Today I shall be Mainly...

[Marilyn]

Morning





Just a question Maz, have you ever done any heirloom embroidery on your machine using a winged needle. I have bought some fine white lawn to make myself a top, having practiced the technique one day last week. I wondered if you had done any and if you have, can you offer any advice. Otherwise I shall just dive in and see how it

Ooooo...gosh trying to think, Sue. I have done twin needle stuff and pintucking. Let me search the memory banks..”winged needle” doesn’t instantly spring to mind. I shall probably bounce upright in the middle of the night thinking of something. (sounds like something I would have been interested to try). Got my brain cells tingling...

[Marilyn]

My brain is buzzing now....
You know I was going to bed in the next half hour? ( darn it... I am in overdrive now!)

[Marilyn]

I looked the “winged needle” up on Google, Sue. I don’t think I have ever owned or used such a thing of beauty, though I still feel I have known about them ( possibly from Sewing Machine lessons). I don’t think I can help you...

[Sue]

Just wondered, it seems easy enough, its just whether to do sew the fabric first then cut out or put some markings on the fabric one the garments is made up. I think I will do the latter



Good news, Flakey the cat is coming home today with lots of painkillers .

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[Cathy]

Lucky Flakey, good news.
Medication, tlc and patience. Could take a while.

[Sue]

Lucky Flakey, good news.
Medication, tlc and patience. Could take a while.

Yes it could. Fingers crossed that rest will help. Like most cats she sleeps a lot.

I am just copying Briony’s dress pattern and I thought I had better check the instructions. No instructions in the packet ! Not a major issue as I am sure it is straight forward but I decided
To phone the shop where I ordered from . They were so helpful and of course shocked ! They are emailing photos of the instructions as I write. Such service and thank goodness for technology

[Stanley]

I thought the pic you posted was of Flakey's stitches, I had to enlarge before the penny dropped!
Main event today is a visit by caring daughter Susan at 13:00 so that won't interfere with tiny things in the shed. Not sure what she has in mind but my version is change duvet covers and do me feet. All will become clear later.

[Sue]

Morning

Another nice day forecast but it goes down hill from tomorrow. I did a fair bit in the garden yesterday, sifting another two or three buckets of compost . The rest I have now dug over and prepared ready for the pear tree arriving on Saturday. I have finished planting all my seeds for the time being so need some proper sun to warm up the greenhouse and get them growing. In the afternoon we did a rather complex 4.5 mile walk, cutting across many of our newer routes. There was a lot of ups and downs and the paths, mostly not flooded now , were rough and stony underfoot. Our feet ached when we got back. We have now walked 190 miles since early January , 45% of our virtual walk to Paris

Today there are few plans. I shall make Briony's dress, and possibly do a walk, though we may take a day off. Otherwise its take it as it comes.

Have a good day everyone

[Stanley]

The gable end of Hey Farm being pointed. The espalier pear tree was put in in 1960 by father and me, We bought it from a nursery at Brighouse, was it Kershaw's. They were higher up the Pennines than us so we thought it might be hardy. As you can see it was.

[Stanley]

Here's an example of the accuracy that is needed for any successful engine.... NOT! All part of the game, have a look at shed matters to see how I shall get round it.

[Sue]

Hopefully our little tree will be successful Stanley. I love pears. We have chosen a variety that is suited to our weather and garden here . The cooking apple does well, as did the plum tree before it that broke its branches due to the weight of the harvest . We eventually got sick of plums and took it out. We have a miniature cherry too that seems to do OK, so fingers crossed for the plum.

No doubt Bob is following your toils in Shed matters. My sewing issue is how to line Bs dress as it has an unusual back. I didn’t realise I had a problem till it came to me at 5.00 am in my sleep. By 6.00 am, I had three possible solutions. I am not sure which to try

Happy crafting as they say at my craft group or in your case engineering and in mine sewing

[Stanley]

I'm getting ready for Susan's care visit. I shall go and start soaking my feet!

[Stanley]

Enjoying my singing feet. Susan sprinkled fairy dust on the bed when she changed the duvet covers for me. I slept for over eight hours.
Today I shall be retrieving the mistake in the cylinder and doing my early hours shop at the Co-op. Beyond that, enjoying any fine weather!

[Sue]

Morning

How lovely Stanley. I miss my pedicure, but hopefully will be able to have one in a few weeks. Yesterday was a glorious Spring day. Bob had a zoom u3 a photography meeting , so I busied myself outside and became very enthusiastic as the sun came out. I hoed the garden , cleared the moss off the paving stones as best I could and swept the paths and behind the shed. Then I brought the garden furniture out of the shed and gave it a really good wash. I teak oiled the wooden table and chairs , which dried quite quickly in the sun and the fact that the wood was very dry indeed. When it had all dried it went back except for a couple of folding chairs which I put in the conservatory so they are handy to pop in the garden should we get any casual visitors after Monday. Of course rain is due all next week, but at least we shall be prepared .

This job was finished by mid afternoon, so we actually went and sat in the garden in the sun, with a glass of wine and read my sewing magazine. When the sun disappeared behind a cloud it was chilly, definitely March , and we retreated to the conservatory. The seed potatoes and pear tree arrived, later so I planted some of the latter ( I am still waiting for some more pots fo the rest) and put the tree in a bucket of water . Hopefully we will get that planted today or tomorrow before the weather changes . I rounded off the day with a bit of sewing on Briony’s dress which I shall continue with today .

Flakey the cat is doing well, although on strong pain killers still . She has a check up at the vets today. I got the full story from Julia yesterday. Flakey was really unlucky. As I said the other day she rarely goes out , being a timid rescue cat, but had ventured into the back garden for a rare mooch and likely a poo because she was heading to her 'toilet' area when next doors dog came through the hedge and into their garden and attacked her, first chasing her then pinning her down .The dog started shaking her around in his mouth, but she wriggled free and Julia managed to catch her and throw her in through the back door. They then really struggled to get the dog out of their garden afterwards. Apparently the cat had classic crush injuries and is very lucky to have survived. Another minute I think she would have been mauled to death

So today will be a pottering day completing a few odd tasks. Our friend Kath who is bubbled with us is popping over for a cup of tea sometime during the afternoon.

Have a good day everyone

[Stanley]

I hope Julia gets the vet's fees off the dog owner but I know there can be problems. It gives me shivers to read about it, I've been there...
Yes Susan did a good job. We have had a significant discussion in that we have agreed that there are signs I am failing slowly and what we can do to counter this and achieve what we both agree is the ideal. That I live independently in my house as long as possible and die in the night. As you may remember I have a final directive and an LPA on terminal care but those only come into play in the last days. What we both wanted was a clear picture of what we can do now without me feeling I am being interfered with or treated like a child. I suspect very few people have these conversations and agree on clear policies. Anyway, that's one of the things we did yesterday as Susan did my feet and massaged my feet and lower legs with rich creamy lotion. Eat your heart out Sue!

I have done my early doors shop at the Co-op and had half an hour in the shed.



This illustrates what I should have done yesterday to ensure a straight bore. Never mind, I now have the cylinder ready for going forwards. I'm going to ignore the faults with the bore and see how it works out!
Now for breakfast and In Our Time......

[Sue]

I said the same about the fees, but she just said they have insurance, although there is still excess to pay. It made me shiver too. That dog needs better control. Its a new neighbour and the fact there is only a hedge has never been an issue but they are going to put a fence up now.

[Stanley]

At the very least it needs muzzling and this should be put to the owners very forcibly by someone with some clout. The police won't touch it but the council might have a role or the RSPCA. Worth trying I think.

[Big Kev]

Taking advantage of the weather with a bit more exploring around Foulridge today, I'll be taking the camera next time we go this way. The sign says Unsuitable for Motor Vehicles and that there's a ford, that's a slight understatement about 50 yards of Cockhill Road is a river

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[chinatyke]

Taking advantage of the weather with a bit more exploring around Foulridge today, I'll be taking the camera next time we go this way. The sign says Unsuitable for Motor Vehicles and that there's a ford, that's a slight understatement about 50 yards of Cockhill Road is a river

I know it well. I attempted to go through it in my first car. Big mistake. I got a hole in the petrol tank and ended up stuck in the middle. Mr Smith, the adjacent farmer, towed me out with his tractor.

[Big Kev]

Taking advantage of the weather with a bit more exploring around Foulridge today, I'll be taking the camera next time we go this way. The sign says Unsuitable for Motor Vehicles and that there's a ford, that's a slight understatement about 50 yards of Cockhill Road is a river

I know it well. I attempted to go through it in my first car. Big mistake. I got a hole in the petrol tank and ended up stuck in the middle. Mr Smith, the adjacent farmer, towed me out with his tractor.

[PanBiker]

Got the T shirt for that one as well when out and about in the works van when I was a telly engineer. Went to the outlying customer from the Kelbrook end next time.

[Stanley]

I've been though it but I was in a Land Rover.
Normal day, shed sleep walk read TV bed....

[Sue]

Morning

Not a particularly nice forecast today, cloud, rain, breezy. I shall be busy with u3a zoom craft this morning, though once again I haven’t completed any of the projects. I am afraid the craft group does not inspire me, a lot of it is a bit Blue Peterish. I joined it mainly for the chat and at the live groups tended to chat and finish any hand sewing I had. The real enjoyment was always the lunch out afterwards with our friends Wendy and Keith. So as you can see zoom craft really only provides me with a chat these days. The pub we used to go to has announced mid May as its opening date for meals

I liked the walk that had a river in the road instead of just a ford . I think that is one up on us. We do have one footpath that has been a stream for weeks, and the only way to negotiate it is to take the sheep track on the bank at the side of it. We haven’t walked for a couple of days, despite the lovely weather as we have been busy with the garden. The pear tree is in, the compost bin placed in its new home and that bit of the garden is the tidiest it has been in the 48 years we have lived here.

I nearly finished Briony's dress yesterday, it just needs hemming. I made one very silly mistake which was easily corrected, and thankfully could have a laugh about. I have enough fabric left to make her a top too, and that will be a surprise for her. I may get that cut out and sewn today and tomorrow and then hem everything together.

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I have no other plans for today. Its a late lunch after craft and I shall see what the weather is like then before we plan anything

Have a good day everyone

[Stanley]

"I made one very silly mistake "
That made me laugh, I shall tell you why when I post on the wobbler later.
But bugger it, I'm going to make my breakfast before I do anything else!

[Wendyf]

You weren't concentrating when you did that Sue!