shop talk

some new ellies just toddled on in to the shop...jeez they're slow. Also some bags and little pants too!

one chook down

a couple of days ago we sadly lost one of our chooks, mymble. I don't really know what happened, over the past couple of weeks she just got really weak, and her comb went flat, and I think the heat we've had this week just proved too much for her. It's never nice finding one of your little friends dead like that. "She's sleeping", jasper said. "no, darling, she died". "oh".
I don't know what was sadder, the dog barking at the chook, trying to wake her up, or the other chook, snowy, looking back over her shoulder as she left the coop, to see if her friend was coming. After I had buried her in what is now known as the pet graveyard down the back, snowy let out the loudest, most heartfelt cry I've ever heard from a chook. She crowed for about ten minutes, a fine farewell to her sweet friend. Sensitive creatures, these chooks. there is a happy ending to this story, though. Today snowy laid the first egg we've seen in months, and was very proud of herself too, I might add. It seems that mymble's sickness must have been affecting both of them, and now snowy can get on with her own life. Either that, or it's a one-off.
The question now is, do we get another chook, to keep snowy company?

progress, at last!

well, school is well and truly back, and peace and quiet has returned to my little nest between the hours of 9.15 and 3.15. Jasper is once again his sweet little self, pottering about and mostly not demanding too much from me, and as a result I have managed to start on some work. First cab off the rank was this sweet little set for a good friend who has been waiting for far too long, she is very patient with me. She has a baby girl, as well as three boys (yes, I know), and she is very much in love with pink, so as a result, everything has to be pink for the little one. I have to confess I do not share this passion for pink, and indeed it is scarce in my fabric collection, but I am managing to persuade her into letting a few more colours into her little girl's wardrobe. So far I've had success with green, red, and now this very cute blue gingham and flowers. No brown though. Never ever.

I had quite the brain wave moment whilst making the bloomers. I was instructed to leave the elastic out of the legs, as the child's legs fare better without it, which I was happy to do as I remember it being a pain in the backside last time I had to put it in, and at which point in time I swore never to make another pair of bloomers again. But this time, as I was about to put them together, I realised that I could sew the (homemade) bias tape onto the legs before sewing up the side seams. These bloomers are from a vintage pattern, and they are cut in one piece, with side seams only. So, where before I was sewing them up and then tackling the leg hems, having to sew into a circle and match the ends, I have now managed to do the hard part whilst they are still flat, making the finished product a lot neater.

I am thinking I am probably not the first person to realise this, and indeed, anyone who can sew and is reading this is probably thinking "um, der", and anyone who doesn't sew and was reading this probably lost interest and went somewhere else long ago. But I am quite thrilled with my new discovery, as it means that I can now do much neater arm holes (and neck holes) on the tops I sometimes make for myself, and maybe also make more bloomers for my shop.

Yes, a very productive morning indeed.

In case anyone is wondering, that dress has a cross over back, very hard to lay flat and take a decent photo of. That's why it looks a bit wonky.