Today I shall be Mainly...

[Marilyn]

Hubby and I don’t even share bathroom drawers. His are full of whatever, mine are quite sparse. I respect his need for whatever he thinks he needs. I don’t need much.
Everyone is entitled to their level of “stuff”.

[Sue]

Hubby and I don’t even share bathroom drawers. His are full of whatever, mine are quite sparse. I respect his need for whatever he thinks he needs. I don’t need much.
Everyone is entitled to their level of “stuff”.

Agreed. What may be rubbish to one person may be very valuable to someone else.

At the moment I have lost a photo my students took of me on my 40 th birthday. They made me a certificate and everything. I mentioned I wanted to have a go on a skateboard and they fixed it for me on my 40 th. Its one of my treasures, I promised to show it to Eve but can’t find it anywhere. I hope I haven’t thrown that away. I found all sorts of other work memorabilia from students but not that . Some may not realise the importance but it is important to me. Still looking !

[Stanley]

I hope you find it Sue. If you have any more pics as important, digitise them and make multiple files!
I shall be aiming for a bit of light turning in the front room.

[Sue]

Morning

Another dark grey morning typical of the time of year. I did not have a very good night sleep last night. I slept solid till 4.00 but then tossed and turned and just dosed. I have a bit of a sore throat, which I had yesterday also. I suppose it is a cold but that is as unlikely as anything else, given that I have not been near enough to anybody to catch anything, and certainly not near anybody without a mask.

I took my machine in for its service and Bob also called at a small veg shop to get an aubergine. The round trip took most of the morning. In the afternoon I completed my 6 th assessment for the archaeology course. Later I spent some time browsing sewing machines on line and I am sorely tempted by a PRE LOVED and nearly new one on Keiths website. I may make enquiries. Do I need a new machine, no! Do I want a new machine, well I have the money as we have been nowhere and done nothing for months. My hobbies bank account is pretty full.

Today my car is due its first service. I can’t believe it is two years since I bought it. We shall go down to the garage in both cars so we can leave mine and come back home, that way we do not need to stay and be near other people. Then I shall contact Keith for a discussion on the sewing machine. Otherwise I have no plans and will take the day as it comes. I may search for my missing photo, it must be around some where. I may even start a jigsaw!

Have a good day all, think positive, keep busy stay cheerful

[Stanley]

Good luck on the deal and the picture Sue.....
Bob will smile when he sees shed matters today, I was in the front room spraying brass chips all over the place..... Good job I live on my own!



(I did vacuum afterwards....)

[Sue]

I have directed Bob to Shed matters Stanley.

No sign of my photo, I am sure it will just turn up one day

I am in negotiation for the machine. Do I really want to spend all this money,? Yes I do it is my main hobby. The embroidery part is much faster and quieter. My ventures into the embroidered coasters revealed many dissatisfactions with my machine that the new one resolves. I am talking myself into it.

Mine is too old to part exchange but Keith will advertise it free on the customers machines for sale on his website, and a couple of other perks. U fortunately it is too big to go inside my specialist folding cabinet and will have to sit on top, but if it bothers me, sometime in the future I can buy the next size up and sell mine to Claire.

[Marilyn]

First day of lockdown. It is very very quiet here and virtually no traffic. There are no pedestrians, as we aren’t allowed to go walking. £1000 fine if you get caught outside your home without a damn good excuse. Supermarkets remain open, but only one person from a household can get groceries, wearing a mask. One of us will have to duck out on Saturday to get fresh Milk and some fresh Fruit/Veg. I guess it is tap and go again...cash is banned.
I haven’t been motivated to do much today. It is a hot day with high winds ( great hay fever weather) so I haven’t been out in the garden since early this morning, when I watered the pot plants. I haven’t seen a soul, not even the neighbours. I don’t have the TV on, because it is full of reporting that will be on a constant loop.
I might have to dig out my knitting!

[Stanley]

Go for the machine and why not do the cabinet as well Sue. No pockets in a shroud!
I shall be quietly moving forward on the cylinder assembly in the shed and listening to 'In Our Time' this morning.

[Sue]

Morning

It was a busy day sewing machine wise, yesterday. I had many discussions by email and phone with Keith, then I had to check my hobbies bank account that was even healthier than I thought. So I went and did it and bought a new machine. Keith said he will bring it over today and bring my other back from its service with a full break down of what was checked and replaced . So yesterday was a definite search and tidy day. I searched for the photograph which sadly did not turn up, but did throw a few old sewing magazines away in the process. I am sure it will turn up one day.

Then I searched out the bits and pieces for my machine so that I can take photographs to sell it. I knew where everything was, it was just that I needed to get them all together . I intended keeping some of the extras that I had bought over the years, but find they will not fit the new machine, so there are about £100 s worth of extras that will be included in my sale. They should make it more appealing to buy. I found all the service receipts and indeed my original sales receipt. I photographed the page of parts out of the manual and enlarged it so that I could tick everything that is there and list the extras. The only things that won’t be there are the machine needles, embroidery thread and small scissors, but anyone buying a machine like this will have those .

That took up most of the day, apart from taking and fetching my car from its service (more money) so it was also an expensive day! I did spend some time watching youtube and marvelling at all the wonderful things my new machine will do . Thanks Trish ( my cousin) for introducing me to the delights of this embroidery craft and this machine . She has the same machine but hers is a stand alone embroidery one and mine is a combination sewing machine. First thing today I have to phone up to pay for it then I shall look forward to its arrival . Other than that I have pilates this morning and yoga this evening, and in between we may walk depending when my machine comes, we shall see.

Oh yes I passed my fifth archaeology assessment so I can continue with that, 4 more to do. Its getting more interesting now as it starts to go into some of the more scientific research techniques used to evaluate artefacts and features found on a dig .

So I am going to have an exciting day, well exciting for me. Hope you all have a good one, however you are restrained by lockdown. Think positive, keep busy, stay cheerful. The staying cheerful is especially for you Maz. You must be gutted being back into such tight restrictions.

[Marilyn]

Doing ok, thanks Sue. I was outside tonight re-positioning the sprinkler, when my neighbour spoke to me over the fence. I jumped out of my skin, bashing my shin on a pot plant. ( that is turning black and will hurt tomorrow!)
First “human” I have seen today!
I like the thought of a “hobbies bank account”. Far out! That must be a wonderful thing. ( my “hobbies bank account” is a rubber band encased few bucks at the back of my purse). Plus a list I keep in my purse as a wish list. The two rarely tally.
We have missed our walk today. It was a real hole in our day.

[Stanley]

Morning Sue, well you did go for it! I hope you get a quick sale for your 'old' machine. I can't imagine selling any of my machines.... but I think that's a different kettle of fish.
I had a good couple of hours and made progress. Not the best quality, my eyes are such a handicap but well within parameters! Here's the cylinder ready for its piston and valve next....

[Marilyn]

Mind you, I bought a new machine last year. I have the same machine as Angel has on “ Escape to the Chateau “ ( though it is likely she has moved on to something better now). I am not complaining. I have spent mega bucks on fabric and craft in previous years. I am just setting myself a strict budget based on need now. And...I have limited access to shops, living in a tiny coastal community.

[Sue]

Doing ok, thanks Sue. I was outside tonight re-positioning the sprinkler, when my neighbour spoke to me over the fence. I jumped out of my skin, bashing my shin on a pot plant. ( that is turning black and will hurt tomorrow!)
First “human” I have seen today!
I like the thought of a “hobbies bank account”. Far out! That must be a wonderful thing. ( my “hobbies bank account” is a rubber band encased few bucks at the back of my purse). Plus a list I keep in my purse as a wish list. The two rarely tally.
We have missed our walk today. It was a real hole in our day.

Glad to hear that Maz. I remember that quiet isolation feeling from when were in France.

As for the hobbies account, it was my idea. Bob earned considerably more than me , but when we both worked I never felt the need to limit what I spent on myself. We were comfortable, when we retired I didn’t get a full teachers pension as I retired early and half my working life was part time and I couldn’t contribute to the teachers pension . I felt quite guilty indulging my hobbies when my financial contribution to the household was so much less. Bob said I was daft but eventually I persuaded him to adopt my idea that all our money goes in a common pot, but we pay ourselves a set amount each month into our own hobbies accounts. We both spend a lot on our hobbies but how we manage it is entirely independent of the other half. It works a treat. We can both spend what we like when we like. I spend a lot on fabric and art stuff but less of the latter at the moment.

We have both made huge savings this year! I think Bob is looking to buy a small ride on traction engine with his surplus. Mine of course has gone on the machine and eventually a new cabinet to store it in

[Sue]

Oooo its arrived, now to unpack it

[Tizer]

Mrs Tiz found a hobby that costs very little, although she's trying it because it's fun rather than saving money. It's `junk mail art', tearing out images from junk mail and making a collage of them. Not cutting out the shapes of objects in the images but just taking parts of the scene and gluing them overlapping on cardboard. It's surprisingly effective and she's always on the look out for brochures etc. Holiday brochures are a good source! She doesn't try to make a scene but uses them to get an overall effect. Some people are so good at it that they can create a piece of lovely artwork of a known scene. Mrs Tiz has just bought a print of one made to show the Wheal Coates engine house in Cornwall from a seller on Etsy based in Cornwall. This is her Etsy shop: JunkMailArtCornwall

[Sue]

Like it Tiz.


Now this is like jumping from a fiat to a Mercedes.

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[Marilyn]

That looks incredibly substantial, Sue. Even my fingers were itching to have a go! If we don’t hear from you for a week, we know what you are engrossed with. Is it heavy? It looks heavy - and whilst it couldn’t be called a glamorous looking machine, it is going to be a good ‘un.
It isn’t going to fit through the hole for your air lifter either, is it? ( I have a Horn sewing cabinet with air lifter, but I am more a kitchen table/dining table sewer.) I also have another wonderful sewing cabinet as big and tall as a single wardrobe, but it is not placed correctly in this house making it too difficult to sit and sew. The problem was that I was supposed to have a sewing room, but it has a Queen sized bed in it ( our second guest bedroom), making it hard to lower the sewing table that flips our of the cupboard. It is a real shame, because I love that sewing cupboard. I bought it at the drop of a hat when I clapped eyes on it, because it was just perfect. It had faithful use, until we moved here.

Tizzy, I think those pictures are very clever and beautiful. I can understand how it would be fun to do them. ( trouble is, that I haven’t allowed junk mail into my home or letter box for over 40 years and I don’t buy magazines either, so I lack the raw materials!). We only buy one newspaper per week and that wraps the Veg peelings for the green waste bin.

[Stanley]

That looks like the controls of Starship Enterprise Sue! I'd be OK with the traction engine but lost with that!
This morning will be shed but interrupted by the need to go to the Co-op for my weekly shop as soon as they open at 07:00 so I can avoid the other customers. I did the chemist and Town Square shop yesterday.

[Sue]

Morning

Hi Maz, yes you are right I need an upgrade on the Horn cabinet, but they have brought a new one out, more or less the same size but with a bigger central drop area designed for these bigger machines. It isn’t actually as heavy as it looks but yes rather bulky. I haven’t even got the embroidery unit out of the box yet. I sat and looked at it for ages wondering where to plug the foot pedal in. I like a foot pedal , even though it has the automatic stop go switch. The manual is three times bigger than my last one but when you start to look at it you can see it is also full of general sewing techniques .

The machine has three settings, sewing, embroidery, and an embroidery design feature where you can alter the designs in the memory or make your own. Like my other machine you can import designs from a memory stick, but I also have USB cable...not sure why or how to use that yet .i shall ask my cousin Trish . There is a catalogue full of accessories and I see a Christmas and birthday list being compiled. My walking foot is on the kit of the machine I am selling so thats top of the list. Then there is something called a vertical sewing foot which allows sideways sewing. The list will be endless.

Today I have dance exercise, then immediately afterwards I have a zoom craft meeting. The convenor is attempting to demonstrate making something whilst we do it at the same time. I wouldn’t normally make these little knick knacks but Mary has put in so much effort organising it, and keeping the group together over the last few months I want to support her. This afternoon you know where I will be. It seems a few in the group would like to make an order for my coasters. I will have to learn how to use the machine first. This evening I have an extra pilates class , one put on to keep people interested and fit during lockdown . Then I must remember to WHATS app Eve at 8.00 for our weekly chat( and cookery lesson)

I shall be busy in my day, enjoy yours. Think positive. Keep busy , stay cheerful , life is what you make it . I have certainly made mine busy at the moment

[Stanley]

You have haven't you! Don't try to go too fast just because people are wanting coasters for Xmas. The machine is for you to enjoy, not to start a new business! Good luck with it and if anything stops being a pleasure address the matter.



Here's where I had got to when the Co-op opened and I had to stop, half way through making the actual piston. I have already made the rod, when I've done the piston then I have to make the crosshead. No rush and it will get done.
If you include the Co-op trip I have had three short walks this morning, the last of them in a light mizzle, the promised rain is starting.

[Marilyn]

Tizzy...I found a magazine! I spent the morning chopping it up! No decisions made yet, but hubby is nodding with a knowing look.

[Tizer]

Enjoy it, Maz!

[Sue]

I looked too Tiz, I am churning it over in my head to come up with an idea for the craft group for my online demo after Christmas.

Stanley I have no intention of rushing anything. I told them this morning that i am limited as I have run out of backing material and wadding and only limited supplies of scraps suitable for Christmas. I also explained they would be the only designs I would do, and I couldn’t do many. I will cost it up, and its first come first served, if they are still interested.

[Sue]

Oo I am going to have so much fun, even doing what my other machine did, it does it easier, quicker and better

[Marilyn]

Tizer...I have begun cutting and sticking like a 4 year old.
This is a fine mess you have got me into.
How is Mrs. Tiz going with her efforts?