Once in 30 years

I guess I’ve been buying Lego for around 30 years, possibly longer.  We have sometimes joked that when it comes to family heirlooms, we don’t have antique furniture, paintings  or jewellery but my goodness, the family Lego collection is immense.  Most is away in the loft, but Darth Vader has been known to put in an appearance now and then.

Just before we went on holiday, I came across this fun blog and it set me thinking.  With three of us spending a couple of weeks with our cameras at hand, perhaps we might have a bit of a lark.  After all, there’s always the odd rainy day, the quiet afternoon or the moment when we’re twiddling our thumbs.  In John Lewis, gathering a few last minute things for the trip, I bought four packets of minifigures.

Now these were a new development to me.  We used to guard the little men (they were usually men, in the olden days) carefully, because they were so easily lost and there were favourites.  I could tell the tale of the favourite Duplo Pig which went missing but I’m not sure it makes for comfortable reading!  Anyway, suffice to say, the Lego characters available are now rather more individual, more specialised and characterful than before and taking a lead from those Japanese blind-boxes or gashapon, there’s no way of knowing which figure is inside.  The charming young JL assistant and I did our best to identify four different figures and could do no more.

Opening up on the first night of our holiday, the girl surfer appeared, soon to get a dunking in my beer as she tried to balance on the rim of my glass.  Mary opened her bag to find a hockey player, complete with skates and faceguard (frequently lost) and Mark found Kimono girl in his.

But Billund, we had a problem.

No matter how we tried, she couldn’t keep her hair on.  After thirty years of connecting Lego bricks together, we had found the first pair which wouldn’t connect.

Time to open the fourth bag.  Monster brought a smile to our faces!  Kimono girl was returned to her bag and put back in the suitcase.

Three weeks later and we’re home.  Unpacking, out fell the bag with Kimono girl inside.  I couldn’t help myself but email Lego about her hair, making it clear that I was uncertain whether this was a complaint or a compliment.  After all, one tiny manufacturing error in thirty years can’t be bad, can it?  I received an email reply almost by return, explaining that this was a particular problem associated with Kimono girl and the Sumo wrestler because their hair doesn’t sit straight on top of their head.  If I wanted, I could request a replacement.

But hey, I don’t really think it’s necessary.  With a bit of glue, her hair is firmly in place and once she’s written another Haiku*, she’ll be ready to do battle.

She’s just got to get hold of that light-sabre first.

*If you haven’t clicked through to the Lego MiniFigure website yet, spend an amusing five minutes or so reading the biographies of the characters of these little chaps.  See how far things have moved on in thirty years and wonder what fun we’d have had if we’d been downloading iPhone apps for our Lego!

Lavender’s blue dilly-dilly

Whilst on our road trip, we chatted about the traditional songs we learned at school and which stay with us.  Sad to say, only one of us knew “The Song of the Erie Canal” and had to find evidence to prove that she wasn’t making it up!  In the list of primary school songs we came up with, “Lavender’s blue, dilly dilly” didn’t feature but I was certainly humming it when out in the garden this afternoon.

We replaced the old lavender bushes a couple of years ago, with new ones from our local Lavender nursery.  They’re growing into beautiful shape now, thanks to the great advice given to us to cut back to “8 in 8” – 8 inches in August.  This afternoon, they were humming with bees and the whole lavender patch was shimmering with activity.

This empty shell left behind by a dragonfly (I think) caught my eye, though.  One summer, maybe six or seven years ago, there were many of these in and around our pond but haven’t seen one since.  I was pleased to spot it this afternoon, though, and to take a close look at those fantastic articulations on the bottom bit (technical term!)

Thankfully, this creature wasn’t moving either, as he’s a feature on one of our pots. Though the real thing would scare me to death, I think this inanimate chap is cute, isn’t he?

One thing about travelling – an afternoon like this, spent at home with nothing in particular to do is a great bonus and something to be cherished more than ever. (Though I’d be very happy to be serenaded by The Erie Canal Song!)

Crank up the sewing machine!

Busy busy here this afternoon.  I’ve been making one of these. 

I saw the sample in the Stitchin’ Post and really liked the crisp shape and construction.  Though it’s an easy thing to sew if you’ve followed a basic bag pattern before, buying a pattern like this with full step by step directions is often a few dollars well spent.  This was very much the case here.

The “Suzi Purse Insert” could be used to keep essential things in and switch from one handbag to another easily.  But it stands so firm and straight, it could also be used on a desk or as a sewing caddy, too.

I made the medium size from two fat quarters of fabric, also bought in Sisters.  I followed the directions carefully, thinking as I did, how difficult it is to explain things clearly, even with the benefit of coloured photographs.  I’d read the pattern through once, before starting, but even so, completely missed out on short sentence – fortunately not too late to redeem the situation.

The outer pockets lie flat against the sides and can, of course, be stitched to accommodate things of a particular size.  I stitched them according to the measurements in the pattern.

The slimmer pockets on the end are ideal for pens and marking pencils, and are not stitched completely flat to the bag, so there’s room for a rounder item to be tucked in.  I thought that was a neat touch and something I’ll bear in mind when I make other pockets.

I included the optional inside pocket too, because I had plenty of fabric and it seemed a good idea.  Even so, there’s still plenty of room on the main section for scissors, needle cases, spectacles and suchlike.  All the seams are reinforced and topstitched, which makes the whole thing very sturdy, especially the top edge.  I’d queried this when I first read the pattern through, thinking that the process of stitching it was a bit of an unnecessary faff.  But the end result is neat and firm and the steps taken are well worthwhile.  Full marks there!

I have only one niggle.  I have a thing about the word lazy.  I’m not a “Lazy Girl” – and I suspect that no-one else who goes to the trouble of making one of these cute bags is either.  Call me anything you like, but please, don’t call me lazy.

Probably just me.