F U N E X?

S, V F X!

At last! It's been a very long time since we last had an egg from the girls, so I was really excited to see two of them (Ping and Astrid) trying out the nest box this morning.

The Old Wives say that the hens should come back into lay around Valentine's day.   They are about right then - for 1 out of my 15 girls anyway.

I'm not sure who laid it.    It's probably Ping, the Dorking, as it's not really a pure white egg.  But i'm recollecting that my Leghorns didn't lay china white eggs,  so they must have something else mixed in with their heritage.

But here it is, in all its glory.

 I'm not ready to cancel my weekly egg order just yet though.  

Stuck in a bind

Some things just aren't meant to be.

Following on from my binding adventure,  I cut another tee shirt.  I went to the sewing roo to sew the shoulder, and I realised that I had cut it upside down.

Luckily, I had plenty of the fabric, so I cut a third one.   I decided to try the slightly bigger binder on the neckline.  The bigger one required 2mm strips and makes a 12mm binding (the one I had used before was 36mm/10mm).    I cut a huuuugely long strip of fabric, and my problems began.

The edges curled terribly, and I couldn't get them to stay open in the binder.  I ended up using most of the strip trying to sew a test piece.   I did another strip.  I tested this on my upside down garment, and it went on quite well.   I decided to do it on my 3rd garment, and it was a disaster.  

I unpicked it,  cut more,  went out and bought starch and tried starching the fabric,  it was rubbish.  I'm sure that 42mm isn't wide enough.

I went back to my smaller binder.  I cut a strip of the corresponding size, I changed to 2 needles (remembering my learning from the other day) and it went on really well.    I modified my joining technique, and it was  mess.    I decided to try binding the armholes.  That went well, I adjusted my technique again, and that was dreadful.  I'm hoping that it won't show up as I don't really go around with my arms up, and I still intend on wearing the top.  I think I may have figured out where I'm going wrong on that.

I googked for help on the binding, but couldn't find the answer I needed.  Most people use bands (where the a circular band is made and applied),  and that's what I've always done until now.  Although a lot of people advcocate making neck binding in the flat (leaving one shoulder seam open), none of them really show how you close the seam withte binding in.  Gail Yellen does have a video on th etopic, but she doesn't use her overlocker to do it.

I had some binding left over, so I decided to bind the armholes of the upside down garment.   I did a beautiful job on the first one.  Shame it turned out that I'd bound the side instead of the armhole

I unpicked it, and decided I'd sew up the garment anyway (as I can practice my latest 'technique' for joining bindings on the neck) and I'll just hem the armholes.

I've got to hem all three of them, and I'd like to get that done today so that I can get on with my next project.   I had a fab selection of 92% COtton/8% Lycra delivered from Textile9, and I'm going to try that bloody boxer shorts pattern again.

 

 

What a bind

I made another sleeveless tee shirt today, and today I was determined to  use my binder to apply the neck binding.

So, I cut out my fabric, and I gathered the neckline using my overlocker.  

It was beautiful. 

I could have cried.  

(In case I ever forget this,  I used the overlocker, not the knife,  from the top of the shoulder, down a few inches. Then, I changed the differential to 2, and carried on to the same point on the other shoulder.   I switched back to N, and carried on to the top of the shoulder.  This also had the benefit of stablilising the rest of the neckline a bit.

Next, I wanted to tackle the neckbinding, so first I watched a really helpful video by Gail Yellen.  She just happens to use a Babylock, so her video was perfect.

 

Beautiful Binding

I set up Euphy.  Feeding the binding into the binder was a little tricky as  the binding I was using was a bit curly at the edges - this  caused problems later.  

I did as Gail suggested,  and then I took a deep breath and added my tee shirt. Off I went, slowly and carefully, starting at the back to any teething issues would be hidden by my hair. 

 And it worked!

 

 

Oops

 

Well, it worked except for the bit where the fabric had curled before going into the binder accessory, I hadn't noticed, and didn't notice until I'd finished.   Sadly it's on the front of the garment, so it's pretty disastrous.

I also should have used 2 needles, not 3, which I realised perfectly well before I started but I carried on anyway.  This only caused minor issues. 

Despite the issue I had, I'm really pleased with that part of the process.

 

Of course I made a pigs ear when I overlocked the second shoulder together.  I lined up the binding, but I lined it up so itwas correct from the inside and it wasn't correct when turned out.   I'll try harder next time.

Finally, I used the down turn feller  to hem the armholes, and that did a good job.  I migh ttry binding the armholes next time, as I need the practice, but that will mean I need to be even more careful when it comes to overlocking the seams. 

I've still got to hem the bottom, and I'll do that later.

Luckily I have enough fabric for a second one.  Maybe tomorrow. 

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Total crafty things this year: 15
(Sewing based makes: 10;   learning activities: 4;  Non sewing based craft makes: 1. )

  

 

Gutting

It's been 3 weeks (21 days)  now that I have been having my post-biome analysis gut health smoothies.

I'm acclimatised - mostly - to the taste.  Usually I put half a banana in.  If I've go fresh bananas i put half of one in a smoothie and the other half in the freezer.  That way, I don't end up with a load of overripe bananas, and I have a freezer bag of half bananas for when I don't have fresh. 

A while ago I found some tiny  tubs of some berry puree (tayberry I think) at the back of a freezer drawer.  The water had frozen into a separate layer on top of the puree, so I hoiked that out and added the very concentrated puree to my smoothie.  It was lip puckering.     I had several tubs, so what I've been doing is defrosting a tub , and then using a third of a tub.  I guess I'm having 3 days puree, then a few days of banana, then back to puree.  It's been in the freezer for years, so I'm really happy to have found it useful.

The jar containing the kefir grains is out on the worktop, so it's very productive.  I strain off the kefir infused milk each day, and put the strained stuff in the a lidded jar in the fridge for drinking the following day.  I top the grains up with fresh goats milk, and put it back on the worktop.   I have to strain it off every day, otherwise its overfermented.

Chuckling Goat was having a flash sale on biome tests and, as I want to have anothe rone when my 90 days programme is over,  I bought one ready. It's fairly short dates, which is probably why they are having a flash sale,  but it is still good for more than a month after I need it.      

Once the 90 days is up and I've sent in my next biome sample, I'll most likely continue with the gut health smoothie (minus the Monkey Tail Mushroom powder, which is 90 days only) while I wait for the results to come back.    I signed up for an auto delivery of the prebiotic powder as it was significantly cheaper per bag this way, and I'll be needed a few bags still.

I tried to get DH interested in doing  biome test, but he declined.

Maybe he'll be interested when we've seen the results of my next test.  I think I'm seeing some improvement in my rosacea,  but it varies so much from day to day that its hard to be sure.

 

 

Jacket Required

The Girls have been on Flockdown for.. I don't know how long.    They are doing quite well.  

DH put up yet another netted area, to give the first one a rest.  The grass is already showing the stress of 15 pairs of feet, and 15 bored beaks.

None of the girls have come back in to lay yet, which has surprsed me.  I thought the two leghorns would have started laying by now.   It may be that they are laying , and the eggs are being eaten.  I look for evidence, but haven't found any.    Traditionally it's Valentines day that marks the time they should be coming in to lay, so we'll see what happens.

We're very lucky that there is a "local" place that delivers eggs, so we've had 18 eggs a week delivered for some time now.     

The forecast for tonight is -4 degrees.    Tome to roll out the extreme temperature jacket!.

I bought the Jacket many years ago, as soon as Omlet started selling them. Back then we had only 1 Cube, so I only bought one jacket.  It's sat in MyShed since the day it was delivered.    We didn't think about it last time we had a cold snap.

This time, I decided to try using it.

We have 3 Cubes.  One has 7, or 8, or 9 occupants in, and so does not need insulating;  One has 5 occupants and that was the one I was initially considering jacketing,  and one has 1 or 2 or 3 occupants, depending on who has been allowed in the first one.

I wanted to do the 5 hen cube, because the 5 girls all squash in the nestbox. I have no idea why, but I think it's because the Cube is more exposed.      But if we have a Cube with ony 1,2 or 3 girls, surely that needs it more?

In the end, I did the Cube with the fewest occupants.

I'm not at all sure about it.  It covers all the ventilation (apart from the vents at the front), and that's not usually a good idea.  Still, cold is cold,  so I'll leave it on tonigjht and take it off tomorrow if the temperature is going to increase. 

The auto close failed.   It failed because I'd put the jacket on, and it was blocking the door pull thing.    

The pic is before I realised what was going on.  

 

 

Gathering pace

Last night I decided that today I would make a sleeveless top.   

I had my sleeveless top pattern out as I was trying scanning and importing into Inkscape for manipulation, and projecting.  I had mixed results,  but I did learn a lot from an online intro done by one of the members of the Projectors for Sewing Facebook group.     I will be able to do a lot of manipulation of bought PDF patterns, and I'm looking forward to doing that.

Anyway, as I had my template out, I thought I might as well make a top.    I cleared the cutting table, got some fabric from my stash, and cut out the simple back and front.

This particular pattern of mine has a gathered neckline instead of bust darts.   I decided to try gathering using my overlocker.    I watched a video, just to make sure I knew what I was supposed to be doing, and had a go on a test piece.  I used a lomg stitch,  overlocked for a few centimetres, then changed the differential to 2.  This should mean it gathers, say, 5cm of fabric into 2.5 cm.

It worked like a dream.    I didnt gather enough - that is, I started too late and ended too early roud my neckline -  which has affected the way the item hangs,  but the gathering was gorgeous. 

I will definitely be  trying this method again next time I make this pattern.

I finished the item on my coverstitch machine.    I used the large Single Down Turn Feller to do a triple stitch hem.    The  Downturn Feller lets me hem without having to iron first.

I didn't need it to be triple stitched,  but I already had 3 needles in, and I thought I might as well.

For the armholes, I used the tiny Single Downturn Feller and simply hemmed them rather than adding a binding,   This worked really well. 

Finally, I put a neckband on.   I was going to use the binder attachment, but this requires one shoulder to be open, it can't be sewn in the round.  In case I stuffed up,  I decided to do it my usual way, with a band cut to the right size and sewn into a loop.  This way, if something went wrong, i would know what was caused by the gathering and what was caused by the neckband.

That would have been OK, if I had actually done what I intended,   Instead, I cut the length and forgot about sewing it into a loop.  So I was attaching it to a closed loop, and of course I completely stuffwd up the final join.  And then I made a complete pigs ear of coverstitching.  It was the worst of all worlds!    

Serves me right for being cocky.   

It's not bad (apart from the neckband), but it would be improved if I had gathered more.    I might make another version tomorrow.  I might even try the binder attachment.

In other news, some really Useful Drawers arrived today and I've installed them in the small bedroom (where the A0 table is) and they are now full of wool.    My embellisher wasn't in my Dealer's delivery today sadly,  but she has sent me the additional feet I ordered.     I hope they come soon, while i'm in a "making things" frame of mind.

Total crafty things this year: 13
(Sewing based makes: 9;   learning activities: 3;  Non sewing based craft makes: 1. )

Spinning a yarn

I started mildly shopping for remnants of interesting wool. Yarn, I mean.   My Embellisher will enable me to thread yarn,  and I wanted to get some interesting colours and textures.

It turned out to be a bit of a rabbit hole.

A deep rabbit hole,

I've already received a couple of small bundles.     Now, I'm actively looking for specific wools, sorry, yarns.  I wish I could knit,  some of them are amazing, not at all what I remeber from my childhood.

 I've had to start a spreadheet to keep track of my Facebook Marketplace purchases!  Partly so I can make sure I keep track of what's still to arrive,  but mainly to avod be buying two lots of the same thing accidentally.

I've had to make myself start saving some of the things I'm inerested in and then leaving it ab hour or so and coming back to it.

I have no idea whether any of this is going to work in the Embellisher, so I am trying not to look any more.  It's almost as bad as buying fabric.

 

 

 

Cushioning

DH decided to put a brighter bulb in the floor lamp.   Afterwards, it was horrible.  It was slow to warm up, cast a funny colour, and was reflected in the middle of the TV screen so it interfered with my viewing.   

He open to trying a new bulb, but I wanted to try something different.  It occurred to me that an old fashioned standard lamp might work.     I started to scour FB marketplace, Gumtree and Ebay to find something suitable.

I didn't find anything.  Either they weren't what I wanted, or were too expensive, or were too far away (we're in Lockdown, so I needed something localish).

My searches meant that my Facebok ads were all about lamps.   A lady who makes handmade shades popped up on my feed,  and they looked lovely - but not what I wanted.   It did make me do an impulse search of Standard Lamp Shades and one of the first ones I saw was  perfect.

I showed the picture to DH, and he said he might be able to adapt the current lamp so it could take that sort of shade.  I ordered the shade, and it arrived the next day,

I burst out laughing when I saw the shade, because I realised why it had appealed to me so much.   Stacked in my stash,  I have several metres of upholstery fabric, in two colourways, with the same design!

I decided I'd make a matching cushion.  

Originally I was going ot use the same fabric, but use the different colourways on each side   I changed my mind when I retrieved it from my stash as I found some other fabric that was waiting patiently to be used.

 

I was going to put piping round the side, but parked that when I decided to do a zip at the bottom.   It's been a while since I've done a zip, and I had to use a tutorial to work out how to get it in place properly if it wasn't going the whole length of the bottom (This was the tutorial https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2M3XWdjDry0_.  ) I realised I was going to have to use my sewing machine (instead of my overlocker and its zipper foot), so I parked the piping.  I regret that a bit. 

The resulting cushion is fine, I'm happy with it. Of course I could have done it better, and maybe I will next time.  

 I will probably make a second one,  but I don't have any more cushion inners and they aren't really an "essential" purchase.

I placed the cushion straight for the photo, but normally it is angled so it is standing on one of the corners.    It occurred to me that maybe I should try changing the orientation of the fabric on my next one, so that the images are the right way up when the cushion is on its corner.

I'm definitely overthinking this now!

 

 Total crafty things this year: 11
(Sewing based makes: 8;   learning activities: 2;  Non sewing based craft makes: 1. )

Blankie

As well as accidentally cleaning the ovens, I did lots of other Domestics.  I moved all the furniture in the living room to do a proper vacuum and floor wash.  Moving one of the side tables, I found a box underneath.  In the box was a heated blanket. It belonged to Miss T.

Well, it didn't really belong to her,  but she claimed it as hers, we referred to it as her blanket,  and she used it every time she was here.   The thought of it made me smile and, paradoxically, the urge to cry welled up inside me.  

Instead,  I took a picture of it and WhatsApped her.  I said I'd been cleaning and found it, and that I missed her. She messaged straight back, twice.

I miss you too

followed a few seconds later by

And the blanket.

 

I do love her!
 

Accidental Oven Cleaning

Yes, really.

The kitchen was a mess.  Nothing unusual in that, except it was a bit of a grubby mess.   I woke up with a headache,    but still got up and did Day 2 of our latest 21 day challenge.  Then, after I had showered and we'd had breakfast,  I had a second cup of coffee.

Since last summer, I've been drinking cold coffee.  Ice cold.    It started with a bargain from Lakeland, a Kitchen Aid Cold Brew coffee maker.   We'd been having cold brewed for a while, and I'd been using my Severin frother to do the milk.  

Last summer, when it was hot,  I tried making coffee with foamed cold milk.  The Severin does a bang up job of foaming cold milk,  and it was quite pleasant.     I carried on like that all Summer.  

In the Autumn, I tried hot coffee, and I couldn't drink it.   It just tasted....wrong.  So, I've only had cold coffee since then.    

I was running out of coffee. I wanted to make sure I had some for tomorrow, so I drained the remaining coffee out of the pot, washed it, and DH made some fresh (it won't be ready to drink until tomorrow).   I had my usual coffee,  but there was enough left for a second cup.  It seemed silly saving it for tomorrow, which is why I had a second cup.  

Anyway.   DH unloaded the dishwasher, and put a couple of bits in.   I wanted to try and get things straight, so I started my usual "points" game,  and started clearing and cleaning as I went.    I put a couple of things in the dishwasher,  and I thought "I could put the oven racks in".   I'd noted the other day that they needed clraning.    So I went to our main oven, and got out the racks and put them in.  

They take up a lot of space.  I thought to myself, I might as well put in the racks from the other oven then. 

Then I thought "If I take out these few items from the top basket, I can get side brackets in.   So I did.  And I put the dishwasher on.

The glass door of Number 2 oven was really greasy.   I thought about putting some Oven Mate on it.  Then I looked in the oven, and thought "No, if I do that, I'll have to clean the whole thing".  But then I realised that I'd be putting clean metalware back in, and I'd probably regret not doing it.  So,  I did it. 

And of course I then had to do #1 oven as well.  Then I had to clean the splatters off the floor becaise of the kittens.  I'd put newspaper down, but I'd managed to splatter the floor.   Then I realised I'd better wash the floor.

Which meant I had to vacuum. 

Which meant I had to clear the floor.  And as I was washing,  I needed take the mats out and beat them.

And as I was doing it,  I'd better pull out the printer unit from under the kitchen table and vacuum and wash under there.  And then move the butchers block thing.  And then clean the stools.

As I was replacing things, I had an accident.  As soon as I realised that I was in serious trouble, I shouted for my  husband.    We have a Varier Move stool which has a gas lift, I'd been putting it back under the table and had been trying to put the bag of waste textiles on it.  Somehow I managed to operate the lift, and my wrist became trapped against the metalwork of the electric desk.  Because the stool was underneath the desk, I couldn't get the purchase on it to force it down.  My writst was getting more and more squashed and, because there was a metal bar running across the underneath of the desk, I was concerned that my wrist was going to break.

DH came in to see why I was shouting. At first, he thought I was joking, but then he saw that I really was stuck and worked out how to free me.  He tried but failed to suppress his laughter at my predicament.  

I'm just trying to finish the cleaning now.    I've still got to finish cleaning the ovens - I've got to get the gunk off and wash them out.    About now, I'm slightly regretting starting,  but I will be glad I've done it, when it's done.

I normally only have one (very large) coffee a day, and today I had two.   I suspect the extra caffeein is what put a rocket up my b*m.

 

Euphy and Babs

The day after the Zoom Sewcial, so Tuesday,  I unexpectedly received a message to let me know that I had a parcel coming from Babylock the next day.     I wondered which of the two machines it might be, and felt unready for either.

It was my Euphoria, Euphy!

We unboxed her straight away, but then I had to leave her untouched while we waited for the Dishwasher repair man.  I needed to wait until I could give her my undivided attention.

Towards the end of the alloted 2 hour slot, his van pulled up.   He came, he saw, he fixed.   Well, there was a bit more to it than that,  he was here for an hour.    But the important thing is, he fixed it.  Thank goodness for that!  A tiny little rubber "o" ring was the apparent cause of our woes. Such a small thing, such a big impact.  To quote Firefly "It's a nothing part" "Yeah, it's a nothing part until you ain't got one")

Euphy and Babs on my kitchen table

I then threaded her up and had a go.  

She sews beautifully, just like her smaller sibling.  She's huge, unlike her smaller sibling.

The needle threading is different to my Acclaim overlocker, which I hadn't expected,  but it seems to work OK.

I've moved her upstairs on to my workbench,  DH commented that she'd been moved upstairs quickly.  I guess he wasn't sure if that was a sign of acceptance or rejection, lol.

 

Cat Bed

Last night I attended a Zoom Sewcial, along with other members of Baby Lock UK Owners Facebook group, learning how to make a triangular knick knack bowl on my overlocker.  

I needed directional fabric, and out of the stash came one of the first pieces of fabric I ever bought. I folded the remainder of the fabric up this morning,  and thought that it would make a sweet duvet cover for my cats Ikea bed.   I've been meaning to make another one for years.    

My overlocker was right there, on the kitchen table, waiting to go back upstairs.     I decided to just "run one up".   If nothing else, t would make my husband's eyes roll.

I retrieved the old duvet from the corner of the guest bedroom, cut out a piece to fit my cats' Ikea cat bed,  then cut out another piece because the first one looked a bit small. 

The cats thought it was Christmas.  The duvet was opened out on the kitchen floor, and they were chasing each other and leaping on it and skidding. It kept me amused while I snipped and sewed.

Once I was happy with the size of yhe duvet, I overlocked the edges (and the now raw edges on the donor duvet).   

Then I made a duvet cover to fit, which was really quick and easy on a small thing like this.  i even pressed everything, which made me chuckle.   I  finished it with a couple of kamsnaps.  

It looked quite good. I realised that the bed needed a pillow to make it look like a proper bed.  I cut the failed piece to an approximate size,  and then sewed a pillowcase to fit.

I really like it.  It looks a lot better made up than it did in my stash, and I'm a little bit envious. 

I've just had word that my new coverstitch machine is due to arrive tomorrow!  That's 2 weeks ahead of the most recent expected date!  

I need to go and do some clearing up now.  Dishwasher repair man is due tomorrow.

Total crafty things this year: 10  (Sewing based makes: 7;   learning activities: 2;  Non sewing based craft makes: 1. )

 

Going potty, and scanning.

We finally got round to painting our butter dishes today.  

The Studio is open on Saturdays for drop off of painted work for firing, and collection of materials for paint at home.    It's another 6 days until we can take it in,  but if I waited until later in the week to paint it,  Saturday would be rounbd before I knew it and I would have missed yet another week.

I'm not sure our efforts will win any beauty contests,  and  the design I had in my head failed with the first slosh of paint.      But I don't mind. One or other the butter dishes will be in use every day, and they will mean something to us.

I might have a go at a jug.

So, I've done 6 sewing based makes this year so far,  had 1 learning session, and done 1 other craft activity.  That's 8 things,  so I'm well ahead.

I still haven't tested the scanner.  I cleared the small box room A0 desk, got the scanner out,    went and founs some little USB sticks and checked their contents,  found the carrier sheet in case the scanned items look fragile and..... that's it.    I've been in there a few times to think about actually having a go,  but I haven't actually done so.      

I suspect I'm concerned that, when I try, it'll either eat the pattern or it won't quite be the right scale and all that money having it calibrated will have been wasted.

I realise that I might as well do it.  I'm obviously worrying about it.  If it turns out to be OK then all this fretting will have been a waste of time.  And if it's not OK... well,  at least I'll know.

Or maybe I'm stressing that if I do it and it is OK, I'm going to have to actually get on and scan my home made patterns.

I will get on with it.  Just not today.

 

Gut Health

Back in October I read a blog post from Shann at Chuckling Goat.  It mentioned biofilm in the gut, and how this can stimulate and exhause the body's auto immune system, leading to auto immune disorders.  

I've been dealing with a few auto immune issues, and trying to identify the cause.  Her post resonated with me, so I sent off for a biome testing kit,  bought the tinctures (Chucklng Goat doesn't sell them), and started.

 For various reasons it took a while before I was able to send off my sample.  I'd been using the tinctures at a really low rate, less than 10% of the recommended amount, but after I sent my sample off I increased the dose over time.   I'd been mixing it in with my cold-foamed milk, which I have (or had) each morning.  It was a quick and easy way to take the stuff.

I had my call a few days ago to discuss my results, and this required a change to what I was taking.

I ordered the prebiotic from Chucjling Goat.  The other recommendations they don't sell, so I ordered them somewhere else.  The Turkey Tail mushroom tincture I could only find in powedered form (no idea why that should be the case), and I got this from Indigo Herbs.    The linseed oil I got from the Linseed Farm.

I can't stand goats milk kefir.   I've tried Chuckling Goat's twice.  I've managed to drink it, but it was a reall strggle and I gagged all the time.    The reason is that, a few years ago, I had very serious food poisoning from goats cheese.    Since then, I can't stand the smell of goats cheese,   and the goats milk kefir has a very goats-cheesey smell.

I do have my own kefir, and I keep bringing it back from the brink with all good intentions, then not drinking it.    After my call the other day, I revived it once again in readiness.

Today, everything arrived.

I made my first gut health smoothie. 

It doesn't taste awful.  It doesn't taste good.  It looks vile.

The two powders (prebiotic and turkey tail mushroom) are very fine,  and remind me of diatomaceous earth.   Both powders are very grey, so the reulting smoothy was grey.  

I added in some natural yoghurt to try and help, and I used almost a whole very small banana. 

At least it wasn't gritty.  And it didn't smell horrible.    I expect I'll get used to it.

I'm currently having: 170ml Kefir,  2 teaspoons prebiotic powder,  2 teaspoons turkey tail mushroom powder (for 90 days only, so my last day will be 21st April), and 10ml of linseed oil.  I also put in some natural yoghurt.  I'm supposed to have some marine based collagen powder in there, and I will probably add that at some point. Not just yet.

The report was interesting,  both in terms of what was good with my gut and what wasn't. I'll probably take another biome test owards the end of April to see what difference it has made.   Hopefully I'll be able to see the results by then anyway. 

It was recommended that I stop taking the other tinctures while I'm taking the Turkey Tail mushrooms.   That's a bit of a shame as the Reishi Mushrooms are good for menopause symptoms.  However, both have a blood thinning effect, so I'll do as the experts have recommended.

More first world problems

Our friend, JT, sent me a video the other day. It was in a scandinavian country, although they spoke English.  It was about a chap who had a fully automated, voice controlled,  house, which included his laundry, ironing, music, breakfast, schedule, and the opening and locking of his front door.

He went to the dentist and had some fillings, which meant his gums were numbed.  It was raining on his return.  The house couldn't recognise his gum-numbed voice and wouldn't let him in.(It was a bt more nuanced and a lot more funny than my synopsis suggests).   Meanwhile, his neighbour came home and got straight into her house using a key.   

The message was that sometimes simplicity is best.  

I didn't phone Miele when the dishwasher errored.  I tried the online system, which gave me 19th January as the first available date for an engineer.    We tried the suggested remedy from an online search (from a sensible site), and got it working again.

A week later, the same thing happened.    We wondered if it was our stacking technique causing the issue,  so DH did the fix again, and the machine started working again.  We took extra care in fillin gthe dishwaher, and we never left it on while we went to bed.

On Saturday morning, it did it again.     Today I phoned Miele to book an engineer visit.     The  chap on the phone was really helpful, and it was quite painless.  I'd amassed all the relevant info and dates, but he had it all on file.   If I'd realised it was going to be so easy, I'd have called them the first time it happened.    It's certainly made me reconsider my "effing Miele" stance.    I gave them a score of 8 on their post call survey.  I know it's not fixed yet,  but the score was about how I felt as a result of the call I'd just made.

     

While I was sorting out stuff that was not working,  I decided to contact SimpleHuman about my sensor soap dispenser.

I bought a really lovely dispenser last February.   It is USB rechargeable, not too big, and worked really well.  You can adjust the amount of soap dispensed just by where you put your hand: the nearer the spout, the less is dispensed.  I liked it so much, a week later I bought a second one so we had one in the kitchen and one in the bathroom.  We were very happy with both of them.

A few months later,  we started having problems with the first one.      It wouldn't turn on again after charging.  It became erratic, snotting out soap when we hadn't asked for it.  It would pretend to be turned off, and not want to turn on again after charging,  and then it would snot on the table.   We went through the suggested remedies,  but no change.  Eventually, it woudn't turn on at all after being charged, and I contacted Simple Human.    They were great,  and replaced it (with a different coloured model).

Recently, the second one has started playing up.  We put it on to charge, it charges,  and then it discharges rapidly.  I have to make sure it is turned on before I take the charger plug off, otherwise it won't turn on.       I thought it might just be that we use it a lot -  it's in the kitchen so is used many many times a day -  but the one in the bathroom goes aaaaaages between charges. 

I tried putting it in the downstairs cloakroom, to see if it was that we were just using it too often in the kitchen.  But no,   it died in there after a couple of days as well.

So, I've contacted Simple Human to see if I can get it sorted out.

In the meantime, I've bought a battery operated version to use in the kitchen. It's a bulkier unit, not as pretty, holds less soap, but it works really well.  When the other one is fixed or replaced, it won't be going in the kitchen.  

Of course we could just use a normal, manual, contactfull pump.   The idea was to reduce disposable plastic use and, of course,  superior hygiene in the current climate.

If I hadn't been sorting out the dishwasher, I'm not sure I'd have bothered contacting Simple Human.  Or maybe I would have done, when the unit failed completely.

When I was looking for the Simple Human inf relating to my last claim,  I noticed the name of the lady who had responded to me.  I wondered if it was an invented surname,  a generic name used so that the user feels like they are chatting to a specific individual but actually it could be abyone from the help desk replying,

When I got the auto response today, I was interested to see that the surname had changed, although the first name was the same.   I wondered about sending a friendly "by the way, congatulations on your marriage" message.  Common sense prevailed.  Maybe she's got divorced instead.

I've got more calls this week which require me to consolidate a lot of information, so I'd best get on.

Hope you are doing OK?

 

Dressing Gown

I finally made a dressing gown!

I've had the fabric for 2 years. I was spurred into action by Love Notion's release of a pattern.  Actually, it isn't a great pattern.  It's easy enough, but not very refined.  It had a full bust front piece, which is why I bought it.

I used my projector, which worked well.  The set up in the nearly-tidy gues room worked well.  My lovely overlocker, and my outgoing coverstitch, worked beautifully.  I used some of the birthday present attachments to do the hemming and to make the belt loops. 

Now I've done it once, I'll probably look at making another one, an even better one.  But not for awhile.

I've got plans for the old dressing gown.  I'm very attached to it, which is why it's taken me so long to replace it.  Even the holes hadn't put me off wearing it.  I need to take some pictures of some of the sewing details on it, so I can try nd replicate it in my next dressing gown.

I've got a small amount of fabric left. Not enough to make anything, but mybe I can colour block something. Later.

The overlocker shavings will be great for using on the Embellisher.At least I imagine they will.

I've saved them all to see.

The dressing gown constitutues my 6th make this year, and i'm happy that Iam making an effort.

Embellishments

Some years ago, I quite liked the idea of trying a felting machine, peoperly known as an Embellisher.    I looked at what machines were available, and decided that I'd like a Babylock one. 

There were two versions doing the rounds.  An older moder, which had 7 needles,  and the current model, which had 12.  I decided I'd look for a 12 needle one.

They come up occasionally, rarely actually, and the couple i did see were snapped up before I could get them. 

Each year, I thought I'd get a new one for my birthday, if I couldn't get a second hand one.   But for the last 3? birthdays,  something else sewing related came up and I bought whatever it was instead.  I don't regret those decisions.

The lovely Jane White, from babylockshop.co.uk and who runs the baby lock UK owners FB group,  was doing another day long Zoom with Katy, the Babylock Educator.    I noticed that one of the sessions was for the Embellisher,   and I couldn't pass up an opportunity to see it in action and to ask questions about it.

The machine was even better than I expected.

I'm still patiently waiting for last year's birthday present to arrive (Covid has caused issues for all the sewing machine manufacturers), and I thought I'd buy the embellisher.  I had a mental image of it arriving on Tuesday or Wednesday this week.    I have a bag of scraps,  I have lots of cat fur available at the flick of a brush, and  I could see me playing around with it a bit while waiting for the Euphoria to finally arrive.

Jane delivered the bad news that the Embellisher is likely to be April delivery.

I chuckled at myself when I heard that.   It didn't change my mind to get one,  I'd finally decided to buy new (and get the benefit of the 2+2guarantee etc ) ,  and April isn't that far away really.

I could, of course, have looked elsewhere to see if someone had one in stock.   But the truth is,  it was the demo on Jane's Zoom that helped me make the deicsion to buy,   and it's only fair then that  I buy from her. 

I've waited 3 years or so.  Another 3 months won't matter :-) 

I haven't mentioned to DH that I have another machine coming.

Update:  It's going to be mid Feb, so 2 months sooner than expected!

 

 

More little bags

It's MIss T's 13th birthday next week,  and DGD K's 13th the week after. 

I made some little bags to wrap their presents (not the cushion, that was a bit too big to wrap in fabric).  Once again I was eternally grateful to the lovely Jane White from babylockshop.co.uk  for her sewalong Zoom to members of the  fb group baby lock UK owners.

 I actually made 4 little bags, but I managed to not photograph one of them, and it's all packed up for posting now

Bunnies for the DGD,  and ponies for Miss T.

 I'm going to count these as 1 make, rather than 4 (although I might revise that decision later, lol).

So that's 5 makes this year so far.

Deja Vu all over again

The dishwasher failed again, so I'll have to phone them on Monday and see if we can get an engineer.

And tonight I went out to check on the chooks and found 3 of them uncooped.  Two of them were huddled together on the mezzanine, and one was on her own on the arm of a garden chair.

I opened the purple cube, which has an Omlet opener on.  I opened the back, and put my torch in.  I walked back round into the run, picked up the lone chook, and showed her the steps.  She refused to go up.

I went back into the house to put a coat on and to get my phone - and another torch. I came back out, and opened the orange coop door using the App.    While I was waiting for it to open,  I had a quick look in the red coop. This is the emergency coop, which no one uses unless they have to.

There were 4 girls inside. And not 4 girls from one coop.    I assume that the coops closed before they were ready this evening.

When the App had finished opening the orange coop, I set it to opening the green one.     The two Mezzanine girls had gone in to the orange coop by the time the door was fully open.   The lone girl was raising the alarm (well done her!)

I left the lone girl to sirt herself out, and focussed on emptying the Red coop.  Big Bird was at the back and first out.   She was not happy.  I carried her round to the green coop.  None of this is as straightforward as it sounds, it's just not possible to walk directly between coops.   There is a huge Jostaberry bush between the red and green coops, which doesn't affect the girls but it does mean I have to go ot of one door,  walk round the outside, and go in another door. 

Anyway,   I put her on the steps so she could walk in,  and she jumped off and hid under the coop.    I guess she figureds that if her abductor wanted her to do something, she'd be best doing the opposite.    

I left her under the coop, and went and got the other 3 girls, one at a time.  In and out of the run,  it's done my steo count a world of good.    The screeching lone girl came up to the steps of the green coop, and I made way so she could get up.  She didn't, instead she wandered off back to the cother coops.     I realised she was probably trying to find the orange coop, so I walked over and shone the torch up the ladder to light her way.  She climbed up.  I set the door to close.

Big Bird was now outside, as in outside in the garden, so I rounded her up and attaenoted to catch her.  She did not want to be caught.  I had to wrestle her, for which she raised the alarm (well done her!),  and I bundled her into the green coop. I shone the torch inside so she could see that some of her friends were in there, and then I activated the door closer.  I changed the closing time on all coops.

I walked round locking the run doors,  and then it occurred to me that I should just check one more time. I looked in the three overflow nestboxes, which are usually ignored by the girls especially when they all want to lay at the same time.

I decided I'd just pop her through the pop hole of the purple cube.  She wasn't too keen on that idea - the hens were all over the place and not with their usual night time cliques.  I probably should have put her in the orange cube,  but at least one of her friends was in the purple cube. 

My final headcount came to 15, so everyone was in somewhere.

Good job I checked.

Another make

I had a blood test at a local hospital yesterday and had to get up really early (for me, anyway).   It all went smoothly, and I was in and out quickly.     I was out of synch for the rest of the day,and the best I could manage was farting around in preparation for making a cushion cover for Miss T's birthday. 

I didn't have the energy to actually sew it though,  so I made it a priority for today.

A year ago I'd bought a cushon panel for her.  I found some fab fabric in my stash, which echoed the colours of the panel really well.

 I decided to make an envelope version, rather than a zip version, as these are supposed to be easier.

I made it today.

I even went to the trouble of threading both my overlocker and coverstitch with purple variegated cones, and white cones,  so that front stitches were white and the back stitches were purple.   

I tried to blend the pattern for the fold at the back, and that took forever.   I ended up doing it seam by seam, checking and rechecking after each seam to make sure it was going to work how I intended.

I'm really happy with how it turned out.  Of course I can see improvements for "next time",  but I'm happy with it. 

It's a horse. Yje panel was bough especially for her, and the cushion It was made just for her. No one else will have one the same.  And  I made it for he.

I'm pretty sure she'll like it.  She's lovely to make for.

So that's 4 makes this year so far (foot muff, cover for foot muff, top and tail old duvet, and this).