At long last ...

Well the house is much tidier and calmer this week and we're slowly getting back into the old school routine (unfortunately!). Fortunately the children aren't disappearing under a mountain of homework just yet but I'm in danger of disappearing under a pile of papers brought home from school daily requiring a signature, requests for particular things to be brought in on various days, new club permission slips, noting on the calendar or, invariably, money.

I'm slowly getting through the "things I need to get done" list, and will, hopefully, although this rarely happens, move on to the " "the things I would really like to make but never have any time to " list. There are so many things I've been wanting to make recently and have been dreaming about over the summer, we'll see... I have found time to sort through my fabrics and bits and bobs and get things ready for some more ragging.


I finished a tea cosy for an order for somebody this week. As you can see I've put out an extra cup and saucer for you to join me. Friday afternoon tea with friends and a blog or two to read...
The things that's got me so excited this week is that, finally, after squirreling away some of my Etsy earnings I've bought myself a new sewing machine! I've never had a new sewing machine, my friend has lent me hers but it's not working and for years I've been hand sewing everything! So this morning I went and bought my new toy. I can't tell you how happy I am. It's nothing fancy but it's good for someone like me, who's Domestic Science teacher called "very slow indeed!" ( I don't know how she never noticed that I was off school for two months with bronchitis and whilst the other girls were showing off their sewing skills on their skirts and pyjama cases I was still trying to understand just how to sew in a straight line without asking for help!).

I'm considering, and perhaps justifying, the sewing machine as a birthday present to me - yes, it's my birthday tomorrow! Now you see how nice it would be if you could pop over for a cup of tea this afternoon! I'm not sure what we're up to tomorrow although the girls want to go boating again as a special treat for me(!!!!). We're all going out for dinner in the evening too.


Another job I ticked off my list this week was the cutting back of all the lavender in the front garden - there was masses of it - this photo shows about a third of it. There were so many bundles that I fell over them on the way back into the house, landing on the front door step buried under a heap of lavender, waiting for M to come and help me up again, not a very fragrant sight.
The lavender is now drying in various baskets and hampers around the house and it all smells delicious. But there is a limit to just how many lavender sachets a girl can make, even a girl with a brand new sewing machine...


... and, as a birthday present from me to you I'm going to offer you crafty ladies some lavender. If anyone would like some please leave a comment etc and we'll pick some names next week.


Hope you all have a good weekend. Janome and I will be having lots of fun!