Is it just me , or are weeks getting shorter? Here we are again and it’s Friday and time for a good old natter. I am going to be busy today, well busy for a retired person anyway. I have to collect my new glasses this morning, and sadly this afternoon I am attending a funeral. Is it a sign of getting older that you start to attend more funerals than weddings? This is for the father of my best friend Ms J who I have occasionally mentioned in these posts. He was known to my brother and I as Uncle John. He was a school teacher and I think there will be a “good turn out” for him. Sad days as the older generation passes. Soon I will be the older generation, but at the moment am just reaching middle age!!!!
Enough, happier topics. Last week we managed to visit a local agricultural show, this one in the village of Thornton le Dale, which we have visited many times in my blog. Today being S,K and N day we will visit my favourite tent, the craft tent. Remember the days when the WI had a tent of their own, now they have a few tables in the main tent. Here’s what caught my eye.
Look at the big crochet basket , and the lovely mandala.
fI love this bag, a deserved winner for whatever class it was. There were just numbers shown, and no written name. Also I was disappointed that the judges had left no comments. Back in the day they did..
And this lovely embroidery which gained a second placement. I love it.
Outside
These old bodgers at work! If you enjoyed this part of the post I have more pictures from the show, so the old tour bus will be heading there on Sunday, if you fancy a trip. Mr Hicks and Gibbs there is a picture just for you two.
We had a meeting to get the Repair Cafe up and running and we have a scheduled date for late September, if we get the insurance sorted. Growl, why do good plans always come up with H&S and “what if someone sues us”. I don’t know.
Anyway I thought I better start to think what to take with me and how to get it there. Now I have a sewing box/caddy which I used to use when we lived in Oxfordshire and I went to dress making classes. It was full of a project that I had half done before we moved and has languished there ever since. That would be 15 1/2 years! I have taken it out, and the question is apart from buttons and threads, what do you think I should take along with me to aid repair volunteering?
Meantime I had a look at the UFO and decided the best thing to do was finish it off.
Quite impressed with the fleur de lys. Anyway you can just about see the piping cord in the picture. I have now sewn it to the front on the fabric with I must say a huge amount of difficulty on the sewing machine. Seems I should be using something called a piping foot? I haven’t got one. Reluctantly I am concluding the only way to enclose it in the back is hand stitching. What do you reckon?
I am going to finish this!
Meet Bertram Elephant! I love him. I do like making elephants. The fabric has been sitting on the guest bed for weeks whilst I did that skirt. Give me a piece of scrap fabric and I am as happy as Larry, give me a piece of fabric I love and paid good money for, like the mountains fabric which should have been used on the skirt and I have months of terror before I pluck up courage to use it. A lesson there somewhere.
The other thing I have found is that rather than spend hours tormenting myself with luscious pictures and fighting the urge to buy stuff I am far more content and yes excited to fish out a project I have planned and to do it. Another lesson learned, maybe..
Master T’s jumper, we have a back, a front and 1 1/2 sleeves. Maybe next week a complete jumper?
And a little bit of cross stitch too
Any guesses what it is?
So that’s me, over to you now. How are you all? Do you like an agricultural show? Any ideas on what I need to put in my repairing caddy, chances are I have everything? And what about the piping cord, hand sewing do you reckon?
I hope you have a fabulous weekend full of yarn and fabric. Tell me all about it please.
Be Happy!
C x
nanacathy2
nanacathydotcom 
Comments on: "Sew, Knit and Natter Friday!" (57)
I hope the funeral wasn’t too painful for you. Being an ‘Uncle’ you were obviously quite close. Love the craft pieces on show and can’t understand the ‘no comments’ thing. I am the judge at our local show and I always try to leave constructive comments, at least on the reasons behind the winning placements. How funny, I also get excited about new projects but get more satisfaction out of finishing an old one, however far down the line it may have been. Look forward to seeing that finished jumper next week…..
The jumper is doing well, just need buttons now! I am so pleased you leave comments to say why you awarded the placements. The winning crochet was a white table centre, and I guess was hard to do and well executed, but against the manadala people would wonder why. Sometimes I think its the old school doing the judging and they don’t like the modern pieces. Cross stitch I have seen judged I am sure on size! I am getting very excited now at the thought of projects in the pipeline, One in particular I can’t wait to get started on. The funeral was fine. He had chosen everything himself, coached his son lin law in how to read a poem and I have to say R did it very well indeed. He left notes for his nephew to write the eulogy so his children, my friends didn’t have to say anything. It was nice that he had done this so we had his choice, but it lacked the personal memories of family anf friends. Impersonal and lacking in the quirks of his character. Still tis done and dusted, and my friend who lives now in Edinburgh is going to need lots of support from me with the estate and supporting her Mum who is 91. Extreme old age is so hard.
Sorry to hear about your funeral. But love Master T’s jumper. I went to Chagford show this week and was good to see their judges left comments on everything. I wonder if comments cold be mentioned to the judges at your show – so disappointing that they didn’t make some.
Not one comment on any of the exhibits, so sad, I think the comments were the best bits,and so encoraging for the recepient. Good for Chagford.
I always use my zipper foot to sew piping on, I usually move the needle position to the very edge of it so it is as near the piping as possible.
I remember going to Thornton-le-Dale show years ago, I bought my wedding earrings there!!!
How lovely that you bought your wedding earings at the Thornton Show. Thanks for the tip on the zipper foot. I shall give it a whirl.
Ha!Ha! Yes Frivolous Friday – Quack quack! Now what sound do Puffins make? According to an App I have on my iPad (called Chirp) they sort of Rasp, Groan, Growl and then sound like a chain saw starting up – strange birds from another planet.
I shall be sure to cross stitch that !
Ha!Ha!
The days are definitely getting shorter!
That’s true, but I can’t explain the feeling that the weeks are vanishing too.
My deepest condolences. As I was reading your post I was reminded of the Birds song and of Ecclesiastes 3,”To every thing there is a season” , we’ve also had too many gone here of late. I think you win the oldest UFO trophy ! 151/2 yrs?! LOL The ag show looks inspirational. We had ours last week , sadly it’s not the same here either. tho our skill-share/barter faire is next month. and it’s much more fun. I plan to do a make do-n-mend booth. Shhh, I know too well the “too good to cut fabric”. 😉 A good seam ripper, seam gauge,glue stick,iron on patches and tape measure for the box. I hope you have more time for laughter and time to sew. Keep your needle sharp. 😉 cheers
Thank you. The reading was Ecclesiastes 3! .I am ashamed to say it isn’t my oldest UFO by a long way! Oh dear what a confession. Excellent about the make do and mend booth, sounds like our Repair cafe. Thanks for the contents list, I shall have a very well equipment box now. So glad you understand about fabric that’s too good! Yes that’s anice sentiment. Keep my needle sharp! Have a super weekend.
You are certainly busy for a “retired” person!!! Enjoy your doings.
I think I have wanted to be reitred all my life!!
Ooh, I love Bertram 🙂 very cute and you have been very busy. So sorry to hear of your friend’s father passing.
Thank you MM. He was 93 and had been quite poorly for most of this year, but it is still upsetting. I think of that generation I only have my Mum, my Aunty and two old family friends left. Oh dear, time marches on.
It does – the one thing we can all be certain about.
It sounds like you have been busy. And I hope all went as well as can be expected today.
The show looks like a real treat to the eyes! I haven’t been to one for years, no particular reason!
My hubby and I have just got back from a day at the British Museum, always a treat! It’s just annoying that I’m still not well enough to maintain the process of museums and things for more than a few hours. But, after two years, I guess this is as good as it gets! The rain has stopped – might be time for a rest outside in the sun with the dog 😊 and no housework for me either! I’m with you- hubby makes it pointless!
Yes the funeral was alright, not the nicest I have been too, but everyone held up, especially Aunty Kath, it would have been their 68th wedding anniversary tomorrow, I am ashamed to say I have never been to the British museum, I am not very good in London, it feels like a different planet to me. Enjoy your rest.
I am overwhelmed with all the goodness in this post, so I’ll just comment to say I love the phrase ” old bodgers,” which I’d never heard.
Oh, and yes! to turning scraps into elephants!!!
Condolences on the loss of “Uncle John.” So sad to see the old guard go…
An old bodger is a term originally coined to describe highly skilled furntiture makers in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire. Now it’s used to describe someone making furniture by hand! It is a lovely word. Just back from the funeral, so sad but he was 93, so not a bad innings as they say!
So many goodies I this post! I think the cross stitch is a bird. For the repair box I would add some extra buttons, maybe a yarn needle and crochet hook, pin cushion with long pins, and marking pencils….so you could mark a stitch line to be taken to a sewing machine unless you are bringing one.
I wasn’t done! Silly iPad! I only ever used my zipper foot for piping and it worked well. I love the sweater, so much fun, as is the elephant! I am going to enter exhibits at our county fair this morning. It’s fun and the more the merrier is my motto!
The zipper foot, would that really work, I wonder? Good luck with your exhibits.
I used it to attach the piping on the sofa cushions I reupholstered. It let me get the needle rally close to the piping.
A marking pen, that’s a good idea, thank you and a crochet hook, always useful. Yes the cross sticth is a bird, but which one?
An owl!!
I think your box must be full by now, everyone mentioned such useful things. I do love an agricultural fair, but the fairs here are too big and crowded. One of the oldest ones is coming up and they just announced no midway rides – the provider backed out. I might have to go to that fair now as I expect it will NOT be crowded!
So it’s a bird that starts with P but not a partridge. It isn’t a parrot, is it? The colors would say no, but it does start with a P! I was trying to make it into a cat before you said bird…
Isn’t it funny about “good” fabric? I have a few dress lengths that remain just that, in case I mess up. Can’t mess up if I never cut, right?
Eaxactly Salpal, you don’t mess up fabric you don’t cut. But the logical conclusion is one day it could end up with someone who sees it as scrap fabric and gaily launches into it. Anyway I have enough large scraps to keep me in many a happy project! The second letter after P is a U, if that helps anyone! So not parrot. Hope you get to the agricultural fair. It was a bit crowded, but that’s what elbows are for!!
Puffin!
Hurrah, you are RIGHT!
I’ve never seem a cross stitch oven-ready chicken before… so perhaps that isn’t what it is!
Everything Kate said for your mending box, plus mine has some embroidery threads and colourful fabric scraps both for visible mending. I also have a small pair of pliers for pulling needles through several layers of denim when repairing jeans – I’m surprised how often I need these.
No it’s not an oven ready chicken, I wonder would anyone want a cross stitched oven ready chicken, well maybe Bernard Matthews. I had wondered about embroidery thread , and I have some black denim which could become a patch and a pair of pliers is a wonderful idea, surely Mr E has a spare pair he wouldn’t miss.
If I’m doing visible mending, I try to use a piece of cotton behind, so it’s not too much of a struggle to get the needle through, plus you can make it show though and reveal the colour/pattern and if you do boro-style mends then the stitches provide strength.
What a clever idea Dr Snail, thanks for the tip.
I love your Sew, Knit and Natter blogs! – so much of interest! I don’t just think the days are coming round faster, they are getting shorter too – the evenings seem to be very dark, very quick. Lovely to see the WI entries – round us they are in the “Industrial” tent! – which is quite right because they are the products of a hive of industry 🙂 (actually don’t think the name refers to that …) – and they don’t have comments either which is a great pity as that is part of the fun. I’m wondering if you are embroidering a little bird …. like a partridge ….?
I miss the WI tents when they could fill a whole marque. Maybe they need less poilitics and more jam. What an intriguing name, Industrial tent, the one I went to just called it craft tent, but had all the veggies, flowers, cakes, jams etc in it. Oh and carved walking sticks. It is a bird but not a partridge, and it does begin with a P.
my guess, for you new xstitch is . . . an elephant?
Nope that’s not right, but an elephant would be jolly nice.
drat! after your comment about éléphants, and the fact you’re stitching in grey . . . I thought I had guessed right ^^
A duck?
Bad luck Claire, and as for WD a duck? That would be quite the wrong colour and does not begin with P, I think maybe Silly Saturdayness is spreading into frivolous Friday!
I think your repairing caddy needs some darning wool and needles, a thimble and a darning mushroom, a range of colours for mending hems and sewing buttons back on, and some iron-on interfacing for fixing behind tears to stabilise them before you mend the front. At least, that’s what’s in my mending box!
Thanks Kate, that is a comprehensive list which I shall use. I even have iron on interfacing but wouldn’t have thought of it.
and don’t forget the iron!
🙂
Good point!
I’ll spend the weekend fighting with a painting on the easel – no fabric or yarny plans I’m afraid. I really do like that elephant!
I love your painting especially now the tree and shaft of light have appeared.
Wow – you are busy! I know exactly what you mean about precious fabrics – I’m the same. I can no longer stand Agricultural Shows and their ilk, too crowded and noisy down this way – the Fairy Festival I went to last week was fun to do the once, but again too crowded and noisy for me – I won’t be going again.
In this house, housework (yuck, horrid word!) doesn’t happen until I can no longer get across the floor – I constantly wonder who on earth made all the mess – hmmm – that’d be me then!
See you do need a fairy grandmother outfit to wave some magic round the housework. In fairness I am just as bad as Mr E but I at least do the tidying up!
I need a nose I can twitch! More witch than fairy I think – cackle cackle!
How you fit it all in, i’ll never know! Going to a funeral myself this afternoon. I plan to make notes on what I do and don’t want for my own …. 😉
It’s called ignore the housework ‘cos Mr E will only make a big mess in seconds. I have decided on my funeral already, I want a cardboard coffin and a woodland burial. The family will have fun organising that one!!
h – o -w -s-w-o -r-k ? sorry, could you explain that concept, please…. 🙂
well not so certain I can. It usually goes, tidy and clean an area of a room, turrn round, turn back again, Mr E has found a nice clear space to put something on! Honest he’s worse than three boys were.