Saturday, January 07, 2017

Cold Outside and Cold Inside!

View from my window: This is the scene in a lot of places these days.

Cold weather inspires some people to bake, because it also warms the house. The cake with orange sauce, served with Yorkshire Gold tea was very warming during this fierce ice storm, raining ice crystals that made quite a noise when it landed on the roof, porch and ground. ( I am imitating pictures of tea time at hotels in winter.) For more photos, type in "tea time at small hotels in UK in winter" and click images.

I wanted to tell you about a pattern I recently found in the Walmart sewing store. It is for cotton flannel sleepwear, and view B, with long sleeves, is easy to make.
Easy Stitch 'n Save McCalls 9201 (M9201)


The flannel at Walmart  is so nice, I brought home a whole bolt of it. The brand may be Waverly.  A flannel nightgown will last a long time, and when it thin, can be used for a petticoat.


Below: The hot water bottle is a Victorian invention that has never been improved upon. It warms the foot of the bed under the covers for hours. Sometimes when I do not get around to remaking the bed until just before bedtime, I find the hot water bottle still warm. The secret is to use boiling water from a kettle, not from the tap.
Covers made for hot water bottles are quite pretty and clever, shown by these Pinterest pictures. Above: quilted fabric; below: hand knit covers. These make the bottle soft and comfortable;  not too hot for your feet. There is no need to remove these covers, as the bottle is filled at the top where the spout is.

Here is my quick and easy version of the hot water bottle cover, sewn from a piece of worn-out towel, leaving the top open. You might be able to do this using a small face or hand size towel, sparing you the cutting and measuring. Just fold the small towel, machine stitch two sides, then turn inside out.


The local power company suggests if the power goes out in the night, get under the covers with a hot water bottle at your feet. 

If you do not sew and need a soft cover for your hot water bottle, insert it in a flannel pillowcase and wrap the fabric around it several times.


Dearfoams are a great brand of shoe slippers for the home in winter. I see people wearing them in town and in the shops, as well. I wore mine in the car on our recent trip, and then walked on the sidewalks in the town of Sisters, still wearing them. The soles are thick enough to avoid getting the upper parts wet. It worked out better than changing into cold stiff boots. These work for checking the mail at the end of the driveway when you he snow is packed. Not suitable for deep snow. They are not waterprrof, but very warm.
Make them more supportive for your feet if doing housework, by wearing thick wool socks.

The recipe for the quick-bread is from the Victoria Classics Holiday issue. I substituted a few ingredients but it still had a great texture and flavor.
Below: From Victoria Classics magazine. I changed the recipe a little, using molasses , almond flour and pineapple juice to get the flavor. It is called rum cake and requires rum flavoring which I did not have.

Ps. I know a lot of people who use electric blankets with no adverse affect on their health, thankfully. I used to have one but was not comfortable with the type of warmth it provided, finding that I felt better with the weight of blankets and comforters.  I also like a heavy coat on top of the blankets, at the foot of the bed.   I was also cautious about having electricity so close to the body so many hours.

Here is something to read about electric blankets http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/02/24/is-your-electric-blanket-safe.aspx

13 comments:

ladypinktulip said...

I am thankful for so many inventions that make our life comfortable. KellyT

Linda said...

It is even cold in Texas lately. We haven't been above freezing in days. We are at 18° this morning, but supposed to be 70° by Wednesday. Is your power out? Hope things improve for you soon.

Lynn said...

1. Where is the quick bread recipe you mention? 2. how can you put boiling hot water in to the hot water bottle if the power is out...no power to boil the water?
Those boots are the best I have a similar pair that is years old....I wear heavy socks inside for better support and warm too...

Lynn said...

something else for this post...I find that night gowns are too cold...I made a flannel one some years ago and ended up giving it away...the air comes right up inside...not good...and tangles when you sleep...

Lydia said...

In winter most everyone wears thermal leggings under the flannel nightwear

Lydia said...

fill hot water bottles whiile power is on, if you expect power outages.

Anonymous said...

The teapot is lovely and the photo of tea by the fire is cosy and heartwarming, but how do you keep the tea within the pot warm if you want to have a second cup? Surely the teapot could not be placed on the stove because it could not withstand the heat. Hot water bottles are very comforting but must be used with care if one also uses an electric blanket.

Songsparrowgarden said...

I've been wanting / needing to make pj bottoms but haven't had the time. Yesterday at a store thought I'd buy a pair. Imagine my Shock when I saw the price tag - - $50.00 for 1 pj bottom. They were on sale for $30.00. I will be taking to my sewing machine for sure. Those prices are too outrageous for my pocketbook.

amulbunny's random thoughts said...

I prefer flannel pajamas to flannel nightgowns. I have several pairs. Even though we live in Southern CA, there have been nights in the 30's. We have gas heat and stove so we can cook if the power goes out. I also have a little terrier that sleeps at my feet and a large pointer who warms up a good area of the bed, they go into their kennel when my husband goes to bed. That's in the living room near the heater. We have no heat in our portion of the house.
Stay warm and stay inside. The Weather Channel makes the northern portion of CA look horrible. Flooding is coming. It's 72 here. Tomorrow it's supposed to be 61.

Lydia said...

As there was some question about electric blankets contributing to cancer a few years ago, I Stoppd using them. We use tea cozies on the teapots. This was such a pretty pot I removed the cozy for the photo.

Hope you all on Ulster are not having the ice storms.

Dawn said...

Those hot water bottle covers are so sweet and pretty! I'll have to get a set to keep my tootsies warm at night. A cat is a great foot warmer but she doesn't always stay with me. :-)

Wow, I love the idea of a flannel slip. I wonder if it would bunch up under the dress?

living from glory to glory said...

Hello, I know that keeping warm is a challenge! And the ice is so dangerous! It is the ice storms that knock the power out for so many. Our wood stove has helped us tremendously. I do use an electric blanket and I get a new one every few years. Healthy or not freezing is not an option for me. Then when a hot flash hits all the blankets come off... LOL
I can't stand socks on my feet while sleeping either!
I prefer PJ's as night gowns always bunch while sleeping. But we all love cooking something yummy in a very cold spell.
Loving my new little table to eat and sit as close to the fire!
Thinking of you!
Hugs, Roxy

Yvette said...

Thank you for posting the pattern number! I have been looking for a flannel nightgown pattern for a long time. That is exactly the style I'm looking for. My daughter bought me two flannel nightgowns from LLBean. They are wonderful and oh, so warm, but oh, so expensive.
I also used to think that nightgowns were colder than regular pjs. I was wrong. I usually wear my polar fleece leggings under it and I'm toasty. I think the nightgown actually traps the heat underneath and then with a second layer like thermals or warm leggings, it's much warmer than my regular pjs. Nightgowns, I find, are so much more comfortable too.
Your scene at the top with the tea pot looks so cozy. :)
Thank you and God bless!

~Yvette