gloriastitches

Due to receiving more questions about cast iron pans, here is one more blog about them!! Even though I mentioned that the second pan, after cleaning, looked like the one in a previous blog, I was asked for a photo. I guess people, including me, like "before" and "after" shots, so here they are. Since I was only giving a general idea of how I had cleaned the pans, not a "follow these instructions" type post, there were a few things I did not mention: one of them is that a pan with a wooden should not be put through a cycle in the self-cleaning oven. Aren't they heavy I was asked. Yes, they are, which is one of the reasons I avoided them for years. With the added weight of food, they are even heavier! If you are having problems with your wrists or hands, you might consider alternatives. I was told that enamel covered cast iron weighs a little less. Larger Lodge pans have a second handle, but I am not certain if the ones under 12" do. Just how did ...

I had no intention of posting anything about our latest cast iron purchase. However, I found out some interesting things about this pan's trip through the self-cleaning oven and thought I had better pass them along in case anyone was using my advice about cleaning a really cruddy old pan. In my blog of October 1 I gave a run down of how I had cleaned the other one. That one was $5 and very dirty and was rusty under the yuk. This one is larger and was also $5, but also a lot crustier, but with very little rust. The first step is to remove the rust. Then get the pan to its original state. In the blog of October 1 I listed all the things I had done before finally giving up and saying that it was time for the pan to go into the self-cleaning oven. I was amazed that there wasn't any smoke involved since all sites had warned that there would be. Friday I had done some scrubbing with coarse salt and oil and nothing was happening. Since all my work with the earlier pan didn...

For all of those who requested to see what other kinds of crafts I do, here it is. Ok, it was one person, but who's counting? The ex-Yahoo 360 members might recognize this photo as one I put up last year over there. I don't feel like uploading more photos at this time as I have to get some of my crafts done this week. I knit, crochet, and sew for the 11 1/2" fashion doll--you know which one--and her friends. It is a lot of fun. I find that although it is quicker to sew for this doll, it is more "involved". Seams must be finished, the fit must be more precise, and it is quite tedious to sew some of the smaller pieces, like neck facings. Updates: got another $5 cast iron pan, this one 11" and dirtier than the previous one. I haven't been able to get to the red outfit yet, but I will, and will post a pic of it re-done (and I still don't know what that will be.) Stay tuned.

Who knew? Who knew this pan would increase in size after being cleaned? Nah. I read somewhere that pans are measured across the bottom, so this is what I was using when I said it was a 9" pan. Then I checked some pans that I have which have the size on them. They were measured across the top, so now this is what I did, and thus, my pan increased to 10 1/4 ". Yay--much more useful this way. I went to many sites looking for the best way to clean the pan. (Check the previous blog to see what it looked like when purchased). Several places said to just put it in the oven when using the self-cleaning function. Somehow I just couldn't bring myself to do that! Not that pans have feelings, but that is a high heat and I know what it can do to pans. Another reason is that they said that the smoke coming from the oven would be just awful. I tried all the other suggestions first. I put spray oven cleaner on it and put it in a plastic bag for two days; I used sandpaper; I used the coar...

Having read some posts about cast iron pans, I got interested in them. I've had a griddle one for years but it is limiting since it is flat. The next week I found one at an estate sale. One? They had dozens there, all rusty and cruddy. There were three sizes: approximate 9 inch, 8, and 6. I wanted a 10 inch, but for $5 guess I couldn't complain. I tried to pick one that was the cleanest. Ha! All were bad. I don't know if these people had a restaurant or just bought a new pan when the old got dirty. First I did the oil and coarse salt to remove the rust. (already done in the photos). That was easy, but there wasn't too much rust. The next step is to clean the pan, then season it. Even though the pan is dark the crud (outside mostly) can be seen. I am an expert at procrastinating, but do hope to get this done soon. I want to make these: http://whatscookingamerica.net/Eggs/GermanPancake.htm A 10-inch pan is suggested for the smaller amount, but I can just use less batter....

I have a ton of patterns, mostly from the 80s and 90s, and since I haven't sewn in the past 10-12 years, I cannot justify buying too many more patterns, especially since I haven't sewn even a third of the ones I have! Having had the idea for a long time of updating garments and patterns, I think I'll "have a go at it." I spent a lot of money on books showing how to design, so it's about time I did something about it. This outfit screams "the 80s", and needs to be updated. The fabric is a poly rayon blend. It was easy to sew with and since I like dots and red, (and trust me, it is dotted), plus it doesn't wrinkle, it's a good candidate for renewal. Since I don't go to an office, I wore this outfit to dinner or to parties---thus I'll bet that I didn't wear it more than four times, so the fabric is "like new", and the outfit has been hanging in my sewing closet for many years, just waiting for me. Now, to decide what to do ...