WIP Wednesday- the sewing version.

I decided I needed to take action and try and get myself out of this low mood funk, life's too short to mope about. I decided I would  plan activities for the weekend ahead that could be done even if the weathers wet. 

One of the things I've not done for a while is sew. I have a stash of fabrics and loads of patterns so its seemed a good idea to pull them out and have a look. This is what I ended up with.

I have no idea where the fabric came from its a terry fabric so is stretchy. The pattern I have had for a  while and have made the CoCo dress previously. I love Tilly and the buttons patterns , so easy to follow. The pattern is already cut and the fabric has been pre washed so I'm good to go. The pattern also includes directions for a shorter version which I'm going to do rather than a dress.

Using stretch fabric has always been really scary to me, and, as I had a little money left to me in my step mothers will I decided to put some of it to good use and buy one of these

  I have wanted one for ages but just couldn't bring myself to buy more gadgets, until now. 

It's a Janome 8002DG . I spent a while researching what would be the best for a new to over-lockers sewer and this came up. I have been on a over-locker course before but it was a while ago and I remember being very scared of the threading process. This one is colour coded and the videos I watched make it seem relatively easy to thread. Fingers crossed I manage it. This one does come pre threaded so it should be good to go straight from the box. I ordered this yesterday and it came first thing this morning, now I have to sit here and work all day whilst waiting to open it later.

I'm really excited to start sewing again, I have some lovely fabrics and some great patterns so could update my wardrobe at no cost!

Monday again.

 Here we are, back at Monday again. The weeks certainly feel longer when I have to do a full week and don't get away at the weekends! 

This is the 3rd weekend in a row I have been home, I know I am lucky to be able to get away as much as we do, but I'm still predominantly working from home in a little box room and just need to escape at weekends. Were also home this weekend so am looking at the weather forecast to see if I can get a day trip in.

I've managed to get a couple of local walks in around work

and finished my book

I really enjoyed it and devoured it over 2 days. A word of warning to others there are a few sexual references in there ! I liked the characters and they seem like the sort of people I have/ would have in my life. I have an eclectic mix of friends.

My next book is 

An Endless Cornish Summer

Another Cornish based book, I love them. Easy reading and lets me dream of lovely Cornish villages. I will admit that this was another  new acquisition rather than one off of  my to read pile... OOps. Started it this morning, so far so good.

So other than work, walking and reading I've not done much of anything. I'm feeling in a bit of a flunk the yukky weather we have here isn't helping much either, where has the sun gone? 

The fact I live with 3 men, all of whom want to watch all of the sport...isn't helping either.. If the rugby and Football wasn't bad enough, I have the tour de France and the blooming Tennis to contend with too...  Anyone have any good YouTube/Netflix/amazon prime suggestions for me?

What I'm reading now.

Just finished The Sea Gate, which I loved. It had enough interest to keep me reading and I loved the stories of both women. I also love a book with a little history in it, id never really thought about prisoners of war in Cornwall!

Whilst on my little break to Clovelly I picked this up at Hartland Abbey. 

I will be honest, I only picked it up because I loved the cover, its set in Cornwall and I like the sound of the women.

I have never heard of Karin Walker before, nor this book but it looks like it might be fun and their are some good reviews on amazon, I'm trying to use links to real bricks and mortar book shops now, rather than amazon, but couldn't find anyone other than amazon online who was selling it. 

Im just about to start it so will let you know how it goes.

Clovelly mini break

 We came back from a fabulous little mini-break yesterday. We were so lucky with the accommodation, location and weather.  I feel very relaxed and rested. 

It was a 4 day break so we decided to stop on the way down at Westward Ho, the weather was amazing, we had a walk and stopped for lunch before heading on.

I'd forgotten how big the beach was at Westward Ho.

After our break we got back in the car and headed off to  The Red Lion in Clovelly  

The hotel is the white building on the harbour wall.

Our room was amazing and what a view

Clovelly Village is very steep but well worth the walk

 

The fisherman's cottage

Charles Kinsgley

If you are visiting there is a charge to enter the village and it is very steep and cobbled and only suited to feet not wheels of any kind! the people that live there use sledges to bring things up and down, and that includes the ambulance crew!

We visited the cottage gardens which were just along from the top of the village

and headed out to Hartland point 

more steep walking!

Then onto Hartland Abbey.

Another place well worth the visit if you are in that area. 

Then it was time to go, leaving our new neighbours

the wonderful evenings 

and our morning view.

It really was a lovely break. 

Now its back to the 9-5 and normality for a few weeks at home.

Just pootling through the week.

 Well here I am back to the start of another work week. Last week was a 4 day week and this week is only a 1 day week ! That's the joy of having this years planned breaks running alongside last years bumped holidays, I seem to have a few quite close together. We are off again tomorrow, not in Stan the van, have a couple of nights booked in a Pub BnB. Both sons are staying home. 

The past week has seen me pottering around at home after work. Friday I dd get to go to Wales to work for a day. I had a hospital review to complete, which when I booked didn't realise quite how much rush hour traffic there would be coming in and out of wales. Lesson learnt, don't visit my welsh hospitals on a  Friday !

This past week I have made an effort to catch up on a test knit I am doing. Its a cardigan with a very interesting construction. I've now finished the lace sections which are the front and back sections of the cardigan. I have to block it to size before I then work on picking up the body stitches. I am enjoying it so far and the yarn is glorious. Its a Cornish designer, Kernow Designs,   so I bought some of her Cornish themed yarn, she kindly gave us all discount for the project, this one is called Cornish Gold, not a  colour I would normally wear , but then I don't normally wear cardigans, this will be a van cardi, for those chilli nights, I'm starting to build a van , capsule wardrobe, and bringing some colour in.

This week saw my sweater board arrive. I've been after one of these for a while.

I was left a little money from my step mothers estate so decided to bit the bullet and buy one. This is the one I bought, picture from Paparwork site, and here it is in action

Sweater washed and blocking, as a larger woman who likes loose clothing, it actually did the trick, as the yarn dried it came into shape and looks fab now dried, This is my Cornwallis sweater I knit a year or so back. This will also be part of my van capsule wardrobe, I do notice yellow is drifting into my palette, I use to hate yellow clothing. I am really pleased with the jumper board and am now on a mission to wash and block all my finished sweaters!

I finished the Missing sister  

 I didn't enjoy it as much as the others, I think I was expecting too much after having loved all the other books in this series. I also thought this would be the last book of the series, but she now working on book 8. These 2 books I presume are the scene setters, so I feel like when I've read book 8 I need to go back and reread them all.

As were off again tomorrow for some more holibobbing, I needed another book, I have a huge to read pile so I went to search. Feeling in a summery mood it was obviously going to be a book set beside the sea.  

The Sea Gate. 

This is a relatively new addition to my book pile. I was drawn to the cover but thought it sounded an interesting story. 

This weekend saw me have an afternoon tea for my sister, nieces and great nieces. The men were all out watching sport so we had a lovely ladies afternoon. The sun shone, we ate, we drank and more importantly we had a fun time together in the garden. Its not often we can all get together at the same time.

Now I am going to go and do my days work , in my home office, then this evening I shall be packing my little case, as we are heading to Devon tomorrow !