tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-81580973457785138972024-03-12T21:04:29.170-07:00The forgotten fashionistaApples and Pearshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09324769763179022103noreply@blogger.comBlogger26125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8158097345778513897.post-15640680495615600992016-01-10T21:49:00.003-08:002016-01-10T21:49:46.095-08:00I've been away for a while...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYrDpn8h9yzIkyQGdrI48AdlCqhp9Qg0bYlTo-2uiH48clXABPPKuBkhsK2gxxi2oTjStokfrg0oiQrj5Nlh3p7VXUd_oc3wnStjLxiNgrOjikouq-xZih7-YYHLq18-l2IdlBGZcYqoE/s1600/Apple+and+pear+ladies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYrDpn8h9yzIkyQGdrI48AdlCqhp9Qg0bYlTo-2uiH48clXABPPKuBkhsK2gxxi2oTjStokfrg0oiQrj5Nlh3p7VXUd_oc3wnStjLxiNgrOjikouq-xZih7-YYHLq18-l2IdlBGZcYqoE/s320/Apple+and+pear+ladies.jpg" width="271" /></a></div>
2014 and 2015 were pretty horrible years for me. Lots of reasons, but mainly because I live far away from my family and my father was ill, so I spent quite a bit of time travelling to the other side of the world to help out. For this reason, my blogging post had to take a back seat for quite a while, but, hopefully the start of 2016 will bring a renewed <gs class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="e529003e-cd08-48a3-8cb9-fe1a7a36e2da" id="22ced4bf-a8aa-4055-b429-29caf197a8c9"><gs class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="db58b1f9-3a0d-4ba4-8455-5f1dca8d35b2" id="f604b3c7-7845-4c8b-8264-ef0c8ffcfb71"><gs class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="df5fd9b8-db8c-4d72-9b09-0a0bc5e0c462" id="164cb24d-499c-449a-8765-363d9076f3c2">vigour</gs></gs></gs> and I will get my life back on track.<br />
<br />
Not all was bad, though. In 2014, I bought a lovely wide format printer, and I have been plugging away at Illustrator and have produced a small range of patterns for knit fabrics. I've been selling them at our local knitting mill factory shop, and at craft fairs.<br />
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I am tired of looking at garments which are mass produced, and are just tight tubes of knit fabric, which in my opinion, make you look like <gs class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="908bee51-401d-49e6-b630-977e0520b73a" id="6472098f-0f91-478d-984f-cab8f77917d2"><gs class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="a1a34959-7372-4f1e-8ec1-3fe2ad916f9d" id="9c5054b7-0a96-4b41-887b-918c880f7261"></gs><gs class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="b74d548e-0719-40ab-b013-8209fe1dc194" id="e68e5ccd-03a5-4f4d-b4ab-bd2d34511436"><gs class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="a1a34959-7372-4f1e-8ec1-3fe2ad916f9d" id="9c5054b7-0a96-4b41-887b-918c880f7261"></gs><gs class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="a1a34959-7372-4f1e-8ec1-3fe2ad916f9d" id="9c5054b7-0a96-4b41-887b-918c880f7261"></gs><gs class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="6768bfaf-f952-49f5-b319-de8c8a863d04" id="7cef2cb7-c97c-495b-bbdf-48963e1db1be"><gs class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="a1a34959-7372-4f1e-8ec1-3fe2ad916f9d" id="9c5054b7-0a96-4b41-887b-918c880f7261">coloure</gs>d</gs></gs></gs> sausages.<br />
<br />
"<gs class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="ea06dfbd-d711-44a0-9366-98851086b30f" id="be55631e-6772-4c51-a25e-138efac4b06e"><gs class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="743a2074-edd3-4ff3-b6d5-b93a53e5e9fb" id="22344ec6-676e-48ed-9ce3-c934c55ce5fb"><gs class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="9e33c4c8-f5c8-4757-9cdd-a77c0041353f" id="77e3eacb-36a7-43dd-893f-f9ab88ee58ef">Coloured</gs></gs></gs> sausages?" I hear you say.... Well, this is what I think about <gs class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="5eec02be-a275-4e0e-9018-f8badb63b29e" id="3683d9a9-75d0-4840-bc88-8b2fcd1fd245"><gs class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="5eec02be-a275-4e0e-9018-f8badb63b29e" id="3683d9a9-75d0-4840-bc88-8b2fcd1fd245"><gs class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="ec8fa435-002d-496b-8ff4-780bc06cb4f8" id="65cc698b-ce30-4db4-83aa-7769d2f40ee0"><gs class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="84d37fde-f463-43ff-a8b2-e9539018d1ca" id="c1583538-0a08-4b88-b5a7-ca5f27a9b92e">knits</gs></gs></gs></gs>, and how they make you feel.<br />
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As I am now on the second half of my 6th decade, my body has changed quite a lot from when I was younger. There are deposits of cuddly bits in places I wish there weren't. I know this is natural, as much as I want them to go away, I have a feeling they are going to be around a long time!<br />
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Knit fabrics are so comfortable, they stretch and cover the body. Often, they feel just like a second skin. Woven fabrics never feel that way. If a woven garment is tight, you will know it for sure. A knit fabric will probably just stretch a bit more over the tight bits and you just don't notice the pounds packing on. Have a look in the mirror at your back view. You <gs class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="24108b45-4e38-4f98-a43c-3ca06e282075" id="ffe2fc50-dc8f-41d2-969c-3a2c0440c3b7"><gs class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="4abfea22-c362-4e00-af0b-0cbdeb590174" id="55ba87b0-7b7f-4e2c-85cc-f2540a13c967">cant</gs></gs> feel the tightness of the Knit top, but in the mirror, if you have a bit of <gs class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="24108b45-4e38-4f98-a43c-3ca06e282075" id="02e5a0ec-3776-41ca-bd81-1cd1589dc35a"><gs class="GINGER_SOFTWARE_mark" ginger_software_uiphraseguid="4abfea22-c362-4e00-af0b-0cbdeb590174" id="c8cba794-6b5f-4601-82b6-bb9fb4cf9d2a">excess cuddly stuff</gs></gs> above your bra, it will show. And so will the other slightly wobbly bits! I do wonder whether the T shirt revolution is responsible for the obesity problem in the world.<br />
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However, knits are my fabric of choice, I don't think a day goes by without me putting on at least one knitted garment, be it a shirt or skirt, or both. I just love feeling comfortable in what I wear, so I wanted to take my pattern experience into a new area.<br />
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For a while I was doing some work with a 3d program, Optitex. You make up a pattern and then digitally sew it together and fit it onto an avatar. At the time, I did not know how to adjust the fabric qualities on the program, and so the patterns I produced fitted the model beautifully, draping over the body, rather than hugging the torso tightly. I printed off the pattern, measured myself, and cut a basic T shirt out. Sewed it up, and popped it on. The resulting garment was fitting, but not in any way tight. It covered my belly and swept over my hips, and I was, after accepting the fact it didn't fit as tightly as I was used to, that it did actually look a lot nicer than a normal T shirt!<br />
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I was hooked. Out went all the square, short tops in my wardrobe. I am now making myself new garments, longer than before, with lovely curvy sides. They feel lovely, and I think I look lovely in them too.<br />
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I have taken this basic shape and made a collection of garments for both Apple shaped people, like me, and Pear shaped people. Apples and Pears was born, and I hope it will grow in the coming year.<br />
<br />Apples and Pearshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09324769763179022103noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8158097345778513897.post-66126031434903887782014-04-12T00:09:00.001-07:002014-04-12T03:54:40.500-07:00THE BUTTON GOBLIN<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I'm nearly finished sewing...</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I'm nearly at the end....</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> Then things will start to go wrong! </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">It drives me round the bend!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The garment is just perfect, </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I've really taken care,</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">All trimmed and pressed and lovely,</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">But I've looked everywhere....</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Where is that flipping button? </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I only need one more.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I know I had the right number</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">When I bought them at the store.....</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I've checked all round the table</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I've searched all round the floor.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I am going crazy...</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I can't take it any more!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I'll check under this fabric, </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">clean up with my broom</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Pick up all these threads and bits...</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">It MUST be in this room!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I think there is a goblin, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Named Mr Sew-and-sew</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">He always hides the last thing</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">So I cant get up and go.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I sigh, and say, I'm tired!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I need to go to bed, </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">But I just keep on searching</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">He's playing with my head.....</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I'll just pick up this iron...</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I hate that button thief!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Lo and behold, I see it!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">It was hiding underneath!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Do you have a goblin,</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Your Mr Sew-and-sew</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Hiding in your sewing room?</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I'd really love to know!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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Apples and Pearshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09324769763179022103noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8158097345778513897.post-56609180554935490132014-04-04T00:36:00.000-07:002014-04-08T04:31:10.578-07:00The day I nearly murdered a client<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Once upon a time, in a land far, far away, there lived a woman who sewed for people. She did this , because she had two young children and she liked to be at home with them. Sometimes she made patterns for a factory, loads of track suit patterns, with lots of bright colors and flashy panels. All the grading for lots of sizes, all done by hand in hard cardboard. Oh well, it WAS the nineties! Not quite as bad as people say the eighties was, but the garments were a fashion travesty.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinfnXN9DapviIv-QTqENG4qe_1AzyJRXI5p_kexHH79fVb_fQogRfWcpJO7mQconF4jgcyACl31SKbFa9iP7DD_v2ORc7CXZYCj0Dnu2jokHxlfmiD8pS-8vOI7nOAsqt2gsym-TCCgR0/s1600/tracksuit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinfnXN9DapviIv-QTqENG4qe_1AzyJRXI5p_kexHH79fVb_fQogRfWcpJO7mQconF4jgcyACl31SKbFa9iP7DD_v2ORc7CXZYCj0Dnu2jokHxlfmiD8pS-8vOI7nOAsqt2gsym-TCCgR0/s1600/tracksuit.jpg" height="257" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The woman, of course, was me. Johannesburg, 1994, I think.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">That's the problem with being a freelance worker. You get some pretty awful stuff to make. Sometimes it can be good, sometimes very, very bad. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b> Sometimes I call myself a pattern making prostitute.... If you pay me, I will make it. I will say that whatever you want me to make is great! I am getting better at not doing that, but sometimes I still do.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I preferred making patterns to sewing. There is something so lovely in nice pattern board, and grading rules.... It's a bit like knitting. You know you are going to have to repeat the same thing over and over again in order to complete the task, but its regular, and calming in a way. So organised and sensible. But was a lot of work and paper, Some of the patterns were so heavy when I finished them I battled to carry them to my car. Now its all done on computer. The trees will be happy about that.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Sewing, on the other hand, I absolutely hated. I didn't have my lovely Bernina at that time, just a little machine which chugged away and was great value. I had a nice old singer industrial overlocker which was awesome but a pain to thread. There's something so random about when the fabric, sewing machine and thread combine which is <u>not good</u>. Bad things occur and I go crazy. I get back ache and want to throw it all in the bin.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I had one client, an Indian Muslim lady. The Muslim community have a lot of functions and it is important to be well dressed. No Hijabs were ever seen in South Africa back then. Head coverings, yes, but none of these....</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmUhZipXnYEljhKhpAVqbCvc_6daxcqJmgaRQcnkENmwepuJTBvC9pzutbBYz7By6RhOsIL3OXnoF6xdjNjQatQIaSaRlSosUqTdnfsVvrYsiGgGzZIxDhoUm2ar5Puwh82K39YjfjTm4/s1600/download.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmUhZipXnYEljhKhpAVqbCvc_6daxcqJmgaRQcnkENmwepuJTBvC9pzutbBYz7By6RhOsIL3OXnoF6xdjNjQatQIaSaRlSosUqTdnfsVvrYsiGgGzZIxDhoUm2ar5Puwh82K39YjfjTm4/s1600/download.jpg" height="222" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> I made some rather Over-The-Top garments for her in some alarming sparkly fabrics which broke needles and drove me crazy. One day she brought me some fabric, rather too little for her rather cuddly body size. The fabric cost $500 a metre.</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">I used to feed my family for a whole month on that!</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"> It was narrow with a border on it and I had barely enough to go around her body. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr2bquTfiN9yyPVtYqxC3TuGjTCHCK5x4N5LNnRjxxOhOGAJotkc-fILx8CZP8tnSeJH77XlKMHZZXUbxGzLUTBFhYWisU_VZA0sFQa1rpmgPL0pbcTEcCIPe7nx2eIr1jPJWaAiaADDE/s1600/3740dca154e08f0dccc179530d9d85f7.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr2bquTfiN9yyPVtYqxC3TuGjTCHCK5x4N5LNnRjxxOhOGAJotkc-fILx8CZP8tnSeJH77XlKMHZZXUbxGzLUTBFhYWisU_VZA0sFQa1rpmgPL0pbcTEcCIPe7nx2eIr1jPJWaAiaADDE/s1600/3740dca154e08f0dccc179530d9d85f7.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">fancy sewing your way through this ?</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> I squeezed a garment out for her, and she went away happy.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">A few weeks later she called me, and said she wanted me to make another garment, out of the same material, unpick it and fashion something else "Because everyone had seen that dress and I want a new style" </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">For probably the first time, I said..... NO. I'm pretty proud of that. No more sewing for THAT lady.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I was annoyed, but it wasn't as if I wanted to murder that one.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">HOWEVER.....</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">There was another woman who came to me a few times for dressmaking. She had an unfortunate figure,with curvature of the spine. It was obviously very difficult for her to find anything that would fit her unusual shape. But she was so fussy! I made a trouser suit the first time, but it came back a few times for changes. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Then I made another top for her. The fabric was slippery crepe de chine, polyester. Lovely.....yeah right!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">On completing the garment, she came for a fitting. She was in fine form that day. She was standing in front of the mirror, being a bit fussy. I know I should have been understanding, she probably had very poor self esteem. Then she said it..... " the next time you make something for me could you use larger stitches so that I can unpick it when I get home"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I was stunned .I felt my hands rise up behind her back....</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I wanted to strangle her right there, in my own bedroom. The urge was so strong I had to force myself to put my hands down again and hold them behind my back!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgcdImkgNvg6EjOOtVVE55Zx5sDPXTHWS6XR2NGFbhVCnPwF6DrCKt_wHxMZWEIwkrope7J7XKhqPfrLYOX9A2Mtk1ZmayNEjjIELf0FF3rS8RLa-3Puu82voMpj7_p3JsI1ReZdXagGU/s1600/stressed1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgcdImkgNvg6EjOOtVVE55Zx5sDPXTHWS6XR2NGFbhVCnPwF6DrCKt_wHxMZWEIwkrope7J7XKhqPfrLYOX9A2Mtk1ZmayNEjjIELf0FF3rS8RLa-3Puu82voMpj7_p3JsI1ReZdXagGU/s1600/stressed1.jpg" height="305" width="400" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Now, although I really hated her at that moment and almost did a terrible deed, out of that incident, I came away with a valuable lesson. Don't sew for people?? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I wish that were so!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">But the valuable thing I learnt is, </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">USE A DECENT SIZE STITCH WHEN YOU SEW ANYTHING BECAUSE IT IS EASIER TO UNPICK IF YOU NEED TO.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">My machine sets by default to a small stitch each time I turn it on and I wish it didn't. I always turn up the stitch length when I sew. At the moment I'm making a riding jacket (Not for me,again!) and I've unpicked the thing a couple of times already, and this is what reminded me of Mrs Fussy Customer.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYrSK7r8E4ezI7m6jBwRi5Ae17PUWIbiWbvJFYaDhzYtQYusngc-1Rr68ou8QxkHoiqyjoLaZIajmpURYTIttQ33tzypcXYrKw6cexYidgDh1McB0ZXyEEv-9L76KPi078UH7zPFEWAsQ/s1600/strangle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYrSK7r8E4ezI7m6jBwRi5Ae17PUWIbiWbvJFYaDhzYtQYusngc-1Rr68ou8QxkHoiqyjoLaZIajmpURYTIttQ33tzypcXYrKw6cexYidgDh1McB0ZXyEEv-9L76KPi078UH7zPFEWAsQ/s1600/strangle.jpg" height="237" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">I wonder who sews for her now?</span></b></span></div>
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<br />Apples and Pearshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09324769763179022103noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8158097345778513897.post-25595706453258314882014-03-20T12:02:00.000-07:002014-03-20T12:02:23.948-07:00Really good reasons why sewing is good for you<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">SHARE THE LOVE</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our lives have changed so much since I was little. I think my mother made all my clothes apart from my shoes and socks! We did have some rather special store bought</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> dresses which were gifts from a grandmother, but its the ones that my mother made that I remember the most. Nowadays clothing is so cheap,(and mostly from China,) that most people opt for the easy way, go buy it instead.... But I believe that making something for yourself or a loved one makes a difference. You are giving time and attention to produce something useful and (hopefully)beautiful. Somehow going out to the shops isn't quite the same.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">LEARN ABOUT YOURSELF</span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When I was about ten I started playing with the sewing machine and before very long was making clothes of my own.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I remember a cute little shift dress with orange ,black and white fabric and puffed sleeves, which I made as a school project. So very seventies!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Once I tried to make a pair of pink flannel pyjamas and got the legs and the body parts all wrong and my friends and I fell apart laughing at the strange sight of me in a very strange garment with a crotch depth of about a metre and two short legs. Lesson learnt!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgRLMh5TSkCClX2gjvIHved57LDQa4D-M7bx5TDIcendsjSxZsOXCnN1vLFWA8Ykdb-j5gp4MqrM39VKN1ClBWpaiDWEuK01fE4CBes5lblhZ9cmNd1C_1WlHJ7G1O-CCkmBvGAZV8hek/s1600/pyjama+pants.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgRLMh5TSkCClX2gjvIHved57LDQa4D-M7bx5TDIcendsjSxZsOXCnN1vLFWA8Ykdb-j5gp4MqrM39VKN1ClBWpaiDWEuK01fE4CBes5lblhZ9cmNd1C_1WlHJ7G1O-CCkmBvGAZV8hek/s1600/pyjama+pants.jpg" height="320" width="276" /></i></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>Really bad mistake on making my pyjama pants!</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkKgt03-fkb2nUg7oJf0v9GLNt4i05zva37PX-fJrTkbk77-f9czxAPoHvUXyHuqwQvPYwfkMwC503C8XbBX2Hx88d798N68FuFbTvYA5WChJAcl9B1mu5ZeOjyluUywHoLp85-N_gF2o/s1600/pictures+from+old+computer+1345.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkKgt03-fkb2nUg7oJf0v9GLNt4i05zva37PX-fJrTkbk77-f9czxAPoHvUXyHuqwQvPYwfkMwC503C8XbBX2Hx88d798N68FuFbTvYA5WChJAcl9B1mu5ZeOjyluUywHoLp85-N_gF2o/s1600/pictures+from+old+computer+1345.jpg" height="238" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>My little pony dress, Juliet, aged 5</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6382XTbW9YatN7LRFlgXUfZxM-QwOP2igcb2sgYhMgrJMK0SzZI0OGwnGStwb9Adw5_q_fSnCct5CnQDn9ZZywyJbVwysLZItR5DHcDMCz48IJVzhYZUvLgl3OQIAoPA55csmo-VtHdc/s1600/pictures+from+old+computer+1353.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6382XTbW9YatN7LRFlgXUfZxM-QwOP2igcb2sgYhMgrJMK0SzZI0OGwnGStwb9Adw5_q_fSnCct5CnQDn9ZZywyJbVwysLZItR5DHcDMCz48IJVzhYZUvLgl3OQIAoPA55csmo-VtHdc/s1600/pictures+from+old+computer+1353.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>Picnic in the Cape,</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i> Evan wearing a Bart Simpson shirt and shorts</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I made my prom dress, my wedding dress, my children's clothes.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A few shirts for my father, dresses for my mother,</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My sisters wedding dress, (in fact there were two of those),</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">and all the bridesmaids dresses too. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Curtains for a lot of houses we lived in.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: center;">I think that every time you make something, whether it is for yourself or someone else, you project a part of yourself into the garment.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk99EllNAznzwswZ_g-nn0gu7c2nHm4qq4-iYdaa3oM6FVubAajv5Fwcih_SdvU8156kQOCUrg1MzWNDT5qbWOtgwjoCWkeasNVR6uMO4_-8YnjqPzmqEDNl4cg4a2WpHVvt8FJDtIblg/s1600/P2060927.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk99EllNAznzwswZ_g-nn0gu7c2nHm4qq4-iYdaa3oM6FVubAajv5Fwcih_SdvU8156kQOCUrg1MzWNDT5qbWOtgwjoCWkeasNVR6uMO4_-8YnjqPzmqEDNl4cg4a2WpHVvt8FJDtIblg/s1600/P2060927.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>A remake of an eighties pleated suit, made for Juliets 21st.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Don't you think that is really special?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">EVERY TIME YOU MAKE SOMETHING YOU IMPROVE YOUR SKILLS</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Practice makes perfect.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> The more you sew, the better you become, simple.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Your confidence increases, and we all could do with a good dose of that.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Learning a new technique is empowering.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">BREAKING THE BARRIERS IS FUN</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When I lived in Durban I had a small business, called <b style="font-style: italic;">'FASHION PASSION'. </b>I had a small office on a fairly busy street and I used to supply patterns to the CMT clothing factories. It was next to an old brothel, luckily they had moved out, but I did have a few strange fellows knocking on the door occasionally, but that's another story!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I had a friend whose cousin was a stunt car driver who drove ridiculous trucks with huge wheels. I think he also moved to New Zealand, anyway he was about 6ft plus in height, and I made him a shocking pink and black jumpsuit with a strange Triangular Shoulder effect in black and pink stripes.(No photo, thank goodness!)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> When I think of it now.... Hideous! Well, it was the Eighties! It was made in awful polyester canvas fabric and I can't imagine how hot it must have been, Durban is punishingly hot and humid. I am surprised he is still alive... death by bad taste and overheating. Yes, it was ugly, and yes it was complicated to make, but I did it and it was fun doing it. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><i><b><br /></b></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><i><b>Get out there...</b></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><i><b> be creative. </b></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><i><b>Try something new!</b></i></span></div>
Apples and Pearshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09324769763179022103noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8158097345778513897.post-28384187643630555732014-03-14T05:39:00.000-07:002014-03-14T15:17:22.407-07:00Who on earth sews on a HOLIDAY?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXGyLjPEcF3tAemgWtRXoQSsdp2brh83ViBhK_JrL-HbcSgS-vk_j0-ldpfkZ6WVjUibGN5i3Sl5O_LN8q4Va1_IPoTeLm086mmOpoD7oYoVKziprRRCt3sNuQ8BdYjfB4f0367krF-r4/s1600/DSC00323.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>My mother's lovely old Necchi sewing machine</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am always making something. Actually most of the stuff I make isn't for me at all. Something I am trying to remedy!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I have arrived at my parents house in the past, and been faced with a large roll of furnishing fabric, and a lounge suite. Dark Brown. Kinda velvety. Not my favourite but it was very forgiving fabric and I managed to do a good job with my mothers old Necchi sewing machine.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This machine has defined what I do in my life. Given to my mother before I was born, it was the first machine I ever used,at about eight years old, and the first thing I ever made were rolls and rolls of crepe paper Christmas decorations. Cut strips of the paper and place together with white on one side, red or green on the other. Sew all the way up the centre, then cut into the edges of the paper to form a fringe. Twist and stick up on the ceiling. Ever so retro! They lasted for years and years. From then on the Necchi was my favourite thing. It has a book of patterns that you can produce by slotting a lot of cogs together. I was fascinated.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When my family left what was Rhodesia, and moved to the UK, I used to go to church jumble sales and buy things and rehash them. Good old Necchi sewed them up again. We lived there a year, and t</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">hen we moved to South Africa, and </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I wanted to study to become a physiotherapist. I really wanted to be a vet, but a very sexist male vet said girls were too weak to become vets.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I didn't get accepted. My Dad saw an advert in the paper, "Fashion Design as a Career" and so I did that instead. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Clever Dad. He saw what I just couldn't see.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, here I am, on holiday, using the same machine. (Now 56 years old!)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> She still purrs away, and if she wasn't so terribly heavy I would bring her home with me. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">She weighs 15kg!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, this time, so far, I have sewn a new net curtain for my Dad's lounge window. The cat ripped the old one. I hate net curtains, but you know how oldies love them.....</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Karen and Dad on her new section</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My sister and her partner have bought a hill and they are going to develop an eco campsite in the V</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">alley of 1000 hills, and will be living in a caravan for a while. For her birthday I re-upholstered the squabs, changing them from grotty smelly dirty brown floral fabric to more modern grey, and I'm halfway through doing the curtains. The caravan is a very mouldy smelling old seventies thing. Curtains are in a knit fabric, a bit of an experiment, but material is already available, so that's what she wants to use. As Durban is so humid <b>everything</b> goes mouldy and smelly if things are closed up for long.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglSHfsWTovNs7DDXRsPyBfkIkOaRP7iTCbHcbTxBYR6SkJqg21z0cY1_nZaR9lJ_zXYjtP-9oS2Cgarf18AtK9vMUIyVaWe5YLuAI1iMwDG0QOSbUVN4Jszae3RMHXsBXoT7GqSdXjp8Y/s1600/PZ-valley-of-1000-hills.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglSHfsWTovNs7DDXRsPyBfkIkOaRP7iTCbHcbTxBYR6SkJqg21z0cY1_nZaR9lJ_zXYjtP-9oS2Cgarf18AtK9vMUIyVaWe5YLuAI1iMwDG0QOSbUVN4Jszae3RMHXsBXoT7GqSdXjp8Y/s1600/PZ-valley-of-1000-hills.jpg" height="261" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Valley of 1000 hills</span><br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOGxR0PZrLW5jbujw_OSCRzkTVsx7m_8TXqnMz0ip5oy46TbuqB4KADHLoE2hCmB2Ba7341NSaFZpTeP2Jm0QwBpZBc7w6yhezXB1PpGMV-k3kaeGaAKI_6mMpiWUqhJX4fnBRXwQj2NM/s1600/DSC00318.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOGxR0PZrLW5jbujw_OSCRzkTVsx7m_8TXqnMz0ip5oy46TbuqB4KADHLoE2hCmB2Ba7341NSaFZpTeP2Jm0QwBpZBc7w6yhezXB1PpGMV-k3kaeGaAKI_6mMpiWUqhJX4fnBRXwQj2NM/s1600/DSC00318.JPG" height="355" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">CAT the cat enjoying her new cat blanket infused with catnip</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-X2Hpf1lsgX0/UN6LdhaRbpI/AAAAAAAAD1c/7XBXrL0rtLk/s1600/P6020037.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-X2Hpf1lsgX0/UN6LdhaRbpI/AAAAAAAAD1c/7XBXrL0rtLk/s1600/P6020037.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">These were her adorable kittens</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;">T</span><span style="font-size: small;">he cat that has adopted my father is very sweet but I don't think she had much of a good time as a kitten. She was a stray that produced the most lovely kittens when my Mum passed away and she has stayed on with my Dad and is great company for him. I bought some catnip and have made her a few catnip mice and a cat blanket for her to sit on with some catnip inside. She has turned into a very crazy sexy beast! I think she </span><span style="font-size: small;">must be stoned!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">I'm going to make one for my sisters cat too.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">But I <b>have</b> made something for myself. I downloaded a program that gives you free pants and bodice blocks. Enter your measurements and hey presto out comes the pattern that will fit you. Hopefully anyway!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"> I have a new wide format printer at home so I had a great day getting the printing correct, and as I had run out of time and had to leave for SA I took my patterns with me. I found some black velveteen in the bottom of the very musty linen cupboard and made up the pants pattern. Well, I am on a diet. I don't think I have lost that much weight, but sadly the pattern was WAY too big. I took off 4cm on the back side seams , all the way down the leg, and 4cm on the front and back waistband and they do fit very well now. I also removed the darts at the back, and moved the front dart over my hip bone, which I find is a much better place to remove excess fabric.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">The pictures are awful. Ghastly!!!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"> I was so proud of my new velveteen pants, now I'm not so sure!</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUn0SyOESBCjewHZeGVaGJRyA4H_k99OLi4qZqAPRdcSUW73Ts_smDCjuW9Cod0i2B5vvtpFDzmCJMQGuJQiUZb32SRHQJBBOnLvt0EcCxMZ_SJ7by6_yYccSz5JpKRWiX4iuR22tCE3U/s1600/DSC00315.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUn0SyOESBCjewHZeGVaGJRyA4H_k99OLi4qZqAPRdcSUW73Ts_smDCjuW9Cod0i2B5vvtpFDzmCJMQGuJQiUZb32SRHQJBBOnLvt0EcCxMZ_SJ7by6_yYccSz5JpKRWiX4iuR22tCE3U/s1600/DSC00315.JPG" height="320" width="179" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">they feel better than they look!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix34YjPPEEsuCnyGvteBC1WTIoC9fV5ggbit1y-IvT8eRzsGFHJFpmepoJNjqrXUzPNed8RYYhuu5sy98-ou8xRmuAbgzu7rCG2nEgBz2L0LSvFdXWbIzAAPj9pr7kfbdzPPavYeumVTU/s1600/DSC00316.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix34YjPPEEsuCnyGvteBC1WTIoC9fV5ggbit1y-IvT8eRzsGFHJFpmepoJNjqrXUzPNed8RYYhuu5sy98-ou8xRmuAbgzu7rCG2nEgBz2L0LSvFdXWbIzAAPj9pr7kfbdzPPavYeumVTU/s1600/DSC00316.JPG" height="320" width="179" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Hmmm... more sit ups required! and make them shorter!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So... two weeks down and another 2 to go. Whats next?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Adust some shirts for my Dad,I think. And then? I have no idea!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>It's amazing what 'normal' is considered to be in different parts of the world. While here in South Africa, all sorts of things which were one normal for me, are now, in my eyes, completely strange.</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>While I am here, I am enjoying being able to jump in a swimming pool at any time, and, as I am definitely a morning exercise person, I choose to go and have a swim in the morning, to wake me up and for me to have that saintly feeling that I have actually done some exercise, even when I am on holiday, although somewhat incarcerated in a retirement home. Of course, the inhabitants of this retirement home must think that I am strange, going to jump into the pool when it is not a hot day, and they keep asking if the water is cold. It hasn't been cold until today, and it was so cold it gave me a headache!</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>On the way home, walking past the rubbish dump, and along the 12 foot electric fence, I saw them. Monkeys! A whole troupe of them. I haven't seen monkeys for a long time.</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Now, monkeys are a nuisance. They can get in your house and steal your fruit. Therefore, people have security doors to keep burglars out (normal) but also to keep monkeys out. The big monkeys have become very clever and now send their babies into the house to get the fruit!</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>I stood quietly in the front of my fathers garden and asked him to pass his camera out so I could take photos. (now that would not be normal activity for South Africans, monkeys are so commonplace here they would be chased away). I had a great time taking photos.</b></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>Hey you guys! come this way!</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>The family group... I love the babies</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>Berries for baby and avocado for mum. Delicious breakfast!</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>Little fella peering through the leaves at me</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>Who will get the bananas?</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>'CAT' the cat, is not even vaguely worried about the visitors</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>Of course, I should have thought more about what is normal for South Africans who see monkeys, and stopped being such a tourist. Remember I said that monkeys are little thieves?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>While I had been swimming, my Dad had been very organised and had made some morning tea and some jam sandwiches for the gardener, Paulus, and had placed it outside the kitchen door. He was busy looking at stuff on his computer, and had not done what he normally did, see monkeys, check the back door! They may get in the kitchen!</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>Guess who got the sandwiches?? The monkeys, of course!</b></span></div>
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Apples and Pearshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09324769763179022103noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8158097345778513897.post-60293822026411037632014-02-28T22:33:00.000-08:002014-02-28T22:33:16.152-08:00Its been a long, long time...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggzsfWOFQZPIsVyiPKIPn3poArUPg0qIlcd2KYiwepq7Xh5P5tl6cG5QAzz7yXRqe_mxlrl3KGMkFCAxJOIX9r_AsWBZACcWljkxg88KpZlPy3lVaI9-uvQJVjdqbhbyGUoyJsHQWmlJg/s1600/winding_road_memorial.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggzsfWOFQZPIsVyiPKIPn3poArUPg0qIlcd2KYiwepq7Xh5P5tl6cG5QAzz7yXRqe_mxlrl3KGMkFCAxJOIX9r_AsWBZACcWljkxg88KpZlPy3lVaI9-uvQJVjdqbhbyGUoyJsHQWmlJg/s1600/winding_road_memorial.jpg" height="512" width="640" /></a></div>
Life has many twists and turns, and the past year was probably the most arduous one our family has ever encountered, and thankfully I am now on a (fairly) straight road as our lovely daughter has now recovered well from surgery etc. I am so thankful for the wonderful health system in New Zealand.<br />
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So, blogging took a back seat for a while.<br />
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But now I feel as if its a good time to get going again! I am presently visiting my father and sister in Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa. Our family left South Africa in 1996 to start a new life in New Zealand. I have come back here quite a few times to visit my family, and its been interesting to see how the country has changed while we have been away. There are good things, there are bad things. Poverty and lack of employment are still bad, and with this comes problems with begging at street intersections theft, etc. Its so sad to think that Mandela's dream of a better place for everyone has not become reality.<br />
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At present I am staying in my fathers house in a small retirement complex, with electric fences 12 foot high to protect the aging community from break ins and theft. And this is no exception,<b><u> everywhere you go</u></b>, properties have really high walls with electric fences and razor wire on top of that. Its horrible.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbS63bE6icJMhpOrUEPs7qSMii2bmkiXW641TtDl8OPTRvNuiWlPvbNC7_9TxEv1CiiHm_ry60dvN-eoT3JceTD0Mg30LOwkDcmDT-a5EGpCz2E226YMmUFrFfoctEavaafVN7-K0sEZc/s1600/electric+fence.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbS63bE6icJMhpOrUEPs7qSMii2bmkiXW641TtDl8OPTRvNuiWlPvbNC7_9TxEv1CiiHm_ry60dvN-eoT3JceTD0Mg30LOwkDcmDT-a5EGpCz2E226YMmUFrFfoctEavaafVN7-K0sEZc/s1600/electric+fence.jpg" /></a></div>
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However, there are many things about South Africa that I am really enjoying. The weather here is warm , sunny , most of the time punishingly hot and humid, but its so lovely to feel the warm air on your arms, and not the ever-so-slightly chilly wind which we get in New Zealand. And wonderful to jump into an outdoor unheated swimming pool and not shudder with shock! I go for a swim every morning, annoying the troupe of geese as I have entered their 'territory'.</div>
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I love the sound of familiar birds, doves cooing in the trees, the raucous "KA KAW!" from the Hadida bird, a brown ibis which is so common here. As it is a tropical area, the plants that grow here are huge, and flowers are everywhere.</div>
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What is really lovely, though, are the clothes people wear. I am really enjoying looking at the styles that people wear. Not much black clothing around(NONE!), lots of colours, fabulous shoes. And the African women have the most glamorous hair. They don't like their natural hair, which is very tightly curled, so a lot of wigs, and braiding with extensions are commonplace. I can't help myself, I keep saying, gosh, I LOVE your hair!</div>
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What's next? A visit to a game park is definitely on the list. Buy some <a href="http://stylefabrics.co.za/?page_id=73" target="_blank">shweshwe fabric</a>. A traditional cotton printed fabric with amazing geometrical designs.<u> </u><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"> I love Africa!</span></div>
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<br />Apples and Pearshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09324769763179022103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8158097345778513897.post-58546336545678515822013-09-29T13:12:00.003-07:002013-09-29T13:12:45.255-07:00My Monthly Stitch effort<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is my inspiration for my first Monthly stitch garment. As it is the anniversary of my mothers passing, and also the month of her birthday, I decided to use this photo as my inspiration. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitahIhYC_vZFoXt8ojCgVLFaR8lSFabqP90REiwI158j_FqjR09i_mYc7KtMtKL8G44B88lWrJI5TM_NthmEoG7dWmPlzsOSUd9Cxt4VDqu_Jf1ALHLWMQWqIx0FgWPUJj1w-pGl_nJhA/s1600/P5110002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitahIhYC_vZFoXt8ojCgVLFaR8lSFabqP90REiwI158j_FqjR09i_mYc7KtMtKL8G44B88lWrJI5TM_NthmEoG7dWmPlzsOSUd9Cxt4VDqu_Jf1ALHLWMQWqIx0FgWPUJj1w-pGl_nJhA/s640/P5110002.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> <span style="text-align: center;">But of course, I couldn't find the exact pattern in my daughters stash, and as a pattern maker myself, I don't usually have any commercial patterns . So, using </span><span style="text-align: center;"> her </span><span style="text-align: center;">Simplicity 2910 pattern as my base, I traced out the pattern, decided I didn't like the collar, and drafted a new front and collar. Then, after cutting out the rather wasteful collar piece, I found I didn't have enough fabric for the pleated skirt that I wanted, so the skirt became a half circle with 4 pleats, 2 in the front, and 2 at the back. So, sadly, the only actual vintage pattern piece I used was the back bodice!</span></span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic2WYE8EhEWZ-NPrZ807JOkzb66rGCz6ldiTaIiBKqnGh36FHUZZALP0KKQstfNtee-sQ13jD4Kl6-DxHC2lz0mrbP-4OgG0yvRYhSloVMcGAf7YCVz6IIb64f-PbH17R1Du3NfMX4Znk/s1600/P5130006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic2WYE8EhEWZ-NPrZ807JOkzb66rGCz6ldiTaIiBKqnGh36FHUZZALP0KKQstfNtee-sQ13jD4Kl6-DxHC2lz0mrbP-4OgG0yvRYhSloVMcGAf7YCVz6IIb64f-PbH17R1Du3NfMX4Znk/s320/P5130006.JPG" width="320" /></span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This petticoat is actually vintage, given to my mother by my Dad, when I was very little. In the 60's, when big skirts had given way to more slender lines, I was allowed to wear it and I can remember as a little girl , swirling around and around, making the tulle dance in the air. </span><br />
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<a href="https://fbcdn-sphotos-c-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-frc3/1239360_10151636976546272_1124249592_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-c-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-frc3/1239360_10151636976546272_1124249592_n.jpg" width="266" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Many years later, I still had the petticoat, and used to let my own daughter wear it. Then one day I let some older girls wear it, and the little monsters climbed up a tree in it and ripped it. I was very distraught, and put it in a bag, to be forgotten for about 20 years. This month, by chance, I found it again, and decided to repair the rips</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It was fun to make the dress, I thought I'd make it how my Mum used to make hers, with nice belt loops done by hand, no overlocking, just zig zag seams, (but I did do some french seams on the skirt).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I wore it on the "Whats the deal with Teal?" day because I had assisted in making Crazy Gypsey's dress, and it was sort of the right colour.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We went off for photographs. People did look sideways at this band of Giggly ladies. Then it struck me. We looked like a gay wedding party, with way too many bridesmaids, and I was mother of the bride/groom. AARGH!</span>Apples and Pearshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09324769763179022103noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8158097345778513897.post-68554014580812330272013-09-17T03:57:00.000-07:002013-09-17T03:57:08.640-07:00Too late for the Cape-a-thon...<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I am too late to post this on the monthly stitch, which is a shame, because I made this a month or 2 ago, and forgot all about it until I saw it at the wee sewing factory the other day. The owner Cheryl, has a daughter called Jessica. She often comes and watches me make patterns, and we cut things out of cardboard, sometimes fabric. For ages she had asked whether I could make her a red riding hood cloak. Jessica is 16, but has the misfortune in having MS, the youngest person in New Zealand to have it, poor girl. It is affecting her sight, and she has a hard time restraining her very amorous nature, she's very sweet but a bit of a handful!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">After helping out at Fabric-a-brac, there was a piece of red velveteen that someone was selling. "that's mine!" I thought, knowing exactly what to do with it. One Red Riding Hood cape for Jessica. I believe she has even worn it to school, and just loves it.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbSzZ0FKvy9DV7LFLjlgs7874_SE1_2SH8Em6I6HGwXk7yaiWeaDwG2KDY1Lz5UarOQMDWXz0xe7wgnMA_CeQhdiuNxuLloT9w6WAtjvOwRlm8xUYyxzHS0UAGwfyi6DyLU2LpFVqKX-M/s1600/P1080001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbSzZ0FKvy9DV7LFLjlgs7874_SE1_2SH8Em6I6HGwXk7yaiWeaDwG2KDY1Lz5UarOQMDWXz0xe7wgnMA_CeQhdiuNxuLloT9w6WAtjvOwRlm8xUYyxzHS0UAGwfyi6DyLU2LpFVqKX-M/s640/P1080001.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5t1Ei5h9jldxBnSOF-EM5wAzlWlkneqC28mMvTtaLdtAZeYZVqvZoteoymZuZ7sykRtPaI70BuPumLfbBUKW7-4VBThC2gkxXNc0aJzHFptMJZy_EWrlWGTbBQzEhM1RSwmy_cnYXCoY/s1600/P1080002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5t1Ei5h9jldxBnSOF-EM5wAzlWlkneqC28mMvTtaLdtAZeYZVqvZoteoymZuZ7sykRtPaI70BuPumLfbBUKW7-4VBThC2gkxXNc0aJzHFptMJZy_EWrlWGTbBQzEhM1RSwmy_cnYXCoY/s640/P1080002.JPG" width="480" /></a>Apples and Pearshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09324769763179022103noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8158097345778513897.post-59944881595437359182013-09-09T02:48:00.000-07:002013-09-09T03:04:13.625-07:00For my Mum, Sheila<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is a photo of my lovely mother, Sheila, and me when I was little. I LOVE her dress... and I so wish I had a waistline like hers! And the dress I am wearing was made by her with her Necchi Sewing machine, which is still working, 50 years later!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>One year ago today my mother passed away. She was a very talented lady, a great sewist (she would have been amused by that word) a great poet, wonderful cook, and the best Mum my sister a</b><b>nd I could ever wished to have had. She made ALL our clothes when we were young. Matching dresses when we were very little, with big gathered skirts and bows that tied at the back. Lots of cute 60's shift dresses when I was younger, in the 70's we had hot pants, see through blouses ! (What a little tart I was!) Christmas Day was always special, one year she stayed up till the small hours making stuffed toys for us. A lovely pair of grey donkeys.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> I don't know where she got the energy from.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">My Mum had a great owl collection. She loved owls, and was "Speckly Owl" when she was a Brownie Leader. It started with a </span><span style="font-size: large;">few,</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;"> then everyo</span><span style="font-size: large;">ne gave her so many! And her favourite flower was the poppy. So gifts were easy, if it had a poppy on it, Hooray!</span></span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-342Q7eSJsWk/TowRIR62rpI/AAAAAAAACxw/T8uQx4kC-GA/s1600/DSC02141.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-342Q7eSJsWk/TowRIR62rpI/AAAAAAAACxw/T8uQx4kC-GA/s200/DSC02141.JPG" width="200" /></span></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ts1TOCL_lIo/TowSa-bRuAI/AAAAAAAAC1Q/eMFx17mMUi8/s1600/DSC02206.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ts1TOCL_lIo/TowSa-bRuAI/AAAAAAAAC1Q/eMFx17mMUi8/s640/DSC02206.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Having a laugh with a former work colleague, Brenda</span></td></tr>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-size: medium;"> And as for the poetry she was constantly thinking up some funny rhyme, and every year we all got a Christmas "Rhyme-a-line". </span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-size: medium;">For many years my parents lived in the rural districts of Natal, South Africa, where she and my father had Watersong, a Trout farm and cottages for fishermen to stay in. Being so far away from the nearest town made them very resourceful. One very special thing she would do was to embroider a card for us on our birthdays, and any special event. She must have made hundreds. I so wish I could hunt them down and compile a book.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">I started to write about what happened to her, but it was getting a bit lengthy....</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">My poor Mum got Multiple Sclerosis. It was horrible, and over a long period, she got worse and worse. The right side of her body just stopped working.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">My Mum was a fighter. She never complained, and refused to ever think that she would not be able to walk. Her theme song was "I'm still standing" by Elton John.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">She sat in the lounge every day, watching TV, sewing cards for us all. Now, that was a bit of a challenge, because she completely lost the use of her right hand side, so had to learn to sew , and write, with her left hand. She would keep my forgetful father on track, reminding him of TV programs, telephone numbers, and shopping lists. She recited recipes to him and he would make them in the kitchen.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">One day she was stitching a card that said "out of sight, but never out of mind" for someone. She got as far as "out of Sight..." and, then her eyes gave up. She had macular degeneration, and she just couldn't see the fabric any more. She really missed her sewing, and had to resort to listening to stories from tape Aids for the blind, but most of the time they sent her to sleep!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">I went to visit her for her 80th Birthday. It was lovely to be home again. Sadly, a few weeks away from her 81st, the horrid disease claimed her.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">She used to say </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">"You never know what it will be, but <i><b>Something</b></i> is going to get you" </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">and also,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">"If I 'pop off', don't be sad. I can't stand the idea of ending up in a frail care facility"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">So I try not to be sad, and remember how lovely she was.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Miss you, Mum</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">XXXXXXXX</span><br />
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<img src="https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcT53C2a5QEYDiSzUjPnA0heEXcZZWyV3bppbBG2g3BZSKRIm0ghVg" /><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"> And here's a bit of my mums writing...</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Alternative medicine is not new,<u></u><u></u></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Mother had some secrets too.<u></u><u></u></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">All the minor ills she’d ease<u></u><u></u></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">With simple home made remedies.<u></u><u></u></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">For colds some chicken soup she made,<u></u><u></u></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Then night time, hot fresh lemonade.<u></u><u></u></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">To keep the germs from off the chest<u></u><u></u></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Some eucalyptus on the vest<u></u><u></u></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Salt water made sore throats get right<u></u><u></u></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">(With socks wrapped round the neck at night)<u></u><u></u></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Runny tummies ran no more<u></u><u></u></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">After custard powder, eaten raw.<u></u><u></u></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">When knocks on heads made nasty bumps<u></u><u></u></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">A rub with butter eased the lumps.<u></u><u></u></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">When over eating was the question,<u></u><u></u></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Bicarb for the indigestion.<u></u><u></u></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Cold water soothed both burn and sprain<u></u><u></u></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">And soon they were all right again.<u></u><u></u></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Wounds healed up as good as ever<u></u><u></u></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">With soap and sugar, mixed together.<u></u><u></u></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Aches and pains eased a lot<u></u><u></u></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">With the old hot water bot.<u></u><u></u></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">But best of all, and always there,<u></u><u></u></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Was Mother’s Tender Loving Care.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Bookman Old Style; font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt;">Coffee at the Fainting Goat<u></u><u></u></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Bookman Old Style; font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt;">I am wearing my long skirt, the one with the red flowers on a black background, the red top that matches and the silk scarf from Indonesia.<u></u><u></u></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Bookman Old Style; font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US">I will get in the wheelchair, go down the ramp carefully, up the drive to the gate where the tibouchina tree sheds it’s purple blossoms on the ground. Then I will turn right and travel past the poinsettia bushes on the verge, past Alison’s house, where Sam and Ben will bark in greeting Then on down the road, not seeing a single person on the way, until I get to the intersection. On the right is the Fainting Goat so I will keep near the pavement and make my way to the wooden tables under the palm trees. Then a waiter will come to take my order and I will sip my coffee and watch the cars drive by.<u></u><u></u></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Bookman Old Style; font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US">But it won’t be today. It is three in the morning and I can’t get to sleep so I plan my adventures. The wheelchair is without batteries at the moment. They were taken out to make it light enough to go in the car, and yes, I did go in the car a few times, mostly to see health specialists. But now I’ve been housebound for a while and need to go out.<u></u><u></u></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Bookman Old Style; font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US">I’ve been diagnosed with MS. This is a medical condition where there is demylianation of the nerves. It is likened to an electrical system with broken covering on the wires. The electricity won’t get through and with MS the messages from the brain don’t work. I can say ‘Come on leg’ as much as I like but it stubbornly refuses to obey so gets dragged around. My right arm won’t work either. I was in Barbara’s sitting room in July 2006 when the doctor phoned to tell me the news. . Most of the conversation is now a blur. The thing about MS is that up to now there is no cure. You just have to get on with life.<u></u><u></u></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Bookman Old Style; font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US">Well, the batteries went back into the wheel chair but we moved house before I could take myself off for coffee at the Fainting Goat. But I do want to go one day. I’ll let you know when, and perhaps you will join me?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Sheila on her 80th Birthday</span></div>
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Apples and Pearshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09324769763179022103noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8158097345778513897.post-73610581844716343822013-09-01T04:56:00.000-07:002013-09-01T04:56:05.172-07:00Once a maker, always a maker....Although I've been a bit preoccupied with getting my girl better again, the urge to 'make things' has been lurking around in the background... and this weekend they all seemed to come to a head at the same time! Almost like withdrawal symptoms from a naughty bad habit that you have that you just can't kick, no matter how hard you try, one day you just lose the plot and go on a 'naughty-habit-binge'!<br />
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A little while ago on one of my forays into Spotlight, I spied some wool in lovely colours, lots of turquoise, blues, purples and earthy greens and greys, in an interesting twist which made it fat, and then thin. It was in a skein , and I purchased it on the spot, and thought I would make a scarf. I like scarves, I have far too many, but they are so great at turning something fairly boring into something different and 'flash' and they take no time at all to knit, or sew if they are fabric. I never used to like them at all, and then I discovered that as long as they didn't flap in my face, and hang down in front of my rather ample 'ladies' in front, I liked them.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUsxD567d99T6p4hIK1-8XiHnAXuUo305TNnHQwojE9pAVv7An6AqCKWrrWozAmAjR5APhT4TXkhgEdPppuP95ao8WEJxK0jx-p6wKjDTn06KovUd9vAzaMztapUTEvD1einV3r-_UnzU/s1600/P4260020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUsxD567d99T6p4hIK1-8XiHnAXuUo305TNnHQwojE9pAVv7An6AqCKWrrWozAmAjR5APhT4TXkhgEdPppuP95ao8WEJxK0jx-p6wKjDTn06KovUd9vAzaMztapUTEvD1einV3r-_UnzU/s320/P4260020.JPG" width="320" /></a>Then I lost my big fat knitting needles. How can you lose big fat ones, for heavens sake? Luckily my Crazy Gypsy came to the fore, she found a pair at her house, so I was off! I knitted a test strip, and it looked awful, all knobbly, and not at all as I wanted. The lovely colour graduations disappeared and it was just darn ugly. I knitted 4 test pieces in all, and each time I wasn't happy. I even gave Buster the dog a piece to rip up, and he couldn't eat it, and abandoned it.<br />
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Then I remembered a top my lovely Mum knitted for me way back in the 80's, where you do clever things with winding the wool around the needle and then dropping the wound up ones on the next row. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZl_qEfidxLDzS87F37_PnxR6TmqpscToIe2B_O_gpMCR90m0MLZZ5UQ4_grRGN1G2lZHwCoquG3U1ehAG8YDQ8lkB091LMIevYNFoLgwQBJfY7qrpBiZgvfuajhcLGfy4jlPj3ywLrww/s1600/P4260021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZl_qEfidxLDzS87F37_PnxR6TmqpscToIe2B_O_gpMCR90m0MLZZ5UQ4_grRGN1G2lZHwCoquG3U1ehAG8YDQ8lkB091LMIevYNFoLgwQBJfY7qrpBiZgvfuajhcLGfy4jlPj3ywLrww/s320/P4260021.JPG" width="320" /></a>Bingo! I had found the best way to use the wool to show off the lovely colours. I started knitting on Saturday...<br />
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However, when I went through to the kitchen a few hours later, there I found a whole lot of stuff that my "Tidy Eye" character couldn't avoid, and I had to clean up the kitchen, the bench top etc. HOWEVER, I did find time to make up a batch of lovely 'Wonder Wax' which I just love. I've got a lovely neighbour who has lots of bee hives, and sells the most lovely raw honey, and he sold me a block of bees wax.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQOsEmF5uDFEh3HTcLEjN0yCi5J0wX7unLCMuxy5l67oGGkpA0D70dwH2mfaO9Oufb5OTmZjSySSHg6t6OmS7lEYS0bYO1aDjEXWX93kTQmQvDRxnCaI5eF_NUHyEHWRS_KqYfiUj4dgs/s1600/P4250009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQOsEmF5uDFEh3HTcLEjN0yCi5J0wX7unLCMuxy5l67oGGkpA0D70dwH2mfaO9Oufb5OTmZjSySSHg6t6OmS7lEYS0bYO1aDjEXWX93kTQmQvDRxnCaI5eF_NUHyEHWRS_KqYfiUj4dgs/s640/P4250009.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5L4DZ4Ozt5d8CN47DT6QChYJxGe4EM96KQ_MhYI-hXWKexzN3w_tK73e-GhTeJrAXj3cvlamrJEwxpy_wBvU-e__SgK69r-NVkgBRBTtmEwXUmkax5Y6Yf7j85AvvP7dJ_G3WTSva1aA/s1600/P4250012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5L4DZ4Ozt5d8CN47DT6QChYJxGe4EM96KQ_MhYI-hXWKexzN3w_tK73e-GhTeJrAXj3cvlamrJEwxpy_wBvU-e__SgK69r-NVkgBRBTtmEwXUmkax5Y6Yf7j85AvvP7dJ_G3WTSva1aA/s400/P4250012.JPG" width="400" /></a><span style="text-align: start;"> I heat up plain old salad oil, coconut oil and some bees wax and it makes the most amazing stuff, I use it to clean and polish my saddle and bridle, I put it on Chocolate Box's (Horse) hooves as nail conditioner, (and on my hands too!) I take off my make up with it, rub it on my legs after a shower, polish my shoes and furniture with it.I know exactly what's in it and you could eat it if the urge hit you and it wouldn't hurt you at all. I did add a bit of essential oil this time so I really don't want to eat it !</span></div>
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<span style="text-align: start;"> I found a half used pot of Body shop peach body butter and I melted that down and added it to a portion of it, and whizzed it up with a whizzer and it has made the lightest hand cream which smells divine.</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVgbXkzVBRFEj8BjwLFcZV8GJSIBDKseK4XO9My7V5zG9lx7jRHumZpI21WOsRS6Yh-IsH4ADgX93yaTNbOjD1FOt9HhgTVtMRGlVuKNVSUiqKZgk1TJvdzNAK3KGhVk6dfV5TRwgkbWk/s1600/P4250014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVgbXkzVBRFEj8BjwLFcZV8GJSIBDKseK4XO9My7V5zG9lx7jRHumZpI21WOsRS6Yh-IsH4ADgX93yaTNbOjD1FOt9HhgTVtMRGlVuKNVSUiqKZgk1TJvdzNAK3KGhVk6dfV5TRwgkbWk/s320/P4250014.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Then I grabbed my new bag of goodies that I got this week.. some henna from LUSH in Palmerston North, at the Plaza, with the dubious name of <b>"Caca"</b></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Whoops its sideways, wont turn round for me, so its staying this way!</td></tr>
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I plonked it on my head. My tidy place was getting a little out of hand. Half way through washing it off in the shower the phone rang, and it was a fishing friend of my husbands, wanting to know if we were coming to see their new house that afternoon, when I was REALLY wanting to go riding with my friend Jill. The shower looked like someone had had an extreme case of diarrhoea which had even reached the ceiling! Washed it all off eventually...<br />
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Well, for all the trouble the hair looks fairly normal, not much difference!<br />
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I DID manage to have a ride on the beach, and go to see the new house too.<br />
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Sunday was Fathers Day and Evan came up from Wellington. We went to Foxton Beach river estuary as he wanted to do a spot of kite boarding. It was sunny, windy, and freezing! Thank goodness I had my knitting in the car!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSMQMgWS9lwlwxOGltuR1UrrTXdw6yyJ46qXUkHUYFCuNdF6jc5cDlj3rNxeQeNXwFPb4AjoTJoxbwDBOjASQ8UecDL5dMF4zyeH5lfN2J6sFOX8raougBb89xiE9RnXLHJZcfsEFXRzM/s1600/P4260028.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSMQMgWS9lwlwxOGltuR1UrrTXdw6yyJ46qXUkHUYFCuNdF6jc5cDlj3rNxeQeNXwFPb4AjoTJoxbwDBOjASQ8UecDL5dMF4zyeH5lfN2J6sFOX8raougBb89xiE9RnXLHJZcfsEFXRzM/s640/P4260028.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I made a snood... not enough for a scarf. I love those colours!</td></tr>
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<br />Apples and Pearshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09324769763179022103noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8158097345778513897.post-85143685790472349602013-08-29T02:06:00.001-07:002013-08-29T02:06:55.492-07:00Its been a while...<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My apologies for not posting anything for a while. As a lot of you will know, my lovely girl has been having a pretty torrid time at the moment getting her NF2 problems sorted out at Wellington Hospital, and it has been a very hard time for all involved. We ( my husband and I) spent a very strange day pacing round Wellington on the day of the surgery.It was probably the longest and hardest day of my life, we were so afraid for our girl, even when the nurses had said that there was a very low chance of not surviving the surgery (1%!)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> I wandered into Made on Marion and saw Maryanne,( who, very rightly, said that Juliet was very unlikely to look at any form of hand sewing after her surgery, and she is only now, after 3 weeks, beginning to have an interest in sewing again ... Pinky Pie cross stitch, but I am her machinist for clothing for the present..)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When we finally got the call 10 hours later that the surgery was going well, and that the ENT specialists were now finishing up, we were so relieved, but had to wait a further 2 hours before she was finally taken to ICU and we could see her. We were able to go and see her, 2 at a time, in the ICU ward. I am amazed that so many people are wafting in and out. I am grateful to be able to see my loved ones, its just I am terrified of all the germs being trekked in and out of each ward! So many people, who are having traumatic events in their lives. I will never look at Wellington Hospital as just a big building. Lives are being helped and saved all the time.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> I think I must have aged 10 years in that one day. About a week later, Juliet said "You and Dad are looking a bit haggard".... I'm not surprised!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Jono (her partner), Evan, (her brother), and I spent the following week at her bedside, quietly watching her fall in and out of sleep, and helping her out with anything that she wanted.. The pain killers kept her in a state of being aware for a short time, and then spells of sleep. It was the cutest thing, when she woke up, she brightly said "Hello!" as if she was seeing us for the first time that day... then a sleep a bit later, and again the "Hello!" when she woke up. She looked great, even in her head bandages, but we took no photos, we just didn't think about it. On day 5 the bandages came off, and the lovely surgeons had been very kind and only removed a bit of hair, so there are no nasty bald patches visible at all.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> It was a very calming and healing place for all of us. I became a lot better at Sudoku that week!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And now there is a long period of recuperation. I am so glad that right now I don't have much work on the go, and we can spend the days as we wish. What a luxury that is. Many, many thanks to all the lovely ladies of the <span class="entity _586o" data-fulltext="Wellington Sewing Bloggers Network" data-group="all" data-icon="null" data-select="group" data-si="true" data-text="Wellington Sewing Bloggers Network" data-type="ent:group" data-uid="495024633880920" style="color: #141823; font-weight: bold; line-height: 18.600000381469727px; text-indent: 2px; white-space: nowrap;">WBSN</span><span data-si="true" style="color: #141823; line-height: 18.600000381469727px; text-indent: 2px; white-space: nowrap;"> for the lovely presents. What a lovely group you are.</span></span></div>
Apples and Pearshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09324769763179022103noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8158097345778513897.post-56370482262085542642013-07-11T18:47:00.001-07:002013-07-14T01:28:47.193-07:00Taking pattern making to a new level...I trained as a pattern maker, a long time ago. Way, way back in 1977. All the things I learnt back then have lasted all these <strike>years</strike>.. decades! I went to a place called Leggats Academy of design, in Johannesburg, and did a one year course in just about everything you needed to know. Mornings only, 5 days a week. Passed with Honours! I loved every minute of the course, and then ended up in a job grading patterns, which was a very<u><b> lowly</b></u> thing to do. Why, oh why, didn't I reach for the stars, and not accept the first job that came my way? Why didn't I jump on the first plane to Paris?<br />
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<img height="320" src="http://ginani.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/grading21.jpg" width="260" /><img src="https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQ0YG2kUGPUafrY9Oz6UZf0qBGpBVD7OjCb1e1JS4o91zGmfyUx" /><br />
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Well, the reason for that , fellow bloggers, is <span style="color: red;"><b><u>LOVE</u></b></span>. I had met a fella who I thought was fabulous, handsome, and funny, and any thoughts of moving away from him was out of the question. So much so, that when he left South Africa, to return to work off his university bursary obligations, I wanted to go with him, much to the disappointment and chagrin of my parents, who had managed to leave Zimbabwe (Rhodesia in those days) and set up a new life in South Africa. After 32 years of marriage we are still together, so I know I chose the right one.<br />
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Anyway, I digress...<br />
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I have loved my job, and where it has taken me. I ended up as a freelance pattern maker and grader for smaller factories that didn't want to employ a full time designer. Lots of styles, lots of experience. Some pretty weird things too! I was able to continue here in New Zealand, and was fortunate to be able to teach<br />
a bit at Massey.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr8CyLI_Bqo-x7luXYTUuBidcsv8diZGy8IQvIubvdeuvfvKQZ1Z9JQHmz-xme_iH3g3sOk6nuf_qLznixZKm1GF2wkM5pgpzs9rG7gsQALtzcY4bKJBms90xkQS_qm3fNYTDFPN5zxe0/s1600/class+card.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr8CyLI_Bqo-x7luXYTUuBidcsv8diZGy8IQvIubvdeuvfvKQZ1Z9JQHmz-xme_iH3g3sOk6nuf_qLznixZKm1GF2wkM5pgpzs9rG7gsQALtzcY4bKJBms90xkQS_qm3fNYTDFPN5zxe0/s320/class+card.jpg" width="232" /></a></div>
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Here's my farewell 'card' from my students... Drawn on a couple of pocket pattern pieces!<br />
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I did attempt to retrain myself in computer pattern making while I was at Massey in 2000. Lectra, or Gerber, I can't remember.<b><u> I absolutely hated it. </u></b>That was an amazing epiphany, after grading for so long, being responsible for hundreds of trees being chopped down and made into cardboard so we could make these big unwieldy patterns, I thought I would really welcome a newer, cleaner, efficient way to produce patterns and clothing. But no, it was really horrible. Cold, and calculating, no excitement whizzing my pencil along a piece of paper, no soul.<br />
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So I went back to hand making patterns, and for a while I lost interest in clothing altogether and tried other ways of making money.<br />
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But now I'm back! When my lovely daughter Juliet <a href="http://crazygypsychronicles.blogspot.co.nz/" target="_blank">http://crazygypsychronicles.blogspot.co.nz</a> got involved with sewing, and blogging, she dragged me back to what I love doing most. Through learning about all you lovely sewist bloggers out there, and all the exciting indie pattern companies, I'm preparing myself for pattern making in this century, I've been given the opportunity to learn another CAD pattern making program, Optitex<a href="http://www.optitex.com/en/products/main_modules/pattern_design" target="_blank">http://www.optitex.com/en/products/main_modules/pattern_design</a>.<br />
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A whole new way of making things. 3D imaging to see how a garment will look. I'm enjoying the opportunity, but a sneaking feeling comes over me when I see the 3D 'avatar'.<br />
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She has no soul.<br />
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However, when I look at a lot of real life models, standing in clothes in such a gawky way, not smiling, being clothes hangers for clothes nobody would like to buy anyway, where is their soul? Are they trying to be that same digital avatar? For instance, have a look at<a href="http://www.twentysevennames.co.nz/client/projects/2011-06-01_00331550570995" target="_blank">http://www.twentysevennames.co.nz/client/projects/2011-06-01_00331550570995</a>. Sad, very sad.<br />
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Compare that to lovely blogs of real people, in real clothes, who loved making their creations. Smiling!<br />
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I'll take that anyday!Apples and Pearshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09324769763179022103noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8158097345778513897.post-29879530617914731792013-06-16T18:56:00.000-07:002013-06-16T18:56:12.237-07:00Teaching at Chalkle.... Flops and successes<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This has been a very interesting month. I have met some really lovely ladies, teaching how to use Pinterest at our local library. I also me the 'Friends of the Library" and gave a talk on Pinterest and the classes I hope to teach in the future. However, attendances haven't been what any of us have expected, and I'm scraping through financially. Teething pains. A new system in a new town. It will get better. I hope so, anyway...</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">My first class</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">But the ladies I have met! Awesome! Fantastic people with so many skills! That has been the best of all. This is a small town, and you kind of think you know everyone, and then you meet people with such interesting hobbies. I have lugged my suitcase full of things I have attempted from Pinterest to the classes each Friday, and now things that have been made by others are coming through.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"> Sadly, the last week, all I could show them was a bunch of <b><span style="color: red;">flops</span></b>, things I had tried and they just didn't work out very well.I have a memory of clotted cream when I was a child on holiday in England. Thick, creamy, crusty toppings for scones. </span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is what it should look like- mine was so shameful I didn't want to photograph it!<br /></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I HAD to try it, so went out to a local dairy and got some (!!! Seven litres!) of unpasteurised organic milk. It was delicious, like drinking a milkshake, and I consumed too much and the next day had a rather shaky constitution. I scooped off all the cream and put it in my slowcooker for 12 hours. Pinterest posts had said 9-12 hours in the oven on 185 degrees F, but I couldn't bring myself to have the oven on that long, so opted for the slow cooker. Maybe that was what I did wrong. I watched the temperature, but the result was a rather nasty creamy oily mess, reminiscent of rice pudding without the rice. <span style="color: red;"><b>FLOP!</b></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">As I had so much milk, I decided to make cheese too, with a kit that was given to me by my husband 2 Christmases ago and so I made Feta. But I got the temperature too high, and made a rather squeaky, rubbery block of cheese which my daughter says is Haloumi .<span style="color: red;"><b>A SORT OF A FLOP!</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;"> And after that, the cheese kit instructions suggested I made ricotta with the whey and some extra milk. So I made that too!<span style="color: red;"> <b>SUCCESS!</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">That night all I wanted to eat was boiled, plain vegetables.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">The milk has been lovely, and today I need to go and get some more. Its fun driving down the country roads to get the milk, but I do wonder if I will keep it up.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Successes on Pinterest have been a lovely wool blanket which I knitted from some waste wool at out local knitting mill. I just love it. I was lucky to find some carded wool on rolls in my bag of waste, which I unravelled and re-rolled and produced my big cream 'Blankie' which goes over our knees at night while we are</span><span style="font-size: small;"> watching television</span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My bag of waste wool</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> I had to unravel the wool and rewind it<br /></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Here is a blouse which I attempted Ombre Dyeing. <span style="color: red;"><b>SUCCESS!</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Other items I took in was the 'Toilet roll wall decoration', a picture I had managed to print onto curtain lining and paste onto a picture board, you know, the things which seem to come up again and again on Pinterest.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">But I am kind of over all of it now.... time for a new Challenge. Pattern making classes start tomorrow!</span><br />
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Apples and Pearshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09324769763179022103noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8158097345778513897.post-34193897326909898552013-05-30T03:44:00.001-07:002013-05-30T03:44:49.629-07:00create. <span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><strong>create.</strong> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-align: center;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-align: center;">"As you take the normal opportunities of your daily life and create something of beauty and helpfulness, </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-align: center;"></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large; text-align: center;">you improve not only the world around you but also the world within you"<br /><br /><strong>Dieter F. Uchtdorf</strong></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Tomorrow I will be holding my first Chalkle class, and its going to be about my obsession, Pinterest.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I hadn't even thought about doing a class on this topic, until I showed the convenor of the Horowhenua Chalkle classes, Kerry. She had never heard of it at all, and once I showed her what it was like, she suggested that is the class we should start off with. Sorry, I think what I have written is bad English, but its late and right now I should be tucked up in bed and not writing this blog.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I want people to be as inspired as I am about this website. I want them to find what they really love, and maybe find things that they didn't think they would love, and find themselves in the process. Isn't that what an inspiration board is all about?</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"> Then, if they wish, I'd just love to see them take one or 2 interesting things, no matter what they are, and be inspired themselves to make or do or learn about the topic. And if they would like to share with the rest of us, come back next week, and show us what they have learnt.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Life can get pretty tedious at times, work, eat ,sleep, and repeat the process. Lets try to break the cycle, and have a little fun!</span>Apples and Pearshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09324769763179022103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8158097345778513897.post-82389148891479802282013-05-09T04:15:00.000-07:002013-05-09T04:18:10.764-07:00Spots before my eyes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I am feeling dotty, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">the answer is, you see,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Today I did some cutting </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">at the factory.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The designer has a fancy</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">for cloth of brilliant hue,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">polka dots a plenty,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> in <span style="color: magenta;">pink</span> and white and <span style="color: blue;">blue.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">A cute wee dress called DUSTY</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">was first to be laid down</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Inspiration from the 60's</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">but the pattern made me frown....</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">With Polka dots abounding</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">My eyes had got quite sore.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Once that one was finished,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I had to cut out more!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">A swinging shift called WILLOW</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">with big white polka dots</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Chiffon which was <span style="color: orange;">ORANGE</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I know that dots are trendy,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I see them every day...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">On ladies on the TV</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">In every colourway.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I hope somebody buys them,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Styles our designer picks.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">But I just don't like them,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">they make me feel quite sick.</span></div>
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<br />Apples and Pearshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09324769763179022103noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8158097345778513897.post-84426956092976275472013-05-06T03:36:00.002-07:002013-05-06T03:36:42.837-07:00me made may <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;">1<img alt="Photo: Pattern making
Photo by Bob Zuur" height="266" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/p480x480/525259_447736275313406_618351408_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>MAY 1ST</b> Me made, but more like me-recycled<br /> <b>The first day of May was the Chalkle launch</b>. What does an <b>old </b>pattern maker wear to promote herself? I heard once that navy, red and white are good colours to wear to give an air of professionalism and success. So, out came my<b> old</b> navy wool pencil skirt, originally purchased way back in 1996(!!!!) which I shortened a few years ago. In 1996 it was mid calf, and had a tight waistband, and so I had removed the waistband a while ago too.<br /><br /><br />Added to the ensemble was a <b>felted wool jacket</b>, also purchased a few years ago,not quite as <b>old</b> but it was a shapeless red block, so I have re-cut it to give it some shape. The white shirt is an opshop find, (<b>old!</b>)and I couldn't resist my red boots, called "kinky boots" at the last place I worked! I also had made a <b>wee bag to put my phone in</b>, a few years ago I made a range of zippy bags and realised it would be good to have a small one for a phone.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Although I had my pattern stuff there, we are supposed to be starting with me teaching a Pinterest class. I thought I'd show people (who still haven't discovered Pinterest yet) how to navigate the site, and then make or do something from the things they discover, and bring it in the next week. Kind of multi craft/cooking/something else kind of class. However there's been a lot of intereest in the Pattern making class, which is good.</div>
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<b>MAY 2ND</b></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /><b>We had to get a load of worms ready for a home show </b>, so the 2nd was a mucky clothes day. Jeans, and a<b> red merino wool top (me-made)</b> No picture!<br /><b>MAY3RD</b><br /><br /><b>The home show in Wellington</b>. Jill and I have a great uniform which we devised when we started up our worm business. We love green and black, our labels are a wonderful green, and the black looks amazing with it! <b>I made all the shirts.</b></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is what we were wearing, but I didn't get a photo of both of us at the show, so this is a photo of us both with Jill's grandson, Patrick, at a show last year</span><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Gl_NoeUEsN4/UYd8WA2gXYI/AAAAAAAAI34/9opjbfgI0sM/s1600/PC260003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Gl_NoeUEsN4/UYd8WA2gXYI/AAAAAAAAI34/9opjbfgI0sM/s320/PC260003.JPG" width="320" /></a><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">and here's Jill showing the people at the show how to set up a worm farm. See how great the green looks? The "We've got Worms!" sign is me-made too.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>MAY 4TH</b></div>
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<b>Whew! Saturday! Horse riding!</b></div>
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I had arranged a ride with Tanya, a lady who works at the same place as my husband. She is yearning for a ride on the beach, so she first had to show us that she could ride OK. So today the dress was, <b>Jodhpurs (me-made !)</b> t shirt (not me-made). It was supposed to be dreadful weather , but it was fabulous. We had a nice ride up the hill, but I didn't take the camera. And in the afternoon, I hit the garden and didn't bother to change, hell I was dirty already, why muck up more clothes?</div>
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<b>MAY 5TH</b></div>
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A flop around the house morning, and in the afternoon I went to see my daughter Juliet. I wore an <b>Ombre Broderie Anglais shirt (me-dyed) </b>and jeans. I love the way the fabric dyed, and the anglaise thread didn't. Unfortunately the photo doesn't show up the ombre very well. It was my first attempt at ombre dying.</div>
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</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><br />MAY 6TH<br />MONDAY</b>. Ugh. the weather was a bit changeable, but not as bad as other places where the rain came pounding down and trees fell, and there was flooding. I had to do some <b>cutting at the factory</b>. Jeans and a <b>green merino/nylon top </b>I made about 6 months ago for Levana. Luckily I got to keep the sample! but then the wind came up, and it was so cold, I ended up wearing a polar fleece Swazi sample I found under the cutting table. Very toasty and , well,... UGLY!I still find it amazing that the same chemical that makes a coke bottle, can produce a lovely soft and warm fabric. Sorry all you fabric purists out there...<br /><br /></span><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jUBfXodE7Yc/UYd8gKoHE9I/AAAAAAAAI4g/QVtEgAnKkRI/s1600/PC290008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jUBfXodE7Yc/UYd8gKoHE9I/AAAAAAAAI4g/QVtEgAnKkRI/s320/PC290008.JPG" width="240" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></td></tr>
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Apples and Pearshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09324769763179022103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8158097345778513897.post-48993752310266513862013-05-01T02:01:00.000-07:002013-05-01T02:01:09.828-07:00Have you heard of Chalkle?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Our wonderful new library and community centre, <em style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-weight: bold; line-height: 12.800000190734863px;"><a href="http://www.tetakere.org.nz/">Te Takere</a></em><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-size: x-small; line-height: 12.800000190734863px;"> <a href="http://www.tetakere.org.nz/">www.tetakere.org.nz/</a></span> in Levin, has started a new community teaching concept called<a href="http://chalkle.com/"> <span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-size: x-small; line-height: 12.800000190734863px;">chalkle°</span></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-size: x-small; line-height: 12.800000190734863px;"> </span> Originally started 7 months ago in Wellington, it is community education , but different to the past community education system, which was dissolved in a lot of areas by the present government. I really miss my cooking class that was held every week at the local school, where we made Mediterranean food, and then sat down and had a feast.</span><img height="256" src="http://photos2.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/d/0/c/c/event_154373452.jpeg" width="640" /><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; line-height: 18px;">Silvia Zuur and Linc Gasking from </span><a href="http://www.enspiral.com/" style="background-color: white; color: #cd4063; cursor: pointer; display: inline; line-height: 18px; text-decoration: none;">Enspiral</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; line-height: 18px;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; line-height: 18px;">have teamed up to create </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #555555;">chalkle°</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"> Sylvia was at the launch tonight and explained how they sat down over a cup of coffee and were discussing the demise of community education, and , after quite a few cups of coffee, the concept of </span><a href="http://chalkle.com/" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; line-height: 12.800000190734863px;">chalkle°</span></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 12.800000190734863px; text-align: center;"> was born. It has been running in Wellington for 7 months, and is doing very well. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 12.800000190734863px; text-align: center;">Levin is the second centre to start the </span><a href="http://chalkle.com/" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; line-height: 12.800000190734863px;">chalkle°</span></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 12.800000190734863px; text-align: center;"> classes.The interesting thing is, anyone who feels that they would like to teach a class, on any topic, can join </span><a href="http://chalkle.com/" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; line-height: 12.800000190734863px;">chalkle°</span></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 12.800000190734863px; text-align: center;"> , suggest a class, the amount they want to charge, and the days they would like to do it. The coordinator for </span><a href="http://chalkle.com/" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; line-height: 12.800000190734863px;">chalkle°</span></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 12.800000190734863px; text-align: center;"> then puts it on the website and away you go!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 12.800000190734863px; text-align: center;">I happened to hear about the project whan I went to the library and asked if they rented out rooms as I was keen to do pattern making classes. They whipped me in and are very keen for me to do pattern making classes. However, one day before the launch, I happened to say to Kerry, the coordinator, "do you know about pinterest?" She had never seen it before, and before I knew it, was asked to do a class on Pinterest. For a rather slow computer user, but luckily having a big mouth and a lot of enthusiasm, I am going to introduce people to Pinterest, and each week we will actually do or make something we see on the site. I do hope it works... it could be quite fun if I get the right people with the right attitude to come to the class.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 12.800000190734863px; text-align: center;">And the pattern making? That class will pull in quite a few people I think, but has been postponed till next month.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 12.800000190734863px; text-align: center;">If you are in Wellington, or the Horowhenua, look up </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 12.800000190734863px; text-align: center;"><a href="http://chalkle.com/" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-align: center;">chalkle°</a>. Community education here we come!</span></div>
Apples and Pearshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09324769763179022103noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8158097345778513897.post-66994523037155437062013-04-29T05:30:00.000-07:002013-04-29T05:30:15.677-07:00The magical 27 <img height="320" src="https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQctDSLiGXEHV87hZKA7SJKWeEPmooKsXJcAAm5CbKTjN035NzKKA" width="320" /><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I have a fascination with the number 27.Why on earth 27? A few years ago, I discovered Flylady.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> I am a creative, but a rather scatty and messy person. There is a tidy person in there, that presents herself early in the morning. The second I wake up and look at something, I need to clean it straight away, and that is usually in my pyjamas , slippers and dressing gown, and I don't get out of them till I have cleared up whatever was bothering me. I call it "Tidy Eye", and my husband shakes his head every time I'm engrossed in some tidying task. Once I shower and dress, that's it. No more tidying up after that! Then I revert to the messy person again.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Flylady got me thinking in a totally different way, and although I don't follow her advice all the time now, a lot of things have stuck forever, and I'm happy about that. One of her tasks that one should do is <span style="background-color: rgba(254, 254, 242, 0.6); color: #663366;">The 27-Fling Boogie </span><a href="http://www.flylady.net/d/getting-started/flying-lessons/decluttering-15-minutes/" style="background-color: rgba(254, 254, 242, 0.6);">http://www.flylady.net/d/getting-started/flying-lessons/decluttering-15-minutes/</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Basically, find 27 things that are in the wrong place, or are no longer needed, and either throw them away or give them away. But I usually put them away in their right place. Its amazing, you can look at a surface, say, my sewing table, or kitchen bench, and I'll sort and put away and chuck, counting as I go. It is the strangest thing... more often than not, the total number of offensive untidy items is 27. Once they are gone, the place that I am tidying looks perfect.It's like magic. And I enjoy having a quick tidy up, counting from 1 to 27 as I go, as it has an end place, and doesn't take forever So, once I discovered how powerful those 27 things could be, I googled "27 things" and of course, I found that it has roots in Feng Shui. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #5c5c5c;"><span style="line-height: 22px;">So, I challenge you all, next time you need to clear a space, count the pieces that need to move. You may </span></span><span style="color: #5c5c5c; line-height: 22px;">be very surprised</span></b></span><span style="color: #5c5c5c;"><span style="line-height: 22px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b> ! </b><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: x-small;"> .</span></span></span><img src="https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQsW3PnUYfsDeRcRcQogf1JPUD4T9TnFb31U4xiiHBmPLElBY3ugg" style="background-color: transparent;" /><img height="200" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v339/mphutch/PHutch%20Sketches/2008_09_onepage_RachelHall_27things.jpg" style="background-color: transparent;" width="200" /><img src="http://a1.mzstatic.com/us/r30/Publication/14/fd/70/mzi.ewicipjw.225x225-75.jpg" style="background-color: transparent;" /><img 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" 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<span style="background-color: yellow;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Feng Shui Hope Activators:</span></span></h2>
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<span style="background-color: yellow;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1. <strong>Move 27 things in your space</strong> – and have fun doing it! They don’t have to be huge items like the bed and TV, you can choose little items from books to lamps to candles. This stirs up the energy in your space, re-infuses your objects with your love, and awakens the feelings that inspired your having them.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: yellow;">2. <strong>Bring in fresh flowers</strong> – every 3 days for 9 days. Not only do the flowers bring in abundant fresh chi, their fragrance and color will spark transformation.... </span><span style="background-color: white;">There's another 27 there...</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #5c5c5c; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 22px;">So the next 27 things I need to donate/change/throw away, will be in my wardrobe. This will be harder than cleaning up a kitchen bench, but in order for the magic to start working in there, the old and unwanted must leave.</span></span></div>
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Apples and Pearshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09324769763179022103noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8158097345778513897.post-88167783745896970522013-04-27T22:34:00.000-07:002013-04-27T22:34:09.567-07:00Our Button Cookies<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I live in a small town. I have no problems with it, it's a choice we made as a family about ten years ago. However, my children, now all grown up with their own lives, DO NOT like the quiet life at all, and my daughter Juliet lives in a larger town about an hour away to the north, and my son lives in the capital, Wellington, an hour to the south. Just close enough for us all to get together every now and then.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This weekend I made my first visit to meet some of Juliet's friends and fellow bloggers and also to help at Fabric-a-brac, raising money for Mary Potter Hospice.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Juliet is an avid organiser of grand things. She was asked to bring some baking along. She said she would come to my house and we could bake the day before the event, and later that same day, get to Wellington to help measure and price the fabric.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We made button biscuits. She had seen them somewhere on the web, but with no recipe, so we used a basic cookie from the great Kiwi cook book, Edmonds. Practically every cook in New Zealand would have started with an Edmonds cook book.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The trouble is.... we went to get the butter for the cookies, as I didn't have any at home , and driving home, I realised with horror I didn't have a huge amount of flour, probably not enough to make the amount we wanted to make. How on earth could we go shopping to get cookie ingredients and forget to get flour?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sorry, Edmonds... we had to make alternative plans!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Out came every flour imaginable in my pantry. Normal flour, rice flour, corn flour, and hidden in the back of my pantry I found some buckwheat flour. Now we seemed to have about the right amount of flour to make up the mixture.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The pink cookies (strawberry flavour) came out the best, followed by the almond flavour. Lemon was sort of okay, and then we had to mix up another batch of cookie mix. We had only put one egg in the first mix, but saw that in the recipe we should have put 2. So in went a second egg. Oops, maybe a bit more flour as now the mix was too wet. No more flour.... I know! Custard powder! In it went. Flavours were now chocolate mint, and raspery coconut ice. We were on a creative roll! By now, we are running out of time, as we live an hour away from Wellington, and we were expected there at 6 pm.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We were panicking a wee bit!We quickly iced a 'thread' on the button holes, but the cookies were too hot to pack, so we jumped in the car, and whooshed off to Wellington. The car smelt fantastic. We got to the main Hall at Massey eventually, after going twice around the very big block as they had changed the roads due to roadworks outside the University Entrance.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Measuring up the fabric for sale<br /><br />Later that evening we met up with my son, and we rushed into town to get something to eat, and spent the night at his house. He lives right next to Lyall Bay. During all this time, the cookies were still on the tray in the car. We packed them up the next morning in bags.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Well, if any of you ladies who went to the Fabric-a-brac and bought our cookies, I apologise. The night in the car, and the haphazard contents of the cookies made them a wee bit soft, and a bit dry. Promise that if we make them next year, we will a) make them out of the correct ingredients, and b) not leave them in a car all night! Just be reconciled that Fabric-a-brac thanks you for the donation, and it will be going to a worthy cause!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Am I going to give you the recipe! No!</span><img height="176" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/923360_272292912907726_1131086773_n.jpg" width="400" /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">But this was our inspiration.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Have fun if you decide to make some!</span></div>
Apples and Pearshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09324769763179022103noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8158097345778513897.post-87897079030831120222013-04-23T04:19:00.000-07:002013-04-23T23:59:22.486-07:00Cinderella, you will go to the ball!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Its ball season here in New Zealand. The staff at the high schools cunningly place the ball in the first half of the year, apparently so that the students can get it all out of their systems before the start of the exams build up in the second part of the year. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I got a call from one of our neighbours who asked if I'd like to make a dress for a lovely young girl called Bethany, who has recently moved out here from England. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I've never been over fond of the rather straight lines of Chinese dresses, but I have to admit she was a perfect size 10 and the lovely dragon material behaved beautifully, apart from fraying badly on the hemline when she came for a fitting. It was lined in some rather slippery satin, and we decided that we didn't like the original idea of gold braid around the halter neck, so the black satin lining conveniently popped out a wee bit, looking like contrast piping. I'm really please with the result.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I had asked her for a photo, but I'm still waiting,(that happens a lot!) so when I saw all the ball photos on a big board outside the Kodak shop, I decided to be cheeky and take a photo of the photo! Good thing nobody saw me!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>MY FIRST GIVE AWAY!</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If anyone is interested in the pattern, I am learning how to put patterns on the computer, or alternatively I could send a traced off pattern to you. It's good practice, changing my normal stiff and very bulky patterns into something more postable, or pdf-able! Don't be shy... It would look lovely in another fabric too. It has a side zip, and no centre back seam. 2 very high slits up each side!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And this is Angel, Cheryl's cat, enjoying the sunshine while we cut garments today. Cats sure do have the right idea, sit and enjoy the warmth. Another thing I wish I would do more often!</span></div>
<br />Apples and Pearshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09324769763179022103noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8158097345778513897.post-70768063324764415612013-04-21T01:52:00.000-07:002013-04-21T01:52:47.763-07:00A white shirt<br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I've been reading up about the ideal wardrobe from a few fashion gurus who say one should have a good white shirt. I have ended up an apple shape, not too huge, but tricky to fit anyway, due to a big bust and small hips, and a bit of a tummy. To avoid looking like a ship in full sail, I want to find a style with a bit of shape, that will not gape at my bust line, be comfortable, and also have a lower hemline with a bit of interest that disguises my round belly without looking like a tent.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ships? Tents? I see them everywhere! I absolutely abhor those long-at-the-sides tops and also the tops that drape so beautifully at the front and are shorter at the back, showing off big bottoms. I think , if you are large up top, they just make you huge all over.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">These styles show promise.I know they are in different fabrics, I am looking more at the body shape right now.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Any suggestions?</span></div>
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Apples and Pearshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09324769763179022103noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8158097345778513897.post-82272599448428030822013-04-20T21:37:00.000-07:002014-05-21T01:39:01.230-07:00My Dream Horse, Chocolate Box<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I have been horse mad all my life. As a very young girl I thought that, if I hung upside down from a branch of a tree for long enough, a horse would appear for me.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">One day, the most amazing thing happened, 2 girls were riding by and one of them fell off and was in a bad way. The other girl rushed to our house, and my mother got the girl to lie down in the lounge, and I was told to hold the horse. I wasn't even 5 at that time, and I remember standing there, holding the reins of this little fuzzy pony, wondering if this was the pony for me. Of course, once the girls parents arrived and took her home my bubble burst, they took the pony away!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I don't think I hung upside down so much after that!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We moved to another town and my parents bought a large piece of land, and all I wanted to know, was "Can I have a pony?"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I got one, in fact I got 4 lovely creatures, but they weren't ponies! This is what I got...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I got Suzie, and Sugar, then I got a jack, called Lucky, and as a result of that, I got sweet little Frosty. I'm the one on the right of the picture. They were great little creatures, so clever, so cunning! Not stupid at all as some people think. They were masters of escape, I spent a lot of my time riding around our neighbourhood, with a bucket of horse food, crying, looking for my donkeys, who loved going to a local farm and ganging up with the herd of cattle.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> I got bucked off, and dragged through trees and bushes.I know every bad habit in the book. And as I learnt to ride myself, I got a lot of bad habits too!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Fast forward 30 years, and here I was in New Zealand, in a rural area. I got myself a little miniature horse, called Smudge. He was very cute, but absolutely useless for anything! The miniature horse has the same appetite as a normal horse, and can get very fat, and then they go lame. He was getting fat. I got sensible, and found him a home where they could care for him the right way, and they trained him and children rode him.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My neighbours have horses. Lots of them. They have kindly let me 'borrow' one of theirs. I just love her. She is called Chocolate Box, because her face is so pretty her picture could be put on a Chocolate Box.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> She was a racehorse about </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">8 years ago.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I put shoes on her every 6 weeks, and at $140 every 6 weeks they cost more than any of my shoes! I bought a saddle, and a bridle. So I own all the outer things, just the horse in the middle isn't mine. I have a strange vision in my head of me in the saddle in mid air, with 4 shoes beneath me, holding the reins!</span><br />
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(Courtesty of Raskol on Drawception)<br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4neqF-snNBaP6M7Y_FfH482pRhYTDx0jmYtEjqaVedSpQR7i_vW_hpxnZHSEpXlcnDiM7FUweQ9LFAsB2eu3q8qmbxYhCGLQoFtuZ2VnLxFgFHam1jUPrJNIqYI31ULw4r2LaRqIr9ds/s1600/manawatu+hunt+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4neqF-snNBaP6M7Y_FfH482pRhYTDx0jmYtEjqaVedSpQR7i_vW_hpxnZHSEpXlcnDiM7FUweQ9LFAsB2eu3q8qmbxYhCGLQoFtuZ2VnLxFgFHam1jUPrJNIqYI31ULw4r2LaRqIr9ds/s640/manawatu+hunt+001.jpg" height="640" width="426" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is me and Chocolate all dolled up ! We are excited as each other!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Today is a gloomy wet kind of day, and I had a plan... I thought Chocolate was looking a bit down in the dumps the other day.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">and so I wondered if she would like a bit of a pick me up.....I popped into our local 2 Dollar shop and went and bought some cheap hair dye.... 3 for $6!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I said to my husband, "I'm just going over to play with Chocolate a bit" I didn't want to tell him what I was up to! I got my hair conditioner, my old hairbrush and some scissors. Sneaked out the other way so he couldn't see what I had.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When I got to the stables, I opened up the box and put the gloves on. The chap who lives in the house near the stables came over to watch me and have a chat. Now, I made one fatal mistake... the gloves in a hair dye kit are fine if you are doing your own hair, but not very good if you are rubbing your hands up and down a horses mane and tail! Also, it is a good idea to really concentrate while you are handling so much hair dye!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'd love to take a photo of how lovely her mane and tail look, but its a rainy day and all you will see is a rather wet and bedraggled horse in a muddy horse rug. I quickly painted her feet too, so she had a nice pedicure, and will look so pretty when all the rain stops and she's not so muddy.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Then , as I walked home, I thought, there's a bit of that dye left, maybe I should just touch up the silvery bits in my hair. And before I knew it, I had gone from a mousy brown to a brunette!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Back to the gloves...Next time I do this I will have to get some decent ones! I think I'll need to wear lacy fingerless gloves for the week! I CANNOT get it off! Any suggestions?</span></div>
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<br />Apples and Pearshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09324769763179022103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8158097345778513897.post-78082010441348901422013-04-20T03:16:00.000-07:002013-04-20T03:16:08.387-07:00The cobblers children have no shoes<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 16px;">The shoemaker is always too busy making shoes for other people to make a pair for his own child. In other words, we often get so tired up in our work and providing for others that we forget to take care of our own children.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 16px;">This is the case with me! Not my children, but myself. I am in the right place to really have a lovely collection of clothes. I just never found the time for myself. I am too busy making patterns for other peoples clothes, and I forget about doing the same thing to make my own wardrobe better. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.thefreedictionary.com/article+of+clothing" style="color: #645e7d;">article of clothing</a>, <a href="http://www.thefreedictionary.com/clothing" style="color: #645e7d;">clothing</a>, <a href="http://www.thefreedictionary.com/habiliment" style="color: #645e7d;">habiliment</a>, <a href="http://www.thefreedictionary.com/wearable" style="color: #645e7d;">wearable</a>, <a href="http://www.thefreedictionary.com/vesture" style="color: #645e7d;">vesture</a>, <a href="http://www.thefreedictionary.com/wear" style="color: #645e7d;">wear</a> - a covering designed to be worn on a person's body</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 16px;">Yes, we all need clothes. We all wear clothes, out of decency! I have, however, spied a few people at our local supermarket in their pyjamas and slippers, people in paint spattered clothing when you are sure they didn't 'just pop out' to get some milk in the middle of a paint job... They are covered decently, I suppose, but as far as I'm concerned the choice of what they are wearing isn't decent at all, it just shows a total lack of self respect.</span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrhvdAvvobDpFKlHpvexzlqketJ1YauMD_GW9Motp2TyuYNWcppI5MYqQfIXxxmxjwYh6sfpLqyWiAbeGQXgkuD-n4QiCq9h1HvlDFJXvUzGIB7wDMoWrGyijgwF5h2uYebhfdD8HrkIA/s1600/_58123619__52920789_pyjamas2-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrhvdAvvobDpFKlHpvexzlqketJ1YauMD_GW9Motp2TyuYNWcppI5MYqQfIXxxmxjwYh6sfpLqyWiAbeGQXgkuD-n4QiCq9h1HvlDFJXvUzGIB7wDMoWrGyijgwF5h2uYebhfdD8HrkIA/s1600/_58123619__52920789_pyjamas2-1.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is not me!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://www.thefreedictionary.com/workwear" style="color: #645e7d;">workwear</a> - heavy-duty clothes for manual or physical work</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 16px;">But the day I got dressed and realised that everything I was wearing could have been worn by a man, and I'd been dressing like that for quite a while, was a sobering one.</span><span style="color: #333333; line-height: 16px;"> </span><span style="color: #333333; line-height: 16px;">New Zealand is a relaxed place, where practically anything goes, and I think that was beginning to wear off on me too.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 16px;"> And when I did need to go out somewhere nice, I didn't have anything to wear.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 16px;">So, after looking around on the net about the actual meaning of clothing, I have decided a more apt word for what we wear should always be <b>ATTIRE.</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b style="background-color: white;">attire(n)</b><span style="background-color: white;"> - clothing of a distinctive style or for a particular occasion; "formal attire"; "battle dress"</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b style="background-color: white;">attire(v)</b><span style="background-color: white;"> - put on special clothes to appear particularly appealing and attractive</span></span><br />
<img height="265" src="https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcR2C8qXwvFtPWV9_YltOM17Itt4FL5wj9lIrDwsnoXqZgLSlMo8VA" width="400" /><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">So, apart from my very necessary work wear, my farm clothes/worm farming/horse riding clothes,which are good, dont-care-if-I-get-dirty items, I am aspiring to improve my attire for other occasions. And I will never be seen at the local supermarket in them!</span></span>Apples and Pearshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09324769763179022103noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8158097345778513897.post-28795485506014584202013-04-15T04:00:00.000-07:002013-04-15T04:00:00.149-07:00Working in the clothing trade<span style="font-size: large;">I thought I'd pop a few pictures of the place where I'm doing a spot of work at the moment. I drive down a country road. Pass the flower growers' paddocks full of purple and white. I'm not sure what flowers they are but the are very picturesque in the morning sunshine. Left into another country road, passing paddocks of magnificent Murray Grey cattle, and a bit further along, a strawberry farm. No traffic, apart from maybe the occasional tractor. I park outside a house,walk across a lawn, to this....</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGab2bYISQdSwpbsXwgUg8tgGeWeigbjMmdtE4RbkFIGZecEOO6_pE8oGFHiekNyoEpsDg-xv1Ij88rvTsCK-19OR_oZZnTVFnnbGXpD19trGYht2SmZg6R4u5JxVzzlBMts-C3sOarRk/s1600/PC030003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGab2bYISQdSwpbsXwgUg8tgGeWeigbjMmdtE4RbkFIGZecEOO6_pE8oGFHiekNyoEpsDg-xv1Ij88rvTsCK-19OR_oZZnTVFnnbGXpD19trGYht2SmZg6R4u5JxVzzlBMts-C3sOarRk/s400/PC030003.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> A Garage. But inside it is like this....</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmHcAIhUv4QxDBBKAMD-VapLdJp-OdUJPQCbXVuo7cgwcHm_MgWZojv3d14gnRDY001dnSBXsd0NmOeBOXxW_YDIXK_5jopH8LR1RM4uDTCaB6wfkkVAlEHrDXmU6yzoiAUTLsRFwoiR0/s1600/PC030004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmHcAIhUv4QxDBBKAMD-VapLdJp-OdUJPQCbXVuo7cgwcHm_MgWZojv3d14gnRDY001dnSBXsd0NmOeBOXxW_YDIXK_5jopH8LR1RM4uDTCaB6wfkkVAlEHrDXmU6yzoiAUTLsRFwoiR0/s400/PC030004.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">The cutting room!</span></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieiuRQ6vP_VggFI6oMP-TG4nDy7iMz88Ny8MkkfGSpy8buSqHtSACHGsGMw2XGW4rri2MA_LB2HPS1flXd_QRHzefu91L72w_sEWxvYOHt8CV6SmvArkhVKnoG91-O6YI4TraEYgVnIN4/s1600/PC030006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieiuRQ6vP_VggFI6oMP-TG4nDy7iMz88Ny8MkkfGSpy8buSqHtSACHGsGMw2XGW4rri2MA_LB2HPS1flXd_QRHzefu91L72w_sEWxvYOHt8CV6SmvArkhVKnoG91-O6YI4TraEYgVnIN4/s400/PC030006.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXfv14ySYEiO3myyXoI20frzBkCWizyKLnOE7bxVrFDClGUz6Fw9zHLzKc4h9R1d38KA8s8YuNQF-I3VcO-3sH8jCas1cbnlGcLFw0TiOBdIaksfij6lpUtZQPEGRlodpjxJcch2w2xyI/s1600/PC030005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXfv14ySYEiO3myyXoI20frzBkCWizyKLnOE7bxVrFDClGUz6Fw9zHLzKc4h9R1d38KA8s8YuNQF-I3VcO-3sH8jCas1cbnlGcLFw0TiOBdIaksfij6lpUtZQPEGRlodpjxJcch2w2xyI/s320/PC030005.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">My patterns</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXMCcTOX7fTcAfFZoSZSrdZmj88Yiaty9LLfrVhXqQmyIgXDXDUOEa6mFNQwH8iaFuRvrNWzE4pkGZq-PfuPYVwxz_RQ-5lcGQMQPLPSNFZx-uny8bVDTTNzFxTYblrDBFF6RRBJjRNcw/s1600/PC030007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXMCcTOX7fTcAfFZoSZSrdZmj88Yiaty9LLfrVhXqQmyIgXDXDUOEa6mFNQwH8iaFuRvrNWzE4pkGZq-PfuPYVwxz_RQ-5lcGQMQPLPSNFZx-uny8bVDTTNzFxTYblrDBFF6RRBJjRNcw/s640/PC030007.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">The other garage. 3 people work here.They are having their lunch out on the deck in the sunshine</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdNMQ8S6Qw4qmhDLXi2OKatyscad7K6ZymcLYy_7a23jgJsZrILCUgzI3v-WoB09SVzhiwc7e5eXpqZNcsaP-pyCsz9vWVlo1Xyk_yqQnZltHwATrNifZ9AQqavZLmxX0QWsKI__WpTYU/s1600/PC040008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdNMQ8S6Qw4qmhDLXi2OKatyscad7K6ZymcLYy_7a23jgJsZrILCUgzI3v-WoB09SVzhiwc7e5eXpqZNcsaP-pyCsz9vWVlo1Xyk_yqQnZltHwATrNifZ9AQqavZLmxX0QWsKI__WpTYU/s400/PC040008.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">And this is Cheryl. It's her factory.<br />Every day she needs to get enough work cut for her machinists . About 40 garments a day for the 2 machinists. No taking days and days to make garments here!<br /><br />I'm really enjoying being here. Just walking across the lawn to the main house to get things or ask something is a real treat .</span></td></tr>
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Apples and Pearshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09324769763179022103noreply@blogger.com2