GET CRAFTY
SHOW OFF YOUR PERSONAL STYLE MAKING THESE FUN FACE MASKS
BIAS BINDING FACE MASK YOU’LL NEED:
• Mask pattern pieces: cut 2- 20 cm (8 in) x 20 cm (8 in) • Double-fold bias binding for tie: cut 2- length = 70 cm (27½ in)
INSTRUCTIONS:
STEP 1 Place the rectangles with the right sides facing and sew the top and bottom seams.
STEP 2 Turn the fabric side out and iron the seams flat. Top stitch along the top and bottom edge.
STEP 3 Fold three evenly spaced pleats, all in the same direction, and press them flat. They will be pointing down when the mask is finished. Sew a straight stitch down both sides to secure the pleats.
STEP 4 Mark the centre of one length of bias binding and align it with the centre of the mask along the side. Pin the binding to the mask, sandwiching the raw edges between the binding. Sew along the edge of the binding to secure it to the mask. Repeat with the second piece of binding. Snip any loose threads and try it on!
This is an edited extract from Sew It Yourself with DIY Daisy by Daisy Braid. Photography by Rod Pilbeam. (Hardie Grant Books, $32.99.) Available in stores nationally from
June 1, 2022.
Food and grocery shopping is one of the easiest areas to adjust your spending habits and save money. We stick to a tight budget of $600 a fortnight to feed our family of 11. This changes with Christmas and all the family birthdays, but for our groceries, we always try and stick to this.
We live 47 kilometres away from our closest supermarket, so we like to do a big fortnightly shop to ensure we have all the essentials to last during that period. We bulk buy a lot of items, including bread, powdered milk, meat, pantry items, etc. We store our food in two fridges/ freezers and two pantries. We don’t buy eggs as we have our own hens and ducks.
Before I head to the shops, I check the pantries, fridges, freezers and my cleaning supplies to see what needs restocking. Then I’ll write my shopping list. This helps avoid overspending and overstocking on items that aren’t needed. When writing my list, I have a fortnightly meal plan in mind. This is important for working out costs.
We do our main shop at Aldi, but buy frozen vegetables and other competitively priced items from Woolworths and Coles. We buy a lot of minced meat. Whether it’s chicken, pork or beef mince, it’s very versatile. It can be used in multiple dishes such as pies, sausage rolls, pasta bakes, bolognaise, stuffed capsicums and even curries!
The possibilities are endless! We also buy whole chickens and big cuts of meat such as corned beef silverside. Used in the slow cooker, it’s a hearty and budget-friendly meal.
We shop at our food markets for reduced items that can be frozen or used in baking, such as cauliflower or bananas. For breakfast foods we make banana bread, fruit salads, yoghurts, fresh fruit, and cereals such as Weet-bix or Nutri-grain. We only buy a few boxes each fortnight, which usually cost around $10.