibly, because she associates them with "granny-wear" so strongly. Luckily for the environment of course, granny-wear is in just now, so maybe it wont be so hard to persuade yourself that thermals, really, aren't that bad. But if you need a helping hand, or indeed if you don't, it's surely better, better than taking what you're given and walking amongst the crowd no question, to personalise? To your high and considered tastes?

Patches: You Can Do It (Yourself)!

A while back, I was reading the archives of Bronze Age of Blogs (well worth a visit, he showcases some good stuff there) and came across this post. Whereupon I thought to myself: cor blimey! Those are fantastic. And they are, because they are ABSURD. It's glorious.

I decided that they would be perfect shirt-graphics, and that I must prove it. So I took my two favourite (from two of my favourite series; Tomb of Dracula and Werewolf By Night (buy them)), and printed them onto iron-on transfer paper.

You should pick your own image, of course! Something that suits you, something that speaks to you, something that doesn't infringe copyright. You really, really should by Essential Tomb of Dracula and Essential Werewolf By Night, available from any good bookstore but preferably ordered from your local indie comic shop (failing that, your local indie bookshop). Not because I'm pinching the images here, but because they're really GOOD. Dracula epecially, Werewolf's more of a romp. Tomb of Dracula is a smart read, spooky, and ultimately a pretty fine character study.

So we come to the physical part! Once you've printed your image, you need to iron it onto something. You could, of course, iron it straight onto an undershirt. But let's be honest, a lot of the time straight iron-on stuff doesn't look so good. My reason was actually that the vests I ordered were fully synthetic and I wasn't sure if I SHOULD iron them. I cut an old, ill fitting best in half and ironed onto that. This will also solve your problem if your undershirt isn't white.

I accidentally printed them backwards first time and had to re-do it. Don't worry! That turned out to be a boon. Wait and see! From here, you're gonna need the following:

Scissors and a snack

Felt in colours co-ordinating to your image

Your vest or undershirt and another snack

Thread (and a needle), or glue if you have poor vision or low levels of finger control!

You may also want pins, but after the first try I found it easier not to use them. They were a detriment, to be honest.

Cut out your image, and lay it on your felt.

Thread your needle, and sew that image into that felt! Hurrah! If you're lucky (like I was) your picture'll have a line near the edge to follow. If not, just sew around, about half a centimetre in from the outer perimeter of your transfer. Or, like I said, Just glue it on.

Cut the felt with a half-centimetre or so showing. BUT before you do, decide on a motif you can add to your shape that echoes the subject of your graphic. The two above are pretty obvious, right?

Perfect!

Apply to shirt! If you need help placing it, put the shirt on and use pins to hold in in place. Take it off, adjust, and sew (or glue) on. It doesn't matter a bit if you do it by hand or machine. I prefer by hand, just because I like sewing. Backstitch is satisfying.

And.. there you go. Finished. Perfect. Now you've got a garment that's not only snug for winter or the blustery autumn days, but also looks fantastic and personal for the cooler days.

(Oh, by the way: the backwards-printed failure transfers? I'm gonna patch them up the same, and sew'em on the backs of these two vests. like I'm a stick of rock and the image goes right through! I feel that this is a most satisfying answer to a problematic question.)

Pumpkin soup: the Autumniest taste.

2009-09-10T18:38:00.002+01:00

Really, this is just the warming-est, most autumnal soup. And it's really easy, made with seasonal veg which is super easy to grow at home/in an allotment. It's fantastic to make just after Halloween, when you've got a pumpkin lantern all carved up with no further use: just chuck it inna pot!

The recipe is based on my memories of the Blue Peter pumpkin soup recipe from when I was tiny.

Ingredients:
1 onion
1 tbsp pumpkin oil (or any oil you have)
Garlic (as many cloves as you prefer; my Dad dislikes garlic so I only used one this time)
1 small-medium pumpkin
Half a butternut squash, or other type of squash
1 can or carton of chopped tomatoes
1 cup water
1 cup white wine (optional; can switch with water)
1 cup orange juice
2 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 chicken stock cube
nutmeg
salt to taste

First: chop onions! And fry'em in the oil until they are soft.

Add the garlic. Pressed or chopped, as you please.

Second! Peel and chop squash and pumpkin. The extra squash I used is a green one from the garden, I'm not sure what type it is. We just put seed in the ground.. and they grow!

Add'em to the onion. When these are soft, you have a choice.

You can either add the chopped tomato now, or after you've blended the mix til smooth. I like to add them afterwards, so lumps of tomato flesh are left in the end product. If you aren't keen on tomato you should probably add them pre-blending.

Whichever was you choose, put the contents of your pot in a blender with the water and the wine. Blend until smooth.

Return the mixture to the pot, and add the stock cube, orange juice, sugar, salt and a sprinkling of nutmeg and a few grinds of black pepper.

Cook until hot. Then serve, or cool and keep! Have a bowlful every time you come inside, tired or cold, or when you need a cheering or comforting snack. Or use it as a main course, with crusty bread and crumbly cheese (feta, wensleydale..) it's very filling.

Perfect! Delicious!

Enjoy.

Leftover roast pork

2009-09-02T20:24:00.002+01:00

It's not exactly keeping warm, but it's avoiding waste. So! Close enough. Here's another recipe.

We had:

leftover roast pork

gross gone-over white wine

garden-grown small onions

a ratty scraggly old cabbage.

I made:

Recipe:

Chop pork into slices, cover lightly with five-spice and a splash or two of dodgy wine. Put them in a bowl, cover, and shake. Put to one side.

Chop home-grown onions (you can get onion sets (tiny tiiiny onions) or seedlings or seeds from garden centres, and grow them in an allotment or windowbox or pot), fry lightly with some garlic and sunflower seeds and half a teaspoon of sesame oil.

Add half a cup of water, a glass of wine, a chicken stock cube, three tablespoons of soy sauce, sa good sprinkling of light brown sugar and some chopped fresh ginger if you have it. Boil for a minute or two.

Pour the liquid, onions and seeds into the oven-proof bowl you have your pork in. Add a spoonful of cornstarch if you prefer a thicker gravy-soup.

Put in medium-temperature oven!

Wash large potatoes and take out any nasty bits. Third or quarter them, put in a pan and sprinkle with oil (I use pumpkin seed oil) and lemon juice. Put in oven above the pork.

Bake for forty minutes. After thirty of those minutes, chop cabbage and put water on to boil. Boil cabbage with a splash of soy sauce and lemon juice for seven minutes.

Serve!

Everyone enjoyed it well! So did I.

2009-08-27T17:37:00.003+01:00

Okay.. so it's summer here, and I KNOW it isn't all over the world, but.. I'm concentrating on my Official Professional blog right now. Check the link to the left, or click here..

I WILL get back to this blog in the future.

When it's cold (for me)!

2009-05-20T17:46:00.003+01:00

Sign the ONE Petition

Climate change: A Bad Thing.

If you care about your temperature, you should care about other people's too.

And the world's!

Loose Teeth Vintage Inspired Sundress with Petticoat GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

2009-05-14T20:36:00.000+01:00

Loose Teeth Vintage Inspired Sundress with Petticoat GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

Yeah yeah, it's not about keeping warm.

But if one keeps cool in summer, the practice of dressing to the weather will become ingrained..

Recipe!

2009-05-13T19:39:00.007+01:00

Picture credit: cmbellman @ flickr

Food. Who doesn't love food? Not me, that's for sure!

Especially when cold. Food a) give you energy, b) if it's hot, warms you straight up, and c) makes you happy (and so strong against demotivation due to chills or gloomy weather) with its delicious tastes. And probably more besides.

Let's make chili soup, shall we?

This is not, I'm afraid, vegetarian. But if you are one, you likely know better than me what to use in place of the meat stock. Beg pardon!

There's no solid meat in the recipe, instead I use oxo and concentrated stock. I buy it in bottles from Morrisons, but you could make your own or purchase elsewhere.. Or use real meat. But I prefer it this way at the moment because a) the butcher's quite a walk from my house, and the supermarkets don't sell small enough portions*, and b) it's cheaper than buying meat.

*Something the size of a pack of cards is a "proper" serving of red meat for an adult, I hear (somewhere). And that's not per day.

Ingredients:

1 can of tomatoes

one beef oxo cube

3 desert spoonfuls of concentrated beef stock

1 desert spoonful of concentrated chicken stock

1 onion (size depends on your preference)

2 cloves of garlic (or as you prefer)

1 dried chili (or any sort you like, really. fresh, preserved in oil, brine.. but we have a plant at home that gives a GREAT deal of fruit, so, I always have dried ones on hand)

2 teaspoons of natural dark muscavado sugar (or, again, as you prefer, but brown gives a deeper taste and muscavado is apparently quite good for you)

splash of carotino oil (..or any oil you prefer. But, again, apparently this oil is good for you because of its make-up and because you have to use less of it than other oils. Also, it is orange, which can only help the colour of your soup!)

1 can of beans (pick your favourite. But I think kidney beans are best.)

A whole bunch of vegetables! Try to get seasonal ones, but if you just can't resist a butternut squash.. I don't blame you, me neither. You need at least enough veg to fill two empty cans.

This is maybe not really a soup, but more of a vegetabley stew.. But I think that "vegetable stew" sounds horrible, to be honest, and this isn't. Depending on how small you chop your vegetables, you should end up with either a chunky soup or just a normal (though chunk-of-meatless) chili.

Heat your oil medium-high, chop your onions. While they cook for five minutes (or more, depending on how soft you like your onion) chop or crush the garlic and the chili. Add to onion.

When it starts to smell really delicious, add the concentrated stock, and the canned tomatoes. If you have any fresh tomatoes that are starting to go over, just cut off and discard the bad bits, chop the rest, and put it in here too. Every little helps. To rinse out the tomato can (before recycling), fill to about an inch below the brim with water and add it to the pot.

When it starts to bubble a little, turn down the heat to the high side of low (or the low of medium, depending on your hob). Let it simmer as you wash and chop your vegetables. I like carrots, frozen peas (put these in last), sugarsnap peas, sometimes corn, brocolli stalks, sometimes cauliflower or asparagus, butternut squash and rarer-sometimes cactus in a jar. But like I said.. it depends what you can find.

Add the beans, sugar, and salt to taste. Leave it for at least fourty-five minutes, but an hour or two on very very low is best.

It should make about four good servings. It'll keep in the fridge. It is delicious. Just see! Eat with tortillas and cheese (and mayonaise), or.. you know, anything else. It's your lunch, after all.

picture credit: svenwerk @ flickr

I think this soup should count for at least two of your five-a-day, and if you eat garlic (and onions) at least twice a week, you'll probably be healthier. I forget how. But I read it on http://www.mediterrasian.com, so you can check for yourself if you fancy. And try some of their recipes. They're good.. really good.

2009-04-29T20:39:00.001+01:00

I am not good at keeping up with things. This is so. But I have PLANS for this place, and a brand new camera (my first digital ever!) on the way, so.. watch this cosy space, chums!

2009-03-22T18:01:00.001Z

Speaking of Australians..

Blogger muchlove-anna is having a give-away for a rather charming necklace.

Her shop link to to the left here, at the top. Visit! Looking at pretty things is a very, very cheap way of feeling a little warmer.

Droogs and artful loungers

2009-03-22T16:05:00.008Z

Well, it is definitely getting warmer here.

But not everywhere! I have heard more than one australian mention their near-future tights purchases.

And there are always colder or plain cold days coming or happening, here. And presumably, places similar to here.

So I continue!

Tights are useful, of course they are. They go with everything easily, because they just amount to different coloured legs. But they are not the end! Lets travel, now, into the world of thermals.

Personally I love dressing in layers because it makes me feel proper. But it's not uncommon to write off warmth-layer underwear as gross and frumpy (or otherwise undesirable).

But you want to keep warm. And you want to still feel zippy or stylish or interesting.

So play dress-up.

An ebay search for "thermal underwear" turned up all of these. And yeah, they might be pretty nasty at first glance (I think they're the good kind of ugly, they look comfy!), but that's kind of the point here.

("vintage hanes 1940s thermal underwear 30-32 small"

"80s vtg ivory waffle knit bodysuit thermal grunge s/m"

"hanes vintage 1960's thermal underwear shirt medium NOS")

If you like a lighter approach, take a lighter direction.

I can't actually find a decent picture to use as a reference here, which is aggravating, but please imagine (or go and read (or watch (the jane seymour version or the.. 40s? version))) the Scarlet Pimpernel. Because I love those books.

Above:

"sexy b&w retro satin bloomer no lace fancy dress 30"

"sexy black multi lace short bloomer fancy dress 26"

Below:

"bnwt silk top, was £89"

"elegant gothic quintuple laces long bloomers 2 colours"

I own both of these last two items, and they are both pretty darn great. The vest, in fact (which is made by brand "QVEEN" who I have never heard of and whose website is non-existent), I have three of, in different colours. I'd have more, but I can't afford to yet. It's ribbed silk, the edging is really lovely lace, and they're warm and pretty and look fantastic on.

So you see, just pick a theme, and clothe your unders after it. It makes layering up really worth it: you don't freeze, and you have a secret story all day long.

P.S. Not a secret: blogger formatting is not my easy comrade.

And while I'm in the neighbourhood..

2009-03-02T21:28:00.007Z

I need to sing the praises of quilted clothing.

Last summer I was in London with my Dad and my little sister, and we were in one of the Rockit shops on Brick Lane. I found a dress that made me laugh and smile, because the idea of padded clothing seemed so bizarre to me. Even though I have been skiing. I suppose the difference lies in the fact that sports equipment is specialised for action and circumstance above sartorial whim but a dress is a dress is a dress. For any time. Naturally, I bought it. I LOVE that dress. It's a 70s faux-quilt print fabric, which is then quilted as one piece. It's snug! And really good for cold weather or traveling because the puffiness of the quilting makes for insulation against cold and bumps or lumpy train areas.

On ebay right now:

The picture heading this post is very similar to my dress. But it's longer, and has button

shoulders, though, and i am having to hold myself back from grabbing that one too.. "Vtg 70s QUILTED dolly hippie CALICO maxi dress"

"Striking yellow quilted bedjacket"

(Bedjackets, by the by, I will be returning to.)

"Mens electric blue & black quilted smoking jacket"

Robes! So useful. So delightful. So stylish. And there is something so warming and relaxing about just wrapping and tying on a bit of your clothes.

"Vintage quilted house dress"

Doesn't it just look like it fits? Nothing warmer than that.

And it has a collar bow and a great skirt.

Now I can't decide if I like the maxi dress or this one more. Fie!

Spring? Har har har.

2009-03-02T20:44:00.004Z

So! I forgot all about this place. But that doesn't matter because now I have remembered.

It's still COLD, here, despite being either Spring or nearly-Spring.

But I recently bought a hot water bottle. And here is a fact: it has made a difference. Feeling chilly doesn't bother me too much in the day, but at night what is really desirable is somewhere warm and puffy and comfortable. My hot water bottle does its job so well that I don't need to wear my knubbly woolen socks after a while, because I've just got too HOT. In this room, that is cold enough for my fridge to be obsolete. And it stays warm for at least four hours.

A hot water bottle will not cost you much. I think mine was about four pounds including postage from ebay, and I sewed a cover for it with some fabric left over from pillowcovers (which counts as free!). A cover isn't necessary - they stop the heat escaping so "fast", I think, but mine's only cotton and more for show than use - but they aren't necessarily expensive even if you buy one rather than choose to make your own!

Or find interesting ones like in the picture, via bitchbuzz of flickr.

Intro

2008-11-23T13:36:00.000Z

Possibly the most useful way of dealing with being cold is just to put up with it. So you're cold! Until it really interferes with your life that doesn't actually matter. The world doesn't really owe you a comfortable temperature. You owe the world for letting you live on it, and screwing it up with constant air conditioning and huge amounts of electric heat that you don't actually need is no way to say thanks.

I'm not saying you should always be cold, or that you should never heat your house, or that you must or should do anything, really. I'm not the boss of you, right? And it's good to be comfortable. And it's probably not healthy to be shivering all the time, particularly if you're old or sick or very young. It's just that there are a lot of ways to be comfortable, as well as the fact that temperate comfort is not always necessary. AND, being comfortable doesn't mean living in perfect decadent luxury, either.

Fuel prices are up and fuel is running out and "carbon footprints" are apparently a good thing to keep down for other reasons, too. Electric heat is one of the biggest fuel users, so it makes good economic (and otherwise) sense to keep warm in ways other than central or supplemental heating.

If you wear snug winter clothes and indoor areas are heated-to-usual-levels, you get too hot. When can you wear all the wonderful wool and fur and padded or lined clothing, if it's too hot in winter? Winter clothes are ace; giving up the opportunities you get to wear then comfortably is just plain silly. Turn down the heating, and ask for it to be so at work or school or uni, too. Not all the way, if you prefer (there will be some people who are dressed for the heated rooms). But until it's just so.

And think, if you dress with a mind to the weather, and keep warm in the wind and rain and snow and chills, when you get to where you're going ot get home, that's a LOT of layering you'll need to take off or sweat under. If you dress for where you're going, that's a nasty cold you might get on the way there in your thin year-round garments. But if the temperature doesn't change too greatly between indoors and out, you can wear your warm, stylish winter layers inside, and add your warm, stylish winter coat/hat/gloves/scarf/boots outside. And never once be dressed wrongly for the heat.

So this is aspiring to be a bit of a how-to for people who don't live with cold weather all year round (I live in the northern half of England) and who it takes by surprise when it does come. It's very possible I'm saying nothing new at all to anyone who might come across this page, and I didn't check if there were any other blogs along these lines.. But this one is from my perspective. And I *might* have something new to say, who knows?