Keeping my spirits up

I've had a go at making my own gin.

Before you are awed by my ingenuity at whipping up a home distillery whilst we're living in lock-down, I should point out that I was given a Kitchen Provisions Gin Kit for Christmas.

My old Dad, who was fond of a dram, liked to quote WC Fields, saying: "I always keep some whisky handy in case I see a snake...which I also keep handy"

The only requirement to make your own gin is that you possess a bottle of vodka which, handily, I did!  Everything else is included in the box so I was ready to get cracking.  

I'd like to impress you by pretending it was a really complex procedure but in reality, there's some simple measuring and pouring and err.... that's it.  Oh, I got to pick which botanicals I wanted from a choice of three deliciously scented sachets.  Then you just have to let the infusions work their magic for 12 hours.  Yes, whisky lovers, you read that right - wait 12 hours.  Not 12 years.

After some straining (that's filtering with a wee sieve, not me training for the Olympics) my very own gin was ready to drink.  If I had the chance to write the pretty label again I'd be more careful not to smudge it next time.

I'm quite partial to a gin, as our drinks cabinet can testify.  Some craft gin bottles are lovely too and making them into lamps, once their precious contents are consumed, has become quite popular.  I've tried lampshade making before (see this blog post).  When friends from Dumfries came to stay, and gifted me some delicious Hills and Harbour Gin from their native Galloway, we remarked at the time what a nice lamp the empty bottle would make.    

It's not just actual spirits keeping my spirits up -  crafty projects are just as vital to me and keep me buoyant.  I'm not a monogamous crafter - there's usually multiple items on the go.  Today I'm mid-way through knitting a shawl, a sock, a jumper, a bralette and I'm also crocheting a blanket.  Staying home by myself, with my husband offshore again, I've needed these diversions even more to help me feel settled through these troubling times.   A lack of craft supplies during lock-down is never going to be my problem, as I alluded to here , though even I was surprised and delighted when I discovered I had a lamp shade making kit from Dannells Needcraft lurking in the depths of my craft cupboard.  

Just like the Kitchen Provisions gin kit,  Dannells supply virtually everything you require.  This time I only had to supply the fabric.  Half the fun of embarking on a new project is sourcing just the right materials so I enjoyed rifling through my fabric box for a suitably sized rectangle.  Sometimes, however, the perfect materials just present themselves.  Like many others, I've been tidying cupboards during the enforced stay at home.  One victim of my wardrobe purge was en-route to the fabric stash after I decided I probably wasn't going to wear it but loved it too much to throw away.

It's a mohair scarf I bought from a charity shop a few years ago because I loved the vivid turquoise shades.  I aksed Google about the manufacturer and discovered that Glen Cree Mill, located in the town of Newton Stewart in the South West of Scotland, made mohair blankets and scarves, as well as some garments, under their own label and for prestigious clients like Liberty of London.  The distinctive logo shows a bell hop, laden with luggage, travelling rug over his arm, harking back to a grander era of holidays and voyages.  The mill sadly closed in 1986 and has subsequently been demolished.  Today Newton Stewart is the home of the Crafty Distillery which makes Hills and Harbour Gin.  Seems like these two were meant to be together.

Seeing the scarf beside the bottle, I knew I'd found my lampshade fabric.  

There's an excellent instructional video tutorial to accompany  Dannellls lampshade kits and soon I was sticking, trimming, sticking again and rolling to create my very own lampshade.  Rolling was tricky with my wee hands but the Hills and Harbour bottle proved to be an excellent pattern weight.  Perhaps the contestants on The Great British Sewing Bee should take note.

Dannells advise in their video tutorial against using certain materials and wool gets a mention in the tricky category so I was apprehensive how the mohair would behave during the final stage when the fabric has to be tidily tucked into the rolled edging.  

I needn't have worried, the nifty tool provided for the task did the job - and the lampshade was done.

Now I just need to decide where to put my new lamp.

Bedroom or dining room?

Hall or lounge?

Whilst sipping my homemade gin

Spirits up?  Bottoms up.  Cheers!