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Saturday 8 November 2014

More sewing with Debbie and an apology.

First let me get the grovel out of the way. I have some new followers, I bid you welcome and will mention you all by name once I remember to make a note. I have also not replied to the comments on my last 2 posts, I will do that a bit later today. My only excuse is that I have been sewing and that means that twice in the last 5 days I have had to fold and place stacks of fabric back into the cupboards. I do like to pull lots of colours and patterns out to make my selection and I never put them away directly. I may be a slattern at heart.

Before I share my sewing I have a comment on a news item that I saw 2 days ago. The presenters were talking about heat or eat, there is concern that many more people now make this choice on a daily basis.
They then went to a home where a mum was serving dinner to her 3 children, she said that it was a worry for her as she could not keep the heating on through the night! how many can and why would you want to? I had to laugh at the fact that she was wearing a thin short sleeved blouse. I have to tell you that I was wearing thermal tights (Lidl, £2.50 and toasty) a Damart long sleeved tee shirt ( old but still warm), thin jumper and a thick cardigan ( layers so that I can cool off when needed) Oh and yes I was wearing a skirt and a petticoat (made by me, not very thick but warm).
The presenters then went on to say that "recommended" guidelines state that the minimum temperature for your home is 18c, I would be wearing shorts and a vest top at that level, I am comfortable at 13-15c, just depending on what I am doing. If I am cleaning (boo, hiss) I turn the heating off, otherwise I would spontaneously combust. If I am sewing I turn it down to around 11c as I have the iron on, my sewing machine with its lights and a daylight lamp all putting heat out.
O.M.W. that is wordy, but I am sure that you get my drift, if there is somebody at home frail, ill or very young or old then requirements will be different. I can only comment from my own needs and point of view. If I feel a chill I put a scarf round my neck or pop my shawl round my shoulders, ( do you remember the blue one I made for Wales?). I am out at regular intervals to walk Ben and find it nigh on impossible to sit still for long periods.
I am done with this, it has rather run away with itself, and me.

I have a few photos to share, there should be some more but my camera batteries need recharging.


 
 
Some more of the knitting bags made to the book size, I want to make another 8 of these. I told you that I have joined a knitting and crochet group, I am not sure whether they exchange Christmas gifts so decided to make some of these just in case. once the fabric is cut they only take 20 minutes to make. The longest part is choosing the colours and patterns ( and clearing the fabric away 2 days later). I will wrap them in pretty paper and give them out regardless, I have told them all that I am still trying to sew my way through as much fabric as I can.
 


 
This is the same pattern but made 1 1/2 times the size, it is now my knitting bag for small projects. I have been using this Bonnie & Camille fabric for what seems like eons now, I bought it really cheap from America before the postal costs went sky high, although I love it I will be glad to use the last piece.
 


 
My last photo is the new cover for my big Janome, much nicer than the oddment of fabric that was thrown over it. It is a bit baggy as I wanted it loose, I leave my pins, stitch ripper, tape measure and snips in the harp space and did not want to send them flying whenever I lifted the cover off. Now all I have to do is make a cover for the overlocker and all will be neat and tidy.
 
I managed to walk Ben in the dry yesterday until the last one when the heavens opened just as we were getting ready, it was still hammering down for the first walk this morning but has just about stopped now. His 12.00 walk will be early.
 
It annoyed me to have to throw food away yesterday, I have not baked for a while in the interest of my waistline. I went through the cupboards and found a tub of SR Flour, the lid was off on one corner and the flour smelled iffy so out it went. Around half a bag so cost 23p, not much but still a waste. This morning I have emptied another box from the move and unearthed my lock and lock containers from Lakeland. They are washed, dried and filled with my flours, sugars and other baking sundries. The cheaper versions will now hold other odds and ends, 1 has swallowed all the various stock cubes nicely, 1 has now become an under sink tidy, the rest will be put to good use.
 
 
Reasons to be grateful.
 
1.  My sewing room is tidy.
 
2.  I have 4 more projects cut and stacked ready to sew.
 
3.  My wool for my Aran Cardigan is here.
 
4.  Pulled Pork from Lidl for dinner, half price and not half tasty.
 
5.  Debbie Shore has a new book coming out soon.
 
I have to tell a tale on Ben. I take Maggie shopping every week and yesterday she bought a bag of treats for Ben. He had 1 after his walk last night once I had towelled him dry. This morning I heard rustling in the sitting room so put my head round the door to have a look. Ben had taken the treat bag off the coffee table and was sitting on his bed looking at it, trying to pluck up the courage to try and open it, it is a resealable bag. This is the first time that he has ever done anything like this, those treats must be tasty.
When he saw me, he brought the bag to me and placed it at my feet then sat and waited and yes of course I gave him one, maybe two.
 
That's all for now, the sun is gleaming through and I do not want to miss it.
 
                TTFN                                               Pam 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


14 comments:

  1. The bag in the top picture with the blue flowers is lovely such gorgeous fabric, Your take on the heating made me smile, when I go to my daughters I find it so hot in there, the kids are running around in T-shirts, when they came here they said they found it cold at night, we dont have heating in the bedrooms, I gave the kids one of my fleeces to wear and the evenings they sat with blankets on the sofa, regardless of the weather we have the bedroom window open, I cant sleep in a heated room. Hotels kill me and you can only open the windows about 3 inches. We are becoming a nation of softies I think.

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    1. Like many of my age I grew up in a house with a fireplace in the "front room" and a range in the kitchen, there was a fire lit in the smallest bedroom if anybody was ill and that was it. We all grew up healthy but we were well fed and had the correct clothes and the house was sound. many do not have those three things now. Perhaps it is time that the government started making landlords bring all rented properties up to scratch and stopped them charging extortionate rents. I do agree that we are getting soft, I can hardly stand a shopping trip as the overheated air makes me feel ill.

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  2. I love your sewing, you are so very quick to make things.
    I agree with you on heating the house, we often comment on things shown on TV, where the person who are complaining often don't balance their actions, I remember seeing a woman saying she could not afford to get her kids Christmas food, whilst in the shot the kids was watching the hugest TV I have ever seen. Priorities are very different these days, my mum always listed, roof over your head, food, warmth and then everything else.
    I would have given Ben two treats as well.

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    1. We had what we were given at all times, Christmas dinner may have been a goose but if we sold them all we had what ever was left. A few times it was Hare and Rabbit. A neighbour was complaining to me about how hard it was to live on her income of state and private pension, she then showed me her jewellery collection, over 1000 pieces, all real.

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  3. I've been trying to lower the heat a bit everyday, mostly for my comfort, and so far no one has complained. I've got to 66. My pup new thing is to greet me at the door, then he gets his leash. When we're back, he runs into the kitchen and sits by the treat cupboard. This started with the addition of a new guinea pig of my daughters in the house. Jealousy perhaps?

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    1. I do not mind the heating on if I have a visitor who is cold but have to run it to suit me the rest of the time. Perhaps he is jealous or maybe he is trying to establish the pecking order.

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  4. Such beautiful fabrics Pam - I love the knitting bags. I have one in a very similar style that my Mum bought me from a charity shop.
    I think I've acclimatised to the lower temperatures I have in my house. I haven't yet used any form of heating at all - I just haven't felt the need, but I'm wearing jogging pants, 2 pairs of socks, slippers, thermal vest, long sleeved top and a jumper. To me it is normal to put layers on when the temperature drops - that costs me nothing, whereas heating does. I'm still throwing the windows wide open every morning too, so putting heating on would be madness. Visiting my Mum is a nightmare - I feel like I'm going to pass out as it's so hot, and it means I'm freezing when I leave to walk home. I know she is older , but her instinct is to turn the fire on, rather than add a layer or wrap up in a blanket. I'm obviously thrifty due to necessity, whereas she has no need to be.

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    1. If it was not for the unceasing rain my heating would not be on yet, this is a stone house and I am wary of damp. I can not cope with a hot house yet I love the heat of summer.

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  5. Ben sounds lovely and very self restrained :)

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    1. I am not sertain about the restrained bit, I think I was just quicker than him.

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  6. How great is Ben! Love the sewing, you manage to turn out so many beautiful things so quickly, I fell in love with the knitting bags.
    Yes, people seem to think they should heat houses to summer temperatures so that they can wear short sleeve T shirts all year round, I see it often in reality as well as on TV. Madness. Heating costs enough without having excessive indoor temperatures, layer up & move about a bit - for those fit enough to do so. A walk outdoors always makes the house seem toastie warm on return. We didn't have central heating when I was growing up, no one that I knew had it either, so layers of winter woollies were the norm. Glad to hear all is going well with you, Vee x

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    1. My cottage in Tydd had underfloor heating and was set low to keep the chill off, if I was cold I would light the fire. I burnt old pallets and wood from the hedgerows mainly, all free. I would love an open fire here.

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  7. No central heating of any kind here ... Gosh! .. I dont know how we survive.. hehe!

    Bags look great..

    Vicky x

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    1. If I had a working fireplace my heating would go on to be safety checked and then go off again. I am not comfortable in an overheated room, it makes me feel quite ill.

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