Housework, house-keeping - and itching to get stitching

 Monday morning = cleaning the house.  I have got this down to a fine art now; one room at a time, dusting first (damp cloth/dry cloth), putting things away (although in reality we're pretty good at tidying as we go) and then vacuuming.  Close door, move onto to next room.  We don't have a lot of 'clutter' and it makes for streamlined cleaning which I'm all in favour of.  I take my time, don't cut corners and there is the satisfaction at the end of having a clean and tidy home.  I also managed to get a load of washing on the line and dry before the rain started (bonus), bake a lemon cake and make a veggie quiche for dinner.  I've make a start on the next quilting project (the pile is definitely going down at last); hopefully once I get going it shouldn't take too long to complete.

For quite some time, I have kept a note of the money we spend on food - it's just a little notebook in which I jot down the figures and at the end of the month I total it up.  In January we spent just over £100, and last month it was not quite £160.  We made a point of running the freezer down through January and using up what we had in the store cupboards; this month we have restocked and done a meat shop.  We were both pretty surprised at how little we have spent.  But - we cook from scratch, we meal-plan, we shop around, we aren't brand-led, hardly anything gets thrown away and we eat very well indeed.  It is possible to eat well and not spend a fortune.

Those sewing blogs I mentioned previously - I think I'm addicted!  So many lovely fabrics, clothes, buttons and trimmings.  So many beautiful patterns just waiting to be bought.  So many ideas - now all I need is to make the time.  I'm in serious need of a dressmaking 'fix' and the fact that I have cleared out half my wardrobe is obviously enough reason to getting sewing.  However, I am being sensible and clearing the work-table of other projects before I get too carried away, and in the meantime I am planning on what I'll make first.  Will it be a blouse, or a skirt, or a pair of trousers?  Colour?  Design?  When I used to make clothes many years ago there were only a handful of pattern companies - Simplicity, Butterick, New Look, Burda, McCalls - but now there is so much more choice with lots of small independent designers producing great patterns for the new generation of home sewers.  There are a few patterns I may treat myself to, and I think a quick trawl of the charity shops is in order, too; some of the older patterns (does '70s/'80s fashion count as 'vintage'?) seem to be having a bit of a revival, and a vintage pattern collection is a pre-requisite for any serious dressmaker.  Reading through these blogs has also made me realise that I could do with brushing up on some of my sewing skills and techniques, and I have always wanted to learn more about pattern alteration and making toiles.  

Hmm, I think I may need to start a new list.  Most definitely.

Anyone else planning some dressmaking?

Farewell February; looking forward to March

A new shopping bag - fully co-ordinated this time!  Another 'tick'.

A damp and grey end to the month but I am optimistic we have hopefully had the worst of the winter weather now.  Actually, this far south, we've really not had a harsh winter at all; no snow (boo hoo!) and rarely have the temperatures dipped below freezing, although it's certainly hovered around 0 degrees for a while.  There are plenty of floral signs of Spring - crocus, daffodils, snowdrops - and we have so much more daylight, so lots to be grateful for.

My main goal for February was to begin a sort out of my wardrobe, and I have tackled it with enthusiasm, although there have been moments when I have been quite disheartened by the process.  It's actually been quite an eye-opening project, and I have found myself pondering over more than just my clothes.  I have come to realise that there are some underlying factors involved that I perhaps hadn't wanted to acknowledge and deal with, but hiding them away isn't the most helpful approach; the problems need to be tackled.  And that is what I intend to do, gradually, one step at a time.  The inter-connectedness of these issues is, on some levels, quite interesting to someone who has studied sociology - the expectations society puts on us, and indeed we put on ourselves, the media imagery that has become part of everyday life, the way we see ourselves and the way others see us - it's a fascinating subject.  However, I think I need to spend a little time thinking about me, perhaps not something I tend to do very often, and sorting through my clothes has been a thought-provoking place to start.  

This is obviously going to be a long-term, on-going project, but I am becoming quite excited about it because I have now discovered the world of sewing blogs.  Why have I not come across these gems before?  I am in heaven.  Falling nicely in line with a simple life, what better way to create clothes that fit me than to make them myself, stepping away as much as possible from consumerism and clothes shopping.  I love sewing, and I am suddenly filled with eagerness for dressmaking all over again.  It seems like an unexpected but very welcome gift and I can't wait to get started.

And March?  Well, out in the garden at every opportunity, planting seeds, tending crops and looking forward to our own veggies in a few months' time -  there is nothing to compare to the taste of home-grown produce.  So much goodness all around, so much to be thankful for.

At work in the garden

The past few days have been a bit like Christmas - we've ordered a few bits for the garden on line and the parcels have been arriving every day.  Very exciting - butterfly mesh and the like.  We don't order much online, and if we can source it locally we do, but I have to say that the service from the small independent online retailers has been excellent.  As was the delivery of gravel from a local firm (Blackhouse Quays) who we would very happily recommend.  So armed with all our goodies, we took advantage of a glorious day yesterday and set to work.

The vegetable plot, with raised beds, was set out last year but never got finished off - we were trying so hard to complete the internal renovations that the garden was put on hold - so it was very satisfying to finally gravel the pathways between the beds, making access around the plot so much easier.  We make a good working team, OH and I, and we chat away as we work, talking over plans for the rest of the garden.  It was a very productive couple of hours and so good to be outside.

Today, of course, it's wet again.  Small steps, methinks.

More up-cycling/repurposing

Another sewing project crossed off the list - hurray!  'Convert old sailing shirt into skirt' seemed so simple, and no doubt for many it would have been a walk in the park.  It's taken me almost three days, on and off - how the contestants in the Sewing Bee create their outfits in the time allowed, I just do not know.

I haven't had to buy anything to do this conversion (the zip -bright pink, but right size and weight and I thought, why not? - I rescued a few weeks ago from a very tatty pencil case) and I'm pleased with the end result; I shall be packing this for an up-coming holiday.  There was quite a bit of fiddling to do to ensure a good fit but it was worth the pinning, tacking and trying-on that is involved because this little skirt now fits very well.  I have conceded that I am not a standard shape, far from it.  Getting ready-made, mass-produced clothing to fit me properly is becoming almost impossible (and quite disheartening, if I'm honest) so it makes perfect sense for me to make my own clothes to fit the shape I am.  (Also I need to confess I am reading some wonderfully inspiring sewing blogs!!) 

Rocket seedlings

We have moved on from merely talking about the garden, to buying in some supplies to turn plans into reality.  A very large bag of gravel now adorns our front lawn.  It will be used in a number of different places around the garden and a spell of dry-ish weather would be much appreciated!  I think March will be 'Into the Garden' month.  But I shall try to squeeze some sewing in whenever I can.

The start of the new growing season

We have a seedling!!

The rocket has sprouted!!  These seeds were only sown last week and have been taking in the light on the guest room window sill.  This little chap popped up this morning and by this evening had been joined by about 20 more.  It is always so exciting when seeds germinate, and the anticipation of a harvest in a few months' time is something to look forward to.  

A parcel of goodies arrived today - lots more seeds.  We've not used this supplier before and it will be interesting to see what success rate we have.  So there's been lots of planning and looking up sowing instructions, and we are both eager to get working in the garden.  We have some funds put aside for the garden, left over from the renovation budget, and we are hoping to spend wisely - it would be very easy to get carried away ;-)  

My day got off to a better start than I feared it might - I've been nursing a broken tooth for a few weeks and had convinced myself that I would need either a crown (financially *ouch*) or an extraction (just *ouch*) but as it turns out, neither is needed, just a filling (she says cheerfully, me who is terrified of any dental treatment).  However, the dentist was lovely and I feel relatively calm about things.  And I won't need to take out a loan for the treatment so I am taking alll the positives I can.

I'm still musing over my wardrobe, or lack of it.  A lot is to do with self-esteem; feeling good about yourself generally results in being confident in what you wear.  We are constantly being bombarded by images in magazines and online, and there is a pressure to conform to societal expectations, especially, it seems, if you are of a certain age, and going grey!  The colour/style/image police are everywhere - it you're this shape, you have to wear that style; don't wear this colour if you have that skintone; don't even think about this outfit if you are over 40, and so on.  It's a minefield.  I think the bottom line is - be comfortable in what you wear, be confident with what you wear, and most importantly, be yourself.  Yes, I think there are certain shapes, styles and colours that suit different people - I know that I look quite ill in orange, for example, and deep scoop necklines look silly on me - and I would rather have a few well-chosen, co-ordinating clothes that will work together than a whole wardrobe full of mis-matched items that don't do anything for me.  It's been an interesting foray into the world of capsule wardrobe collections and I shall take away some good ideas and suggestions to work with.  

A busy day tomorrow - definitely needs a list so we don't forget things.  Hopefully I can get on with a few more sewing projects after a bit of shopping for supplies.

And a phone call late this afternoon has put a very big smile on my face.  Life is good.  

So many blogs, so little time

Days seems to be skipping past rather too quickly just at the moment.  It's noticeably lighter in the mornings, so we're wide awake much earlier, and this evening we didn't close the curtains till 17.45, much to our surprise and delight - Spring really is coming!  But somehow I don't seem to be getting as much done in these longer days, which is a bit contrary to my thinking.  Pondering this over a cuppa this afternoon, N said he felt the same - no projects started or on the go (although, goodness do we have a few in the pipeline!) - it feels as though we are just waiting to start the next phase of work, and for that we need, or certainly would prefer (!) more settled weather.  I think we just need to get February over and done with; it's always such an unpredictable month.

I have a feeling that one of my problems is I'm spending far too much time on the iPad - really not good at all.  It is just so easy to drop in on favourite blogs, and follow links, and click on to other posts and suddenly a couple of hours has disappeared =:o.  It started with just a handful of 'simple living/frugal' blogs, then I dropped in on a few quilting/sewing/recycling ones and just recently I've been browsing through some helpful clothing sites with the intention of updating my wardrobe (previously documented).  Who knew there were so many blogs out there?  And all so interesting?  And it seems I need to read them all . . . .
I think a little more self-restraint is required on my part, perhaps a time limit per day wouldn't be a bad place to start.  

The final winter spinach crop

Thrifted and deconstructed fabric

Even though I feel as though I haven't achieved very much over the weekend, I've actually done far more that I thought - it's so often the way.  I finished going through the filing drawers (more shredding) and re-labelled them; I've sorted through another cupboard (a few more items to the charity shop pile); I cropped the last of the spinach and cleared the bed; made bread and rolls; spent the morning dusting and hoovering; clothes washing; changed the bed; updated online details for a couple of storecards; turned some old T-shirts into rags; unpicked another thrifted shirt and a dress to add to my fabric stash; started upcycling a shirt into a skirt; met up with a friend for a drink and had a lovely chat on the phone with my little girl.  That's quite a bit really, now I come to think about it! 

The rest of the week has a little more structure about it - places to go, people to see, shopping to do - and hopefully more planning for the garden.  Roll on Spring, we have lots to do outside!

A quiet day of this and that

A quiet day of slowly pottering, just what was needed.  Seeds sorted and a few more ordered, outdoor planting planned, herbs sown - we are looking forward to our growing season.  There'll be quite a bit of digging new borders and preparing the ground in this new garden but that's good and exciting work to be done.  The pleasure of growing at least some of our own vegetables never fails.  The spare bedroom is now doubling up as an overflow greenhouse . . .

I baked this morning - chocolate chips cookies, what's not to love :-) - and sorted out the bathroom cabinet again, taking stock of all those half-used bottles that get pushed to the back of the shelves.  I was pleasantly surprised to find that the collection of 'potions and lotions' was considerably smaller than it was, and that's taking into account various bits I have been gifted along the way.  This was another area I was looking to declutter and streamline - I really don't need a thousand and one skincare products, just the handful of items I regularly use - and it was pleasing to find that my diligence in using up the odds bits has paid off.  

The rain that has been promised for the last 24 hours finally arrived at lunchtime, and it has steadily poured ever since.  A really good reason to curl up in a chair with some fabric.  I have a small collection of thrifted cotton clothes and they need unpicking, so this afternoon I sat and carefully deconstructed a man's shirt; it always amazes me just how much fabric can be salvaged by doing this and it's a great way of adding to the fabric stash.  I find it quite therapeutic.  

And it's something else off the list.  Tick.

And the Sewing Bee this evening rounded off a really slow, easy sort of day.  I need days this this, once in a while.  A nice, simple day.