Phew!

It's all go!  After the week at home with all the family I went down to London to look after the grandsons for two days.   It was the weather for picnics in the garden.  I returned on Tuesday night, energy stocks depleted! 

The next day Abe started school.  We're looking forward to hearing all about it. 

Back at home the week was taken up with washing and ironing what felt like every sheet in the house and every towel and making various lists of things to be done before we decamp for France in October and actually getting some of them done.  Including the back garden!

Item no. 1

On Thursday Gill came shopping with me to Anglia Fashion Fabrics and despite the fact that I was loosing interest rapidly when nothing  caught my eye or leapt out immediately, Gill patiently worked her way through the rolls and came up with three great fabrics.   I set to work immediately using a tried and tested Very Easy, Very Vogue pattern, with adaptations, and the addition of a collar which I found out how to measure and make on someone's blog.  I am delighted with the collars and also set about adapting a dress that I don't wear - shortening it to tunic length and adding a contrasting collar.  So that's three items in three days.  No wonder the weekend went quickly!

before hemming...

before pressing...

Two more pieces of fabric are upstairs waiting to be cut out.  I also started the front garden this morning so I'm dividing my time between sewing and digging.   The front garden is undergoing a major clear out and I'm moving the plants that all lean forward because of the huge chestnut on the other side of the wall to the sunnier half of the garden and filling in the gaps with shade loving plants.  Sounds obvious doesn't it, but when the garden was planted I went by the book and tried to achieve balance and symmetry.  Doesn't always work!