Saturday, 3 October 2009
New Machine
Tuesday, 29 September 2009
Monday, 28 September 2009
Sewing Machines!
When we got married, my husband bought me my first electric sewing machine, a Singer straight stitch. I gave this to my grandson when we moved up here, as it had been retired years ago. I have had various electric machines since then, but I still loved the old clunkers. I started collecting them and had various treadles, hand cranks and toy machines. But then we moved from a rambling house in the country, to a smaller house in town, to save me driving sixty miles a day to work. I culled the machines, but kept my favourites, including a chain stitch machine.
When we moved up here I culled again, but now I have started adding, or should I say the islanders are adding to my collection. I was given an old Singer, which sews horizontally, instead of vertically and a couple of weeks ago I saw the machine above at a jumble sale. It was filthy, unloved, but still being used. It was calling to me, so I took it home. I spent two hours cleaning it, and it still needs more done to it, but it is lovely. It has a bullet bobbin and a hand crank. I have dated it, and it is one hundred and two years old and made in the Singer Kilbowie factory in Clydebank, Scotland. As the trader said, 'If the electricity goes out, you will still be able to sew.' Sounds good to me!
tich
Thursday, 24 September 2009
Retirement
I thought retirement (or early retirement) was supposed to be a leisurely affair - perhaps having a long lie, considering what I am going to do with the day over another cup of tea, reading a book whenever I want! Life has been MANIC here of late, and I am beginning to wilt at the edges.
It started with our fireplace This is what it looked like peviously, when we had just laid the laminate floor -
I hated it! It was cracked, chipped and I never could get the hearth to look clean. We eventully decided that it really was awful, so now my fire looks like this -
It was taken out a couple of weeks ago, all the furniture, pictures etc. are spread round the rest of the house. I can't find anything! We bought a multi-fuel stove about a month ago, so it is waiting to be fitted, once all the cement has dried. On top of that, my husband went away for two days, during the worst weather we have had for ages. It was really difficult to feed the ducks and hens in torrential rain during a gale. We have had two AGMs on the one day,for associations of which we are members, and a 'do' for the doctor who is leaving the island. All in all a stressful and/or busy time. Never mind! We got more hens and ducks yesterday and also some turkeys, I am going swimming tonight and I am going to sit down later and 'chill out' with a glass of wine. Sorry for the moan. Tomorrow will be better.
Saturday, 19 September 2009
Women's' Institute
The Women's Institute is an organisation throughout Britain, which meets monthly. Usually there is a talk or demonstration and then tea and sandwiches/cakes. There are two competitions a month, either baking or making something, and at the end of the evening the these are judged by the speaker.
This month we had to make something from recycled material and paint a stone. I made the jester bag from my mother-in-laws velvet curtains and an old nylon shirt of mine. The draw-string ribbon was from an old Christmas wreath. The beads and the bells were from there too. On the stone from our bay, I painted the view from my kitchen window, but I exaggerated the hills, as there is only one hill in Sanday. I got a first for my bag and a second for the stone.
The weather is changing now, with some good days, but cooler nights. I have lots of pictures of the girls out playing, during the summer, so I will be looking back, during the winter, thinking of warmer days.
Monday, 14 September 2009
Swallows
Sunday, 13 September 2009
Animal Quilts
I am still trying to catch up on myself after the summer, but I want to keep up with my blog. I made these earlier in the year for my granddaughters. I thought I would try to make the quilts a wee bit educational, so I tried to think of using materials, which would incorporate some kind of learning. Both quilts use preprinted squares of animals, with one having the names of the animals printed underneath. As well as using them for comfort and warmth, I thought the quilts quilts could be used in the following ways -
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