Bug jam 2

So 3 o'clock start became 4 o'clock. 4 o'clock became oil down. Oil down turns into rain. Maybe we will run today, maybe not.

Bug jam

Well I would say it does what it says on the tin, but I suspect that won't help some readers. So the bugs in question are Volkwagen Beetles. Dozens of them jammed into a too small pit. The pit is too small because there is a huge stage with audience space, it's making it tricky for the racers. The other exciting feature is the humans who haven't met cars before. They have no concept of danger and apparently have been breaking down fences and wandering in restricted areas. We have been told to be very careful at the top end and look out for strays. All in all it's pretty strange and the music is way too loud.Our first run should be about 3 o'clock, I'll get back to you then.

Discoveries

I’ve been discovering things. Did you know if you hang around with sick people there is a good chance you will get ill too? You did, oh. I guess I did too, but, well, I didn’t think about it at the weekend. So I spent yesterday not doing much except feeling ill. Fortunately I do feel better today, but the cough is very annoying. I still haven’t felt like doing much so I decided the time had come to sort clean socks into pairs. Conclusion, I am too lazy to own plain black socks. So off the the recycling a lot of them will go. I like socks with some design, they are so much easier to pair up. Still I do now have a whole drawer full of nicely paired socks. Perhaps not much of an achievement for most people, but for me something of a novelty. I’ve been living out of bags for a long time, so clothes in drawers it really nice.

I’ve also discovered something I can do when I am too tired to do anything but can’t sleep. Stick weaving. It’s thought to have been brought to Europe by the Crusaders, according to Finniwig Studios the company who made the kit I have. It’s very easy and quite soothing to do (OK if you’re well and active it possibly would be boring) and you get pretty quick results. I am thinking of getting some more sticks and trying to weave bigger pieces. I think starting with more than 6 sticks will be interesting but once it gets going it should be fine. The fabric you make is quite thick but feels fairly fragile, the weft will move around quite easily. It looks like it might be a very interesting base for stitching. I an plotting ideas for some quite structural belts. I think with more sticks (and a less lurgied brain) I might even be able to weave patterns in as I go. It’s certainly a technique with a lot of potential. The sample in the photographs is about 3″ wide and 23″ long, just to give you an idea of scale.

We have also discovered that blinds, bath screens and taps are all ridiculously overpriced, and that when you are bored and ill the Internet can suck hours of time without effort.

It’s here.

So having removed over a third of the desks from our computer room we have just enough space for an A0 drawing board. It’s a monster, a lovely monster, but still. It had been living with a friend but needed a change of scene so has come here. I have plans to get paper on it sooner rather than later and get designing. Perhaps the best bit is it can be put low enough to use an ordinary office chair when drawing. Most boards I have seen in the past needed a stool, which I find a lot less comfortable. I will have to sort out the sewing room a bit though before I can do much as my paper is well buried at the moment.

House update

For those who have asked, yes I am still ripping the house apart and cleaning sorting and moving. I had slowed down but I realised why. I wasn’t working on the room that wanted my attention. I was trying to be logical, but apparently that is the wrong thing to so. So I am now back to working on the office. I would have been making better progress it I had been able to buy the new shelving but that was not to be. Still by the time I get it I will be more than ready. The room used to have desks around pretty much all of the walls, but I am making room for a large drawing board. I like the idea that I will be able to do my drawing and paperwork away from my sewing space. If nothing else it will make switching between tasks a lot easier. It does mean I need to invest in a new chair, which will be unpleasantly expensive. Still however much I have to spend it will be cheaper than not being able to work when my shoulder plays up. I guess (hindsight being great) I should have picked up the chair today while I was at Ikea, but I didn’t expect to have room in the car. By the time I found out they had no shelving I couldn’t face trying to find anything else.

On the cutting table issue, I think I have a winner. Ikea (no I hate the store but they do a good range of furniture) sell extending trestles, which are tall enough and stable. They also sell large glass table tops. The combination will mean I can use it as a really giant light box if I need one, and as a good surface for paint and dye. All in all it seems like a reasonable option. It does fail on easy to move, but I think I can compromise on that.

Are these cats spoilt?

I think they might be you know. Enjoying a retired show quilt with almost no cares in the world. Almost because I just dared to move a curtain. Aren't I cruel.Ikea has a sale on at the moment (in the UK at least) and one of the sale items is the Dimpa bag. These are huge storage bag that zip closed. I find I can easily store 6 bed quilts on one. They are currently 1.99 per bag. However don't go looking for shelving at the Wembly Ikea they are out of stock of pretty much everything.