Training

I heard a voice coach speaking on the radio a while ago, explaining how the vocal cords are just like any other muscle.  They need to be kept in shape with regular exercise.  I mention that not only to justify my regular use of my own vocal cords (!) but to apply the same principle to the  many other skills we acquire but then fail to keep exercised.

Ahem.

I use my sewing machine regularly.  It’s always out, always threaded up and ready to sew.  I switch it on and off I go.  But I’ll admit, it’s quite some time since I used the embroidery unit and so when I saw this blog entry I thought, yes, that’s me.  I wouldn’t go as far as to say I’m intimidated by my embroidery machine but I will admit to being a bit rusty and the idea of something quick and easy seemed a good way of spending an hour this morning.

I downloaded the free design (only free for a limited time) and evidenced my rustiness immediately.  Just which file format do I need to load onto the usb?  Thankfully, like many such things, once I gave it some thought, it all came back to me and soon, my machine was purring away.

I did have to consult the book to check the bobbin threading pattern for embroidery, mind you.  I knew where the thread should go, just couldn’t seem to get it there (and working with black thread didn’t make it any easier).

Then came the colouring in bit.  I used my watercolour pencils which probably weren’t the best choice – I’d probably have done better to follow the advice in the blog post and use wax crayons instead.  But by the time I got to that bit I was irritated.  (I know, it doesn’t take much!)

Are you into “adult colouring books”?  If so, don’t tell me.  I don’t want to know!  In return I won’t ask you why you haven’t got something better to do…

What irritated me was “Outlining shapes with a darker color and working your way in is good practice. It allows you to add depth and layer colors as your inspired to.” Well, apart from the weird English of the second sentence, I wanted to ask “says who?”  Just who is setting rules for colouring in, please?  “Good practice”?  Good grief.

So, I leave you with a fine example of very bad practice.  Not only did I not outline shapes with a darker colour and work my way in, I also overdid the water spray and the colours ran.  I never was much good at colouring anyway.

Maybe I need some training?

Happy outcome

I reported that I bought a couple of pairs of my favourite Falke socks when we were in Berlin.  Though they are not cheap, they fit perfectly and are incredibly comfortable and thankfully, long lasting.

Both pairs remained unopened in my drawer until we were about to leave for Bilbao, when I cracked open one of the packages.  Look what I found    

When I bought them, I’d had difficulty finding the right size/colour/style combination and relied upon the saleswoman in the shop, who found them for me and packed them up as I paid.  I’m not sure I even checked them before I brought them home.  Even so, would I have noticed the hole in the right sock, I wonder?

I still had the original packaging and the sales receipt was in my Project Life album, so I took photographs and emailed Falke.  I had an almost instant reply, requesting my address and shoe size.

This morning, a package with two pairs of my favourite socks arrived with a thoughtfully worded letter of apology, confirming that it was a manufacturing fault.  Great service!

My Project Life page for this week includes the happy conclusion to the story.

And because my Hero and I are curious types, we’ve both now learned where Schmallenberg is, why the name sounded familiar and smiled at the town’s nickname: die Strumpfstadt, because Falke is the largest company.

We also now know how to put on a pair of knee socks too.

One step at a time

Remember this?

Just before we went off on my birthday jolly to Carcassonne, I was playing about with a jelly roll of fabric which had been on my shelf for a couple of years.  I didn’t know what to do with it, but then I came across this and simply had to give it a try.

 

I didn’t get very far though and ever since then, the stitched and cut blocks have sat by my sewing machine. 

Today, I felt rather virtuous.  I’d not only done some of my (paid) work, I’d cleared my mending pile and there wasn’t much ironing sitting and eyeing me with that threatening look that only a basket of ironing can manage.  So, I switched on my sewing machine and prepared to begin.

Except I’d forgotten what I was doing.  There was no printout in the bag with those blocks either.  What a good job I blog about such things and include the links!  I worked out what I’d done, where I’d stopped and what more there was to do.

I soon had quite a pile of 5 1/4 inch squares and spend a few minutes trimming and squaring them off.

It’s a clever pattern that looks way more tricky than it really is.

So now it’s time to sew four squares together to create a larger block.  But there’s a decision to make.

Do I take the control freak’s route and choose the placement of the colours carefully?

Or go random and let the colours fall as they will?

I can’t decide.

We need a bigger basket

I finished my December Journal a couple of days ago but only just took some photographs before putting it away with the other memories of Christmas past.

I made it 6 x 6 this year, really simply.  I didn’t feel the need to fuss or over-prepare and I resisted the urge to get caught up in all the online hype.  I wanted to do what I do in my own way, because that meant I knew I’d complete it! 

The first couple of pages use images cut from catalogues/magazines.  The White Company played right into my hands by including a 6 x 6 star on the front of the catalogue which arrived as I was working on the first pages and it seemed too good to leave out.  Above was the front page of a brochure I picked up in Berlin and showed the window display of a shop we visited.  I was going to use my own photo but then soon realised that their commercial one was better than my ham-fisted effort!

I try to include stories which are not told elsewhere but clearly, there are some similarities to photographs included in my December blog posts.  I know that I’ll look back at this page and gasp “Good grief, in 2015 I had all my cards made by the 2nd!”.  The 3rd tells the story of my WI Christmas lunch but behind the flap is a reminder that before that, most of us had been to the funeral of our friend’s husband.  I frequently add hidden stories and photographs like that.

I hang onto jolly pieces of post like this one from my Canadian friend Nadine to stuff them with bits of paper and there’s always a post about the Stuart Singers Christmas concerts as well.  Time to get out that musical washi tape and yes, behind that ticket are a few thoughts about the event!

I’m not sure the “walnut whip page” works very well design-wise and were I starting afresh, I’d not cut the circle on which to write the story.  I don’t really know why I did, but hey ho!  Done is better than perfect.  I not only forgot to take a photo on the 15th but didn’t pick up a menu or anything whilst I was out either, so relied heavily on ephemera from my collection.

Daylesford provided the picture for this page – or rather, I really liked their marketing campaign this year and was glad to be able to cut this particular image down to 6 x 6.  I posted the little paper ornament to facebook but still wanted to include it here and was glad that it fitted into that corner.

I’m seldom stuck for something to include, though it’s sometimes tricky to make this year’s pages different from last years, especially when we are doing much the same things.

So there we are, finished. A straightforward story of a straightforward Christmas.  None the worse for that – in fact, the lack of drama and crisis is a relief and the story of routines and traditions is definitely a comfort.

It’s even better seen from the clean start of a new year, too.

A visit from the Glücksfee

I can’t remember the last time I entered an online competition by leaving a comment on a blog.  I’ve seen giveaways from time to time and thought I’d have a go, but thought better of it when I saw hundreds of comments where there’d normally be just a couple.  But just before Christmas, I spotted this:

I hadn’t seen this trolley system before so I was interested to read that such a thing had been produced.  I was even more impressed when I watched this.

My machine is so huge, I haven’t even tried to move it from my sewing table in the studio, but this bag/trolley is clearly the answer.

The embroidery module fits into its own snug case too.

Of course, Bernina had thought of everything!

So yes, I rather liked the idea of winning one!  I left my comment at the foot of the blog and discovered mine was #6 – and there were only a couple of days left before the competition closed.

After Christmas, I was catching up on some blog reading and noted on the German language Bernina blog that a lucky winner had been chosen – not me, sadly.  Oh well…   But this morning, I read a little further down my blog list as far as the Bernina English blog and discovered this:

Wooooohooo!  Thank you, Bernina xx  (and thank you for doing a great job, Glücksfee!