Tuesday 13 February 2007

Resolution: must be a better (more regular) blogger


I keep promising myself that I'll get into the habit of writing this and then stumble home exhausted to spend evenings stirring the dye-pot, washing vintage tea-towels , paper work, etc, etc- in fact I'm not sure where my evenings actually go. This evening however was knitting strips of silk for a new design and watching NCIS (truly atrocious but I love it), dinner out was postponed again and as the girls at HML will tell you there is nothing like a stolen night at home.

The last couple of weeks have been busy as a bee. I now have a helper- Pat the Wonder Machinist- in two days a week. Joy-oh-joy! What did I do without her? How did I manage? She's a wizz with the invisible zip, so the winter range is slowly coming together- lots of mixed up wools- tailored jackets made from 4 different fabrics, wool tweed tops with raw frilled loops on the neckline, snazzy pants......it makes such a difference when you aren't making it ALL- just some of it. I even miss her when she's not there! I am wondering if I can clone her.....

Last week saw a mass of cushions go through the workroom, cut, sewn, stuffed and out the door, I didn't get the chance to even blink at some of them and they were gone. The best ones though are still sitting in the corner- four 85cm square floor cushions made from a Red Ensign flag and a Union Jack, the flags were the 'proper' kind, vintage patch sewn wool, hope I can find some more (snowflake's chance I'm thinking but live in hope). I'll download the photos from the camera when I get a chance.

I've been running low on the tea-towel stocks but managed to pick about 50 up yesterday. Its amazing how many I have at the moment that are unusable, might have to send them back from whence they came.
Everytime I get a pile of work completed I don't seem to get a minute to sit back and just look at it- it is a very strange feeling when all your hard slog appears to be for no reason. Phffft gone. I'm beginning to think this is why I always feel as if I haven't actually accomplished anything. It is like some strange act of magic- the Mystery of the Disappearing Handiwork.

Coming back through the Vale of Pascoe yesterday I stopped at what was once on my list of fav op shops. Scored the best half finished embroidered doily of.....the Monarch of the Glen (and his missus). I find the concept of someone wanting to embroider a version of a stag standing on a hill in Bonny Scotland (thistles included) on a linen doily, just bizarre. (interestingly the stag's penis area has been portrayed with a few stitches in pink..... what was this housewife/creator thinking whilst stitching away? Did she blush I wonder. She never go around to crocheting around the edge so I'm guessing it was all too much for her and she had to put it aside.)) I think it will be turned into a cushion for my personal collection. Once again photo to come. Ah- other people's craft is a strange thing. I'll get around to discussing that at a later stage.

Still waiting for the HML girls to come by for a studio visit.....chocolate chip cookies are all gone....

Hopefully I'm off to Daylesford for a break next week (gotta use that birthday voucher before it runs out otherwise I'm deadmeat) so this week feels like I have to cram 3 weeks work into it, Pat will be working whilst I'm 'holidaying' (that's just plain weird- the holiday bit) so I can't believe that things will still be made as I lie around doing what ever it is that one does when relaxing. Wish me luck!

1 comment:

  1. oh miss penpen, it's not thatthe ladies of HML dont love you to pieces it's just our homelives that consipire against us... and now i'm off to tokyo for a couple of weeks sakura viewing we'll have to postpone the visit AGAIN... never fear however, at least on the this visit we'll come bearing harajuku influenced golita gifts for our favourite gaijin craftster! right bugger about the chokkie biscuits tho.

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