Table of contents for July/Aug 2018 in Ideas

The winter chill has started to bite in earnest here in the Cape and I’m typing this with fairly stiff fingers. Old houses are full of charm, which I can never resist, but believe me – the thick walls keep out every little bit of sunshine and warmth. To create a cosy haven in here I definitely have to go and buy firewood. But I do it quite happily, because our long article about the home as a sanctuary on page 34 speaks to the very fibre of my being. I have always been a person who has to feel content in my environment to be able to put my best foot forward in the world outside. If the house is untidy, I feel disorganised, but if there’s a fire…

Fiction Every Note Played by Lisa Genova (Atlantic, R285) An accomplished concert pianist, Richard received standing ovations from audiences all over the world in awe of his talent. Every finger of his hands was a finely calibrated instrument, dancing across the keys and striking each note with exacting precision. That was eight months ago. Richard now has ALS and his right arm is paralysed. It feels like a death, a loss of true love. When he becomes increasingly paralysed and is no longer able to live on his own, his ex-wife Karina becomes his reluctant caretaker. Poignant and powerful, this is a masterful exploration of redemption and what it means to find peace inside of forgiveness. Warlight by Michael Ondaatje (Jonathan Cape, R290) It is 1945, and London is still…

‘Design is a constant challenge to balance comfort with luxe, the practical with the desirable,’ observed fashion designer Donna Karan. And this apartment in Sea Point is a perfect example of just how successfully that balance can be achieved. At only 138 square metres, it’s not the size that the average couple hunting for a family home would consider for a moment, much less go on to view and buy. But then, Michael Udell (MD of digital advertising agency Punk) and entrepreneur Carin Dean-Wales, who did just that, aren’t what anyone could call ‘average’. To them, the size of the apartment wasn’t nearly as important as the light that floods in through windows that face north, west and east, and the views that take in the ocean, Robben Island and…

PANAMA WEAVE We created a new backrest with a crafty twist for an old chair using the Panama weaving technique (also known as basket weave), using dip-dyed cotton rope. DIFFICULTY: medium TIME: one day YOU WILL NEED ♥ 6mm dip-dyed cotton rope (we used approximately 10m) ♥ fabric scissors ♥ measuring tape ♥ pencil ♥ glue gun and glue sticks Measure the height and width of the backrest of your chair and add at least 30cm. Calculate the length of the rope according to these measurements. (Longer is better – you can cut it shorter afterwards or leave it hanging like ours.) Cut about 21 pieces. Tie a length of rope to the top and then the bottom of the frame. Tie the next length about 1.5cm away from the…

Use the template to cut the curve at the top of the wooden base. Give the edges a quick sanding to make sure there aren’t any rough areas. Draw a grid of 10 x 20cm on both the foam and the wooden base. Carefully mark the position of the buttons using the marker. Use the hole saw drill bit to cut the holes into the foam only. Place a piece of sacrificial wood underneath to protect your work surface! DIFFICULTY: medium TIME: four hours You will need ♥ (for a three-quarter bed headboard) ♥ wooden base for the headboard (we used 1m x 1m x 19mm strand board) ♥ 2.5m fabric (we used linen) ♥ 1.1m batting ♥ 18 x 22mm coverable buttons ♥ thick thread (we used crochet yarn)…

At a recent talk, the Italian cosmetic group Skin Regimen told us about their research into the category of people termed ‘urban dwellers’, and especially on millennials. These people have a completely different outlook on life, lifestyle requirements and products that they desire. According to this research, 66% of the world’s population will be living in cities by 2050. A whole 30% of them are very worried about the effect of the environment on their skin. Where the focus previously was on better nutrition, exercise and lifestyle habits (inner health), it now also includes external health – so not just a strong, supple, flexible and healthy body, but also a healthy skin. WHAT ARE MILLENNIALS? They are people who were born between 1981 and 2001 and include Generation Y (1981–1991)…

APRON DIFFICULTY: easy TIME: 2-3 hours YOU WILL NEED ♥ pattern alongside ♥ linen of your choice ♥ matching machine thread ♥ embroidery thread and needle TO MAKE 1 Cut out all your pattern pieces: 1 x apron, 2 x side ties, 2 x neckbands and 1 x pocket. 2 For the side ties, fold the long strip lengthwise in half and iron flat. Fold open and fold over the raw edge of the long side by 6mm. Iron it flat, bit by bit, until the entire side is folded over. Repeat for the opposite raw edge. Fold in half along the original half line and iron flat. Repeat with the second strip. Do the same with the neckbands and place aside. The end measurement of all the strips should…

YOU WILL NEED ♥ stabilised buttercream (recipe below) ♥ medium- or large-sized flower pin (or use the base of a small, inverted wine glass) ♥ wax paper squares ♥ piping bag ♥ coupler (especially if you want more than 1 colour) ♥ smooth basket-weave icing nozzle STABILISED BUTTERCREAM ♥ 450g soft butter ♥ 50ml long-life cream with stabiliser (we used the Woolworths brand) ♥ 50ml cornflour, sifted ♥ 10ml vanilla essence ♥ 1kg sifted icing sugar ♥ gel food colouring(s) Beat the butter until just creamy. Add the cream, cornflour and vanilla and mix until just combined. Add the icing sugar in 3 batches, whisking slowly until just combined and scraping the sides of the bowl after each addition. Don’t over-whisk as you want to incorporate as little air as…

DIFFICULTY: easy TIME: two to three hours PATTERN SIZES: 3-4, 5-8, 9-12 years FINISHED MEASUREMENTS Options 1 and 2: Width: 42, 46, 50cm Height: 18cm YOU WILL NEED ♥ 1 ball 106m/100g Katia Peru Colour 42 per item ♥ 10.00mm needles ♥ tapestry needle and scissors GAUGE 9 sts x 17 rows = 10 x 10cm using 10.00mm needles and working in the pattern as set. ABBREVIATIONS cont – continue k – knit p – purl rep – repeat RS – right side st/s – stitch/es TO MAKE NOTE If you plan to make both options, you will need a ball of yarn for each one. OPTION 1: Cast on 43 (47, 51) sts. Row 1: *K1, p1*, rep from * to end. Row 2 onwards: Rep row 1 until…

PANCAKE MIX For the party favours, make some extra pancake mix minus the liquids and place a portion inside our printable boxes. Guests will be able to enjoy your ‘home-made’ pancakes at their own house next time. PASS THE SYRUP PLEASE Customise the syrup, milk and water bottles with our cute printable labels featuring a sweet face. RISE AND SHINE Setting a place for each guest is made easy with our bold black-and-white signs sharing sentiments like JUST ADD SPRINKLES and BUTTER CREAM DREAMS. AN EDIBLE RUNNER Who needs fancy centrepieces when you can line the full length of your table with toppings: think cherries, berries, sprinkles and syrups. PANCAKES, PANCAKES OR PANCAKES No need for a menu! String up this printable bunting and your guests will know exactly what…

DIFFICULTY: fairly easy TIME: one day YOU WILL NEED ♥ Elle Pure Gold DK (100g balls): 1 ball Blossom ♥ 5mm and 3,5mm crochet hooks ♥ embroidery pattern ♥ scraps of yarn or tapestry wool in brown, cream, maroon and light pink ♥ embroidery needle SIZE The coat fits a small dog with a back length of 38cm, chest circumference of 46cm and belly circumference of 33cm. For a longer dog, increase the number of rows for the body before decreasing. The number of stitches can be increased to make the body section wider. To make the jacket a little larger or looser, use a thicker yarn (like Aran) and a bigger crochet hook. CROCHET ABBREVIATIONS beg – begin(ning) ch – chain stitch c/off – cast off dc – double…

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creativecalendarideas@gmail.com July 17 July School term starts 18 July Nelson Mandela Day WESTERN CAPE 24 June - 26 August Delheim’s Jazz & Cheese Fondues take place every Sunday. Tickets cost R450. Book at Webtickets. 29 June - 1 July & 6-8 July Gordon’s Bay hosts its annual Winter Wonderland Festival of Lights. Enjoy a parade, food trucks and art and craft stalls. For more information, go to winterwonderland.co.za. 29 June - 8 July The Knysna Oyster Festival offers more than 100 events for the whole family. For more information, go to oysterfestival.co.za. 9 July - 5 August The Jive Cape Town Funny Festival at the Baxter Theatre features top local and international comedy artists. Search on Facebook for Jive Cape Town Funny Festival. 14-15 July Franschhoek celebrates Bastille Day with…

@CORNEL_STRYDOM Pretoria, South Africa Cornel Strydom, creative soul, Ideas contributor and woman of many talents, inspires thousands on her Instagram page. She is passionate about crochet, and these days also permaculture and the family’s new Karoo farm. @NOSTALGIETEXTILES Centurion, South Africa Letitia du Toit's beautiful printed fabric makes you long for the folk songs, children’s toys and TV heroes of a bygone era. Nostalgia, a love for colourful patterns, and words all find expression in her designs. @DONNASMITHDESIGNS Shetland, Scotland Knitter Donna Smith alternates photos of the breathtaking (cold!) scenery with how she knits her world cosy. She dyes her own wool in the loveliest shades and develops all her own patterns.…

Who can’t help noticing that the world feels disturbed? That things are happening faster, that it seems as if world peace is hanging by a thread? No wonder trend forecaster Li Edelkoort says that, once again, just as years ago with futurist Faith Popcorn’s ‘cocooning’, we are going to look at our home as our sanctuary. But this time paying extra attention to the house as a place of quiet, your own temple of peace and rest. A space without too much clutter and ‘things’ that demand your time and energy. Just a place where you can be restful at the end of each day.…

Macramé has made a welcome comeback to modern homes and combines contemporary décor touches with the mindful world of handcrafting. We have three lampshades for you to try. TIFFANY LAMPSHADE DIFFICULTY: easy TIME: five hours YOU WILL NEED ♥ Tiffany lampshade frame ♥ no. 304 cotton twine TO MAKE 1 Measure the strut length of the frame, as well as the space between two struts along the top ring. Cut the same number of cords as the number of struts, each cord measuring 10 times the total of the strut length plus the top spacing, plus twice the desired fringe length. 2 Fold a cord in half and tie it to the top ring of the frame with a lark’s head knot, halfway between two struts. Knot reversed double half…

CLAY ‘VASE’ DIFFICULTY: easy TIME: one hour, plus drying time YOU WILL NEED ♥ air-dry clay ♥ alphabet or other stamps ♥ rolling pin ♥ kitchen sponge ♥ metal ruler ♥ blunt knife ♥ toothpick YOU WILL NEED 1 Break off a large piece of clay and roll it out with your rolling pin on a smooth surface. NOTE Don’t work on a wooden surface, the clay will stick to it. 2 Roll the clay until it is about 4mm thick and cut out a rectangle according to the size you want your vase to be. 3 Carefully lift up the clay rectangle so that it is standing on one edge and fold the one side over the other to form a cylinder. Press the edges together, but be careful…

On a magical evening with 36 like-minded people around our long table at our birthday dinner, Ideas celebrated one year of being an indie magazine – small, focused and independently run. While the welcome rain was pouring onto the corrugated iron roof of our gorgeous venue at Simondium’s Country Lodge, our table setting celebrated our devotion to paper and at the same time a water-friendly approach to entertaining. Every single course of Mynhardt Joubert’s delectable meal (including golden carrots!) was served in disposable ‘takeaway’ boxes, beautified creatively as only Hannes can do. Starting off with the harp music of Lisa Brits while sipping on G&Ts and bubbly and nibbling on oysters and canapés, we all got to know one another. Once seated at the table for our four-course meal, it…

If you are anything like me, sometimes when life gets in the way, you go from starving to stuffed without much recollection of what happened in between. This article is about the direct opposite. We’re talking about mindful eating here. You’ve probably come across the term, but what does it really mean? Mindful eating has everything to do with focusing on your food – from how the fresh produce is farmed and where you buy your ingredients to preparing a meal and, finally, eating it. In a world filled to the brim with distractions, many of us have forgotten how to pay attention to what we eat: where it comes from, how we eat it and knowing when we’re really hungry or satisfied. It’s not eating for eating’s sake or…

The winter with all its deep, moody, rich colours is here. With the terrible drought here in the Western Cape, where I live, we can only hope to welcome a wet, cold season once more. The shades of grey and white that sweep over the earth, the romance of old houses with fireplaces, and memories of the family being cosy together are the inspiration for this issue’s paint makeover. I’m constantly amazed by how quickly paint and the use of just a few techniques can completely transform a space and turn back the clock by years. For our romantic, rainy winter theme I decided to use these paint techniques: 💮 WALL: a technique with a palette knife to achieve the appearance of peeling paint and plaster. A touch of gold…

About three years ago, when Elsibe McGuffog started to include embroidery in her artworks, it was because of a happy coincidence. Along with the heap of books that she ‘inherited’ from a friend when he moved house, she acquired the most gorgeous embroidery yarns that she wanted to use in a special way. When acclaimed artist Louis Jansen van Vuuren asked her to do a self-portrait to be included in an exhibition being held in Stellenbosch during the 2015 Woordfees (Stellenbosch University’s literary and art festival), she felt that she just had to use the yarns. ‘It’s probably the influence of my parents who grew up during the Depression: Use everything and waste nothing,’ she laughs. The eventual multimedia artwork – photos of her as a child printed on fabric…

DIFFICULTY: fairly easy TIME: one day YOU WILL NEED ♥ white tin plate ♥ illustration of your choice ♥ Vinnis Colours Nikkim DK (50g balls): 1 ball each Sunshine and Peach or Blue-Grey and Ballet Pink ♥ 3mm crochet hook ♥ embroidery needle ♥ marker ♥ long, thick nail (such as a roof nail) and hammer ♥ strong sugar-and-water solution (50:50) ♥ modge podge and brush CROCHET ABBREVIATIONS beg – begin(ning) ch – chain stitch c/off – cast off dc – double crochet gp – group rep – repeat rnd – round sp – space ss – slip stitch st(s) – stitch(es) tr – treble STITCH EXPLANATION Picot: 3 ch, ss into 1st ch. TO CROCHET 1 Turn over the plate so the base faces upwards. Using the marker, make…

DIFFICULTY: medium to difficult TIME: four days YOU WILL NEED MATERIALS ♥ technical drawings on the page overleaf ♥ wood (in this case meranti) – 1 000mm x 142mm x 11mm – 1 000mm x 70mm x 11mm – 1 000mm x 24mm x 24mm – 83mm x 70mm x 35mm ♥ 1 x LED spotlight PAR16 50 4,8W (do not use a light that emits heat) ♥ 1 x PAR16 down-light lamp holder (ceramic with plastic backing) ♥ 2 x 15-amp strip connectors ♥ 1 x braided lamp cord (we used black) ♥ 1 x 15-amp 3-prong plug ♥ 1 x rocker switch (part number: MR2120-R5BB) ♥ 2 x 4,8mm red insulated lugs (part number: LS15048) ♥ 1 x 12mm threaded rod (length: 45mm) ♥ 1 x 12mm wing…

All 26 letters of the alphabet have been placed on the blank squares but only seven of them are revealed. Every letter has been placed a ‘knight’s move’ (see below) from the previous sequential letter. Notice that the letter A is a knight’s move from the letter Z on the grid. Therefore B must be a knight’s move from A. Identify the blank square on which it should be placed. Then deduce where C, and then D, should be placed. D must be placed a knight’s move from the E which is on the grid. The patterned squares are out of bounds. You can also try deducing the positions of the missing letters by working forwards or backwards from the other letters - a process of deduction. Is it possible…

Herbs Bay leaves, chives, dandelion, fennel, lavender, lemongrass, marjoram, mint, nasturtiums, origanum, parsley, perennial basil, rocket, rosemary, sage, thyme Vegetables Asparagus, beetroot, broad beans, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, cucumber, gem squash, kale, leeks, lettuce, mushrooms, onion, parsnips, peas, peppers, potatoes, pumpkin, radishes, Swiss chard, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, turnips. Fruit Apples, avocados, bananas, Cape gooseberry, granadillas, grapefruit, guavas, kiwi, kumquats, lemons, limes, loquats, naartjies, oranges, pawpaw, pineapples. Flowers available Alstroemeria, anemone, arum lilies, Asiatic lilies, banksia, blushing brides, calendula, cardinal protea, carnations, chinks, chrysanthemum, daffodils, delphinium, ericas, freesia, gerbera, germini, golden rod, gypsophila, heather, iris, kangaroo paw, King protea, larkspur, leucadendron, Mundi protea, orchids, pincushion, ranunculus, snapdragons, statice, strelitzia, St Joseph’s lily, stocks, sweetpeas, tuberose, tulips.…

The modern bedroom ironically moves away from the duvet back to an old-world, luxuriously layered feeling. For this bed we washed various pieces of linen in hot water to make them soft and to shrink them, and afterwards layered them unfinished over the bed. This way you can play with colour. And if you get cold very easily, layer the linen pieces over a down duvet. To enhance the feeling, we made two pillowcases with tie-band fastening. BLANKET DIFFICULTY: easy TIME: one week (You could finish it in a shorter time, but the thick knitting needles and the weight of the work make your hands tired after a while and you may need to take a break from your knitting from time to time.) MEASUREMENTS Finished size (edging included): 212…

NOTE A dowel is used as support in demonstrating the different knots. However, another cord is often used as a support in macramé work. LARK’S HEAD KNOT Fold the cord in half to form a loop. Pass the loop over the support from the front to the back. Take the two cord ends and pass it through the loop, front to back. Pull the knot tight. Lark’s head knots are usually used to tie cords to a support at the beginning of the work. Here four double cords can be seen tied to a dowel with lark’s head knots. REVERSED DOUBLE HALF HITCHES Start by making a lark’s head knot, which is the first pair of reversed double half hitches. To knot the first half of the second pair of…

COLD PROCESS Cold-process soap making is fairly simple and safe, so we have chosen to use this method rather than the more difficult hotprocess technique. It involves the use of lye, which needs careful handling, combined with various oils. You will need to wait up to six weeks for your soap to fully cure and saponify. (If you use this soap too soon the lye could burn your skin.) CHARCOAL SOAP YOU WILL NEED ♥ 172g distilled water ♥ 66g lye ♥ 182g coconut oil, plus extra for greasing the moulds ♥ 182g olive oil ♥ 90g castor oil ♥ 15ml activated charcoal powder ♥ 15ml bentonite clay powder ♥ few drops of lemon grass essential oil HOW TO 1 Make the lye solution in the same way as for…

CREAMED TOMATO SOUP WITH BACON AND ROSEMARY This soup is easy to make and delicious as a starter or light meal. It goes well with a home-baked focaccia. Serves: 4-6 Preparation time: 30 minutes Cooking time: about 1 hour ♥ 30g butter♥ 200g streaky bacon, chopped♥ 2 leeks, sliced♥ 1 clove garlic, crushed♥ 2 x 425g cans plum tomatoes♥ 250g pumpkin cubes♥ 1 small sprig fresh rosemary♥ 5ml dried oregano♥ 1 250ml prepared chicken stock♥ 30ml cream (optional)♥ halved, fried cherry tomatoes, to garnish♥ grated Parmesan, to serve1 Heat a little of the butter in a large saucepan and fry the bacon over a medium heat until crisp. Remove the bacon from the pan and set aside. 2 Add the remaining butter to the pan and sauté the leeks over…

CHOCOLATE MOUSSE CANDLES Makes: 6 Preparation time: 2 hours, plus refrigeration time Cooking time: 5 minutes ♥ 300g white cooking chocolate, broken into pieces ♥ 3-4 acetate sheets ♥ 1 punnet fresh raspberries ♥ 6 small birthday candles Mousse ♥ 625ml cream♥ 15ml gelatine♥ 4 large egg yolks ♥ 50ml castor sugar ♥ 150g dark chocolate CHOCOLATE MOUSSE 1 Heat 250ml cream in a saucepan until it starts to steam. Remove from the heat and set aside. 2 Put the gelatine and 30ml water into a small bowl and leave for a few minutes to swell. 3 Beat the egg yolks until thick and light in colour. Add the sugar and beat well. 4 Add a little of the hot cream to the egg mixture and beat well. Add the…

YOU WILL NEED ♥ wooden cupboard ♥ Annie Sloan chalk paint in Pure White ♥ Annie Sloan chalk paint in Graphite ♥ Annie Sloan Clear Soft Wax (or use Annie Sloan Lacquer) ♥ 50mm soft-bristle brush (I use Hamilton’s Ensign Perfection brush) ♥ mutton cloth ♥ spray bottle with water ♥ art brushes ♥ feather 1 Use the 50mm brush and paint a solid coat of white chalk paint over the top of the cupboard. Leave it to dry then seal it with wax or lacquer. (The paint must be sealed as water is used for the marbling. The sealant keeps the base colour white.) Paint another solid coat of white chalk paint over the cupboard top and leave it to dry completely. 2 Make a very liquid mixture of…

‘I’m too busy and impatient for meditation,’ was my reaction when Terena le Roux asked me to write an article about the benefits of this way of head clearing. But I became curious… I was amazed when a quick internet search brought up a string of advantages: stress relief, sharper focus, lighter mood, and even better health thanks to lower blood pressure, and lots more. And I was very surprised to read that you don’t have to think ‘deep’, esoteric thoughts – you should actually not think at all! And then something happened that made me sit up and take notice. My husband Louis and I bought a painting, which had to remain at the gallery for a while. A few days later I stormed into our flat at high…

DOG BED DIFFICULTY: easy TIME: 2-3 hours YOU WILL NEED ♥ old bedside cabinet ♥ soft cushion ♥ wallpaper (on the previous page) ♥ chalk paint in the colour of your choice ♥ clear soft wax ♥ modge podge ♥ paint roller, brush and container ♥ remnant of thin balsa wood ♥ rough twine ♥ hammer and nail ♥ sandpaper ♥ glue gun ♥ craft knife, cutting mat and metal ruler Sand the bedside cabinet lightly and wipe it clean with a dry cloth. Paint the cabinet with chalk paint in the colour of your choice and leave it to dry completely. Seal it with wax. Copy the wallpaper in the desired size onto white paper and glue it with modge podge onto the inside of the cabinet. Seal the…

WRITE TO US & WIN! The writer of this month’s winning letter will receive a hamper from Tjirpie to the value of R1 085. The hamper of designer items includes a sugar pot, milk jug, a variety of protea and bird prints and a gift box with gift cards. For more information about Tjirpie, email tjirpie@webafrica.org.za, visit their Facebook page (facebook.com/tjirpie) or follow them on Instagram (instagram.com/tjirpie). Winning letter Lists, notes and a weekly planner You know how, in a movie, you see the character reading a letter and you, the viewer, hears her voice and then after the first few lines another voice takes over… the voice of the person who actually wrote the letter? When I opened my March/April Ideas magazine and started reading your letter, the whole…