[Tamara]

Went the local show yesterday and there was not one skerrick of sewing! The whole needlework section was abandoned! My hubby did well though. He entered some chickens in the show and out of six entries he received five firsts plus male champion bird. He was happy he won but happier there were others against him.

There was a team from the Scottish BBC filming the quickshears (a shearing competition) for a children’s program. Lots of fun to see two of the guys get up there and have a go. I didnt know who was more petrified, the lambs or them!

Tamara

[Masha Richart]

We are back from the springs. It was a very local experience, definitely some language barriers but my kids were the hit of the sanatorium. She took 14 baths over 8 days and we brought home some of the water to get a couple more in. I chatted with some repeat clients who told me the healing is not immediate, but generally occurs over some months following the treatment. I am very optimistic that this will help and am hoping to see some improvement over the next few months.

Being away from the sewing machine was tough. I spent a lot of time sketching out the girls’ princess dresses for their upcoming birthdays. It’s good I spent the time to do that, because it gave me the opportunity to really think through how to construct them nicely. If I had been near the machine I would have been tempted to jump right in and they wouldn’t have come together as well. So now I’m actually excited to sew them. Older daughter wants Tiana and younger wants Cinderella.

[meleliza]

Tamara, I find the vestibule highly useful. In fact, in our previous house, people had torn it out but we replaced it. It offers more privacy when you open the front door and it helps with retaining heat or cool depending on the season.

My foot is feeling better and I am taking advantage of our bank holiday weekend to turn my summer worried. I have lots of plans to do bugger all but resting, sleeping and sewing. Just a little cooking and cocktail making too. Things are already going a little better.

RTW girl, I hope the springs treatment helps! I imagine they have lasted for so long because there is really a therapeutic value to them. But for the record, I never get sick of pink. 🙂 sparkly maybe, but not pink. If I had a school, I would make the uniforms pink. It’s such a happy color.

[lattemama]

My husband finished the sanding on the third floor yesterday (just a few places left but that will be done by hand – no more machine sanding) and we started putting up the strengthening felt layer. Neither of us have done that before – I have helped my dad do it when I lived at home but that was 20 years ago (almost). It was fiddly but nothing we couldn’t manage!

So the biggest thing to come out of this is that I can untape my sewing room (Yay!) and get back in there during the weeks. (Since we both work full time (almost) we will do the rest of the attic work during the weekends.It’s starting to get dark quickly in the evenings.)

Well, apart from this week when there are a ton of meetings at school, gift shopping to do for a party this weekend, Sofia’s Dance class starts up on Thursday and I have a knee-high pile of new books to read.

[Tamara]

I think various features of styles of houses would appeal to some but not others – I love a big wide verandah but others couldn’t care less.

Sounds like work is progressing well on the renovations Lotta. Will you share photos of the finished product at all? Would love to see the end result.

Glad your foot is better Meleliza and the agenda sounds perfect!

Tamara

[lattemama]

Tamara – I’m putting up pictures on Flickr in this set as we go along. Any finished pictures will be in there too.

[needlewoman]

So glad you are feeling more positive, Mele; and the poor foot is improving. So pleased you are regaining your sewing room, latte. How sweet to hear of your evenings drawing in when ours are lengthening, and the mosquitoes are starting to whine about at dusk. (Really hate mossies)!

How very sad to hear that the ‘needlework’ section has been omitted from the Show, J – interesting really given the ever growing numbers of crafting/sewing mags in the shops – if I see another pattern for aprons or crocheted flowers, I’m going to scream. Not that I’ve got anything against either, but I’m sure you all know what mean. Your husband must be extremely chuffed about winning “champion male bird”. Did he get a rosette to wear – I guess it would be cruel to pin it to the chook/rooster.

[Tamara]

Here’s the thing Fiona, people don’t want to enter because they don’t think they will “win” when honestly that is only down to the judge’s opinion and lady luck. You don’t necessarily GET a prize if the judge doesn’t think it is worthy but just to put stuff on the table to “show others” if it is good enough to show others then in my opinion it is good enough to go in the show!

It was the 80th show and not a lot was in it and quite frankly it was rather disappointing. The reason I didn’t enter was because I didn’t get my butt into gear fast enough and that is my fault but in a way I am sort of glad because it would just be my stuff on the table and pitched against no one. It is rather sad to think that even though people are very time poor these days, they can’t find the time to make one simple item for the show. If we had the ladies(and gentlemen) making just one item we would have oodles and it would actually be fun to enter.

Murray was pleased because he entered the chooks and someone was against him. To have others enter as well lets you know where to improve and it is all a bit of fun – not like the football where you are practically at war!

And that game took most of the crowds to the nearby bigger town because the local team was playing in the finals so there was hardly anyone there at the show! Bad planning all round I’d say.

[Tamara]

Thankyou so much Lotta. You are very generous to allow me to see the progress of your renovations. It is looki g fantastic by the way.

I am actually feeling rather sad. I popped onto the flickr group to just see what was new. I noticed a really lovely outfit and went to comment only to find out the person has BLOCKED me! I’m not sure why but I feel sad because I just wanted to tell her the outfit looks lovely. Is there anything wierd or out of order in that? I can’t help but feel a bit miffed – it bugs me I can’t give a positive encouraging comment.

[with love Heidi]

I think there may be a few people who have blocked all comments so it may not be you.

[Nicole]

Hi Guys.

This is a happy place to be, lets keep it that way.

[needlewoman]

Absolutely!! Sometimes it’s just a fact that ‘there is nowt as queer as folks’.

[Sarvi]

Also, it may not even be personally directed at you. The touchpad on my husband’s laptop is hypersensitive and last night the photo album I made for my cousin’s baby shower flickered in and out of visibility to various people over the course of the night. Apparently I was inadvertently blocking and unblocking people every time I added another batch of photos.

[Tamara]

I didn’t know you could actually do that! No it seems there are all sorts of reasons – some totally pathetic some accidental.

Can you also limit the number of comments? Some ladies have commented that’s why I have asked.

Maybe it is just the settings.

[Sarvi]

I’m not uploading to flickr anymore so I am not sure what the setting would be but with all the recent changes, there may be a way.