WOYWW....

These are my work desks today.



This one has my computerised [clever] machine on the left hand side, the industrial machine [work horse] in the middle and the overlocker on the right hand side.






This one has my blind hemmer on the front and tends to be my dumping ground at the back.

It's a hive of industry for me this week. Friday brought more customers to my door than I'd had all week, because of the chaos that was going on all week outside on the road [and it's not finished yet!]. Because of that it's going to be a busy week for me to clear my workload.





I've got...


A Wedding dress to shorten 4 layers of hems on shortening the train at the back by about 3 foot [rather a challenging job to say the least] ,



A young lady's posh frock with gathered pleated over skirt to take in on the bodice and this means I have to gather the skirt and regather the pleated part to fit the bodice after I've taken in the back [a tricky job!].

I've also got trousers galore to let out and shorten on my 'to do' rail so please don't imagine me putting my feet up and enjoying the tennis this week :-)



No two weeks are the same here for me. I have already altered a huntsman's red jacket and 4 pair of riding breeches and lifted the shoulder's on a dress and a lady's blouse. Even though I didn't have many customers last week I still had 4 more new ones and I think I now only need about 14 more to reach my 1000th customer :-) What an achievement in just 6 years eh?


For those wondering how the crocheted flowers are going I've now started working on the other colours :-)




Thank you for calling in on my blog. Please pop over to Julia's blog now to add your name to Mr Linky to join in the fun of showing the world what you've got on your work desk [or floor or bed or anywhere else you are being creative]. Be warned it is very contagious and once you've caught the fun bug it's very difficult to shake it off [but who would want to?].

The treasures in the undergrowth....

At the very bottom of our garden we have a wild area with a bird hide and usually a couple of times a year it gets a good clear out so thought I'd share a few of the treasure we found.


This is a before photo so you can see that wild is a good description. [Yes, there is a bird hide in the back there somewhere!] The nettles are for the butterflies to lay their eggs on so even though we have removed most of them from along the path side we always leave a patch of these.



After a couple of hours of cutting back and clearing these are the after photos with some of the pretty flowers and plants we have saved from being strangled by the weeds.































This is what I look out on from the bird hide. We have a huge pile of old logs to encourage the insects and smaller wild life.







This is the after photo taken from roughly the same spot as before!
Our three dogs are still wondering where all the nettles and weeds went to :-) Oh and do notice they are all sporting their summer hair cuts now :-)

Answers to Wednesday's questions....

Firstly I would like to say a huge thank you to all who called by yesterday and for all the lovely comments you left.

The Crafty Goat Girl asked if I felt like a prisoner....My answer would have to be....No more than normal cos my restraining chains only run between the sewing room and the kitchen :-) :-) Actually I have been able to sit at my sewing machine and watch about 20 or so men in hard hats watch the one compulsory man working on the road for the last week so it's really not a bad prison to be in :-)

The colourful fabric on the left is randomly dyed and has batik. I have made another top with a similar fabric and the effect when made up is rather pretty.

Ernest.....Do I miss him?.....Of course I do cos now our own family have all moved out it was nice to have a challenge....and he was certainly that at times :-)

Tina Gilmore......I would be thrilled to do the alterations to your Wedding dress. I always say to ring before you come in case I have had to pop out for new sewing supplies but otherwise I should be here 8 - 5 Monday to Friday
[See ref. to restraining chains above :-) ]

Pam mentioned wanting a red brooch......we have lots over in the shop. Feel free to pop over for a browse.

I have also had lots of requests for crocheted flowers to buy for use when card making so will be making some soon and will blog more details later.

Once again many many thanks to all who follow my blog.

WOYWW...

Basically.....very little today. This week the road outside our house has been closed from 9 am to 4.30 pm so I have had virtually no customers. They have been strengthening the bridge in the village since February and this week are resurfacing the road between the two traffic islands and our house is right in the middle of it all! Chaos has reigned but hopefully it will all be finished very soon. I'm guessing that the customers who can't reach me this week will all come next week so am enjoying a bit of me time. Yesterday I showed you the crocheted flowers I have been making and today I'm showing you the teddy I am hand dumfing and the sewing I am doing for me...

This is the wool roving I am using for my latest teddy. It's some I bought at Woolfest, Builthwells and is a really lovely blackberry colour. [The picture doesn't really do it justice cos it's rather shiny.]




I have also made two tops for me this week and have material to make 3 more. As you can see I don't waste my time when I have a break in customers :-) They both have pin tucks on the front and the lighter blue one has been machine embroidered too.








I hope you will now pop over to Julia's blog and join in the fun by showing us what's happening in your world today.

A weekend of sunshine, football and crafting for me....

As the title says it has been a really lovely weekend for me. The sun has shone and I have used my time well crocheting and knitting while the football has been on. I'm not really a lover of football and when they earn so much and yet play so poorly it really annoys me so I have busied myself with my crafts. I have also cut out and made myself two tops and still have 3 pieces of material to make a few more :-)


This is a quick snap of my crocheted flowers that Twiglet and I will now use on some new creations for the shop. I've sat playing and designed each one slightly different and am really pleased with the results.

I really hope your weekend was as much fun as mine.

Woyww and Ernest!

Its been another eventful week for me [one worth catching up on previous blogs for if you are in need of a giggle]. I have been hosting a young cockerel on his gap year for the last week...its been a week of work, play and at times [failed] guidance. Ernest will be off tomorrow heading north to his next host, Jen, at http://themadhouse-themadhouse.blogspot.com/and will be staying a week in Saltburn by the Sea, N Yorkshire.....I really hope she knows what she's letting herself in for and has all alcohol well locked away before his arrival. It's been a very busy week for him here so he may just be glad of a good rest :-)

Today I have a show and tell I'm sure lots of you will love as much as I do. I was asked by another blogger to make a character doll and last week I showed you the fabrics I had found with him in mind. I have been working on him all week in between other sewing jobs and have now finished him.....and I'm really thrilled with how he has turned out. [My little 19 month old Granddaughter recognised him immediately so he must be pretty convincing]. I just need to parcel him up now and he will be on his way to his new home.






Fun day Monday Ernest joined in the fun and with a little help he made his own look-a-likey and he insists I show you him proudly holding him [it hasn't left him far since he made him so I think he is pretty chuffed with it].





Of course Fun day Monday has to be followed with a head down catch up Tuesday....Ernest has been a good help with this too.....

He climbed into my felt box and helped me find the black felt for the doll's shoes.

He helped by ironing it and then....


...helped by pinning on the pattern.







He tried holding the shoes under the sewing machine but his feet wouldn't reach the foot pedal at the same time so had to leave me to the machine sewing.







For those of you who remember the blanket I crocheted I thought you might like to see that you little person it was made for loves it and Nanny Annie hasn't lost her nack of snuggling a baby to sleep :-)





I really hope I've made you smile today. For more fun and laughter please pop over to Julia's blog and join in the WOYWW fun.

Sunday roast and a fun day Monday....

My gorgeous son and his beautiful girlfriend have set up home together in an annex of her family home and on Sunday they invited us for dinner at their newly decorated abode. [As much to show us their beautiful new home as to show us what a wonderful cook G is and I can certainly see she know the way to a man's heart].

It was a really scrummy roast chicken dinner with fab veg and all the trimmings.

Ernest came with us and spent a little time showing G his blog on the computer....



.... then sat on M's shoulder for a while to watch the footy.









On our way home we had to call in at a local pet shop to get some dog food. Ernest went for a look round the shop on his own and I found him trying out a new swing but I had to say he couldn't buy one because it would be too heavy to post and wouldn't fit in his box on his way around blogland.







Today Ernest was well over his hang over [thankfully] and was really excited to hear it was fun day Monday. He asked me to teach him to dumf so we found some wool rovings in the colour he wanted and he set to to make a Ernest look-a-likey. He needed a little help of course because he very quickly found out just how sharp the needle was and this put him off a bit.


Here he is very proudly showing off his finished result.....not bad for a first attempt we thought and I've told him I will pack it carefully in a little plastic box I've found for him to take it home with him.

Hen Party and a never again moment for Ernest!....

For those insisting on seeing my outfit for the party here's a quick snap I took before I left home. I'm sorry it's a bit dark but believe me when I say I'm pretty sure you can see enough. :-) I only had to walk 20 yards to the party cos it was in our neighbours garden but believe me when I say it was the longest walk of my life because it was still daylight and we live in the middle of the village! :-)
We were blessed with a beautiful evening with none of the rain that we had been having all week. Everyone had made huge efforts and had come in some really wonderful fancy dress. Ernest was so excited and joined in lots of the photos.




This is the mother of the bride-to-be sporting a lovely green outfit...take note girls this is not an outfit to wear if you're likely to need several visits to the loo during the evening :-) Ernest really loved her wig.

Ernest is now in the hands of the beautiful bride to be.


He got in a family line up and then insisted she had her photo alone with him. She was more than happy to oblige.



The music and dancing was out in tents/gazebos out on the lawn and while I was enjoying the festivities I'm afraid Ernest snook off inside. He found the food and drink and had just a little too much of each!












I'm sorry to say I had to take him home earlier than planned and he spent the next hour with his head in a bucket! Teenagers eh!
He is now sleeping off his hangover and is muttering the eternal words....."Never again!" I really hope he has learnt an important lesson in life!

My latest blog award and Ernest's latest news...

Twiglet has given me this award - she knows how much I struggle to tell lies ;-)

Thanks for the award sis.

So having included the link to her blog, I must either tell 6 lies and 1 truth about myself or 6 truths and 1 lie ?...

1. At 8 1/2 months pregnant I could still bite my toe nails.
2. I can say the alphabet backwards
3. I have a pet tarantula called Fred
4. I've delivered 150 babies one of which being my hubby's Managing Director's daughter
5. I used to work with a magician
6. I've been to the top of Mont Blanc
7. I used to do bobbin lace making

I have checked out many blogs to pass this one on to but most have already had it so if you feel like telling a few truths/lies please accept this from me and have a go.

Now for those of you following Ernest's adventures here is the latest update.


Our day started off well. He was very patient while we designed and made his fancy dress outfit ready for the party tonight. He insisted on the headband to keep the feathers out of his eyes.


I told him we then needed to do a bit of shopping and he was keen on coming with us. He fancied having a go at driving but his feet wouldn't reach the pedals.


So he decided he would sit up front to take in the scenery.









He really enjoyed sitting in the seat in the trolley but was annoyed when I refused to let him fill the trolley from the drinks aisle alone.


He asked for a coffee in Starbucks but even though we ordered him a small one he wasn't sure whether to drink it or bathe in it.

He is now out on his deckchair in the garden taking in the rays and resting ready for the party later.

Work experience and turning a new leaf maybe?....

Ernest has been a willing helper most of today. He helped staple fabric on a bed headboard. It was a lot easier having an extra beak around. We were able to stretch the fabric well between us and the finished result was wonderful.









He then helped me cut out a waistcoat. He has learned to pin on a paper pattern, tailor tack and cut out the fabric. He really does seem a natural at this sewing lark.











He worked hard all morning so I said he could take the afternoon off. I found him a deck chair so he could really relax for an hour.












I really thought he had turned a new leaf until I caught him helping himself to yet another miniature bottle of alcohol...this time brandy!