Ideas is all about MAKING your world more beautiful. Packed with creative inspiration, fresh ideas, easy projects and step-by-step instructions, this magazine is the go-to guide for crafters, stitchcrafters, makers, cooks and DIY home decorators.
CONTACT ME terena@ideasfactory.co.za instagram.com/terenaleroux The foggy Cape Town streets this morning were like a fairy-tale world, with the sky misty-white and the tree branches fading away upwards. No sign of the sea, only the foghorn to remind us that there are rocks and water nearby. Proper soup weather. And curry weather! How do you choose your food for the winter when there is only one issue to keep us warm in the cold? Who says we have to choose when we can have both? So here we are with both, and a cheesecake too for a little sweetness. And so it continued with the planning for our stitchcraft section. Is it the knitted jersey or the crocheted cardigan? Do we embroider a blanket or a blouse? Do we make a…
Professional chef Paula Nel is far too discreet to disclose who her celebrity clients are. Suffice to say, they’re some of the world’s most prominent media, music and movie moguls. Paula spends up to three months at a stretch aboard her primary client’s luxury yacht, sailing between ports such as Miami and Monaco, preparing elaborate menus in the galley with the help of her team. And when she’s not planning innovative ways to fulfill the gourmet desires of her clients, Paula is invariably plotting her next adventure. ‘I tend to get a month or two off every few months, which gives me enough time to get in a couple of trips before heading home to chill and catch up with family and friends,’ says Paula whose list of off-thebeaten-track destinations…
ROOM IN A TIMBER HOUSE There is just something so romantic about a timber house, especially one with huge windows like this one. The ceiling and walls clad with dark wood and the one stone wall are a strong contrast to the white floor. A well-worn old Persian carpet provides warmth underfoot. The industrial appearance of the copper–pipe lights is softened by the white bed linen. Play around with a lovely thick duvet and comfy blankets as well as scatter cushions to keep you warm in winter. The wooden table and rough bedside tables fit in well with the rustic-cabin feel of the timber house. The Mexican-style stove is perfect for keeping this large room warm, the clay of the unit retaining the heat long after the fire has burned…
A parcel arrived the other day from my cousin – my father’s sister’s child. It contained my grandfather Bokkie’s diary. Yellowed, 104 years old, disintegrating, coverless, the back attached with yarn. The parcel included some photos and postcards. My father’s family history… their life at the diamond diggings in the Lichtenburg district packaged in a courier’s plastic bag. The diary also tells the story behind the shiny stones of the 1920s diamond rush, which enriched many but also broke many hearts. In each gem unearthed, a story of might, In diamonds, the miners’ plight. – Anonymous In the bag was a photo of my father as a boy, a pupil at the Bakerville primary school. It took me back to the time in the 1980s when he drove me through…
EMBROIDERED POSTCARDS DIFFICULTY: easy EMBROIDERY TIME: 6-7 hours YOU WILL NEED ♥ image of your choice printed onto fabric ♥ embroidery thread ♥ embroidery needle ♥ embroidery hoop ♥ sharp scissors EMBROIDERY STITCHES USED Different embroidery stitches can be used to add colour and a fun creative element to your image. 1 In the image of the boy we used bullion knot roses, French knots and lazy daisy stitches for the flower bouquet, and stem stitch for the stems. His hat and pants were done using back stitch and his shirt with a running stitch. The pocket on the shirt was done using satin stitch. 2 In the image with the two little girls the orange collar was done in satin stitch and the buttons with French knots. The bow…
❁ I was lucky to have been able to spend many happy hours with my granny, Edna Holst, while I was growing up. My grandparents lived in the beautiful town of Hogsback in the Eastern Cape and we often visited them for the holidays and on weekends. They ran a hotel called Arminel for many years and my gran was responsible for baking all of the afternoon treats — like these ginger nuts. ❁ In her later years she ran the small post office at Hogsback. We used to write letters to each other often; I still have many of her letters which I reread from time to time. They always bring a smile to my face. ❁ My gran loved knitting and taught me how to knit when I…
