The Quest - 2

Lula-Hula

Hmmm Shoe Gal, you're not the only one who's scared themself silly today

My plan for this morning was to wander down to local shops & buy skewers for baking jacket potatoes even quicker - done for £2.60 , buy some dye to dye my never used creamy jacket either green or chocolate brown - done for £4.50 pay the first months council tax - done for £44.50 pay next terms school milk bill, done for £12.76 , buy lemons ( for consumption & bread & eggs, done for £4.28, top up the gas done for £20 & then buy some buttons & thread for new coloured jacket .... errrr...done for £44.50

Not quite sure what happened there thing is you see, Repo Man didnt pay me but DD1 came over to repay the £100 borrowed for holiday, so, I thought I would just pay all of Repo Mans money into the bank which would leave me with a bit spare :rolleyes: The sewing machine shop is a cornucopia of old style type stuff; all ribbons, buttons & old machines. I very nearly came out with one that was set into a table with a wrought iron treadle for a snippy £100 :eek: it had little drawers & things & I really really wanted it. Man tried to sell me an electric one so I could use both hands ( told him I was a beginner) but it wasnt anywhere near so characterful & was £70 :rolleyes:

So, having saved money by dyeing a jacket I then go & blow £40 on a sewing machine when I cant sew anything other than hems & buttons :rotfl:

It is lovely though, comes in a wooden case & has a velvet lined tin with all sorts of silver bits with measurements on & I have no idea what they are for It also has a book with it from 1928 :eek: . I could now make some curtains but have no idea where to start :rolleyes: .

Hollyberry - I painted my hall floor & stairs white a few years ago. The front door opens on to a tiny floor area of about 2ft square then straight onto the stairs; in spite of mats, & politely reuqesting that people remove their shoes, the carpet was needing to be replaced far too frequently due to heavy traffic. I had a paddy one week end & ripped it all up & sploshed a tin of white gloss all over & have been happy ever since. It really looks brighter & is so easy to keep clean. Even when it's raining & people tramp up the stairs with muddy shoes on it takes 2 minutes to wipe them down with one of my eco squirites & a cloth . It is a bit slippery but that just teaches people to take their shoes off I've decided to do the paint thing in the living room room too as it's so much easier than having to sand everything & then wax or polish, just got carried away when mate said I could borrow the sander. I really like the look of white floorboards & so easy to maintain if you're not too neurotic about little scuff marks & then you get to go to somewhere like ikea & choose big colourful rugs :cool:

Hollyberry

That sewing machine shop sounds wonderful. If only I wasn't quite so hamfisted when it comes to things of a crafting nature. Is the jacket going green or chocolate?

Thanks for the advice on the floor: a-painting I will go. OH has asthma, so I didn't particularly relish sanding anything and having to banish him for hours while the dust settles. I have bought a lovely sky blue sofa off eBay for the new sitting room which was formerly the junk room, so I reckon a white floor will look great. The chances of me noticing a little scuff mark are probably about the same as me colonising Pluto, so that will be fab. I've already bought the rugs.

moo2moo

Wow Lula. Can I commission your talents? DD1 requires a pirate costume (complete with parrot) and DD2 needs the St. Lucian national dress (whatever that is) for Thursday next week. Meanwhile OH is about to be issued with this years uniform trousers but I've still to get round to shortening last years. Poor fella has some which are tacked, others which are wundawebbed (which incidently is useless long term) and yet more pairs which are butchered. Meanwhile I was given a lovely looking sewing machine a year or so ago which looks lovely but I've yet to plug it in. Sewing just isn't my thing, although I quite enjoy cross stitch, its yet another way to avoid the housework.

Lexxi

Hiya I love this site and can spend hours on it, http://www.ehow.com/how_8651_make-tab-top.html even has a guide on how to make no sew curtains, but after moo2moo's post no idea how long they'd stay up! Then you can justify the sewing machine as curtains cost a fortune, then when you've had a practice you can make me some :rotfl:
I've found somewhere for your B&B too, they took a fortune in 11 days over Xmas. Will see if I can find some pics

Not very many of the place, found this one, trying to find some of outside too

Lula-Hula

Hello all,

Lexxxi -:T thanks for that brilliant link on how to make curtains , that's just what I need.

No need for envy anyone - I am brimming with creative ideas but they just fizz about in my mind & rarely come to fruition but the curtain thing really is a must & I now need to find where the big fabric warehouse has gone to I did overhear sewing machine shop man telling another customer where it's relocated to but cant remember so will have to venture back in - making sure I only have £ 1 in my purse

Moo - would be so happy to help you out but like yourself I'm a big wundaweb user ( my fave jeans are riddled with patches held on by the stuff & you're right, it can give way at any moment :eek: ) & my DD only won a fancy dress prize when we wrapped her in bandages as a mummy , so far it's hems & buttons only but as I come from a family of dressmakers, curtaineers, tailors etc I really feel that I need to get my act together & follow the tradition; the sewing gene must be lurking somewhere within . Mind you the cooking one has point blank refused to show itself :rolleyes:

It has been a NSD today & as there are many direct debits departing this week there will be no payment to CC :mad: .

There hasnt been much activity at all today other than fixing my brake cable & watching F1 & making more hobnobs . It 's been very chilly here & DD has developed a full blown cold which necessitated much temperature taking & calpol consumption, so I dont think she's going to be at school tomorrow.

I did settle down to complete the library job application only to discover that the closing date was the 20th & interviews were to be held on the 24th :mad: I'm sure it said April 3rd on the website & didnt even get the form until the 25th :rolleyes: . Oh well, it was only 6 hours a week & a good 40 mins drive away so maybe it just wasnt meant to be.

Not too stressed at the moment & going to enjoy having time to spend with DD during the hols - I forsee many bike rides & picnics . I may well try out the other leaflet delivery job as it's half the amount of Repo Man's target so should only take 5 hours a week rather than 10 /12 & the pay is better too.

I really do need to concentrate on cutting expenditure though as I'm still spending too much on food & household stuff ( & sewing machines, although if I'm any good :rotfl: that could be another way to potentially earn something)

Quick book review - I confirm makeups review of This Book Could Save Your Life , very good.

Recently read Notes From An Exhibition by Patrick Gale ( so handsome & sensitive he had to be gay :rolleyes: ) great book, very moving.

Also read Nina Todd Is Missing by Lesley Glaister - this is great, utterly absorbing & so very plausible it makes you think about all those acquaintances that you dont really know ...

Off to start another one now

G'nite

lula
xx

Lexxi

Glad you like it, wasn't sure if you'd be pleased me finding you things to do
I am very fortunate as my grandma used to make curtains and taught my mum, who keeps trying to show me then realising the curtain making gene has skipped a generation as with you and does it for me. I haven't told her how big my new windows are, might save that for when she's already agreed to help :rotfl: I think I was told that toys are easy enough to make, toys or cushions

Well done on the NSD and sorry to hear about DD's cold and the job, hopefully it means that there's a brilliant job waiting round the corner for you.

Thanks for the book tip, the last one sounds interesting

Horace

£70 for a treadle sewing machine is a lot. I can remember a few years' ago I went to a lovely little place near Louth in Lincolnshire - it was a place full of antique shops - or could that be one large antique shop taking up several shop fronts and even more shop backs:rolleyes: My then chum bought a manual singer sewing machine dating from 1928 for £10 which she gave to me - I still have it (but not here at my old place) and I have never used it although I do understand that my ex uses it to repair his jeans:eek: The sewing machine was old and we robbed bits off other machines to make a good one - we even found an ancient tin of Boots Blackcurrant cough pastilles in it that dated from...guess when....the 1920s:eek: No I didnt taste them and in fact still have them:eek: I did send them to Boots who confirmed their age and they sent them back to me and they live in the box inside the sewing machine because it was felt that they should remain together:rolleyes:

Happy sewing.

sarahb123_3

Lula-Hula wrote: »

Quick book review - I confirm makeups review of This Book Could Save Your Life , very good.

I did wonder if you were reading that when you said you were off to read a book with donuts on the cover:rotfl: I have it lying around somewhere unread, might give it a go in my week off.

Hollyberry

I have it here somewhere - as yet unread - will have to track it down.

A cautionary tale with regard to wundaweb: there are still a lot of traumatised people in Appledore from the time when my linen crops parted company with their wundaweb and OH had to walk very closely behind me (snuffling with barely suppressed laugher) all the way along the harbour wall to our rented cottage. :eek: It was a very long walk of shame and I think it might be advisable to get that sewing machine earning its keep.

Lula-Hula

Morning all,

Hollyberry - I have taken not of your cautionary tale :eek: .

Not much to report here; DD was off school with a raging temperature & a cough so we were housebound & I didnt spend a thing so have managed NSD 17

I'm keeping her home again today as althought the temperature has subsided she still looks a bit feverish & is still coughing. Fortunately she's happy to snuggle in my bed & watch earth tv. I fear I may find rice krispies in there later though :

I will have to venture out later to get some more calpol & salad & pay the money from Repo Man back into the bank. He didnt seem unduly concerned at my departure & is currently working on a deal with local estate agents :rolleyes:

A trip to the local shops will mean having to avoid the truancy police :eek: although I do agree in principle that all children over the age of 3 should be incarcerated between the hours of 9 & 3 I'm not comfortable with leaving mine unwell & home alone while I go out for supplies, aha that would be where a partner comes in handy :rolleyes:

Last day of the month so I will definitely come in under the grocery budget & can now set about reducing it a bit each month.

bye for now
lula
xx