Another (frugal) housewife

Frugality strikes again

2011-10-07T19:08:00.000+01:00

Or rather the need to be frugal. It never went away just things got easier for a while. However, neither child received a birthday present this year so I'm determined they will get something worthwhile at Christmas, and we will have our first grandchild mid December This means we have to put aside now. Not so easy on a hand to mouth existance which will be the state for some time to come I fear as we pay off the debts incurred by a failing business, thankfully we both now have regular incomes. Tonights supper is homemade veg soup with a large amount of homegrown tomatoes in it & homemeade bread with the last of the bread flour. Not sure if I will have enough money next week to buy more but no doubt we will survive.
I picked up a book being thrown away by the library at work this morning. "Your Best Life Now" by Joel Osteen, published 2004. The title intrigued me, I am a fairly positive & optimistic person as a rule, only inclined to the occasional bout of self pity, the anorak less so & sometimes it's hard to cope with. The book is based on belief in God & His ability to provide. I am not a religious person particularly, I was brought up Church of England, taught in Sunday School for a while even, have been confirmed, married in church & if we'd had the money would have had my second marriage blessed in church. My 90 year old Mum is a firm believer still & so was my beloved Dad. Yet I can't bring myself to attend church on a regular basis. I do believe, however, that to be a Christian is to treat others as you would wish to be treated yourself, whatever / whoever you may be involved with. With respect & dignity. And that's good enough for me. I digress. I think that the bottom line is to have self belief & to me that is what the book is about. I also believe in fate & I think this book was meant to fall into my hands & remind me to be positive. I'm not sure how much I can influence my much loved anorak but maybe he'll pick up the book & read the back cover & seeds may be sown in his mind.

Another awards evening

2011-09-29T18:43:00.003+01:00

For the second year in a row I was invited to our hospital trust's annual awards evening, dress code smart so posh frock time. Spotted this pattern in a case that my friend's Mum gave her, real vintage vogue, designer at that.

I borrowed the pattern & redrafted it to fit me using PMB5 from Wild Ginger. Got to love that software, it fits right out of the box. The details I changed by hand & I certainly had to tweak the muslin a few times before I was happy. Note to self - next time an approximate copy will suffice not every dart has to be in the same place! Pity the detail of gathers on the slanted seam either side of the waist can't been seen in the pics I'm told it's quite slimming! Bra strap holders kept the shoulders where they should be, as the weight of the cowl tend to pull them one direction or another.
Photos courtesy of my daughter taken at midnight after I got home, very tired , hence the lack of smile on one. I just wanted to sleep. Which I did, overslept this morning which wasn't good as I had to be some miles away on a course for 9AM. Somehow I made it in time to get some coffee before I started.

Testing times

2011-06-25T22:14:00.000+01:00

Indeed these are very testing times financially. The anorak has changed his job, now employed rather than self-employed, & won't get paid until the end of July. This is really pushing beyond the boundaries as there isn't enough money to cover all outgoings between now & then so I am restricted to around £30 a week for housekeeping, fuel & whatever else might be needed. Watch this space........
We've survived last week on homemade soup from the freezer, eggs from a friends hens, some homemade bread, homemade cake, & bits & pieces in the store cupboard & freezer. I did some shopping today & have split a 750g pack of mince into 3 & put in the freezer, padded out with a tin of beans, or some other veg that will be 3 meals, not all this week, two chickens that will each do 3 - 4 meals + stock from the carcases, & I think the dearest item was a pack of 4 pork chops that fed us tonight braised in stock with apples & mushrooms. However one chop & sauce was saved for a meal to take to work by the anorak next week. I also stocked up with a bag each of SR flour & plain flour & some veg. We'll see how long we can manage. I also had to spend on a couple of plastic lunch boxes that are microwave proof for the anorak to use at work.
Hey ho.
I have even managed to sew a top & long skirt for the hot weather if we get anymore this year, I can't stand trousers when it gets hot. In fact I prefer dresses but apart from one I made a couple of months back I have only got as far as altering the patttern for another.
My darling Dillon, the Dobermann, won the "Best Rescue" dog at a local companion dog show a few weeks ago. Fancy a prize for Dillon just being himself!!

A dress finished

2011-02-06T20:57:00.000Z

I finished the dress from Vogue 8413 & I'm not sure I like it! The drapey fabric isn't drapey enough for the cowl to hang properly, although looking at the pattern envelope it looks the same so maybe it's just me. I have about a metre left & I might try & squeeze a version of Butterick 5567 out of it, if not a simple top will have to suffice. Quite when or where I'll wear the dress I have no idea, I need a function to go to. Wait, Mum's 90th birthday could be the opportunity, I will need a jacket or something to go over it & the same fabric might be a bit too matchy matchy so I'd better get thinking. I have a pink tweedy one in the stash but I think it's the wrong shade, maybe a contrast navy would be good. In which case I'll need to go shopping again!
No photo as yet, need a little time & space to set up the tripod & find a free wall for the background.

Progress

2011-02-04T22:57:00.000Z

Of the career kind. I think. I am now the Domestic Supervisor at our local hospital. A sideways move but necessary in these uncertain times within the NHS. It should keep me employed during the next round of job cuts, most of all I hope it will prove to be a stepping stone to better things. I didn't want to make the move but I'd rather keep myself in employment than face possible redundancy which could have / maybe be an option in the next 12 months.

Meanwhile I have my beloved Dillon to keep me sane. Well he keeps me exercised anyhow! Fresh air & walking a few miles nearly every day has to be a good thing, except when it's raining & neither of us wants to go out. A flash back to last year, it took us a long time to persuade him to go for a drink in the stream, he hates getting his feet wet as a rule.

I'm sewing Vogue 8413 view A, well I started it a few weeks ago, in a dusky pink drapey fabric of unknown composition that a friend had in her stash for years & I mean years, going back to our flat share days, so that's over 26 years! I had a wild idea of making a skirt & several different tops in it but I forgot & cut out the dress instead! So that's an idea for the future.

Dearest Dillon

2011-01-08T22:41:00.000Z

This how I just found Dillon! Half asleep on / half off the settee.

Oh dear ...........

2011-01-08T14:35:00.000Z

The washing machine has died. It stopped in the middle of a rinse cycle, so when I opened it, I had to be very careful not to flood the kitchen! So now it has all been wrung out & along with what had to be washed immediately is now dripping over the bath, outside between showers & in the currently empty greenhouse. The next load is going to my step-daughters later to be collected tomorrow.

Saturday morning is traditionally brunch consisting of drop scones & home made preserves. It used to be Sundays until I had to start work working then.

This morning we had apple, grape & orange flavoured with star anise & vanilla, lemon curd & apple, pear & grape.

Look at all these jellies that the anorak has made this last week. Every time he saw fruit reduced he bought some. There's cranberry & apple, apple & grape, apple, orange & whatever was left of everything else!

All awaitung labels & being put into storage for later in the year & presents.

2011-01-03T19:57:00.001Z

Ohhhhhhh ................. tomorrows another birthday! I'll be 52 & part of me wonders how things could have been different if I'd chosen to follow a different path. But. I chose the path I'm on now & must make of it what I can. I have a loving husband & children, not to mention the animals! I'm actually very lucky. I read a new to me blog the other day & the thoughts on Simplicity seemed to make sense, certainly made me take the time to do a little thinking. Have a look. Coincidently Joy had first written her thoughts on the 4th January 2005, my 46th (?) birthday!
Just how lucky I am was brought home a few weeks back when the hospital rang to ask if I knew my DH had presented himself in ER with a suspected heart attack. No I had no idea. Silly man had felt unwell at work & driven himself there. Anyhow they told me he was being transferred by ambulance to Lancaster where he would stay until they knew what was happening. Now at this point I was actually feeling quite panicky but I knew I had to hold it together for our Joe's sake, so I chose to stay home & not go down to be with him as he is the worlds worst patient in hospital & I knew he would become more agitated if Joe & I were there. You make think that a strange decision when a loved one is potentially seriously ill but I know my husband. Had the nurse (whom I know as I work at the local hospital) suggested I go then I would have known it was very serious & gone. I rang Lancaster an hour later & they were waiting for a cardiologist, Friday evening isn't the best time to find available staff it seems. Long story short, he was discharged the next day with beta blockers & aspirin. He's since had an echocardiogram which showed up no problems & he sees the cardiologist again this coming week. We are sure it was stress that brought it on.
It was a huge shock for us both but I believe my darling anorak has realised that he needs to take time to relax more & not stress about what he can't change. Financially things are much worse than last year & how we'll manage remains to be seen but manage we will, with the love of our family & friends all around us.

Dillon meanwhile remains the centre of attention when he can. He, like most other dogs, loved the last snowfall.

Out with the old -

2010-12-31T22:39:00.000Z

- and in with the new! I was going to get all philosophical & debate the wisdom of disposing of the old rubbish & starting afresh with the new but I'm too tired!! In fact I've turned down an invite to stay home & be very lazy. But I know that I need to rest more than I used to as I'm living a more stressful life than I used to. I must be number one in my life some of the time!! Selfish? Maybe. But in order to look after the rest I must take care of myself. I need to re think my own plans & goals for the coming year & find a balance. It will be a challenge but I like the odd challenge!
I have resisted the urge to join in the 2011 SWAP on Stitchers Guild. I've started a couple of times but never got very far, so this year I'm not going to try as I know time is in short supply. I will however try & make what I do sew in to some kind of co-ordinating wardrobe. Unless of course I need something specific. Like the LBD I made earlier this year. I have worn it more than the one occasion & it works well.

Sunday

2010-09-05T08:19:00.001+01:00

Well today I'm of to work at the Alexon womanswear outlet at K village, my Sunday job. Extra income ya know. Not much but I get to play with clothes all day. I plan on wearing the new pants from that divine details pattern, they're not brilliant but they'll do. Meanwhile we gathered brambles & they are going to be turned into jelly, & checked the sloes out for when we make sloe gin, looks like a good crop again this year, better start buying the gin next week.

4th September

2010-09-04T10:40:00.001+01:00

The usual dog walking! Mans XXXL tee restyled to fit me a few years ago, with the words "Teach a man how to fish & you get rid of him for a whole weekend" Poop bag carrier. Oh how sad...........
Sooty the cat got in the pic too. White cat - Sooty? Blame the previous owners.
Customer support at Wildginger.com is brilliant. I now have a working copy of the Curves program. Just need to input the measurements all over again as the back up file has my older, bigger numbers in it!

Today update

2010-09-03T21:34:00.000+01:00

Well I've no photo for today at this point in time but I am wearing a top I drafted in PMB a couple of years ago based on one I saw in a Burda magazine. I have been trying to reload programs on the laptop which crashed a couple of days ago. So far only one won't go back on because the disc is cracked & I'm not happy as that is my Wildginger Curves program - my tees drafting marvel. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.
Mary I do so agree about what seeing what we really wear on a daily basis. I'm in danger of being seen as very boring before long!!

Self Stitched September.......

2010-09-03T13:07:00.003+01:00

This isn't going to be so easy. However yesterday & the day before I did manage it but boy do I need to do something about my dog walking gear. If nothing else I will need to sew some replacement clothes sooner rather than later!!

Blackpool Zoo on the 1st was lovely & warm. I didn't manage to look very glam but I was comfortable. Hand drafted skirt from several years ago, can't see the A-symetric hem, & top from I think Simplicity pattern that I can't find.

2nd Sept. Dog walking gear doesn't vary much but serves it's purpose for now!!! Burda WoF magazine waistcoat from years ago that I customised with hidden zippered pockets as part of a travel wardrobe muslin. I made another that I preferred actually that might show up later in the month. PMCurves drafted Tee that fit well a few years back, worn a lot & dreadful pattern & colours!! Whatever was I thinking? I was thinking it was cheap & cheerful for a muslin.

As for today, will have to wait for a photographer.

Progress

2010-08-30T23:48:00.000+01:00

Of sorts. I am not far off finishing the wearable muslin trousers of the Divine Details pattern mentioned in the last post. The photo on the envelope is misleading, to me anyway. It clearly shows the pants sitting below the models waist & I wrongly assumed (even though the description didn't say they were meant to be below the waist) that they would fit below the waist. They reach to my waist & a little higher. Now higher is to be expected as I purposely didn't do any pattern alterations so that I could clearly see what I would need to do with the next pair. I have retreived them by taking the waist in by about 1.5" & will put the waist binding a bit lower so they aren't so high around my waist. Now as I have a tummy which I never had years ago (!) I wrongly thought the alteration I used to do of shortening the body by around an 1" wouldn't be needed (extra fabric & all that) but I was wrong. I've been using a self drafted pattern for some years which still needs tweaking so I'd opted for a purchased pattern to start again. The next version will have the pattern altered before I start, at this stage I don't think I will need to alter the waist circumference as it will hit at a wider point if it's lower than it is currently. Overall I like the style, though I'm not sure whether I will do the piping on the back yoke again or not. If I do I think I will choose a contrast rather than use the same fabric.
I have lots of fabric staring at me & no time to get stuck into it!
I'm on leave but trying to rest & take it easy just doing what I feel like as for the first time in 7 years I don't actually want to go back to work & face the ~~people~~ problems that ruined the day I finished for my holiday. It shows that I'm not out of the woods yet as far as the mild depression the Doc diagnosed a few months back. I was always stronger than this but life has taken it's toll this last couple of years & I need to adjust I suppose.

Computers

2010-08-28T21:54:00.002+01:00

Don't you just miss them when they up & die on you? This laptop died on Wednesday & the old desktop went to join it, much to the anoraks disgust but that's only because he needs me to update his CV for a job who's deadline is Monday. Well a geeky friend got the laptop going again but I've lost everything on it. All but the most recent photos are backed up but nothing else was. Note to self - get backing up when normal service is resumed! I'll have to start over with all my teaching stuff, everything. All programs need to be put back on. To be fair not much was worth keeping apart from the pics but I'm even having trouble remembering which blogs I was subscribed to. I'll get around to those when I remember. I have started to make a pair of trousers but I've also started a Sunday job so I'll not get much sewing done tomorrow. I will however be playing with clothes all day in the shop. Sew Direct here in the UK has a buy one get two free, pattern offer this weekend so I've sucumbed as I did last time but I have only ordered six this time & no duplicates.

I'm making these in a dark grey pinstripe. Didn't have quite enough fabric so the hoped for play with stripes on the yoke & piping hasn't really materialised. I'm not adding back pockets either. These are hopefully a wearable muslin for a wool mix that I bought a couple of weeks back. I've made no alterations to the pattern as I've lost weight a preliminary measurement checks with the pattern indicate I might just have a pattern I can sew straight out of the envelope. We'll see. The only trouble with Divine Details patterns is the number of pieces! Then the lack of room to get two machines out at once. I've done all I can with one, next I need the other out. So why did I choose another trousers pattern? Well this Claire Shaeffer one has good reviews on Stitchers Guild (~~can't be bothered to~~ can't find the topic) so I thought I'd try a couture pair at some point. I like this Michael Kors dress too but not sure when I'd get to wear it, hasn't stopped me buying the pattern though!!

The details on this white jacket are lovely, though I'm not sure I like the pleated sleeve cap.

The top is a good basic for winter.

Kinda like this cape pattern too.

I chose another pattern but can't remember which one it is now, must be getting late the brain's giving up. I've just had one week off work & have done very little but take it easy & next week have a couple of things to do but intend to carry on taking it easy. My last day at work was incredibly stressful & I'm still not over it but I will be soon. Must be hot chocolate time.

Time, where did you go?

2010-08-13T22:50:00.000+01:00

Time has just flown lately. I am working evenings as well as mornings & have been too tired to do anything much when I get home, so no sewing but some pattern browsing & daydreaming.
I have a sideways promotion at work which I take up at the beginning of September on a temporary 3 month contract but "temporary" at our place tends to mean permanent! I'm shadowing the current post holder for now & then I have a couple of weeks off before I jump in the deep end. I've already said I willl likely ruffle a few feathers including the bosses but hey they know it needs doing & have said they'll back me up - the proof will be if changes actually happen. Like communication. Communication is a big deal in my book, without it the department will just continue to muddle through & I don't like it as it is, as I'm temporary (?) I can make some noises. If it becomes permanent then I've succeeded............. Or I'm another mug. We'll see in 3 months time.
I did take a day off yesterday to go to Preston with a friend & I have some fabric to drool over & hopefully get some things sewn up while I'm off for two weeks. That is the plan, the reality is I have DS who needs some attention & we'll have Henry the black lab, my step-daughters dog, staying for a week as well so two lively dogs that will need lots of long walks. I was lookiing forward to that but today my ankle has swollen up so I'm hoping resting this weekend will help. No idea what I've done to it, feels a bit bruised like I've bashed it on something but absolutely no idea what! Is this a sign I'm ageing? Senior moments?
Back to the fabric. I was restrained by my sensible friend & only bought to make a smart casual capsule wardrobe that I need rather than what I want to sew but don't actually need! So a dark aubergine wool mix textured print for a jacket & trousers & probably a waistcoat that will likely be on the casual side. A pink tweed for a jacket, & a grey wool for trousers. I will have to find time this weekend to start fitting the patterns. Ho hum. Time, I'm tired but a lie in will help if I'm allowed that is!!
Have to say I've had several months of not sleeping properly, sometimes not at all, the doc has me on anti depressants which have helped in some areas of my life but not with the sleep. Whittards of Chelsea opened a store in Kvillage 3 weeks ago & I bought some of their "dreamtime" hot chocolate & most nights I have slept far better than I have for at least 6 months, not every night but at least I have had more sleep than I was getting, must be something in the drink!! I don't care if it is psychological, it's working!!

Finally a photo

2010-07-09T19:44:00.001+01:00

I have a completed dress, in fact I've got 3. Well one still needs hemming, but I have to wait for the camera battery to recharge before I get pictures. I do have proof of me wearing the 1st one though. Last night was our local NHS trust learning & development awards evening, where I received my certificate for completing the manual handling trainers course. It was a BBQ & the dress code was smart. Now some wore outdoor smart casual, some wore casual, quite a few were in long patterned maxi dresses & me? Well I went for elegant & make a long lasting impression on the management (networking - I told them I was destined for management!) & I think I succeeded. My hairdresser did a fantastic job of an Audrey Hepburn inspired up do. Even my charity shop handbag decorated for a wedding last year was revamped with a black velvet ribbon. Edited to add the pattern is Vogue 2988.

Self Stitched September

2010-06-20T11:53:00.000+01:00

I think I've got the sewing mojo back again, spurred on by the fact I have a dress to complete by 8th July for a works award evening where the dress code is smart for a BBQ? Naturally as I sew I am expected to produce my own outfit. I have chosen a 50's style Burda download that no longer seems to be on their site but I've made it before with many changes. This time it will be as the original, in a black with small pink embroidered flowers that just happen to be the shade as a linen jacket I made two years ago. Can't find the line drawing right now to show you!
Self Stitched September has found it's way to my reading list & I've decided to commit myself - I make my own undies anyway so I automatically wear one item of me made clothing everyday anyway!! Finances are hellish tight but I had budgeted £30 for fabric for the above dress & got 3 lots & lining for less than that amount so I've got a start, all of it's destined for dresses but one might be a jacket! The reason for dresses is that I'm hoping to get some promotion that may involve wearing something other than a uniform & I need to be prepared!! Well I can live in hope.
I wish I could work out how to add the logo for this challenge. When I do, I'll add it.

Getting kind of fed up of having to reject spam type comments

2010-06-20T11:39:00.000+01:00

So I am! Go find something better to do, lifes too short to spend it trying to irritate others, get on with living & making the most of the time you have on this planet, you'll find it more worthwhile.

Bit of this & that

2010-03-01T19:14:00.002Z

On the bread making, I borrowed a library book on breadmakers this week & so far what I have produced tastes (& feels) heavy compared with the hand kneaded product. I'll persevere with other recipes, having produced passable results before but I ~~think~~ know where my preferences lie!
More yoghurt made & strained for cheese, my daughter wanted to polish off the last lot, it was so good. Have to drive to Barrow in rush hour traffic & road works tomorrow morning to take her for a final appt with the knee specialist. Hopefully he'll sign her off, 12 months after rebuilding part of her knee. Still we're going to make a day of it, bit of shopping (window only for me) & lunch out, my friend is coming too so I won't get to go ogle caravans at Bardsea Leisure to dream about later. I want a caravan but it's still so out of our budget.
My tame & friendly manager told me today that my course is a go for after April. Yea! Just need to make a decision about tailoring or corsetry. Hmmm, I really can't decide.

Following on ....

2010-02-23T17:16:00.000Z

.......... from bread making in the last post. I am hooked, I've made more baguettes using a starter dough & they turned out well, even the 50% wholemeal ones. So there's another starter fermenting tonight ready for tomorrow! I've made more yoghurt, this time for topping with fruit or whatever takes our fancy -it's nearly all gone & I think I'll have to buy another pot as a starter I don't think Joe has left me enough to start the next batch, I'll also need to stock up on long life milk as well. Relevant to this post is one I just read over at Simple Green Frugal Co-op about making from scratch. I've a long way to go but I'll get there, well as far as the Anorak's lack of interest in the process will let me. While we make just about every meal from scratch, he's as happy to buy some things that I'd rather make. Time will tell.

Bread

2010-02-21T23:02:00.000Z

I borrowed a book about bread making from the library last week & have been busy trying some of the recipes. The family is just about full up now! Some of the recipes contain more salt than I would have expected so will alter them for next time, & yes there will be lots more next times. You can make the dough & leave it overnight in the fridge to rise as long as you allow it to fully reach room temperature before using it. I did, & it was a tasty loaf. In fact I can see that it is fully possible to make bread by hand during a busy week, just needs a bit of forethought, ie planning! The Anorak is a committed supermarket white sliced type but even he conceded that tonights baguette was quite good! Not as "heavy" as previous attempts but he still likes the one I make the dough for in the bread maker. Oh dear. That baguette is good but not as light as tonights offering. Partly because it contains porridge oats & partly because a breadmaker can only mix ,not knead, the dough!!
We used tonights bread to mop up the gravy from a chicken cassoulet based on a good old M & S recipe from the 1980's not in any particular order: Chicken breasts, chopped sausage, tin of baked beans, onion, garlic, dry white wine, chicken stock. The sausage happened to be an Asda special from last summer found in the freezer, pork & sweet chilli, I thought I'd get it by the Anorak in a casserole but he decided it was too spicy for him. Yet he'll eat prawns dipped in sweet chilli sauce?
I made another pair of baguettes tonight from half wholemeal, half white bread flour & they too have risen nicely, having used the remainder of the starter dough from earlier. Tomorrows lunch. I also dug out the yoghurt maker yesterday & made some using semi skimmed long life milk. I've never had much success using anything less than full fat before & this didn't look like it was going to be any better but I decided to strain it & make cream cheese. 8 hours later & the cat is demanding the cheese (no chance) it is gorgeous on this fresh bread, & I just used some of the whey to make up fruit scones & they are nice & light. Morning break me thinks tomorrow! Soon I'll be back to overweight if I'm not careful!!

Progress, backwards or forwards?

2010-02-15T19:46:00.001Z

I have managed to find a helpful manager at work to assist me move up the career ladder. He doesn't know it yet though!! He is willing to push some funding my way.
Simply I need to earn more. Not so simply - it isn't that easy to do. So I decided I need to further my skills with a useful qualification. Then I can offer a wider service to clients at work as well as privately.
Now my dream is to be able to make bespoke bras. Hopefully the new area cancer centre is going to be based where I work. Masectomy patients, bras ........... you get my drift? BUT while it isn't easy getting suitable bras (you have to travel, Windermere seems to be the nearest so not that far) or buy mail order, choice is a bit limiting, talking to patients, it is obviously possible & a bespoke bra is going to cost far more than the dearest RTW bra & are these vulnerable women going to be able to afford or even want what would be a luxury purchase? I'm not sure. It is a plausable argument in my favour for the funding to be made available to me. IMHO.
I suspect though that it may be more beneficial to get some funding, to do a tailoring course. Now I have always wanted to do this too & I'm quite sure that asking for funding for both won't result in a positive outcome!! So do I venture down the tailoriing route, knowing I will be vastly undercharging at work to keep a steady supply of work coming in, which I know will infuriate me, my work is of a standard that demands a higher price, but will keep the bosses happy that we are providing an income generating, non profit making business, or what? Currently I do lots of alterations that I hate doing & a fair amount of curtain making that I am qualified to do. What a waste of my C & G level 3 cert, in soft furnishings. OTH work funded that course & seem happy enough with the outcome so why should I worry? I worry because I feel my sewing work at the hospital is way under valued & it gives a false impression of true price to joe public who will then expect our prices to be the norm when they are SO not. I do have a few clients there who appreciate the value of my work & compensate me accordingly but this is stricly off the record. You didn't read it here!
Actually what I need is a change of direction altogether into management but I'm not sure about wanting to be so involved in the politics at our place, having just seen at first hand how bad it is! Oh decisions, decisions. Now what would make it all so easy would be a nice ~~little~~ BIG win on the lottery instead.
The other drawback to doing another course is that this time it would have to be distance learning & right now I'm having a hard time getting motivated to do anything much. I need to be getting on with the ironing right now but here I am sat at the computer, then it's TV for an hour, first, The Lakes, followed by Raymond Blanc with a programme on chocolate. Wish I had some chocolate, I feel a need. It helps you know.

Dillon my favourite animal!! And that cat!

2010-01-26T10:59:00.000Z

Dillon charms the socks off everyone he meets.The anorak & I love him to bits.Dillon loves chasing a ball. Other dogs mug him for it!! And he lets them!!

Sooty the cat. Why Sooty? Who knows, blame the previous owners. He's just cost me £41 at the vets, he's developed an allergy to ..............fleas!! Now I've just got to gut the house all over again. he meanwhile is quite content to taunt the dog.

Confusion reigns.

2010-01-10T18:48:00.001Z

Talk about confusing. I had the bright (?) idea of knitting up some yarn to give me some knit yardage to play with for the SWAP, but of course the colours are all DRAB. Olive green, some beige, lots of grey - OK grey I can use - some navy but not enough for a top. Bright pink cotton, & maybe enough white for a simple top. I've twisted different colours together to see what they look like & they still look bleh to me. I'm going to have to experiment with tuck & slip stitches to see how they look. The problem stems from having a little stash left over from when I knit my Dad jumpers, he looked good in drab colours, & the stuff that came with the freecycled knitting machines I collected. Obviously colours that no one else wants either! Oh & I can't wear acrylic which is what the remainder of the yarn is. Better go & set up a machine I suppose & see if it will work. That'll be the next problem.

Thoughts on SWAP

2010-01-01T20:08:00.001Z

I've got my pants base pattern sorted. I will need to rehash it for jeans & make some changes for dog walking pants but the base is good. I was inspired by David Page Coffins "Making Trousers" book that my DD gave me for Xmas. I haven't put it down - well apart from when I was drafting & amending muslins that is. It re-enforced the need to get the fit right before I began on the details of construction that this book is all about.
Now what to do about the plans? I've been given a LBD by my daughter that I really need to shift the last 7lbs to look better than OK in, but will it fit in with the SWAP plans? My lifestyle doesn't really involve getting dressed up but as we all know a LBD can look good in the right place / occasion as long as black is a good colour on you. It is on me fortunately. And should I ever need to go someplace all dressed up then it fits the bill perfectly. So do I include it? Or not? Or do I start a second SWAP? Or even another for all the other possibilities that keep entering my head?
The current loose plans are based around the Smarties jacket which is a black, but looks dk grey, denim with pink & purple buttons.
The 4 bottoms will be :
black(ish) jeans
dog walking pants - probably lined for the cold weather as I have a lighter weight pair (though as they are currently being used with thermals under they may need replacing sooner rather than later) Not sure on colour though something that goes with my pink or red fleece jackets might be a good idea. I don't fancy black though. Grey perhaps?
Smarter pants - probably black pinstripe Marlene style for going out & teaching (if I get the required student numbers next term), & all my black pants are too large & don't appear to be that straight forward to take in. When they fit I wore them a lot. The only hiccup is that I'll need to buy fabric as all I have suitable in the stash is navy wool & that don't fit with the rest of the plans!
Do I go with a skirt for the 4th piece? I've stuck with pants as I've not had a suitable pair of shoes/boots for skirts the last few years but my DD gave me some Ugg lookalike boots for Xmas & I could get away with a longish skirt now. Black seems likely but that means I have a lot of black, then again I wear black as a base colour a lot if I'm not in denim jeans. Hmmmm, maybe a denim skirt? Not sure on this one.
6 Tops:
Possibly a number of variations on basic long sleeve tees.
A couple of shirts - I fancy a couple of stripe ones, & maybe a warm western style check one to go with the dog walking pants.
I do have a bought long sleeve tee that I could substitute in place of a sewn one if I get stuck, in purple, tha would go with the jacket that is my own choice garment.
But of course I could base my SWAP around the navy wool pants I plan on making now (as I already have it) to test the pants draft properly, then I'd need to rethink a few things. I know I don't need to make it all matchy matchy but if I have random colours then I run into the snag of pairing up what with what? And it won't look like it all came out of the same woman's wardrobe (closet). Of course whatever I decide will involve buying more fabric as I have little if anything suitable in the meagre stash & money is in short supply right now. May even mean I have to pull out of SWAP altogether but I do need clothes that fit me now. Oh bugger. Decisions will have to be made somehow. Maybe I'll just have to go with whatever I can find in the cheap shop & make it work.
Now I've hit a snag - these constitute two separate clothing needs I think & may not fit into the SWAP rules so I'll have to await confirmation of possible solutions to this. I don't need a full SWAP for either casual (dog walking) or smart casual (ie teaching) so I'm stuck. Better just get on with the navy pants I guess.

Happy New Year

2009-12-31T19:28:00.000Z

Wishing everyone a Happy New Year. For myself I hope our financial situation improves so I can stop worrying & I very nearly have a good fitting pants sloper that I can base my SWAP pants on. Not that I've got any fabric sorted yet, although there is some cheap denim on sale in town that would do a pair. How long they would last is unknown but beggars can't be choosers.
I've taken up knitting & find it relaxing, a pair of socks & a hat so far with another hat in production.

SWAP 2010 The Candy Shop SWAP

2009-12-04T19:34:00.003Z

It's that time of year again. I started & fell pretty much at the first fence last year. This time the rules are different & I really think this time I can make it work. I've chosen Option 1:
6 tops - t-shirts, shirts, blouses, or camisoles
4 bottoms - jeans, pants, shorts, skirts or kilts.
1 your choice (not an accesory)
2 garments may be purchased or previously sewn.

1 may be knitted or crocheted.
1 will be a matched print or stripe.
1 will feature embroidery, beads or sashiko.
1 will have buttons as the star feature OR use unusual or alternative closure(s).

Now as a rule I dress fairly conservatively, BUT I just made a jacket that goes a little way outside my usual comfort zone & I like it & I like that everyone who has commented has done so favourably. Put simply I wanted about 5 buttons but couldn't find enough that matched in the vintage button stash at work - I won't buy any if I can help it when there are so many in this stash! Then I spotted some pink ones & remembered I had some pink top stitching thread, except there weren't enough pink so I looked again & found some identical purple ones. Thus the Smartie jacket came into being!

This now fits in with the buttons as a star feature, own choice garment & one previously sewn. It's a black stretch denim twill with a lighter thread so I could get away with grey pants as well as black & I wear it with blue jeans too. Quite versatile. I will need to think a bit more about what pants I make as they will need to be able to be worn with the jacket. Tops will likely be a mix of tees & shirts. I have visions of maybe three or four shirts each named after a sweet or two!!! I will start to go through my big stash of Burda WoF later for inspiration. In the meantime how does Blackpool Rock, Humbug or Peppermint Cream sound for a blouse? Stripe? Hmm. I think I can do this if I cut creatively eg. on the bias, maybe side panels on a princess seamed top or a chevron effect on a yoke.
I have to remember too that I dress for comfort & practicality. I walk to work in all weathers, but have a uniform when I get there. I walk the dog nearly every day so need pants for that - I generally put walking boots on for comfort. I go into town maybe once a week, often on foot, usually in what ever I happen to be wearing but I need to make more of an effort. Finding comfortable, practical but good looking & reasonably priced shoes is always a hassle for me & does affect what I end up wearing. The designer in me is having a field day, especially as I need to really start thinking outside the box a little & get more adventurous. Trouble is I can envisage another swap along side this one called Chocolate Heaven to go with a jacket my daughter bought me two years ago that doesn't get worn very often. All this food thinking must be due to being on a weight loss plan. VBG.

Pork

2009-10-31T23:34:00.000Z

Pork was always chops or sausages or paté but now I've been educated. I spent an hour back at Sillfield Farm with Peter Gott & learned a little more about the pig. And wild boar. But mainly the humble porker. Peter showed us how they butcher pork & which cuts benefit what method of cooking. Being a fan of slow cooking ('specially now I've got a slow cooker) & usually this means cheaper cuts of meat, I found it very interesting. Needless to say I came away with some "steaks" best suited to slow braising, probably Monday or Tuesdays tea. Oh & some wild boar stuffed chicken rounds. I have ideas aplenty for paté too! I really want to just buy my pork from Peter now I've seen his pigs, stroked one of the boar & seen the piglets!! Proper British pork, outdoor reared & welfare top of the list. The prices aren't bad either. It does help to see & understand how our food is produced. Next on the list? Need to find a beef farmer, chicken farmer & sheep farmer who do what Peter Gott does down at Sillfield. Kendal Food Festival is something I do hope is repeated, it has been well worth it for my food education, not to mention my sons.
Tonights tea was slow cooked supermarket pork steaks, supplied by mother. Potentially bland. Flavour was added in the form of apples & onion & fresh sage. Easy recipe, brown the meat in a little butter, put in casserole, brown the onion & apple in same pan, add to pork. Deglaze pan with a little white wine, or cider &/or stock, pour over pork & put in slow cooker & forget for 6 + hours. Stir cream in before serving if desired. Served tonight with reheated braised red cabbage & apple, (much improved by reheating), roast butternut squash, roast left over new potatoes with sage, carrots & green beans. Filled me up & set up Joe for an evenings trick or treat.

Food, glorious food

2009-10-29T19:57:00.001Z

Kendal Food festival has been a very good idea I think. We've enjoyed it so far! Joe in particular. The only drawback is that it's half term week - good for the kids - but it's also the last week of the month & money is in short supply. So we've been limited as to what we could do. However money was very well spent on the sausage making course down at Sillfield Farm with Peter Gott. We came away with over 2KG of unique own recipe sausage & boy are they good, not mention cheaper than we could buy anywhere made with free range pork & a low fat content. I do like to know what I'm eating isn't rubbish. Today Joe made bread rolls for free courtesy of Kendal College. They're good too & will be warmed up tomorrow for lunch along with homemade soup & paté. Not to mention the lessons Joe has learned about breadmaking & sausage making & some of the science behind the recipe proportions.
Nearly forgot, I came across a blog by another South Lakes lady, Audreys Tea Shop, the apple & date chutney sounds yummy. But the trip to Mums has provided me with some of her Autumn chutney & some spicy apple chutney, so I'm set up for a while now!

Food

2009-10-11T21:20:00.000+01:00

Two posts in one evening!! I shall definitely be visiting Natland Millbeck Icecream Parlour during the food festival week, it's only around the corner!! And dear Joe fancies sausage making down at Sillfield Farm near Endmoor, with Peter Gott, he who supplies Jamie Oliver no less. Oh such a lot of goodies to anticipate. Then I must remember that mother wants me in St Annes to conduct some business with her solicitor that week as well. As long as it doesn't clash with the food, cos the food might win!!

2009-10-11T20:55:00.003+01:00

Apples, apples, apples. And no photos, as I only thought about that just now! I've made apple & damson cheese, spiced apple butter, damson & apple jelly, crumbles, pie fillings, apple & blueberry muffins & I've run out of apples! I have yet more recipes for apples that I want to try, so I shall have to raid my friends orchard again, if there are any left that is. Apples & plums were taken down to Mum as she's the chutney queen & I love her autumn chutney. There's no point me making any as I'm the only one in the house that eats it!
We've emptied the local trees of a bumper crop of sloes this year & have plenty of gin on the go. I prick the sloes, cover with sugar & gin & forget about them until I need the jars the next year, then I bottle it. I discovered some 2006 damson gin this year so instead of discarding the damsons, I removed the stones & covered them in melted dark chocolate ready for Christmas. Waste not, want not.
The biggest problem with all this food is that I'm having to watch my weight & I do not like not being able to eat what I like so I came to the conclusion I will just have to get yet more exercise to counter the effects!!
Actually exercise is readily available in the form of Dillon. He loves to go out, doesn't always want to return home when I do but we go out every day for a good hour when I get back from work. This leaves me just enough time to get a meal on the table before the anorak has to go to work. I must get more organised!! A slow cooker is in my future despite t'other halfs opinion that he doesn't reckon much to them. I also want a dehydrator for next summer & maybe a food mill to help with the food prep.

Today I was out walking with Dillon for a good two hours, would have been quicker but most other dog owners see him & want to talk to him. He's such a sweetie. Not to mention the fact I had to retrace my steps twice, once as I missed the footpath, & the second time I had to walk back half a mile as I didn't want to walk through a small field full of cattle on & around the footpath. I was once chased by some young bullocks & knowing dogs can encourage them to show more than a passing interest I decided I'd rather walk back along the road. It's fun exploring the local countryside. The two dogs we had before, Sindy & Jess, didn't need so much exercise, so now I'm walking off the pounds & enjoying the fresh air. Even if sometimes it's wet & windy. It also means I get to pour over maps which I loved to do as a teenager. We have some wonderful countryside here outside the Lake District.

Yesterday I happened to pass Oxenholme railway station with Dillon at the time lots of enthusiasts were gathering to watch a steam loco, the Royal Scot, pass through. Later info revealed the engine to be the Duchess of Sutherland for those that want to know these things. I rang home to get Joe up with a camera, (we don't live far away) but some bright spark had been messing with the camera & all Joe managed was a shot of a carriage. I was busy keeping Dillon in check as this huge puffing monster went rushing past & boy did it move fast. So I went back later to catch it on the return journey & was lucky enough to discover the new Tornado loco was due as well!

The last week of the month is Kendal Food Festival which I'm looking forward to. We have some damn good producers locally, & it will be interesting to see just what will be on offer.

New Arrival

2009-09-12T23:41:00.000+01:00

Meet Dillon. The new love of my life! I'm besotted. Completely.

It doesn't take much.

2009-09-05T21:45:00.000+01:00

............ to get another dog! Thursday afternoon we went to the local animal rescue & found Dillon the Dobermann. We collect him tomorrow & I'll have to get some photos. He's underweight but quick to learn & seems reasonably obedient so we'll see. 14 months old & he hasn't had his tail docked either so his mood is easy to judge, lovely eyes & so happy to be with people. Meanwhile Simba , my daughter's dog has been staying while they move house. She wants to play with the cat but he is having none of it, growls worse than a dog!!

RIP Sindy

2009-09-02T07:17:00.000+01:00

We said goodbye to Sindy last night after 16 very happy years. She didn't come out of a fit properly & was very distressed so straight to the vet. She was my dog rather than anyone elses & I miss her terribly.

I'm really not much good .........

2009-08-30T17:50:00.013+01:00

.......... at keeping up with this blog lark! Still inspired by the photos taken at my step-daughters wedding I'm going to try & get back into photography a little. Afterall I do have a fancy DSLR to play with. Well it's basic by a pros standard but that's what I'm not!
I have a great pic of my hair for this wedding, styled by my hairdresser at Igloo in Kendal & very kindly photographed by Pete of Lawson Photography at the wedding. Thank you Pete.

To fill space, some recent pics I took at the Dales Falconry centre. The other half took a days course where I trailed around as official photographer. I took our Joe last week who now wants to do a days course!

I had the wrong lens on to photograph this owl, I'd just been trying to catch a Saker Falcon in the air. They fly that fast it's damn near impossible! G force of 9 or 10!!

Saker Falcon in flight

RIP Jess

2009-03-20T18:56:00.001Z

Our much loved Jess went to the Rainbow Bridge earlier today. RIP sweetheart.

I do wish.........

2009-03-15T18:02:00.004Z

I could keep up with this blog. Never mind I've been busy making cakes to see what my stepdaughter wants for her wedding. Most of the samples have now been eaten of course.

Also our beloved dog Jess is deteriorating, not sure if she will still be with us later in the week. She perked up earlier & I snapped this pic of her.

Typical pose.Had a good trip to the Sewing for Pleasure expo at Birmingham NEC last week & came home with THE fabric for my outfit for Michelles wedding. Plus lots of ideas for projects that I really don't have time for. Did I say I'm also making a wedding cake? Not icing it, that's for a professional. Just waiting on receiving the recipe from Mum, it was last used for my wedding cake & first used for my grandmothers cake around 1915, nearly 100 years old! Good job the ingredients will be more recent!!

Sewing with(out) a plan

2009-01-26T22:06:00.003Z

SWAP is what I'm up to. Or not. My ideas are biggger than my stash & better than my current lifestyle so I had to have a rethink. I'm getting there slowly. I even took 3 days off work to sew. And so far I have one top that is good & two near misses. Almost wadders. The trousers have been saved although they aren't brilliant & the blouse for work - well I shall put it away & get it out to frog stitch at a later date. Grrrrrrrrrr.
MOTTO: Make a muslin. Make a muslin. Make a b!"£$%^&* muslin.
On the bright side I know I can't be far off a decent fitting pair of trousers. And I know which blouse style doesn't work on me. Pity I used good fabric. I tell my students over & over to make a muslin. Time I followed my own advice I think.
I won't be making a muslin for the jacket I have in mind as it's by way of an experiment anyway but first I need to find the pattern to compare the sizing with my block so I know if I've added enough ease. However I have no idea where it could be. And I only have tomorrow morning to sew as I have French class in the afternoon.
I need more time off to sew but will have to wait a few more weeks, then it's half term & I'll have Joe in tow so won't get much done I don't suppose.
The Swap. Oh yes. Clothes to fit the body I'm in now & the life I live now. Not having a clear plan is both a hindrance as well as a help. On one hand I'm wallowing in the dark, on the other I can make snap decisions & sew random items & hope most of them go together. I can also tell myself that I'm sewing a part 2 item to go with part 1, & when I do get the cash to fabric shop I can choose colours to go with what has already been made from the stash & extend the wardrobe further. Sound convincing? No I thought not. Still I'm getting my colurs done at the end of February so it could all change anyway. How long do I have left to get this done? The end of April. There's hope.

Bread & blackcurrants

2009-01-05T19:47:00.004Z

You simply cannot beat the smell of homemade bread, at least not in this house. I don't have the time to make it by hand very often although I do find it very therapeutic, so I invested in a new tin & paddle for the unused breadmaker that has been sat in the corner since it began to leave unwanted grease & bits in the bread, a year or two back - I discovered someone had been immersing the whole lot in water & it obviously didn't like it & I couldn't resolve it, so it sat there until I decided last week enough was enough & a new set had to be bought.
I've also just bottled one lot of blackcurrant syrup for the coughts & colds season. In clearing the freezers I "found" a substantial amount of currants, black, red & white, obviously left there to make syrups later on so that's what I'm doing. The second lot is gently simmering right now to extract the juice so I can deal with it tomorrow.
There would be photos but the light is bad in the kitchen at night so maybe tomorrow if I remember.
Dear son now wants homemade bread rolls for his packed lunch tomorrow so that breadmaker is getting a good workout tonight. Me, well just another hour or so & I shall hit the sack, I managed to hit "snooze" on the alarm for over half an hour this AM & was late going out. It's also forecast to be cold tonight & the heating isn't co-operating, I just had to reset it twice tonight already. Brrrrrrrrr. bed socks tonight me thinks.

Saturday 3rd January 2009

2009-01-03T19:38:00.003Z

Another ramble on life as it is right now! Tomorow is another new beginning in this new year. I shall be 50 & intend to celebrate by starting as I mean to continue. Enjoying life as much as I can, getting as much out of it as I put in. There shouldn't be any presents as I tried to insist those I received for Xmas were more than enough to cover a birthday too. OK a couple of the Xmas pressies weren't really what I would have chosen to receive from my other half but they are OK if you like olive green & camo!! So I shall be grateful that I have a waterproof jacket & boots, even if they do hurt a little.
My dear Dani bought me the stick blender I had planned to get myself & a bouquet of flowers arrived today too. I love flowers. Mum had sent some money so I invested in a few books from my Amazon wish list & also some new bakeware from Lakeland Ltd. I love that shop, it carries all the gadgets that you didn't know you couldn't live without. LOL!
I'm working with the theory that to make good meals from very little, having the right (ie well made, long lasting etc) equipment will surely help.
What I would like to do tomorrow really is sew, without interruption, but in reality I think we'll be going for a walk, & I may visit a friend & get some of her wonderful free range eggs. Which means I could be baking tomorrow evening. I would also like to buy some more fabric to get on with the SWAP sewing - lots of plans just no fabric to execute most them.
We had ice cream for pud tonight. Homemade with chunks of chocolate & toffee. Yummy.
I also took it upon myself to defrost the upright freezer & clear out what was never going to be eaten. Next will be the chest freezer & if I can I'm going to empty it & switch it off until we start to produce more of our own veg & fruit. There's another resolution, shop the freezer more often.

Another year, another chance to start afresh

2009-01-01T15:20:00.008Z

Well, there are a number of reasons to make a fresh start, one being keeping this blog up to date!

Life has thrown a number of lemons my way lately but I am going to make lemonade from them & add a shot of vodka just for the hell of it!

We are going to simplify our lives where we can, not by removing things so much as changing how we use what we have. Projected income reduction due to the current economic climate is a motivating factor of course, & increasing the family happiness factor is the other!

We've started menu planning again, not sure why we stopped really but it's underway again to be economical & to think about what we do buy. Joe mentioned ice cream, so I realised there was a tub of cream that needed to be used now, we had eggs & milk & sugar, so the egg custard is chilling now! There is left over Xmas pud to stir in some & some toffees to melt to pour over the rest! The egg whites are now turning slowly into meringues in the oven for another pud at a later date as they will keep a week or two.

And the anorak has said he wants another allotment. YES. This time we will make sure we find enough time as that was the final deciding factor to give it up last time. I have so missed our own grown veg & fruit. In fact I just used up the last blackcurrant syrup last week when I was suffering from a lousy cold. Sloe gin helps as well. Got to make the 2007 vintage last, there were no sloes in 2008.

Guess what? I discovered that the microfibre cloths that only need water to work on cleaning actually do just what it says on the label! Feeling guilty as I hadn't cleaned the bathroom for a week, I thought I'd try one out. It works no problem. Next I need to make up some disinfectant using some essential oils, about time I used the knowledge from my now defunct aromatherapy qualification. That's another small economy to contribute to the bigger picture.

Yes you guessed correct, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle are hot just now!
Actually we already recycle quite a lot, the usual plastic, paper, glass & cans. So it's just a case of taking things one step further.
Reduce, what? Well if we buy meat from the butcher instead of the supermarket, like I did at Christmas I can reduce the plastic wrapping. This isn't quite so simple as the supermarket is very handy, very close & cheaper in many cases than the butcher who I can only get to once a week as long as I continue to go into town at the weekend. No big deal as it isn't very far but it does mean I have to be organised. Ha ha. Fuel, well I aleady cut down the milage by walking or cycling as many places as I can so I can't reduce that any more right now but I can remember to give DH the fabric carrier bags for the shoppping more often to reduce the ones he usually brings home. Also I am going make net bags for the loose fruit & veg shopping so that's less plastic bags too. Water, I'm going to be keeping a careful watch over the loads in the washing machine. Leading on from this & as above, the cleaning products I use are going to gradually change as I reduce the bought where sensible & efficient, to use the simpler, but still as effective, methods.

Reuse, well we already share the bath water some days as an economy. Plastic bags that we do get, get used over & over for shopping, dog poop, rubbish where necessary, I haven't bought bin liners now for months. Foil containers, not acquired very often but the ones that do come home if DH splurges on a ready meal, are often strong enough to be reused for baking or freezing. Fabric is already reused for bags of varying sizes.

Recycle, the afore mentioned fabric bags are usually old curtains from work that would otherwise go to landfill. Terrible waste but I already got rid of loads to the local animal shelters & charities. Compost. I have to admit we have a neglected bin on the back garden, but we are going to clear a path & start over with it this week.

Another wordy post, I really do need to get out & about with the camera & my new lens to see what I can snap.

More SWAP ideas

2008-11-20T21:16:00.002Z

I'm now thinking raincoat, warm, waterproof & wind proof! The jacket I have is OK but not waterproof anymore - unless a friend in the local mountain rescue can get hold of some re waterproofing stuff for me! So a smarter coat would be a good investment, I don't see the family splurging on the fancy jacket I have my eye on so I may as well have a go at making one. The style is a problem - I can't decide. I'm thinking raglan sleeve with a cape over. Taped seams etc. I really need water repellent not showerproof. Probably underlined with flannelette or light fleece for warmth & lined with something good quality, acetate, Bemburg or whatever. Just have to fix on a style that will not be too difficult to draft & then make up. I haven't found a pattern for anything that screams make me. Or a colour I want yet.
Pants will be 2 pairs of jeans, a pair of jeans style trousers, & a smart pair. Tops, I've made a start I've got a black suede look shell I made last week to go under a suede look jacket so thats one top done, just another five to go! I have some fabulous plum satin microfibre that I fancy making an Issy Miyake jacket out of & using as a blouse. Off to press the plum microfibre now it's laundered.

Back to the SWAP

2008-11-08T23:51:00.002Z

Well I think I've kind of formulated a plan. Sort of. If you see what I mean. I have a party to go to next week & the usual nothing to wear problem came up. Well I do have a couple of things but not shoes that will be comfy for a whole evening so it has to be trousers for which I do have comfy shoes, which means I need to take in the existing pair of black trousers to fit my slightly slimmer self! So black trousers & what? I have a frilly white blouse which would do but not a jacket that I could wear over it. So I've ended up with some black sueded fabric from the stash & some cheap chinese dragon red brocade fabric from Boyes & a Butterick pattern which I quite like, although next time I'll draft one in PMB 4 & add the pattern details. The lapels are in the red & I've lined the jacket with red lining fabric. It is too close fitting to put much underneath so no white frilly blouse, I'm going to draft something & use the rest of the red brocade for a close fit top. Maybe a waistcoat (vest). Then I really must get the trousers altered.
Any how the SWAP - I realised that I like a lot of the jackets I have patterns for but the swap is for 1 jacket only that goes with the rest of the garments made so this new black / red jacket is limiting as far as colours & maybe style goes so I can't use it, but it will fit with a stage 2 or 3 plan. On the other hand it is close enough fitting to maybe, be classed as a top? Then if I made an outer jacket / coat in something warm & waterproof I will have the jacket requirement sorted & then some of the jacket patterns that are calliing me may also fit as tops. Stretching it a bit? I think so! Yes pushing the boundaries here so rethinking - I do wear some shirts as layers over tees, both long & short sleeve, during the winter so if I find suitable style ideas in patterns & other pictures I could satisfy my craving for jackety tops that I can wear alone or over tees. couldn't I?
I've also dug out a glove pattern that I could use some of this black suede'y' fabric for. Well I'll need some sewing to do while I look after Mum immediately after her hip replacement. Actually I think I'll take some other projects as well, I hate to just sit & twiddle my thumbs & cope with the type of conversations Mum is prone to having with me at the moment. I need distractions. Not being horrible, just realisitic. We can't take on the problems of the world & feel guilty for not doing so. Well I can't & I wish Mum would stop feeling this way, it only gives her more anxiety attacks & I see them as self inflicted when she's this way out. I love my Mum dearly & thank God she has all her faculties but it is hard to cope with her when she's this way out. There moan over.

A thought.......

2008-11-03T18:08:00.002Z

I have just been reading the latest poat on Simple,Green, Frugal Co-op blog & it makes perfect sense. To achieve more we need to plan better & follow that plan accordingly & everything slots into place.
It also reminded me that we need to remember to ensure we have time with our kids. Quality time. Now there's a couple of words for you. Quality time. What is it? In my book that means being there for the kids when they need you. Not when you can fit them in. I found my daughter needed me more as she became a teenager. On her terms but nevertheless I needed to be around when she needed me. I was lucky in a way. I had Joe when she was 10, having worked full time up to then from her being 18 months old. And yes I did miss out on so much up til then but finding myself a single parent felt I had to earn, not rely on benefits. So having Joe & discovering that there was no way we could afford childcare, the only other option was staying home. So I did. For five years before the lure of adult company & some much needed cash got the better of me. I have no regrets. I was around for all the trials & tribulations of a girl becoming a teenager. That was also the hardest time I have spent as a parent. My beautiful daughter turned into the teen from hell & pushed me to the very limits of my whole being. Many times I just wanted to run away & end it all. Have nothing more to do with her & mean it. Our marriage suffered dreadfully. But on good days I was there for her & I think she appreciated that. I returned to part time work when she was 15 & Joe 5, & it helped my sanity no end. I wasn't through the worst yet but it helped. I did throw her out once after I could no longer take the shouting, screaming, spitting etc, but I took her back before the end of the day. It was so very hard, that time. We had social workers, police, parenting classes you name it we tried it. But the only thing that worked was just being there in the finish. At least that's what I think.
Now I have a very pleasant young woman who knows what I went through & knows that I will always be there for her. And she also knows from bitter experience that the grass isn't always greener on the other side of the fence. And from that experience she has grown emotionally. Long may she continue to blossom.

Indecision

2008-11-01T21:34:00.003Z

Or no decisions on the SWAP front. I was going to make a top to try out a pattern but having drafted the pattern the fabric I was planning wasn't a big enough piece. So I thought it would make Joe some PJ pants so I drafted another pattern. Not enough for those either so I didn't sew anything! Still no confirmed thoughts on my plan. I think I'm just going to sew whatever I feel like at the time so long as it fits the swap criteria & me of course. Actually I was planning to sew bottoms after January but I think I might need some before then if I lose more inches.
I have just made an "Abba" style jumpsuit for a client that fit perfectly first time. The "Morticia" dress I just made myself came out way too big & where it did touch it was too tight! Should've checked the old measurements & the pattern first. Yes I've lost 12lbs, can't shift any more at the moment but there's an inch missing from the hips & 1.5" missing from the waist. Woohoo.
So I missed trick or treating with Joe, he didn't want me there anyway, but I like dressiing up & going out with the kids. Instead I stayed home & greeted lots of ugly monsters & a few very pretty tiny witches.

Help or hindrance?

2008-10-19T21:51:00.003+01:00

I have been given several bags of clothing to pass on to the charity shops from my friend, who acquired them from someone else! So I now have a denim jacket. & a couple of tops, including a jade one. So do I rethink some of my colours for this SWAP or do I just consider these as extras? I love the colour of the jade one, & I remember seeing a cardigan the same shade in our local Asda (Walmart). Well it would fit in with the black of the SWAP would'nt it?!!!!! I was hoping to find something I cut deconstruct & create something new but just about everything was on the small side. However there were a number of boys jumpers that will do for Joe in a couple of years. A useful haul.

On a different subject - food.
I made some roasted tomato soup yesterday with the last of the tomatoes from our little greenhouse. It's all gone already. Good job there's some in the freezer for the winter. Tea last night was chicken stir fry, I found a pack of chicken on offer so that was good. Tonight was braised pork chops with apple & onion, jacket potatoes, roasted carrot & parsnip & broccoli. Oh & boiled carrots for Joe as he doesn't like them roasted & hates parsnips! I came across some forgotton dried beans in the cupboard earlier & I think a slow cooked stew of some sort is in the horizon. Not to mention the thought of buying a ham shank during the week to provide stock & meat to add to green lentils for a feel good supper with a French stick! Well it is a French recipe after all & one we all love.

First draft.

2008-10-19T12:18:00.002+01:00

My first thoughts on my SWAP. Always with the option to change at every whim!
After a morning straining my eyes at the computer screen I'm off to walk the dogs in the cool fresh air of the countryside with a friend. time to wrap up warm it's wet & windy out there!

SWAP 2009

2008-10-17T18:28:00.018+01:00

Bummer. I just caught some key or other on the keyboard & wiped the reams I've just typed. Note to self: Use "save" more often.

So from the top again. This years SWAP has been posted on Stitchers Guild. The catch this time? The clothes have to fit our current weight & lifestyle! Ha, I'm in the middle of a weight loss kick so I plan to concentrate on tops this side of Xmas & bottoms after. I should be around my target weight by then & I intend to stay there this time.
I took a serious look through my wardrobe. Good job I cleared some of it out last week! Anyhow, I now have some idea of what I'm going to need to replace a) what I've thrown out & b) what I'm going to slim out of.
Tops: 1 each navy, raspberry & cream long sleeve tees. And these are baggy on me now.
Jackets: I have no less than 3 although 1 is more summer than winter. And they're all black! Oh I do possess a brown tweedy one as well! Actually I just realised I have a black duster coat too!
Trousers: 1 black, 1 tiny black/cream check that I can wear now, 1 bottle green & 1 tiny brown/black check that I will shrink into. 2 pairs of denim jeans. I'm ignoring the baggy cargo pants & sweat pants.
Blouses: Lots of white & white/black variations & about 3 black. A lilac 3/4 sleeve that isn't the greatest fit but looks good on me anyway. All the blouses I tend to wear with the black & black/white check trousers. A heavier weight raspberry shirt that I tend to wear as a lightweight jacket.
Dresses: A black linen mix sleeveless sheath, a tiny brown/black check sleeveless sheath & a wool blend navy sleeveless sheath! Thes only get worn on occasions!
Skirts: 1 red trimmed with black lace at the hem & no tops to wear with it as I threw them last week! A black suit skirt from my daughter that goes with the jacket she gave me. It's a tad too small right now but will be OK soon! I don't really do skirts as I can't find any comfy shoes that suit skirts as well as my feet. If I do find any I'll be making skirts again.

So that's what I've got & this is the lifestyle:
Get up & pull on jeans & tee, fleece jacket / waterproof, cycle or walk & occasionally car to work via school drop off. Once a week smarter look to go to French class after work.
Teach one evening a week so smarter look. When not teaching, go to pub with the Anorak & meet friends, smarter casual look.
I've already decided not to make outerwear as up here requires good waterproofs & I haven't got the time to make a decent job of that type of garment.

So what do I need?
Long sleeve tees for starters. Trousers & jeans for after the weight loss stabilises, including black. Another jacket but not in black! Tweed maybe with flecks of red, purple & green?? So this leads into colours too. Obviously black plays a large 'ish' part in the existing wardrobe & as I can't afford to replace everything it will have to remain so I need to plan around the existing jackets as well. I'm ruling out a fleece jacket at the moment although another would be useful but I couldn't necessarily make it work with the smarter trousers, although I do have a Vogue pattern that would be nice. I'm in danger of digressing here & rebuilding the entire wardrobe!

The stash has some raspberry & navy cotton jersey, also a black with purple fleck wool knit. Long sleeve tees come to mind, maybe a wrap top as well. A white self striped cotton for a blouse. Some pieces of the tiny black/white check that made trousers may be enough for a jeans style jacket, but then it wouldn't go that well with the brown/black check trousers. I'm thinking maybe a black denim for jeans rather than blue as well.

First thoughts are black trousers & black jeans, then the existing blouses will work with them. Also as I'm not going to make them until January I have time to find a fabric & colour that will work with whatever the jacket ends up in. I think a jeans style jacket might be useful, or maybe the Vogue Divine Details jacket pattern I've got. Would it work in tweed? I don't know. I quite fancy a raspberry red jacket too. Decisions decisions. Actually it's really going to evolve around whatever I can get in the finish!

The navy cotton jersey in the stash isn't going to get used for this SWAP as it isn't going to fit in but I will make it up anyway before the start to refine the self drafted pattern I will use. Neither is the black knit as I don't see it going with a red jacket but it will go with a tweedy look so again I may use it! The raspberry jersey will make it into the SWAP if I have enough as I love the colour & it works with several other colours as well.

So off the top of my head.

Jacket in a raspberry or maybe a bottle green colour or grey (?) tweed with flecks of colour in it.

Tops in raspberry, poss purple flecked black knit, cream, something with bottle green in it, maybe a pattern of some sort.

Blouses, 1 in white self stripe ( a girl can never have enough white shirts -right?) & maybe another in a print with raspberry & or bottle green in it.

Trousers - black, black denim, maybe a grey pinstripe & maybe a tweed so the potential tweed jacket forms a suit? See? I'm deviating from the main part of my casual lifestyle into smarter casual!! Perhaps I should make a second pair of jeans in a slightly different style or a pair of fine needlecord. I do need clothes to cycle to work in.

There what a lot of decisions to make & thoughts to dwell on. One thing I have decided however. Two in fact. I am going to be asking for accessories, i.e. gloves, pashminas, costume jewellery in the accent colours of raspberry & bottle green as presents from my loved ones this Christmas. Secondly I am going to do a mood board first with pictures from fashion magazines as I have loads of them that I used in my first lessons as inspiration for my students. I'm hopefully going to inspire myself!

A list

2008-10-14T21:08:00.003+01:00

Of blogs I just came across that have been interesting reads. I've put them on my blog feed.

simple-green-frugal
notes from the frugal trenches
beauty that moves
Caseys Musings this last one being fashion & clothes rather than how we should be living.

Soule Mama has got some yummy recipe links if you like pumpkin.

I am inspired once more to live better than I do now. I had already decided to join my best friend on her journey to re-instigate her veg garden along with another friend. The only drawback is that I have no option but to drive there as she lives out in the country but as I try & see her once every couple of weeks or more if I can putting the gardening gear in the car is no big deal. Right now I want to plant pumpkins! Thank you Soule Mama! However while I have grown them before along with lots of other good veggies, I'm not sure all my ( & my family's) taste in veg will be the same as Sue & Lynne who pretty much only have themselves to feed. Of course Sue's hubby still has to clear the overgrown hedge first & it could take a while to motivate him! There's simply too much work in that for us three girls.
The anorak & I had to give up our allotment due to lack of time but maybe between us all we can manage this "jardin potager"

It's Sunday and.....

2008-10-12T17:23:00.006+01:00

.............and not a lot really.

We've had Henry for the weekend while his Mum & Dad moved house. Henry being a large, rather portly black labrador. He's gorgeous & gets on well with our two mutts, although Jess thinks he's taking over her space a little. And I forgot to take pictures. I also took Henry up meet Simba,my daughters dog. She doesn't like other dogs but for most of the time she tolerated Henry. He's just so big & laid back nothing fazes him not even a bad tempered GSD look alike! Nor did a collision with a glass patio door. He hadn't noticed it was closed & bounced off it. I was in stitches on the floor!

Talking of stitches, I think my sewing class is going well, no one has compained yet anyway! I need to get off the computer & do some sewing. I need some long sleeve Tees as I threw out the tatty old ones. I have been making some blouses but it's the weather for long sleeve tees right now. I need more bottoms too but I'm not going to make any until I have shed some more weight. 9lbs so far & I'm aiming for another 21lbs to part company with.

I'll let you into a secret. I have a plan to hit 50 in January feeling fabulous & if I can possibly manage it, looking fabulous too. So there. My biggest problem is comfort eating & it's a hard habit to break but there a are good days & bad days so on a good day I'm being very very good & on the bad - I'm finding it so very difficult. Just have to keep focussed on the end result. The anorak thinks there's another man in sight. Humph, I should be so lucky? Doesn't do any harm to keep him on his toes.

Here's Jess in her usual "feeling sorry for myself" pose. There's no hope really is there?

Another week is looming with very little in the way of housekeeping. The anorak had to take two nights off work when the handbrake on the Passat failed so it's back to seeing what we have in the freezer & making do for a week. Good job I like a challenge eh?

Like I said...............

2008-10-10T21:21:00.004+01:00

I will find time to keep this blog updated. Actually now I'm the proud owner of a shiny new laptop I may manage to get on t'internet when I want to, not when the house computer is free!! This pretty lake we found in France! Well we were directed to it by the fishing tackle shop & spent a happy day catching. Joe 7, the anorak 3, & me? Well I caught 9 just doing my own thing! We went back two days later to find the locals trying to catch their supper & were informed that actually we couldn't fish there at all & the info we'd been given was duff! Certainly put my French skills to the test trying to explain what we had been told to a rather irritated Frenchman who directed me to the local town & tackle shop to confirm what he had said ws true. Oh well. Joe & I then spent the afternoon at the campsite pool while the anorak went to fish a lake on site.

I will find time............... I will.........

2008-09-22T18:35:00.003+01:00

I will find time to update this blog! Not tonight, got lesson planning to do, not to mention a pile of ironing & a few buttons to sew on. I've started teaching one night a week & while the pay is good for two hours work it no where near covers the hours of preparation put in. Still, I keep telling myself the samples & stuff I'm making now will be used again next year. If there is a next year.
We had a great holiday in Brittany, I must find time to sort the photos! And next years holiday is already booked, this time based north east of Paris. I see a day trip to the fabric quarter by Montmartre in my future. The anorak doesn't of course share this vision. Tough!
Sad to say we had to have Joe's much loved cat, Tigger put to sleep the week after the holiday. He had suddenly gone downhill so it was the kindest thing to do. I held him as he passed, so peaceful & pain free. This was the first & last illness he ever had, his life had been one of simple pussycat pleasures. He will be missed.

I wish......

2008-07-13T19:28:00.004+01:00

..........I had time to sit & sew without interruption; I could daydream without interruption about what I'd like to sew; I could wander at will on my own in my favourite places.
But life isn't like that is it?
I have managed to half complete a pair of cropped pants. The off white linen has become pants, not finished because they need lining & I haven't got around to it. I did some down & dirty sewing with a pair of PJ shorts for the holiday - I will be vaguely presentable if I'm seen outside the caravan, I already have a top that will match. I just want a cardigan type wrap to complete the idea! I have seen lots of tops that I like in Burda WoF & also some neat kids tops in Ottobre that I could grade to fit me. No idea if any will suit me but hey, you see some sights on holiday so I'll just fit right in! No, what I want to do is repeat a style I managed to carry off a few years ago when even the French mistook me for being French!! OK my accent is pretty good, the look was probably achieved more by accident than total design though.
DS received a Wii for his birthday & I have had to insist on getting out of the house to take a break from it, not just DS but DD & myself too. We took the new car out to Rusland which is my most favourite place in the entire world. We took the dogs for a walk through the woods & had a wander around the church yard where Dad's ashes were scattered in 2001 during the foot & mouth epidemic. The intention back then was to scatter them on a favourite walk of his but of course the fields were out out of bounds so the church yard it was. It is a beautiful place, so tranquil & peaceful. Today Joe & I had a look inside the church & it is as lovely inside as out. This photo was taken a couple of years ago on a bright December morning.I must try & go back on my own as there are more walks I want to do. We abandoned the planned walk as lifting two medium/large ageing dogs over stone stiles is a none starter!

This time I really have finished!

2008-06-30T20:07:00.010+01:00

I started to cut out & then changed my mind about the planned top. Back to the wardrobe & I realised the top from V2925 I made a few months ago not only had the right neckline but it wasn't too long to go under the jacket & the navy was about the same shade as the trousers! Problem solved. The pics my friend took for me didn't quite cut it one way or another so I had to let my, 10 yr old on Thursday, son take them in DD's bedroom once we'd cleared a space against the white wall - the others are bright pink! I wish I could have found my phone as the auto focus camera on that is pretty good, instead Joe had to try & use my Nikon & lense which means some of the pics are not quite focused but they will have to do. I'm usually the photographer in the family so pics of me are few & far between.
I like the jacket with the trousers better than with the dress & as for the bag - well that's better with the pants as well!

Last minute again

2008-06-29T19:00:00.003+01:00

I'm back to the drawing board with the top for the capsule. How I thought the navy top I already have, matches the trousers I don't know. It is too dark. So I have a couple of hours in which to draft & make a top. Better get off the computer then hadn't I! I have got pics of everything but of course will need to start again once I've made another top.

Finished

2008-06-28T21:34:00.007+01:00

I finished all my June Capsule Contest yesterday. It took me a week to muster up the enthusiasm to finish the bag but it's done now & I don't like it! Well I do - but not with the capsule. My DS says he won't be seen out with me if I use it. It is far bigger than I imagined it would be so it's definitely a stop & stare bag! It might be fun to see how much attention it gets when I go out. Next I have to get photos of me wearing the creations, hope the weather's nice tomorrow & DS is in a co-operative mood!
I need to decide what to sew next. Something quick & simple again, I have skirt & blouse fabric & Burda WoF calling me, or the white Vogue pattern jacket? I also want to do the nightwear sewalong but I don't think I have any fabric, I need to decide on styles too. No PJ's, I get too hot these days, although some summer PJ's would be good for the holiday in case someone catches sight of me outside the caravan in the mornings. In fact I need some holiday clothes as well. Most of all I need some shoes & sandals but I need time on my own to go & buy some, Shoe shopping & DS don't go hand in hand.
On a completely different subject, work is a pain. I discovered a while ago that I was doing the same work as a supervisor at another hospital within the trust. I'm on a payband 2 steps lower so I complained. The outcome to date? I have to rewrite my job description & then the "new" supervisors job will be advertised. So I'll have to re apply for my job. I'm not happy. What happened to internal promotion?

Progress

2008-06-15T20:26:00.007+01:00

I've got somewhere with my sewing for a change. Not finished yet but on the way after a couple of false starts. The beige trousers have been relegated to a second capsule (if I get it sewn up!) & a pair of navy in a different style substituted. The jacket is done & the dress too. Just have a top to make if I ever finalise a style, & I decided to make Linda Ghee's Fish Bag as my accessory which I may get started later tonight. Or not.
I made a top from my chosen fabric but it just doesn't go with the jacket. It does go with the pants & some others I have so not a lost cause. The beige trousers also go with other tops so that's good.
I have some off white linen that is an exact match for the off white of the dress which I have been deliberating about whether to make a jacket or a pair of trousers. I think the jacket's winning. Probably Vogue 8480
So the Capsule patterns so far:
Vogue2925 for the trousers. Vogue 8472 for the dress & jacket, the dress was lengthened by about 5" & the jacket by 2". Fabulous Fish Handbag from Linda Ghee.

All garments displayed on my new friend who is currently nameless & doesn't yet have my bust - hence the dress isn't quite right on her! The back of the jacket is gathered onto the yoke , a detail that I was'nt sure about but quite like now.

I'm changing the name from Summer Holiday too as this isn't a packable wardrobe, maybe I'll call it A Summer's Eve to fit with my casual but attempting to look smarter when I go out look!

Ready to sew

2008-05-22T19:41:00.004+01:00

Well if I can get myself away from this computer I will be! Another fabric shopping trip & I've got fabric for the JCC. Plan B, Summer Holiday is the one as I couldn't find any pink camo anywhere at a price I'm prepared to pay to make up Plan A, Hooked on Pink! Trousers already made in the beige. I've opted for the Keep It Simple Stupid approach so I have a chance of finishing in time. The accessory is currently a fly in the ointment as I really don't know what I want to make. I'm sure something will suggest itself be it bought or made before the end of the contest.

June Capsule Update

2008-05-12T23:24:00.005+01:00

Gosh aren't I getting ahead of myself. I found & then cut out & sewed up the trousers for plan B, just in case plan A doesn't come off!
The pattern is an out of print Butterick. Typically I over estimated how loose fitting they are & ended up taking the side seams in! This is because the last time I made them I wore a size 14. Sigh. My measurements are nearer an 18 in some areas so I cut them a bit too large. Serves me right, I should have stuck to my PMB pattern.
That's the beige linen / cotton blend used. Next up is likely to be the twill trousers for fishing but I need to draft a pattern as I want zip off cargo pants. Maybe I've got something similar somewhere to base the pattern on, like a Jalie mens pants that I just need to change the shape slightly. Hmmmmm. Bed is calling I'll sleep on it.

Time Flies

2008-05-10T23:49:00.004+01:00

Or so it seems. I'm not sure I've done very much but don't seem to have found enough time to blog. I have however got my sewing mojo back. At least when I get the opportunity to sew! I have committed myself to the June Capsule challenge over at Stitchers Guild
It is still at the planning stage but I should be able to manage one of my two ideas. Plan A,
Hooked on pink, is a capsule to wear on my fishing trips instead of boring old camo & just to annoy the anorak. I need to find some pink camo fabric for a waistcoat though & probably buy a baseball cap in pink camo. And I've some pattern drafting to do.
Summer Holiday is plan B, pinks & purples & beige pants.
I discovered I already have some tops that will go with either the jacket in the pink, or the trousers, in beige, although not necessarily both at once! Had I realised this I might not have bought the pink & blue batik but I do like it. The beauty of this colour choice is that I can make more capsules of clothes that will fit in with some of these colours & thus expand the options so I'll never be able say I've nothing to wear!!!! Black for example will go with the pink as a pair of trousers or capris or something, even a skirt, & black in a jacket will go with the beige pants, and both will go with the tops. Then I'll have a black base to add other colours to & expand the options. Or navy instead of black - another classic combination. You see sewing with a plan does work. SWAP. (Look at how it works when done right, scroll down the page for fantastic wardrobing skills.) Just split into smaller bite size pieces, hopefully easy enough to stick with, seeing as I didn't get going with the official SWAP.

Musings

2008-04-04T19:34:00.002+01:00

Sadly my colleagues son didn't make it. Life's a bitch on occasions.
Her bosses sent me a bouquet of flowers for stepping in to do her job until they could get someone up to the hospital to take over. I took a management decision to do it & my manager let me!! I'm not impressed at that but not surprised either. Heck I'm on the lowest pay band & not paid to think. Note to self: Apply to be re-banded sooner rather than later because I'm worth it.
I'm debating adding machine knitting to my teaching application as well but I need to get the machines out & practise & I don't have anywhere to put them. Hmmmmmmmmm. got to do some serious re-organisation around here. soon. My daughter is moving back in as well. Oh hell.

One of those days

2008-04-01T20:43:00.004+01:00

Don't you just hate it when the day goes pear shaped right at the start? Actually it started around 11 PM last night. Noisy teenagers playing in the road outside. Then I slept in as I took ages to get back to sleep. I went out to the car only to discover what woke me up. Said teens had smashed the wing mirror on my car. Thanks guys. Someone did the other one on Saturday night. So now I have a matching pair or wing mirrors. Hanging on by a thread (wire). Ring the police lodge a complaint. Cover poor wing mirror with plastic bag to stop the insides getting wetter & get soaked by passing speeding car hitting big puddle. Lots of bad language on my part I'm afraid & I admit to losing my temper with the poor old anorak who was trying to help. I wish he'd just leave me alone when I ask him to!! Cycle to work, late. It rains, nay pours down, so arrive at work & put all my clothes on the radiators to dry. Good job I wear a uniform isn't it?
Then a colleague in the neighbouring department puts it all in perspective. Her son (in his 30's, a family man with 2 kids) was admitted to intensive care last night with an unknown complaint having been fit well up to this point. Then she had a call to say he was deteriorating so she went. I pray the doctors have been able to help & he makes full recovery. And my problems seem trivial in comparison.
Last but by no means least. My daughter is 20 today. Happy Birthday Dani. I love you. The teen from hell is a lovely young woman that I am so proud of. And her Grandpa would be so proud of her too. He would have been 90 today. Yes they share the same birthday. Definitely not April fools!

More Exercise

2008-03-30T18:12:00.002+01:00

It's catching this walking lark. Well I wasn't going to hang around a lake watching (& thereby causing problems with Joe) my dear son relearn fly fishing. He gets bored quite easily so I'm better off out of the way. I took the dogs for a walk instead. Just 3 miles or so & we all got covered in mud. Most of the walk was boggy but hey, the weather was lovely, bright sunshine was a pleasant change from the snow & rain & wind from Suffolk. In fact I got quite warm walking uphill. The dogs are now fast asleep & still have muddy paws but never mind. I'll have to wake them up later to go out again. It's a hard life being a dog. Obviously.
All this walking has to be good for me but boy is my back bad just now. I think I feel a long soak in the bath coming on before long. Nice end to a nice day.

Easter Break

2008-03-29T19:02:00.006Z

Thank goodness there won't be another Easter so early in the year in my lifetime. At least not when we manage to get away for a few days. We drove to Suffolk in rain, snow, bright sunshine & more snow.
The next day we awoke to more snow. Well the others awoke to it. I saw it falling around 3 AM. In fact I was running around the site in it trying to catch a runaway dog! We hadn't mastered the heating controls in our rather damp chalet so it was way too hot for the older dog & she came to wake me with very loud, heavy panting. Clever me thought a little bit of fresh air would help. She could potter about outside the chalet while I stood in the doorway. Yeah, right. Sindy took off. Fast. I grabbed my coat & followed her, able to follow her tracks in the snow. In my dressing gown & slippers with a coat on top. The security guys thought it was hilarious when I finally caught her in front of them. No they didn't help.
We figured out the heating & the hot water & the weak shower the next day. We walked on the beach in the snow & Sindy took off again. She did every day. I think she's read that poem about wearing purple & pleasing herself. Well she is 15 now, that's 101 in human years?

We also went sea fishing, well the anorak & Joe did. I hung around & looked after the dogs & took lots of pics of the sea & waves crashing on the beach.

We went to the local wildlife park but as someone was shooting nearby we couldn't leave the dogs in the car so the anorak walked them back to the site. The younger dog, Jess, is gun shy you see. They wouldn't have been left alone for long anyway but it's not an option when she's panicked. Joe & I had fun watching the animals. Next day we went to Great Yarmouth & the anorak & son went to Sealife while I walked the dogs miles along the prom. We've had a good break with lots of exercise & by the last morning the dogs had got used to staying in the living area instead of trying to sleep with us. It's scary staying in a strange place when you're a dog. Obviously.

The pebbled beach. Just because I like pebbles.

Brrrrr it's cold.

2008-03-22T19:46:00.002Z

The weather has gone mad! Today we've had sunshine, biting gale force winds, snow, hail, sleet & pouring rain. And then it dried up again.
A lovely surprise arrived in the post - I've wona book in a competition - Kaffe Fassett quilts in the sun. Something to drool over & plan & scheme & wish for time to create. I wanted to take something away with me to work on but haven't the time to prepare. Usually I have a small tapestry or embroidery or something to do. I'm just taking books to read instead & maybe some suduko or crosswords. I'm not good at either but hey the brain needs a workout sometimes. Maybe I'll try my son's DS Brain training!
meanwhile I have no idea how we'll fit everything in the car devoid of bootspace because the dogs will be in there.
Tea tonight was good. Jamie Olivers roast lamb with smashed veg! How come Joe doesn't like mashed potato, especially if it is remotely lumpy, but will eat slightly squashed potato, carrot & swede & love it. Likewise gravy. He never has gravy, says he doesn't like it. But make proper gravy from the roast lamb & stir in mint sauce & call it a sauce & one wolf & it's gone.
Being resourceful, tomorrows tea will be the remains of the lamb, in the gravy - I mean sauce - topped with the smashed veg & put in the oven to reheat & brown & call it a pie! Served with broccoli probably.

Brief Update

2008-03-20T22:11:00.003Z

We went for a short walk last Sunday on The Helme. Just took the younger dog as Sindy wasn't well. It was fresh but enjoyable. The anorak came too, he finished work early Saturday night when the car broke down. Again. Work has been annoyingly frantic, typical when I'm on my own with no help. And I'll have to go in tomorrow for an hour.
Poor Sindy dog hasn't been at all well & I took her to the vet yesterday. She's recovering fortunately but we thought we were going to lose her. It was quite sad.
The anorak had a phone call earlier tonight, Watchdog want to interview him about the problem with his car. Which incidently still hasn't got the manufacturers part fitted. Lousy parts service IMHO!!

Boots, boots and jackets.

2008-03-15T15:19:00.004Z

I went mad on Thursday on my one days leave. I should have gone to Birmingham to the Sewing for Pleasure show but couldn't get a cheap rail ticket so decided to spend my hard earned money locally instead. I have a decent pair of walking boots now & a good waterproof jacket. Both essentials up here & pretty useful in Suffolk too I imagine if the wind blows infrom the sea. However the anorak says I'm not to go fishing in the jacket it will frighten the fish! It's pink you see. Not bright pink but still pink! And in the sale as were the boots.
Today I went back into town with Joe & bought him some bigger boots & a coat ready for the hols & his school field trip in May. The Mountain Warehouse are having a relocation sale so I made the most of it!!! I was even organised enough beforehand to get a beef casserole in the oven which we had with fried polenta (that's a first - never tried it before). The left over stew wasn't enough for another serving so I added some more liquid & blitzed it with the blender to serve up as gravy next time we have beef of some description.
http://laurasewingroom.blogspot.com/ Here's a blog of a lady who's taste & style I love. I just wish I had the time and space to create such lovely clothes.
Friday I spent the morning at a "masterclass" for teachers of sewing related crafts. It was very useful. Not sure how I managed to get invited as I haven't even heard if I passed my teaching certificate yet but I'm not complaining. I even got a claim form for expenses! Anyway I fired off a few emails last night to see if I can get in with the local adult education centres.
Sunday will be quiet. I hope. Maybe the Joe & I will go walking in our new boots with the dogs. Joe likes woods so I'll get the maps out & see where we can go.

A fun week?

2008-03-11T21:56:00.002Z

It's turning into an eventful week. I just got back from 2 hours in A & E with Joe. Sudden sharp pains that reduced him to tears is not normal for my lovely little boy. The anorak panics over the slightest hiccup so I calmly got Joe in the car & went to the hospital where of course the pain disappeared rapidly & the mouth started. On & on he talks & talks & talks some more. By now I'm glad my hair is loose & the place busy or the staff would recognise me as the one who supplies their uniforms & they would think I'm the over anxious mother. All the usual checks done & then the wait for the doctor. In comes the senior nursing officer who promptly recognises me! We're referred to the out of hours GP who is based there as the A & E doc is busy & we'd have at least a 2 hour wait. We're seen quite quickly & a urine sample is requested. Joe is examined & no pain anywhere but there is apparently a trace of blood in his urine so now we have to convince our GP's receptionist that he has to be seen within 48 hours or else. That's a job for the morning then. Immediately before the school run.
I cooked tea tonight, having been unusually indecisive for an hour or so, I opted for quiche as we've so many eggs. Broccoli & bacon to be precise. Served with baby corn & curly fries. I have a big bowl of grated root veg that I use for my lunch & the anorak & I had a helping of that as well. He of course smothered his in salad cream. I didn't, I don't much like it. Mayonnaise I do like but decided to keep the last little bit of home made mayo for my lunch tomorrow - it's got garlic & chilli & lemon juice in with lots of black pepper. Yummy.
I embroidered the back of a fleece jumper for the anorak last night.

"Carp fishing.
It's not a passion.
It's an obsession."

Says it all really. I did take a photo but the light wasn't good so I deleted it. Instead there's a pic of Joe when we went sea fishing last month. The light was brilliant.

News

2008-03-09T21:29:00.005Z

News. Good. Or bad? Good as in I'm not pregnant & there's no sign of any abnormalities so Mr Anorak has started to breathe normally again & we can manage financially I hope. Bad as in I think I secretly wanted to be pregnant - even at my age. I don't think I could have terminated the pregnancy unless an aminio had shown problems. I had always wanted more than two children but a broken marriage & then a second husband who'd suffered the fall out from a cot death & was a gibbering wreck for most of the first year of Joe's life, five years into our marriage - this was why I'd opted for sterilisation to start with. Trust me to fall pregnant immediately before hand!! Ah well back to normality. The anorak has tea under control - smoked haddock.

What Joe wore last week. Thursday was world book day & dress up as a character from a favourite book. Hmm. Joe doesn't really like fiction but adores Jamie Oliver on the TV & likes me to try his recipes so he went as Jamie!! Charity shop shirt re cut to his size & jeans & T shirt. Easy. Friday was dress as a WW2 evacuee. Charity shop again for a jumper. I cut it apart at the seams & drew a smaller shape onto the pieces, zig zag stitched all around before cutting & then zig zagged the shoulder seams & ran them through the overlocker (at work so no luxury of one pass of 4 threads! I put one sleeve on by the same process & then unravelled enough yarn from a discarded piece to knit the neck rib - I kept the jumper bottom ribs as part of the new pattern so didn't need to knit them again. Took Joe to swimming lesson & furiously knit the neck. Back at home I stitched up the other side & voila a jumper only fit for an evacuee to be worn the next day.

What I cooked last week. The usual stuff such as pork chops braised in stock (or cider) with onions & apples. Left over sauce & bits in tray whizzed in the blender & frozen for use as gravy later. Very nice it is too. The anorak did most of the cooking - he's getting adventurous - coq au vin was on the menu.

What I cooked this week so far. Cup cakes - twice - they were eaten up rather quickly & I also have lots of eggs in the fridge! Pork chops - again - but this time roasted with potatoes, carrots & parsnip all in one tray. Lovely but a bit dry - I forgot to get the gravy out of the freezer! Actually this recipe should have had pears or apples roasted with the rest but I didn't have any. Blackberries in a sauce with this would have been nice too. Ooh I'm getting quite adventurous with my ideas.

What I'm knitting. Knitting the ribbing on the evacuee jumper made me decide to start something from the yarn stash I accumulated when I did lots of machine knitting in the dim & distant past. I still have my machines, & more acquired since, but nowhere to set them up for longer than a couple of hours so they no longer get used. Anyway I got a book out of the library & am knitting a hat. Not sure how it will turn out as I haven't hand knitted anything for simply years & years.

Is it really so long since I last posted ?

2008-03-09T18:42:00.005Z

Obviously this blogging lark takes some committment, I seem to have struggled to find the time! Never mind I'm here now! With news that is taking some time to get to grips with. But first the last few weeks have been crazy, no sooner had we booked the holiday than the car the anorak just bought for work broke down. Not major, easily fixable but had to be fixed under manufacturers warranty. After three weeks, no sign of the part, none available in the country apparently. What? Yes really, not one part. Anywhere. Now after three weeks of no income from the main earner in the family things were getting tight, really tight. Mortgage company contacted along with all the other people who demand a slice of the monthly income to see if we could reduce payments. That upset me more than anything else. Fortunately most were understanding & best of all the independant garage the anorak bought the car from retrieved the car from the main dealer & fitted a part that they "adapted" from another brand of car so that the anorak could start work again until the replacement branded part arrived. We're still waiting for its arrival. Lousy service from the parts division of **UK.

On the bright side the anorak has had a good couple of weeks & the bank balance is recovering & he has booked us a week in Suffolk soon. Not that he realised just how far away that is but hey we've never been to that part of England before so it will be a nice change. A six hour drive though & we're also taking the dogs so it will be an even longer drive. Whose car we go in remains a moot point. Will his be sorted properly by then? Currently the fitting of the temporary part means no working fuel guage amongst other things.

Now the news I can't quite come to terms with is that at the ripe old age of 49 & menopausal is that there is a chance I could be pregnant. I go for a scan tomorrow. The anorak is in shock & I just don't know what I think! Ho hum. I had been sterilised & had a D & C just over 10 years ago & then four weeks later I found I was 6 weeks pregnant with Joe. The realisation while with the gynae doc on Friday was that the sterilisation had never been checked after the op with the shock of discovering I was pregnant so the symptoms that I now have may not be down to being peri-menopausal.
The holiday to France goes ahead come what may - we've waited too long for this holiday.

Oh yes, there has been the chance of developing a clothing line for a local boutique & working for myself in the the last few weeks as well as an invitation to a "masterclass" for teachers of sewing. Do bear in mind that I haven't yet been told if I passed my teaching course!!

Holidays

2008-01-20T18:55:00.000Z

It's that time of year when it does nothing but rain here in the north west of England. Time when you dream of somewhere warmer. Well warmer than it is now at any rate - we've had cool damp holidays abroad as well! I have pointedly refused to even contemplate booking a holiday until we have cleared debts & saved money for the last two years, so we didn't go away at all last year & only had a week in October in Cornwall the year before. Well this year we're going back to France, staying where we've been before, I do hope it is still as we remember it. Not our ideal holiday destination I may add, at least not mine or the anoraks, but it has something to occupy all of us for all the holiday so on that basis it's worth going. ie if the kids are happy then we're all happy! Fishing for all of us, horseriding for me & loads of stuff for kids. www.lesormes.com
Now all I have to do is book kennels for the dogs & save for that expense. They go to a wonderful place that they love so it's worth the extra.

Shattered

2008-01-19T21:29:00.001Z

Tigger cat!

Why is driving so tiring? I drove to Manchester today & spent the day on foot at the museum of science & industry. It was well worth it but I am so tired now I'm back, I'm having an early night!

Organised for once

2008-01-18T18:43:00.000Z

I prepared tea before I went to work. Not something I manage to be awake enough for most mornings but this morning I prepared the stewing steak & veg & put in the slow oven to be ready in time for tea. In fact when I came in from work at 2.30pm I put the potatoes in the microwave for 7 minutes & then put them in the oven to crisp up. We had lovely tender steak with carrots & chopped up broccoli stalks (how's that for being clever using up veg?) & onion in gravy with jacket potatoes. Tomorrow I may just get a takeaway as we're going to Manchester & the realtree anorak will have to fend for himself at teatime. I'll be tired as I rarely drive longer than an hour anywhere & will otherwise be on my feet all day. Look out Museum of Science & Industry!

Unexpected hiccup!

2008-01-17T22:19:00.000Z

So much for thinking I would post most days. My daughter rang Monday to say she couldn't move her leg. At all. She doesn't live far from us so I picked her up & took her to emergency. I work at the hospital & so does she so I could say I took her to work! They x-rayed & found a fracture, put her in a splint & booked her in the fracture clinic for Wednesday & sent her home. I took her to fracture clinic & thanks to my other half ended up having to pick youngest up from school at the precise moment DD had to see the consultant. Typical. The outcome - probable hairline fracture but worse - further ligament damage. This has been a problem since a skiing accident five years ago when the original injury wasn't correctly diagnosed. Result - another keyhole camera job but later they may rebuild her knee which we wanted doing 12 months ago but they didn't want to know. She's happy signed off work for two weeks as she hates it anyway but her contract ends in March & she has to find another job before then. There's an interview in Manchester on Saturday & she's determined to go. Great! This also means son & I get to spend part of the day exploring how the buses operate into the city centre to visit the Science & Industry museum. Son can't wait, he's been before & loved it.
As for me well I have to see the doc next week as a rather yukky looking warty type growth has suddenly appeared & it's not comfortable.
On the bright side I received my copy of Workbox magazine & found inspiration for a scarf that belonged to my Dad. Not sure exactly what I will do but the ideas are coming. Must find the other scarf I held onto, maybe I could incorporate that as well.
I finished my assignment Monday night & realised that actually I had another two to do! So Tuesday I finished those. Last night, Wednesday, I went to class & handed the lot in. next week is the final lesson so I just need to make sure my file is in order & I've finished. But what am I studying? PTTLS! "Preparing to teach in the lifelong learning sector" A City & Guilds qualification. In other words working in Adult Education. Not only do all teachers now have to have a teaching qualification so do those who teach in a voluntary setting. And now the government also want a register of all qualified teachers, free registration before the 31st March 2008 but will we have our results back by then? No one knows. I decided to get the qualification so I had another string to my bow if my job disappears under a local NHS trust shakeup. It proably will I fear, not many hospitals have a sewing room any more. Of course whether I can look for a teaching post is up in the air as much depends on the hours the other half works as well. Still it's an option.
Must stop referring to my beloved as the other half, I think I'll use the phrase "realtree anorak" instead. That's another story!
The dogs! Sindy coming up 15 years old at the top & Jess the nearly 10 year old here. Sindy became "my" dog when we got Jess & she attached herself to the realtree anorak. Hopelessly devoted to him she is.

Shopping

2008-01-13T19:14:00.001Z

Look - three have already gone from the tray!! Not sure who ate them!

I did wonder today if I should rename this blog to include the word frugal. I had £40 to do the weeks basic shopping. The couple in front of me with a toddler & a 6 month old spent £108. OK there were a number of organic purchases but there was also plenty of biscuits, cakes & jars of baby food. If it were me I'd be making the baby food from the organic produce - yes I used to buy jars of food for emergencies or days when I could be bothered but not in the quantity I saw today. Another retired couple had a trolley full of ready prepared meals & tins of meat, pop etc. Maybe they felt it was time to take it easy & not spend time doing the prep. Maybe I'm just jealous? No! I want to feed my family as well as I can but not at any price nor with a lot of junk. Which isn't to say I don't buy junk or ready prepared meals occasionally - everything in moderation I say. My purchases included meat & veg, washing powder, milk & yoghurt. I already have some basics in the house so it isn't the entire amount of food for the week, although my housekeeping varies between £30 & £50 at any given week depending on how much hubby earns a week so we have to shop carefully. But do we all use up the leftovers?
I started out with the intention of echoing the Reduce, Reuse, Recycle motto. I took my own carrier bags in a cloth bag I made specifically to hang on the trolley see Lakeland Limited's website for their eco bag. Lunch was homemade veg soup using the stock I made yesterday from the carcass of the chicken from the day before. Bread was a homemade roll topped with cheese. Tea was quiche with bacon & cheese, served with fresh green beans & mashed potatoes left over from yesterday but put in little pyramids, topped with cheese, on a baking tray in the top of the oven while the quiche cooked below. I used the left over pastry to make jam tarts as well.
So I reduced the waste from leftover food, was sensible using the oven for more than one thing & didn't take any new plastic bags from the shop by recycling the ones I got last time! I managed to fill us all up except for my son who is a lean mean eating machine at the tender age of nine. Well he's always been like this. I filled some more of the gap with cherry pie that Mum gave me a while ago that had sat in the freezer until today. Haven't we overdone the pastry today?!! Now I notice he's snacking on the home made choc chip cookies that I made today. I didn't mention that his late breakfast was homemade drop scones (Scotch pancakes) - a veritable bottomless pit! He'd be eating a banana as well but as per usual they were all green inthe shop today. Maybe tomorrow. Maybe tomorrow I'll get chance to read & drool a little more over Kaffe Fassett. Joe badly needs some more trousers I'll have to have a look through some back issues of Ottobre to see which I (he) likes best, being a stick insect bought trousers don't necessarily fit, even with adjustable elastic in the back waist. Custom made look better!

The first of many?

2008-01-12T20:09:00.000Z

I've thought about doing a blog about bits of my life for a while now but as I have a deadline looming for an assignment I'm procrastinating & thought it was as good a time as any to start this blog! I already have a blog written in French though I haven't updated it for ever. Must get around to that soon too.
A bit about me. A wife, a mother, a daughter, a part-time worker, dog walker & so on. I sew for a living, for a hobby & as a distraction from reality!! I also own several knitting machines which I'd like more time to re-acquaint myself with. I like cooking sometimes, baking cookies often, eating chocolate always. I speak reasonably fluent French, love holidays in France & dream of moving there. I love my two dogs, go horseriding when I can afford to & dream of owning a touring caravan & driving a suitable car to tow it with!!
I live in a horrible 1970's plastic fronted terraced box which I hate but hey it's a roof over our heads so mustn't grumble. We recycle as much as we can. In fact our nine year old son & I have just started cutting up the last two years Christmas cards & folding card bought cheaply from the local paper mill ready for next year. I was inspired by Suse at peasoup.
she's waaaay ahead of me! Check the other blogs I happen upon from time to time, you'll find them all vaguely craft related.
Currently I'm planning to sew up a SWAP - Sewing With A Plan as per the Timmel Fabrics competition but I'm not entering, just sewing alongside. I have a "wardrobe" pattern & a few other ideas & even some fabric to get started but I will finish my assignment first. I also use pattern drafting software which I love - see Wild Ginger for more info.