I can’t believe it’s been that long

I was just checking the blog and couldn’t believe that the last entry was 16^th July. Where has the time gone !!!!!

In our defence there hasn’t been anything exciting to blog about. Plus I’ve been really busy sewing. Lame excuses I know for not blogging but that’s the best I can come up with...

So, what have I been sewing. A rucksack for Jenny, a jewellery wrap and bag for Jan and a tool bag for John.

When Jenny and Jan were up North in June I asked Jenny if she would like another bag making as a birthday present – last year I made her the Tote bag below.

“Can you make me something like this”, she said, showing me her rucksack.

“I don’t see why not”, I replied, then having found a tape measure and a note pad and pen, took some measurements and did a rough drawing of the rucksack.

Because I was making something for Jenny I ask Jan if she would like me to make her something. She asked if I could make her a bag to keep her jewellery making tools in and a necklace wrap.

“Is it possible to have them in lilac”, she asked, “as that’s my corporate colour”.

Jan is setting up a jewellery making business so I said I’d try my best.

Sadly I haven’t got round to taking a photo of John’s tool bag yet. I will be soon though as I’m in the middle of setting up my own sewing blog. It’s still in the planning and preparing stage but I hope to have it up and running by the end of the year. Watch this space for more details….

Marie

Keeping busy – part 1

As I’m stuck at home pretty much all of the time, stopping myself from being bored can be a little difficult. There are always things on the go.

Currently there’s:

• Two large cross stitch patterns of a tigers eye and a tiger cub
  
• A crochet blanket
• A knitted cable blanket
• Two needlepoint cushions
• Three small needlepoint scissors bags (which I picked up at the needlework class on our cruise)
• One shirt to finish off sewing, another one to to make
• Writing my second novel
• Several books to finish off reading
• Learning to play the piano and the clarinet

I’ve also been trying my hand at making bags and making models (photos of which will appear in ‘Keeping busy – part 2’).

This was my first attempt at bag making. It’s mainly scraps of material from John’s old work shirts.

I made this make-up bag from an old camisole top.

This one was my first attempt a making a patchwork bag. Again it’s made up of scraps of material. It has two flaps so you can wear it different ways.

After making three bags, and with help from my mam who’s very much into patchwork/quilting, I felt confident enough to make a proper one, using bought fabric.

It was a birthday present for Jenny (I hope she liked it !!!!!). Just for a bit of fun I quilted paw prints going up and down the bag and attached a keyring coin purse to one of the straps.

As I’ve got a huge box full of scrap bits of fabric it’s my plan to make as many bags as I can, just by using up the scraps. Thankfully a woman can never have too many bags…..

Marie

Sew busy

So what’s been happening in the BOGOF household since we last blogged.

At the end of March, we, along with my mam, went away for a few days. We set off on the Thursday to our hotel in Hockley Heath.

Thanks to the glorious weather on the Friday, we had a change of plan. Instead of going to the NEC, we went to the Black Country Living Museum.

We’ve been there several times before but it was a first for my mam and a first for me in Wizzy. I’m pleased to report that their Wizzy faculties are really good.

On the Saturday we went to the Hobby Craft exhibition at the NEC. Other than possibly buying some fabric, I wasn’t expecting to purchase anything. However the lure of the sewing machine stands were too much, so after a couple of demonstrations, I bought myself a new overlocker and John very kindly bought me a computerised sewing machine.

Before we went into the craft exhibition, my mam wanted to buy a bottle of water, so whilst we were waiting for her, someone came over to say ‘hello’.



There was a memorabilia exhibition also taking place that day and several characters (Darth Vader, Spiderman, Storm Troupers etc) were wandering around the NEC saying hello to people.

My new sewing machine and overlocker really came in handy as my sewing for our cruise is well underway. So far I’ve altered nine summer tops, made four skirts, two shirts and one dress. Another dress is nearly finished and there’s still three more to make. With only four weeks to go before our cruise I’m hoping to have them made in time.

Marie

A stitch in time

My hands are going to be pretty busy for the next few weeks making clothes for our cruise – 10 weeks and counting !!!!!

I’ve got two formal and three cocktail dresses to make, along with three skirts and a couple of shirts.

I’ve also got to alter several of my sun tops. They need a bit more fabric adding to the sides as the style of them isn’t Wizzy friendly.

One your marks, get set, sew….

Marie

Reporting in

As it’s been a few days since we’ve blogged I thought it best to put fingers to keyboard.

No appointment as yet from the hospital following my MRI scan. As it was two weeks since I had the scan, I rang the clinic on Thursday, like The Man Himself’s Sidekick told me to do if I hadn’t heard anything.

I was told that they had only received the results of the scan ‘yesterday’ and as The Man Himself was on holiday, his Sidekick consultant was looking after his patients. Once the Sidekick had looked at the scan, which I was told would be done shortly, an appointment would be sent out. I asked approximately when that would be and was told October at the earliest. It’s been nearly a year since I first saw my GP about my knee and I’m still no further forward.

My pressure sore is slowly getting better. Most of the dead skin has now gone, thanks to the dressing which liquefies it, and it’s not smelling or leaking as much as before, which is good news.

This afternoon we finally got round to photographing some of the clothes I’ve made, so the dining room became a photography studio. The model we used was very cooperative and didn’t have a hissy fit when there was no make-up artist or hairdresser to make her look beautiful. No, the model wasn’t me, it was Gertie, my tailors dummy. She has this wonderful facility of being able to lose inches from all parts of her body at a turn of a dial. Unfortunately I’m not adaptable…

Once we’ve tidied up the photos we’ll put them on our blog – and no, there won’t be any airbrushing !!!

Marie