This is what I spent yesterday afternoon doing….

Yup. You’re right. It is what it looks like.

I managed to set aside some time yesterday afternoon to get on with the quilting on Rachel’s quilt. Up till now I’ve had really positive experiences quilting with my Bernina 820, but I had heard that these machines are a little er…. highly strung and temperamental. Well, I can now confirm that my Bernina REALLY DOES NOT LIKE Aurifil Aurilux thread.

I’ve used Madeira rayon threads for quilting, with absolutely no problems whatsoever, so it didn’t even cross my mind that the Aurifil might not work. After a couple of hours of fraying, snapping, (and that was only my nerves!) and threads that were causing the machine to seize up, I had to admit defeat. I tried every possible way to adjust the tension, to coax and baby the machine along, but it was just not a goer. Threads snapping every 20cm does not make for nice quilting (or a happy quilter!).

So I spend yesterday afternoon and evening pulling everything out that I’d done – wondering why on earth I’d kept trying for so long and why I hadn’t used a longer stitch length that would have made it so much easier.

Such a shame. The Aurifil is a really pretty thread. I’m now going to have another attempt – this time with plain boring 100% cotton which, fingers crossed, should go tickety boo.

At least I hope so. I can’t stand more stress. This is supposed to be pleasure!

Helen

There’s something about Mondays….

You either love ’em or hate ’em.

I fell into the hate camp when I was still working in an accounting. Quite why it took me 10 years to realize that this was a clue that I might just have been in the wrong job is still a bit of a mystery to me. My husband knew that he had to take cover on Sunday evenings when the inevitable black gloom descended and there was barely a Monday when I didn’t wake up with that ‘oh nooooo’ feeling.

Today things are very different. I love Mondays. Things are usually in chaos after the weekend and Monday is my get things done day. I have no idea why, but I always get twice as much done on a Monday than on any other day, I always have. Somehow it’s always a fresh day, a clean slate, rolling up my sleeves and cracking on. It’s laundry day (am I an old-fashioned girl, or what?), cleaning and tidying the house day and even on days when I’m mainly doing (paid) work, somehow in the half hour housework breaks I give myself every couple of hours I seem to make huge amounts of progress.

On Mondays I always end up with a contented, job well done happy housewife feeling. I know a lot of feminists out there would probably cut my head off for saying this, but there is a great deal of pleasure to be had from a clean and tidy house and the feeling that things are under control.

Monday is also Meatless Monday – which doesn’t go down very well with a certain young carnivore of my acquaintance. Tonight we’re having chestnut and sage soup with home-made croutons and cheesy polenta with tomato sauce. The young man in question may have a nervous breakdown, but I’m consoling myself with the fact that it’s good for him, good for the environment and maybe, just maybe, all the exciting things I serve up on Mondays are broadening his palate. Although maybe not…this is the boy who, faced with the most unimaginably delicious buffets ever in the Maldives, ate pasta with meat sauce twice a day for 10 days!

Tomorrow I hope to make it to the sewing machine and have something to show you!

Until then, wishing you all a happy Monday!

Helen

It’s this easy….

Not my cup of tea at all, but I promise you that this is all it takes. One of the best investments we’ve made in a long while.

Helen

So here they are…

Vintage Quilt Socks designed by Judy Sumner. The pattern is in my new favourite knitting book – 10 Secrets of Laidback Knitters by Vicki Steel and Lisa Souza. The yarn is Velvet Sock (100% merino) from the Three Irish Girls and the colour is Sproutling. It’s lovely yarn and it’s a great pattern – but it does use really tiny 2.25mm needles, so it was never going to be a quick finish.

I’m delighted with these socks. The first one seemed to take forever and the second was done in a flash. I now know that the most delightful way to spend a long flight is listening to a good book on my i-pod and knitting socks – and not as I previously thought, going cross-eyed trying to watch a film on a teeny-tiny screen.

I was always intrigued as to how all you American knitters out there managed to get your knitting needles onto planes in your hand luggage, when as everybody in Europe knows, knitting needles constitute a deadly weapon. My in depth research has enlightened me on how to get round the system in Europe folks….. bamboo needles are the way to go – as they would snap very easily when you try to stab someone with them. They are OK with the authorities in Switzerland and the UK – so I imagine they can be taken everywhere. I’m off to the US next week, so you can imagine how happy this has made me!

Now I need to get back to my sewing machine. I’m having withdrawal symptoms!

Helen

A rather large part of the Anglican church’s calendar falls into what is called Ordinary Time. In other words, nothing special is happening and life is just going on as normal.

While I’m a big fan of Christmas and birthdays and holidays, I’m rather fond of ordinary time.

My ordinary time means the daily routine of domesticity, working a bit, maybe some sport (my hip is better, thank you for asking, but on my first run in the woods again this morning I managed to twist my ankle quite badly and it’s now sore, swollen and bandaged), housekeeping, gardening, grocery shopping, cooking, laundry and maybe a little quilting or sock knitting if there’s time.

It’s a gentle life. Sometimes it all gets a bit hectic, but a few days alone at home, indulging my introvert streak and I feel calm and content again. I’m full of admiration for mums who go out to work, but I’m very glad that my life is organized so that I can work at home in my pyjamas. I don’t think I do stress very well anymore. Life is happier for everyone when it’s simple and unstressed.

I like to stop working (real paid work) when the children come home. The older two seldom require a huge amount of parental input anymore, but right now I’m working regularly with my 12 year old son …..the dreaded French…and it really works best if I’m not trying to multitask at the same time. It’s nice when the girls come in and want to stop for a chat, but mainly we’re still in the ‘I’m locking myself in my bedroom and don’t want to see you or the rest of the family’ phase. Still, I do enjoy it when they do want to open up a bit. Usually more comes out over dinner – and as a result I move hell and high water to ensure that we have family meals, even if they are sometimes done in shifts to accomodate late night dancing and sport activities.

There’s a lot to be said for ordinary time. I think what strikes me most is that when things are just quietly plodding on and when life is ‘normal’ I have time to notice the little things in life. Time to notice and time to enjoy. Small things. A nice cup of coffee, a clean kitchen floor, a note from a friend, a boy who still wants a hug from his mum, a view over the fog in the morning. Nothing that will change the world, but little things that make my heart sing. When I give it time and space.

Helen

PS I realize the photo above has nothing whatsoever to do with this post – but Linds wanted to see a little more of the Maldives and it is full of happy memories for me. By the way, we did sleep in one of the water villas…and yes, I did have the odd tsunami panic thought….