Day 28 of Social Distancing

Hi Dear Folk,

I was watching a movie, they're driving along Route 66 and stop off at a Diner and order a cheese burger and fries.  Who would have thought that just such a simple picture would conjure up such longing.  The thought of ones big escape and the simplicity of just eating at a Diner, yes we all took that for granted, who could have pictured this day, except for on a movie.  All the brave health workers and volunteers brings a tear to your eye.  I hope they get all the protective gear they need.

I made some face masks the other day and will make some more.  You are meant to have at least two one in the wash and one out.  I posted my pictures on Instagram and have linked the video below for the pattern that I used.  I had rather a thick fabric so I hand sewed the side pleats in.  Used a coffee filter in the pocket and folded up foil for the nose piece, which works well.  Mr. B. tried it out today and he says he can hardly breath in it, so I guess it is not porous, which is what you want.

Going back to my love of words.  The word Influenza sounds like the word Influence, and is from the Italian, where it derived from the Medieval Latin word influentia.  People attributed the disease to the influence of the stars.

With all this time at home I want to increase my skills.  One is I want to relearn knitting, as you know I crochet and absolutely love it, but have thought that I would love to learn to knit.  The way I was taught was the English way of knitting, but since I've got to relearn, I am going to train my fingers to knit the Continental way, which I think will be easier for me, as I already hold my yarn for crochet on my left index finger and I've heard it's quicker, not that that's a problem with all the time we have on our hands.

The other thing I want to master is my camera.  I do have a really nice one Mr. B. treated me to a Sony 6000 mirrorless, which even my son has taken on some jobs he's shot.  The thing is you are not using it to its full potential if you don't spend the time to learn how to use it.  Also since I got my iPhone I've become rather lazy camera wise and I never was before.

So two things I'm going to work on.  Plus I have several crochet projects on the go.  Two shawls in different colour yarns and a capelet pattern I want to try.  Plus my UFO (unfinished object) or PHD (projects half done) a felted hat I never finished from last winter, that's on the back burner though.  Also have a crochet bag I've finished and need to line.

I am going to post the video on how to breath if you catch the Covid-19 virus, comes from Queen's Hospital, Romford, UK.  You never know you may need it and it could help save your life.  J.K. Rowling used this technique and it helped her.

Keep well.

Christine

Button Sewing

Hi Dear Folk,

Why does one so procrastinate over sewing buttons on?  Mr. B. gave me two items this morning.  One was a pair of shorts bought at the thrift where the button needed resewing on as it was hanging from some threads.  The other was a well loved and worn flannel shirt with a hoodie.  He has three of them and they predate The Boy so at least thirty years old.

Mr.B. came up with three buttons, I came up with one, that made four matching and it was still missing two more buttons, I found two that will do for the bottom buttons. So I sewed on six buttons and also hemmed some of the bottom edge that was fraying.  All this should have been done ages ago.

I've been working gang busters in the garden, to the neglect of my house.  Who wouldn't want to be outside rather than in dusting and hoovering?  But then though it gets to the point where it starts to drive me crazy and insane action needs to be taken.  Ashes still sitting in the stove from our last wood fire, stove door glass needs cleaning and a complete spring dusting never done.  Wood stoves cause a lot of dust.

I think my biggest nemesis is the Simla Room, it's been rather a sewing and yarn dump all winter, and I haven't tidied up properly because I keep telling myself that there is no point as a lot of things in there are going out to my new shed, if I can last that long.  I will really need to get stuck into painting it, all ahead on that.  I must completely finish it, I have a tendency to almost finish things but not quite.

Rob has been investing in some hi end video equipment and camera lenses to shoot weddings.  He has done that as a side line for several years, working for someone else and using their equipment. He may still carry on with that, but he's going to work with a co worker as that is their job expertise, only at work they shoot cars and all car related accessories.

He took some shots of me in the garden with his new lens.  Now this is a boy that takes such candid shots of his mum, that my sister phones from England and says "Why in the earth has Rob posted that awful picture of you on Facebook?  Get him to take it down."  Yes just a little too much reality.  But these I quite like.

No gardening today it is pouring and has been all day, plus they are calling for flood warnings, I've already got puddles on my lawn.  I look out of my Simla room window and the rain drops on my day lily leaves look like diamonds, you have to love that.

Have a lovely weekend.

Christine

I'm Shoveling Snow?

Hi Dear Folk,

I did finish my patchwork and crochet curtains and I'm pleased with them.  I gave them a nice starch and an iron, which the crochet at the bottom especially needed because it was curving in, but after a good iron and starch it straightened out.

I think this fabric must have came from an old tablecloth.

Hanging in my hallway.

I used the pattern from this old seventies crochet book.

Two men in the house and I'm out shoveling the sidewalk.  Of course The Boy was at work and Mr. B. hurt his back shoveling the previous snowstorm, so who does that leave but the woman in the household stepping up to the plate as we so often do.  And of course who is in the house taking photos.  Yes you can guess.

The garden is nada on the flower front because of all this snow and cold weather, so I have been filling this void with some bought flowers and plants.  Tulips which when first put in water drank up almost the entire vase, they were so thirsty.

A miniature rose bush for a little peep into what summer will bring.

This little arrangement is still going.

I cleared up a counter top in my kitchen, where we kept papers and pens and things.  Now that's cleaned off I have another work counter which was needed.  I moved all the papers into the vestibule area by the back door, because we still need to keep these things for easy access in the kitchen.  It looks so much less cluttered.

I cleaned the top of my fridge and all the kitchen cabinets.  What a lot of up and down, I was exhausted.

The square tin with Nelson's column on the front was a yard sale find up in Canada.  As soon as I saw it I knew I would add it to my collection, mum had this tin, which originally of course had sorted biscuits in, but then was used for cakes and other goodies.  Each side has a different London scene on.

I was able to add my picnic basket up here, got rid of some things and just generally sort things out.

I love these little palm creations, that were given to me by a basket vendor in Maui.

A hummingbird and a fish.

I've kept some things up here, but later on I think they will go out in a yard sale.

I have plans for these three picture frames.  I liked these teacup card prints, but they have been up here for years and faded out, so time for a change.

I bought this little recipe book in England, more for the pictures than the recipes, although they are nice.  I'm going to cut three out and frame them.  These two pictures for sure and one more.

Christine

Monday Mania

Hi Dear Folk,

I started at 6:30 am and haven't stopped since, well maybe a very short break mid day after taking a shower and laying on the bed in the AC.

If one could have two hundred percent humidity then it would be that.  It's only 84F but the humidity is terrible it's like living in the Amazon Jungle.  Today almost every half hour the weather has alternated between, sun, wind and squally showers.

Mr. B. and I have been working our little touches off in the garage, you would think we would be done, but no there is much more to do.  Mice may be cute, but not up in the rafters with their nests.

I started off my day in the basement, let me preface that 1920's basement.  Cleaned up under the old double sink, scrubbed the floor in that area and washed the rugs, dried them and put them back down.

I emptied the dehumidifier and cranked that up to the highest setting hoping to get a little coolness down there.  The catch basin fills up in about eight hours.

Out to the garage with Mr. B. power washed two trash cans and cleaned them out, after I emptied out all the wood and leaves The Boy put in them from a bough he cut off the apple tree.  I added these to the ever growing kindling pile which now is as tall as me.  We have decided to cut the apple tree down altogether, the squirrels eat every apple off the tree before they ever ripen.  In over ten years I have yet to eat an apple off the tree.  It's in a corner by the garage car door and we need the area really to put the trash cans on, so we do not have to leave them in the garage.  We may pave this over, and leave a strip near the fence to plant sunflowers, one they are tall, and two it is a very sunny area there and I think they would do well.  Rob says he will cut the rest of the tree down.  Apple wood is good to burn, although it's not a huge tree.

Our next yard sale will be a clear out of the basement and I'm hoping to do that in October, we will see.

Ran to the shop to buy a couple of things I need for my trip.  I have two suitcases laying open in my sitting room, with things in them, just staging everything ready to pack.  When The Boy was at college I used his room but can't now.

Yesterday I got the ironing board out, got a dress and a top washed and ironed ready to go.  Of course everything is everywhere in that room and it's driving me crazy.  I guess my previous trips were for two weeks and not two months, so it was a little easier.

I have one suitcase with four wheels on, but went back to my older suitcases for the second one, with only the two wheels on.  I decided to use the medium one, I didn't fancy hefting around the larger one, along with the one I already have.  The two I'm taking are of a similar size.  I am able to take two suitcases because I upgraded my seating, I think it's one inch wider and a little more legroom, but the second suitcase will come in handy.

I just hope I don't meet the same bus driver I ran into a couple of years ago, who was I will just say from central Europe and a nasty bully.  I catch the bus from Heathrow to Cambridge and then the local bus to my sister's town.  Most of the bus drivers have been very nice.

After going to the shops, back to the garage to sort out old records, all Mr. B's dads.  Now that we do have a record player and I have more time, I do really want to keep some.  A couple got sold off in the yard sale and one was an old 45rpm I really wanted to keep, Troglodyte Cave Man, it was a fun record, such is life.

Here is the handbag I bought, Italian leather. The smell is heavenly, love the smell of good leather and I like the bright, summer flowers.  Trying to take a bag that goes with everything would be hopeless, so taking a bag that is bright and fun and goes with nothing is fine.

As you can see I love Italian leather, and had a few other items already.

Cosmetic case with hummingbirds on, such a flighty design.  Also two cases in more autumnal colours, which I have packed away here with my journals, pens, pencils and paints.

I bought the canvas bag at Harbor Freight, $10.00 great for holding all these items.

It was cooler over the weekend, well kind of up and down with torrential rain, showers and the humidity.  I did get those two jackets and a coat that I bought at the thrift on sale, all put away and the repairs all done.  The navy blue cashmere jacket needed a military style gold button, I found an odd one in my button tin and it suits quite well.

I also hand stitched all the lining around the sleeve ends on the swing jacket.  This is homemade, in a hounds tooth black and white check, really well made, but the hand stitching was terrible, so undid that and hand stitched it all over again, nice neat job now.

Another hand made item, a sixties black swing cape, in a faux black lamb, cannot remember the name, astrakhan, just came to me, also needed a repair around the attached scarf and that is done.  It's that true sixties style with the slit openings for your arms, three buttons and an attached scarf.  Bought that at a thrift for $6.00 but did need sending to the cleaners to get rid of the cigarette smell, but is great now.

Time to catch up on my journal, it is at least a week behind, but my blog may help me a bit.

Christine

Happy Decisions

Hi Dear Folk,

It's been a week of gathering.  All of a sudden it loomed that my trip to the UK is not far off, and many things needed to be gathered together.  When I go on a trip I like to find a place where I can put all the items I will need to take.  I also make lists, it seems to calm my brain.

But first just a few things this week.  This was a dress that I thrifted last year and it was too big in the top, first I was going to put darts in, then thought to take the skirt off and make a skirt.  But after looking at it my first ideas was the best.  I put two darts in the front, two darts under each arm, and four darts in the back, two either side of the zip.  These were very small hand stitched darts and they pulled it in just the right amount.  I like it now.

The marble topped outside bar counter.

Drying out my lovely bouquet to make it live a little longer.  I love it outside.  I sit on the Pond Patio and there it sits, and brings me joy.

I worked on these IKEA cushions.  They were quite cheap and I use them on my outside sofa.  They needed a nice wash after having sat in the garage all those years.  One opened up in the washing machine, so had to gather all the stuffing and sew it up.  In fact they almost all needed some sewing and the buttons added to pull them in again as all the stitching had come undone.  That's when your glad you keep all your old buttons.

I don't think I mentioned this a few weeks ago a form was left in my front door, did I want to enter in for the Borough garden contest, and I thought I might as well, since I'm gardening in any case.  Last Wednesday was the judging, there are several categories and I won third place in the back garden category, not bad.  They will have a slide show presentation of all the gardens at their Garden Club Meeting in September, but I will be in Europe.

My Miss Tupp.

Using my new walnut spatula, we got at the Kutztown Folk Festival.

I am so excited about my trip to England and Norway, but also feeling over whelmed and when that happens I know I must not procrastinate, but just get stuck in and get things done.

First we had to make a few decisions about our cruise to Norway, did we want to buy any additional packages and did we want to take any side trips at the ports of call.  These can be quite expensive, we opted for one onboard package, which included remuneration and since we would tip in any case, it seemed to make sense to do this, some other perks come with the package.  A port of call side trip we decided to take is the Flam Railroad, all the other ports of call we will use local transport and do our own thing.

For the cruise I had to get travel insurance, it was one of the requirements.  I can't say I've ever bothered with this, I guess all these years I've being flying by the seat of my pants, so this was a new experience for me and not cheap.  I called around four different places and found what I hope is good, if I have to use it.  It seems to be much cheaper in the UK for travel insurance.  So glad that is done.

I went to my local library to pick up some travel books on Norway, there were not many for some reason, even the librarian acknowledged this.  He said he thought he had some older editions in the discard area and I said would I be able to keep them.  Next day he phoned me and said he had one on Norway and one on Scandinavia for me to keep.  That is great because I can just take out the pages I need.

Rob has bought me online two batteries and a charger for my camera.  The other thing I need to do is to order cash, sterling euros and kroner, then besides the packing, I'll have it together.  Got to work the handbag thing out.

I have a journal I bought in Bury St Edmunds at Paperchase several years ago, it has all sorts of pockets and artwork of London on the front, so I think I'm going to use this and maybe a separate one for my trip to Norway, decisions, decisions, but all fun.

Well must go lots to do.

Have a wonderful weekend.

Christine

My Wedding Dress

Hi Dear Folk,

All this talk of wedding dresses and it made me think of mine.  I got married in 1981 the same year as Diana and Charles.  That was the decade of a lot of flounce, lace, beads, puffy shoulders with pads.  I was not a fan of all that and had long admired the 1940's decade of dresses, and that is when my dress was from an original.

Cream satin, boat neckline, mine had sheer net up to the neck.  Beautiful paisley beading, just around the yoke, paisley being one of my very favorite designs.  Long sleeves, came into a point over the hand.  Covered buttons to close them.  Also covered buttons down the net part of the back, fitted waist, with a small invisible zip on the side and a train.  Lovely sheen on the satin.

You might also like to see this these posts

Weddings Through The Decades

Royal Weddings

The Wedding Dress I Wore

Christine

PS:  The sun is shining.

Megan's Dress, Royal Wedding and I've had Enough!

Hi Dear Folk,

Did you watch the Royal Wedding?  Well the Brits do know how to put on a good show, most diverse.

Her Givenchy dress by Claire Waight Keller, a British designer, in pure white silk, with the bateau neckline was lovely, a classic, and a simple posy.  I liked the long silk tulle veil going over the train of her dress embroidered in silk flowers, fifty three flowers representing the countries of the Commonwealth.

Lesotho was represented by a spiral aloe, Bangladesh was symbolized by a white-water lily and Granada had a bougainvillea.  Australia was represented by golden wattles, and Nigeria had a yellow trumpet.  England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland were respectively represented by a rose, a daffodil, a flax flower and a thistle.

Symmetrically placed at the very front of the veil, crops of wheat delicately embroidered, blending into the flora, to symbolize love and charity.  I also heard on BBC Radio there was a favourite flower from Kensington Gardens and a California Poppy a nod to home.

Topped by the Queen Mary bandeau tiara, wife of George V.  I'm sure there are a lot of tiaras down through the ages in the jewelry caskets to chose from.

1. Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex

2. Meghan, Duchess of Sussex

3. Queen Elizabeth II, grandmother of the groom

4. Prince Philip, grandfather of the groom

5. Doria Ragland, mother of the bride

6. Prince Charles, father of the groom

7. Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, stepmother of the groom

8. Prince William, elder brother of the groom

9. Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, sister-in-law of the couple

10. Princess Charlotte, 3, daughter of William and Catherine

11. Prince George, 4, eldest son of William and Catherine

12. Page boy Jasper Dyer, 6, godson of the groom

13. Page boy Brian Mulroney, 7, son of the bride's best friend

14. Bridesmaid Ivy Mulroney, 4, daughter of the bride's best friend

15. Bridesmaid Florence van Cutsem, 3, goddaughter of the groom

16. Bridesmaid Rylan Litt, 7, goddaughter of the bride

17. Page boy John Mulroney, 7, son of the bride's best friend

18. Bridesmaid Zalie Warren, 2, goddaughter of the groom

19. Bridesmaid Remi Litt, 6, goddaughter of the bride

I do hope that the fashion for wedding dresses gets away from the strapless ones that have been in for a couple of decades now, and get back to having a lovely neckline and sleeves.  I have never been a fan of the strapless wedding dress.

I have had enough of dull skies and rain, with a few bad storms thrown in.  I only wish my garden was planted because it would be romping away.  Still it was a good excuse to be in, have a cup of tea and watch the pageantry.  The sun smiled on the Royal couple.  I have been watching the weather in England all week, hoping that it would be good for Rob and Tierney while they were there.  And they certainly had better weather there than we have had here this week.

I was looking at how things change over the years, even the amount of work put into packaging Chambord a raspberry liquor.  The older bottle is to the left with the crown lid, and even embossing in the glass and the bottom, compared with their newer bottle on the right.

Also just think if Wallace Simpson had met Edward VIII now she too could have had a church wedding and walked down the aisle in a white dress.  She was just eighty years ahead of the times.  Of course Camilla lived long enough to see those changes in her lifetime, and to benefit from them.

At last after sitting in the garage for several years we have actually restrung this chime.  It has a lovely sound being so long.  The wood had rotted out, so Mr. B.  came up with the idea of using this terra-cotta pot holder and drilling holes in this to thread the strings through.  I like it.

This is the patio I worked on last weekend, Saturday this weekend it rained all day.

Roses like a good drink.

I went out to retrieve something I had put out in the trash, which was the top of my circular com poster, which comes apart, off course I came up with an idea to use it, fortunately it was still out there, some things I put out had gone, which is good.  And then something was left behind my garage from someone else, this pot with plastic flowers in.

Looking worse for wear, I salvaged what I could, added some old silk flowers I had lying around in the garage and thought why not put it here by the garage door for a splurge of colour.  Now I am not a one for fake flowers, this may or may not stay, we'll see.  I don't think it looks too bad though.

Must get the paint brush out.  Lot's of painting to do.

Christine