Last week I mentioned that I was reading The Wolves of Willoughby Chase sequence again and quite a few of you lovely people have commented in various places about how they’d loved these books (well, obvs, as I have excellent taste). So, in the spirit of this I shall be sharing more of my childhood favourite series for your education and entertainment or something. I still have all of them on my shelves upstairs or on my Kindle. What have I missed though?
The Dark is Rising sequence – Susan Cooper. Quite Arthurian, set in Cornwall, Wales and Buckinghamshire. Do not watch the film, which was bloody awful despite a good cast.
Little House series – Laura Ingalls Wilder. Pioneering America, heavily romanticised. As an adult all that moving around must have been quite stressful for poor Ma, but it seemed exciting at the time.
The Maggie books – Joan Lingard. For older children, set in Scotland with a side quest to Canada.
Anne of Green Gables series – L. M. Montgomery. Poor Anne-with-an-E, with the carrotty hair and the trials and tribulations.
The Moomins series – Tove Jansson. Family-oriented trolls living in Moominvalley, hibernating through the winter and surviving Hemulens, Grokes and the Hobgoblin. If I ever have a craft shop it’ll be called The Hobgoblin’s Hat. I already named one of the Things after the author.
The Narnia books – C.S.Lewis. I spent a lot of time looking in old wardrobes but failed to find the lamp-post.
The Worst Witch series – Jill Murphy. Poor Mildred Hubble. I don’t blame her for turning Ethel into a pig. She deserved it.
Nancy Drew mysteries – Carolyn Keene. All of these were returned to me a couple of years ago and there will be a full reread. Nancy Drew is still about in various forms but I’m very old school about these and have no truck with them.
The Green Knowe books – Lucy M. Boston. Still haven’t managed to visit.
Willard Price’s Adventure series. So exciting. Everything I know about how to capture birds of paradise is thanks to Hal and Roger Hunt. So far I haven’t had a chance to use this knowledge. I don’t still have these, and suspect that they may not have aged well.
There were many more, of course, and lots of standalone novels that live in my memory and occasionally bubble up (meaning I need to go and find them again and re-read) – but that will be a post for another day.
This week has a private view at the Soane, Thing 2 promising to cook on Monday, shortlisting for our Community Gardener, starting the Attic24 Wildshore Blanket CAL – it’s all go!
It was my birthday on Wednesday and I had plans. Such plans! I wanted to go to The Manor at Hemingford Grey, where Lucy M. Boston wrote the Green Knowe stories and made beautiful quilts and planted her garden.
Once again my plans were foiled (foiled!) by circumstances beyond my control. So, I was pretty grumpy and feeling extremely hard-done-by and underappreciated when I got up on Wednesday morning. I went for a run, took the furry idiot to the vet again (she was pretty out of sorts too, and I have the scratches to prove it) and then decided I’d take myself off for a bit of pampering.
I started with a proper pedicure at the Nail Bar in Harlow, and while you always have to wait in there I had my sewing project with me so the whole thing was pretty relaxing. The pedicure chairs are also massage chairs so I even got a bit of a back rub, and came out with sparkly red toes and feeling much better. I got my eyebrows threaded (ow) and then went and had lunch with my book for company at Mui & Koko.
My mum always used to say that if I had tattoos I’d regret them when I was 50, and last year when I hit the half century I swore I’d have another tattoo. I knew exactly what I wanted, but I didn’t quite get around to it for a whole variety of reasons, so as I was in Harlow with a free afternoon I contacted a tattooist who’d been recommended by a few friends. It turned out he’d relocated his studio to Hertford, and wasn’t officially open till the following day, but he liked my idea and said he could fit me in that afternoon.
And so, like Bilbo Baggins, I went on an unexpected journey. I hopped on a bus to the train station, bought a return to Hertford and went on an adventure.
I’ve only been to Hertford once before, to see Rich Hall, and as I had some time before my appointment I had a good wander around the charity shops (many, but not as good as Bishops Stortford). I also visited the little museum, housed in a historic building on a pretty street and full of information about Hertford life and, apparently, the largest collection of toothbrushes in the world.
I liked the exhibit featuring all the things Victorian travellers brought back as donations, including a set of Samurai armour and some Japanese sandals, and I had a go at the low-tech ‘dress the Samurai warrior’ interactive. There were a few interventions like this throughout the museum, including an opportunity to design a postcard inspired by the embroidered WW1 postcards on display. There was a little shop for children to play in, and WAY too many scary old dolls for my liking, including a ventriloquist’s dummy.
And then it was tattoo time! The new Gumtoad studio is funky, with some futuristic masks on the wall (that not even I could be scared of), and the tattoo artist was lovely – very chatty and it turned out we’d both lived on Hackney Road at various times, and he’d lived in the village where we live now. It was a wide-ranging conversation covering all sorts of things, from children to urban exploring.
The tattoo took about 90 minutes, and was considerably less painful than the threading earlier in the day. I’d taken my picture with me and he suggested I’d get more detail if it was about 10% bigger. We tested out the best position on my shoulder, and once that was perfect we got on with it! I absolutely love it – it’s exactly as I imagined it, and having it done made my birthday. Thank you to my Beloved, whose birthday present paid for it…
For anyone who doesn’t recognise the character, it’s Snufkin from Tove Jansson‘s Moomin stories – this is him heading off to be alone for a while, as he does every winter while the Moomin family hibernate the cold away. He always comes back on the first day of spring though. I’ve loved the Moomins since I was a child and still reread the books on a regular basis. Snufkin is wise, independent and kind, and has an excellent hat, and this illustration has always spoken to me about choosing to follow the direction you want in life. Thing 2 is named after the author, which tells you something about my long-term love of these little Finnish trolls! Jansson also illustrated a Finnish version of The Hobbit, among other things.
And when I got home there was cake, thanks to Thing 2, and presents from sisters – a book on Boro and Sashiko stitching from Irish sister, and new adventure pants and Moomin biscuits from London sister.
Thanks also to Ma and Pa for the birthday Amazon voucher – guilt free craft and reading!
A thank you, first of all – to those of you both here on WordPress and elsewhere on social media (and even in real life!) who took the time to read last week’s piece, to share it more widely and to talk to me about it. It meant a lot to me to be able to open the conversation. Thank you!
This has been a learning week – my challenge was to make a pair of jeans for myself. I bought the Closet Case Patterns ‘Ginger’ skinny jeans some time ago and it’s been lurking in my files for aaaaages. I picked up some black stretch denim on EBay – quite lightweight, without too much stretch (2% lycra), and very reasonably priced considering the potential for disaster in the project. There’s a lot of techniques in a pair of jeans I haven’t tried before – not least the fly – so I knew this was going to be a steep curve!
Who knew, for example, how many different pieces there are in a pair of jeans? I know I didn’t have a clue until I cut them out on Monday…
I decided to make view B, which is the high waisted, skinny leg option – I have never bought high waisted jeans, but I also rarely wore bold print clothes until I started making them myself, so I figure I’ll wear these jeans! Before I cut the fabric I used the shortening guide on the leg piece to take out 10cm, which is the usual amount I have to take off all trousers. If I make them again I’ll reduce that to 8 or 9cm for a wider hem at the bottom, as they were only just long enough in the end, resting just below my ankle after hemming.
The pockets went together quite well, except the coin pocket ended up on the left instead of the right (since it’s a pocket I never use, I can’t see a problem with this and would have been just as happy to have left it out), and one of the pocket stays is inside out. I need to put a couple of tacking stitches into the pocket to hold the facings inside as they have a habit of popping out above the pockets themselves. I used remnants of the deep red backing fabric from my red quilt to make facings and pockets, so my favourite colour is on the inside.
The fly was another matter, and I’m really not sure where I went wrong. I followed the instructions as best I could – they really aren’t that clear, and while I frequently say ‘trust the pattern!’ I think next time I’ll be looking out for a sewalong or tutorial to help. My zip is exposed, and the fly shield doesn’t sit over it – but my top stitching is very neat for a change, which I suppose is something as top stitching is one of my bugbears (hence using navy for the jeans!).
The back of the jeans went together well – the yoke gives the waistline a nice shape, and the slight curve on the back pockets is flattering. The pattern gives some helpful suggestions for pocket placements, as – as they point out – every bottom is different. I’ve never been very fond of mine (too flat) so anything that gives the illusion of a curve is a plus!
The designers very sensibly suggest tacking the front and back together to check the fit through the leg before you stitch them permanently together, and I’m glad I did as I had to take in the legs by a couple of centimetres. I was still left with some extra width in the the thigh, so I’ll try and work out how to take that out next time (possibly by grading between the leg and waist sizes on the pattern).
Overall I’m happy with them, and will be making them again – and I’ve also treated myself to the Morgan boyfriend jeans pattern.
New jeans!
The top I’m wearing in the picture above is also a me-made – this time a rub-off from one of my favourite vests. I like the slight shaping on it, and the length. The stripy fabric is another EBay bargain – it was sold as 100% cotton, but I have my doubts. It’s not very stretchy and the stripes are printed rather than woven, but as a test piece it’s worked quite well. If you look closely you can see a seam down the centre front where I didn’t have enough length (I had a metre of fabric) to cut both front and back on the fold. It’s a very stable knit, so putting a seam down the front didn’t take it out of shape.
Vest in progress!
Here you can see the vest in progress – the rub off, the marked up pattern and my kit (Burda tracing paper, Frixion pens, a couple of Celtic paddlestones from the garden centre for weights, pins, a long steel ruler and paper scissors!) – and the final vest next to the original. Please note the Bee-worthy stripe matching on the vest which I managed on both sides and down the middle.
Thoughts on sewing machines…
Both the jeans and the vest were constructed using my Brother 2104D overlocker for seam finishing, and on a Singer Samba 2 (6211 model) which – looking at the instruction booklet – dates from 1984. My Aunty Jo, who had it from new and who passed it on to me a couple of years ago, has made notes in the back of the booklet detailing what she made and the savings on shop-bought clothes. These are dated around 1986, and I can see she made Liberty print blouses, cushion covers, and did alterations for her son and herself. She was also a painter, and has been in my mind a lot recently as she is in hospital after a fall. I wonder whether this was behind my decision to use the Samba to sew this week?
Aunty Jo’s Samba 2
Sewing machines, it turns out, are like cats and tattoos – it’s almost impossible to stop at one. I am currently at 5, including my overlocker!
My first sewing machine was also a Singer, which I never got to grips with and which eventually expired past resurrection back when I still lived in London. My mum was given it for her 21st birthday in 1965 and she passed it to me as she thought her days of sewing were past and my crafty journey had just begun with my discovery of cross stitch. She was wrong, of course – my youngest sister is an historical interpreter working in schools, museums and heritage sites in Northern Ireland and the top of ROI, and mum has been sewing costumes for her (which reminds me, I have to make a suffragette sash for her!) as well as making curtains for their home in France.
My second sewing machine came much later, when my eldest daughter was very small – this time, it was given to me by my mother in law, as she no longer used it. Again, it was from the 1960s, as we found the original receipt in the case. It’s a Husqvarna Viking 19E, and it had been regularly serviced and much used. I learned to sew on this beauty, and when the drive belt perished a few years ago and couldn’t be replaced as the parts are no longer made I was very sad. I still have it, and have a search alert set up on EBay in the hope that a belt will come up second hand. I can’t bring myself to get rid of it. My mother in law died in late 2012, and this is one of the links I have to her – I was very lucky, as she and I got on well. She was a crocheter, and tried (and failed) to teach me which was one reason I was so determined to learn later.
When the Viking died I was in the middle of a project, so I bought a Brother LS14 – a basic model but it does the things I need it to do, and it’s been used recently to teach Thing 2 to sew. It’s a bit rattly, as it’s quite lightweight, but its reliable and great for a beginner. I started to sew more regularly, and to share what I was making on social media, and suddenly people saw me as somewhere to pass their old machines on to (I have learned to say no now, and to suggest alternative people who might be able to provide a loving home – but if I had the space I would rehome them ALL!). As well as the Singer Samba above, I also have a New Home machine – this one dates from the late 70s, I think, and belonged to a friend’s mum who no longer used it. It’s a good, solid machine and I think I’ll have to get it out soon.
Vintage machines are reliable, but they do need a bit of TLC at times – a bit of oiling, and a bit of a dust – and we are also lucky in this area to have the fabulous Rona sewing machine shop in Waltham Cross. They are helpful, knowledgeable and expert with all sorts of machines – highly recommended if yours needs a bit of a tune-up or if you’re looking for a new one.
My overlocker was a treat to myself – bought in a sale, and it’s been worth every penny.
In case you’re wondering, I have also learned to say no to more cats – three is enough! For the moment….
Level up!
I turned 47 on Friday. I haven’t worried about age since my 27th birthday, when I cried all day.
Why 27? Wayyyyy back in infant school, our teacher Mrs Price asked us for a mental maths exercise to work out how old we’d be in the year 2000. To six year old me, that seemed like a million years away and 27 sounded so OLD. That feeling stuck with me and when I finally hit 27 in the millennium year I had a bit of a meltdown…and no birthday since has ever had the same effect. Perhaps that was my equivalent of a midlife crisis (I hope not).
This year was a bit out of the ordinary, of course, as we’re still socially distancing. I have a large garden, and despite the forecast thunderstorms, my best friend and my London sister came to visit me armed with gin, cake and a sourdough starter which apparently I have to name. Suggestions welcome! It was a lovely gossipy day, sitting in the shade as the promised rain threatened but never appeared, and I felt very spoiled.
One thing about being a maker and a sharer of makes is that it’s rare that anyone gives me a handmade gift, so I was incredibly touched to receive a beautiful hand embroidered card from my colleagues at the museum, with personal messages and art inside. I miss them all very much and am looking forward to going back to work at some point…
Anyway, here is a happy Moominmamma (it was a Moomin themed birthday, as the crew all know my passion for these little hippo-esque trolls) embroidered by Katy:
Moominmamma
Another colleague, Alan, used a photo of our Teddy-cat that I’d sent him captioned ‘draw me like one of your French girls’ – and did exactly that. I love it!
An excellent likeness…
Teddy is currently stretched out on the chair in a very similar pose….
I’ll leave you with this week’s cross stitch update! I have always loved this painting – I had a book about it as a child called ‘Take a Good Look with Johnny Morris’ that delved into the people on the Island, and I’ve had a print of it on my bedroom wall for the last 29 years – I bought it at a poster sale in the Student Union in Freshers’ Week and it’s been with me ever since!
Lots of dark blues in this panel!
I’ll see you on the other side of week fifteen – have a great week!
What Kirsty did next 