More lists

A fairly solid block of colour is looming in my Outlook calendar as I begin yet another activity-packed couple of weeks.  Today, my last day at home for a while, I thought I would work out a schedule for my packing, which could prove almost as interesting as when we were in Peru earlier in the year, because although my feet are unlikely to hit the ground in one place for very long, my Hero will be to-ing and fro-ing, coming home from time to time whilst I’m gadding about.

The first bag is packed.  Well, to tell the truth, it hasn’t been unpacked.  When I arrived home from the workshop in Cwmbran last week, I simply checked everything to make sure I had plenty of supplies for the next event, tidied it up a bit and put it to one side ready for Wrexham, the day after tomorrow.  But I haven’t put aside my overnight things nor given one thought to what the weather is going to be like and if I need to wrap up warm.

My mind was already beyond North Wales and into next week and I googled “packing lists” in the hope of finding a starting point.  There was certainly plenty of choice and yet, nothing quite fitted my requirements.

 

For example, I’d probably consider taking about half a dozen items from the list above – does anyone take “bandages” on holiday?  Am I likely to need a universal sink stopper in the next couple of weeks?  I don’t think so.

So I took out my paper and pencil and drew up four lists.  One, for things I’m going to need the whole time and which can stay in whichever bag I decide to take.  I think the charging cables and so on will go in this collection.  A second list is for the next two nights away in Wrexham, when I’m unlikely to need very much at all but must remember to take that bag of resources!

Then it gets more complicated, but thankfully, I’ve got most of Sunday at home to think about the next two stages and write a couple more lists…

I would find it so much easier if I took the time and trouble to work it all out like this but sadly, if I did, there’d be no time to actually do the travelling!

Maybe I need a capsule wardrobe?

Dashing away

The Philips Azur 4340 and I have shared some steamy times together over countless school shirts, bedding and suchlike.

Recently, though, I’ve suspected that one of us just wasn’t trying as hard as before and all the effort I was putting in seemed to be wasted.

The end came over a creased king sized duvet cover on Monday, when after half an hour together, it was clear, our relationship had run its course.  No amount of descaler would persuade it to return to its old, steamy habits and  it was time to trade it in for a newer, younger model.

Did I say “flashier” too?  We could iron in the dark! 

Our new, German model is efficient and effective.  Steamy times have returned chez nous you’ll be pleased to learn.

Achievements

Yes, we’re in ticking things off the list mode around here.

There was work to be done in Cwmbran yesterday.  Good, fulfilling work that is, with interesting people who make workshops as rewarding to teach as I hope they are to take part in.

Whilst I facilitated discussions about learning styles and Tuckman’s Group Dynamics theory, my Hero and chauffeur was working in the next room completing our tax return!  Hey, who says we don’t both have fun on a weekend?!  Seeing the poppy there in the photograph (it had fallen from my jacket a few minutes previously) I realised that we’d have been in Lytham St Anne’s this morning had it not been for this prior commitment.  Whilst preparing the lunch this morning, I thought of our friends there at the Cenotaph and missed our usual November weekend at the seaside.

But ticking more things off the list was the aim today and there was a box awaiting my attention since it arrived on Friday afternoon and at last I had time to open it up and discover what delights were inside.

Look what I saw!

If ever there was an intriguing parcel, this was it.  An hour later, I’d explored the other bubble-wrapped packages, each one as curious and amazing as the last and though I can’t share any more of the contents (because they’re not mine to share) I couldn’t resist taking a photograph of those little hands.  The life of a craft assessor is never dull, I can confirm!

I was able to tick off that task for the weekend and was delighted that the clever maker of the dolls will be able to tick that one off too.

So, having dealt with most things on my list by lunchtime, I felt I could spare a couple of hours to explore something I’d bought online at the end of last week.  I’ve done Foundation Paper piecing before and it’s a pretty foolproof process that even I can manage. I didn’t really need to buy a pattern or anything to create a simple shape like this.  But I was curious about how this would work in the embroidery hoop of my Bernina and with a special offer on the price of the pattern, I thought I’d give it a whirl and got out my bag of fabric scraps.

It’s interesting to see how carefully it has been worked out, but oh my, the process is very slow.  But all the stitching is programmed to be in exactly the correct place and in addition, each fabric placement is done along a stitched line too.  So there really is no excuses for not getting it perfect.

Except that as always happens, one piece of fabric wasn’t quite big enough.  The one, single process that was left for me to manage and I failed.

Grrr.

What’s especially annoying is that particular foundation piecing trick trips me up every time, too.