A Laminex Add & Chips

This is a two page colour add from the 1950's of an Australian Home Journal and The Laminex Group must have done something right as they seem to have taken over the market since then.

Some more chips I picked up, both of these remind family of there kitchens and the red comes in other colours as well.

 These were my picks and I swear I've seen some like them in one of my Australian Home Beautiful but do you think I could find the image when I want to, no. Bet I find it later when I'm looking for other ideas.

Make the Most of Your Home

From the AHJ, September 1959, form this month comes this article. I hope you will be able to click on the images to enlarge the and be able to read it yourself, should you wish to.


Laminated Plastics

"In Keeping with the growing use of laminated plastics in the home, we devote our decorating section this month to the effects to be gained through these materials, and also tell you just how to use them."

I Like the white and orange kitchen but would use green in place of the orange, I think I could talk Atomic Dad into it easily. I am currently hunting down vintage laminated plastic adds and what is still available today, almost all the plain colours and wood grains can still be brought, how ever some of the more retro patterns, eg the Boomerang, look like they may have to be custom made if your in Australia.

I have a lovely young man from The Laminex Group here in Cairns, Australia, helping me out. If I have any colours adds I can take them in and he will help me find the best matched laminex chips he has. Will let you know what I find as I find it.

I hope if your doing up your home or just a room you are having better luck then I, and if you are and your blogging it I would love to know about it, please leave a comment.

Sunday Sewing

I was hoping to finish my AHJ dress for this month but it still needs work so onto other things.

With school holidays here and children around my feet I took them to buy fabric, Master Little 7 picked something for him and Master Little 2, and these are the new shirts I turned out for them. The patterns I've used come from my stash and were my mother's first, they have been well cared for and well used.

McCall's 2144, size 2, copyright 1985.

  Simplicity 7036, size 6, copyright 1975.

By sheer determination I was able to cut both shirts from 1.5m for fabric, and I had to make sure all the birds heads were up the fight way. There were a few moments I also most cut the wrong way.

I'm very pleased with what I've done so far and I say so far because they still need buttons and buttons holes. We went for brunch to a friend's house and they wanted to were there new shirts, how could I say no.

So here are my two little men with singlets underneath.

All up they were very easy to make and will be making all there future shirts from these patterns. Due to the busy fabric print you cannot see any detail, or any mistakes, so I didn't add any but there are pockets and belts and many other ways to make the patterns if you wished to

Hope you're enjoying your week end and happy sewing.

A Colourful Kitchen

Recreate this lovely 1957 kitchen with the help of Formica, they are part of The Laminex Group.

These are some chips I picked up that you can still use in today's kitchens and bathroom's.

Retro/Vintage Renovations in Australia

The biggest issue facing a retro restoration, renovation or redesign in Australia is the availability of products, practically in rural Australia. Much of what you can find and source over the internet may not be available or suitable in Australia. Some of this is due in fact to its lack of popularity and interest, while there is much interest in retro/vintage as a sense of style and fashion there is less for the home builder.

For the home owner in Australia, it's Colonial and Federation that is most popular and is how many see them. There is such a large market and availability for these two styles that it's hard to miss them. I do love them in their own right and they do have a very Australian feel to them, they just lack something for me.

I have started to really hunt down what there is still available for a retro/vintage renovation in Australia and so far I've gotten a lot of strange looks and peeked a bit of interest, with people asking me to "Come back and let them know what I find, they would love to see it." Just how honest they are we will find out.

In keeping with this month's AHJ, I have been looking into plastic surfacing materials, namely bench-tops and will be posting my finds as I go. Please pop back to see what I find or leave a comment if you have any info that might help me and thank you if you can.

Recipe of the Week

Potatoes, Pea's and Pineapple's.

This months AHJ have only side dishes and a few desserts but they were all rather different.

New Potatoes and Bacon

Potato Omelette with Tomatoes

Spanish Potatoes

Stuffed Potatoes

Baked Potatoes with Mushrooms

Pan Chilli Potatoes
Potatoes with Special Sauce
Pea Timvales

Peas with Almonds

Peas and Celery

Peas in Meat Cups

Peas Parisienne

Green Peas with Almonds

Come again Pudding

Oriental Pepper Steak

Fruit Cake

Savoury Mince Scrolls

But in the end I tryed something that I knew our children would eat, potato cakes. However I did cheat and got this recipe from my vintage cook book.

Potato Cakes

2 Cups left-over mashed potatoes (I used grated potatoes)
1 teaspoon onion juice (we used lemon juice)
A good pinch of mace
Fat for frying (best to use oil from other food)

Season the cold potato with onion juice and mace and form into firm flat cakes. Dust them thoroughly with flour and brown both sides in a little hot fat. (The fat left over from frying or grilling sausages is very tasty for potato cakes.) Grated cheese, or chopped cooked meat, ham or bacon are delicious added to the potato if you have them on hand.

I cooked on the BBQ outside and did lamb first, then cooked the cakes in the fat left behind. I also added grated carrots and cheese and the children didn't even notice.

The lamb was seasoned with salt and pepper, I cover the BBQ plate with it then lay the lamb down and cover it again. I always get great complements for such a simple and easy way to cook meat.

Sorry no photo's of the meal plated as it didn't last long, everyone eats as soon as it hits the table. I think this will become a new fave meal idea.

Sunday Sewing

This week I got to finish my first pair of pants, Simplicity 4255 size 16. I was hoping to do the top as well but didn't quite get there in the end. Fabric I used was a cotton stretch, another first for me, it worked great and feels lovely.

I added a yellow button to the side to pull the waist in as the pants are a bit too big and the yellow will tie in with the fabric I've picked for the top. Was hoping to put yellow buttons on the bottom of the pants as well but didn't have the right number in my stash.

Overall they feel great, they don't look like the cover but it is just a drawing after all. My mother said next pair I make come to her and she will show me how to cut down a pattern so it fit's better. For now I'm wearing it with my Pink Shirt.

I will most likely be making these again in many colours, don't you just love when you love a pattern and it loves you back.

Happy sewing.

New Hair

OK, so I went and got a trim, well no I got a lot cut off. And I'm still not sure if I even like it. I don't like the layers, I think they went over board but I don't normally get them either, I think I like a solid look more.
I've just washed and brushed for the photo's, so no styling done.

The Pros, easy to maintain, looks retro most of the time, works with helmets.
The Cons, always playing with it, sticky up bits, not sure what else to do with it.

Going back to the books for ideas and running through others blogs to see how they wear it.

Sunday Sewing

I had all good intentions of making a new pair of pants this week end, I had even cut out the fabric and worked out how to get the best fit, but Master Little 7 has been on my case for weeks about new curtains. Since most of my sewing of late has been for myself and his been living with Bob the Builder for the last four years I thought it only fare he gets a change, and I can pass the Bob curtains on to Master Little 2.

After a look around and a few heated talks about money, we agreed on Cars curtains. I was hoping to find some thing a little retro, I knew vintage was out for the cost, and I need something child friendly. In the end as long as he likes them and I can live with them it works.

I picked up both sheers and curtains in the same brand, pre-made for rods so I just sewed some curtain tape across the top for hooks, as we have sliders. The curtains just fit across and if you wanted a fuller look I would have brought two sets and sewing them together but as I'm sure we'll be changing them again in three to four years I didn't bother.

Since Master Litter 2 wont need to sun proof backing I will take it off the Bob curtains and put it on the Cars curtains, an easy way to save money. All up it was cheaper then expected but ate into my sewing time, totally worth it to not have Master Litter bug me about his room any more.

Cheating at Cooking

While I would love to claim to be a retro housewife I can't. I would love to make all our meals and treats from scratch but I just don't have the time. I am not a super mum and I don't want to be. So to make things easier for myself I have taken to packet mixes and the change has been for the best so far.

If you know were to shop or have a look around you can buy organic, allergy free, gluten free, vegan etc, packet mixes. So you can limit the guilt at not having made it from scratch, but I did make it often with many little hands helping.

So far I've managed a quite a few things but to save time cooking I bake the cake while we eat dinner, or put the cupcakes in the oven just before I get the children from school ( I live very close to our school). It's amazing what you can do when you stop feeling guilty for what you don't so.

I know it's not for everyone and that some lovely ladies would not see it as being very retro but until I can spend more time at home and less in the office it suites us fine. Happy Baking and I hope everything you make is lovely.

Kitchen Update

Our new kitchen has been put on hold, grrrrrrrrrrr, and it's not our fault, grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

You would think with everyone walking around talking about how little work there is right now we could have had it finished by now but noooooooooooo. First we've had to hunt down a builder, one that wants to work with us and our retro ideas, six months later we found one.

Now do you think we can find a draftsman to do the plans? Noooooo, for crying out loud I just want it done.

The plan was to have all the drawings etc done last wet season and start building in the dry season and have it all fresh and new for Christmas at our home this year. While I think Christmas will still be here I don't think I'll have the new kitchen by then.

I hope you are all getting better news then me today/night.

Sunday Sewing

UFO - McCall's 2104 Apron

I'm not sure when I started this project and I'm not sure why I stopped but since I found it, while hunting for fabric for a different project, I thought I would finish it.

I have made this pattern before and love it. It comes with an iron on transfer but I traced it so I could reuse it again, this is a good idea for vintage transfers. You can use them as often as you like this way. I stitched the glass and apple by hand as it was a simple design.

A Look Inside

It's September and that means springs for us in Australia, and for those like me in the tropics it means lots and lots of rain. So to brighten my wet week and cheer myself up after a horrid weekend I've started on Australian Home Journal, September, 1959.

Much the same as the last issue it comes with three (3) free patterns, those you see on the cover. There is no contents page to copy but I'll give you an idea of what's inside.

And like August you can find correspondents, reviews on films and plays, a short story, dress patterns to order, "Make the most of your home" article about Laminated Plastics, recipes, free knitting patterns and don't forget your star signs.


My aim this month is to make one outfit from the free patterns, cook one of the recipes, see what other home help and ideas I can find and do some research on Laminated Plastics after reading the article. We'll see how I go.