The Matrix - Re-Evolution!!

Cheery_Daff

Congratulations to your family greenbee!

Glad you manage to let go of one of your commitments Oceanspirit - sounds like you needed to

Horace - how lovely of your parents. I had a thought - obviously I have no idea where they live, but round here we have a prooject run by volunteers to pick fruit for people who can't pick it themselves - they get the first share and the rest is distributed in the community, to old people's homes, sure start centres etc. Our local one's webpage is out of date, but there's another one here - might be worth checking if there's something similar near to your parents?

MG, you're so right when you say about all that you do! It's so easy to compare yourself to other people without taking into account all the other things you're doing and they're not (or the other way round of course!). Best to just do what you can where you are in your life, and cheer others on and be inspired by them, but not use them as a stick to beat yourself with! (think that was a little garbled, but I'm sure you understand what I mean!)

work work work here. Both of my projects are involving writing at the minute - I don't find it particularly easy but there we are! I'm managing to lurk and keep up here but not post very often I'm afraid! Looking forward to seeing the sofa though

Bitsy_Beans

Horace how lovely of your parents

Congrats Auntie Greenbee xxx

Not going to be doing much, it's half term and I am working all week, snatching a quick break with a coffee whilst the kids watch Little Einteins

Can't wait to see the big sofa unveiling

Have great days all......must be the day for having H's at home.....mine is off today but I've sent him up the ladder to clear the guttering

Horace

Daff, mum would hate strangers tramping over her garden - she is very precious about her garden, even I have to watch where I walk and what I do in it:D

Today I have been out to pay my HB cheque into the bank, went to post office for stamps and to post off mums cheque to Virgin (I really hate Virgin Money they are such cowbags!). I went to the chemist to drop off some old pills for them to dispose of and then I nipped into Tatco - again straight to the whoopsie shelf for 2 loaves of Hovis Granary reduced to £1 each from £1.34 (now in freezer), 1 medium pork pie (just fancied some) and 2ltrs of Cravendale which had been reduced to £1.60 saving me 20p - all these have been written in my new cashbook. Mum was giving me lessons on using cashbooks yesterday as she notes everything down and has a book for credit cards etc so she knows what gets spent (she has got books going back to when she first got married:eek:). Must try and nip to Aldi too because mum told me that their vanilla ice cream is fantastic and cheap - this can be used for treats and she said that pears stewed in lemonade go well with vanilla ice cream.

This morning, I had ready brek for breakfast and served it with the free banana from saturday and a teaspoonful of golden syrup.

Was most miffed last night as my sponsor for Forever Living contacted me via text asking if my mum had paid me some money (I stupidly let slip that mum had said that she would give me money to clear my credit card), so I said that the cheque had been made payable to the credit card company, so then this woman suggested that I spend on the card, I explained that the card had been cancelled and that once the outstanding balance had been paid off then that would be it..she was miffed to say the least. I am not prepared to get into more debt and feel that she was irresponsible in expecting me to steal money from my parents to pay for a box of stuff from Forever Living..there are ways around this and I am not sure I want her to be my sponsor anyway.

I have also texted my hairdresser to see which number I should use to make an appointment with him because he has been headhunted by Adee Phelan, I explained previously that I was skint so he had offered me 50% off a cut colour and finish because I have followed him about.:cool:

Must also phone the manager at Access Storage (he is someone I know from networking) to see how much it would cost to have a storage unit large enough to store furniture, I have tables, chests of drawers, a cast iron bed (same as the bedknobs and broomsticks bed), tv, etc.

Later I shall be making a spag bol, I need to get peeling with the pears too:cool:

Groatie - thanks for the lemonade receipes. I have eked out my store cupboard with thanks to a tatty old paperback book that I bought from a bushfire charity stall. The book was written during the great Australian Depression in the 1930s and it is called The Hard Times Handbook. This little book has taught me so much - I even know how to make fly killer.

short_bird

gilligansyle wrote: »

My sewing machine is my Nan's old Singer, so I never have any problems with it blowing up, but I'm waiting for the day when something breaks, or I lose a shuttle as they are really difficult to replace.
I've a question though, MG you'd probably know this- I've lost a fair bit of weight recently (stone and a half) and because I still have another 3 stone to lose, I don't want to/can't afford to buy new stuff. If I'm adapting my existing stuff, am I best just taking them in, or would I be better undoing the seams and starting again?
Also any ideas for cheap/easy patterns?

Hi, just a flying reply that may give you more questions!

Old Singer: It is possible to find replacement bits for old machines, might it be worth looking for shuttles etc now, rather than wait till you get stuck? And find a sewing machine engineer, they're worth their weight in gold!

Alterations: This is a difficult one as you're in transition! Have you invested in new undergarments as that will make a significant difference to your outline before looking at anything else? As far as alterations are concerned, so much depends on the fabric and the details as well as the fit. For example, if a top was tight around the underarm and shoulder seam then that would affect how the collar fits as well as the bust and the sleeve. It might not be as simple as take it in at the side seams, you might need to have a look at the sleeve seam as well. I will check my books at home to see if there's any book that will help!

I think you're in for a huge session of trying garments on and concentrating on a small capsule wardrobe of what you want to wear now!

Cheap Patterns: Ah, rare and fabulous objects indeed! So much depends on your style. I have noticed offers on certain brands or loyalty cards at independent retailers but your mileage may vary depending on where you live.

ETA: I didn't check the pattern prices in Abakhan on Stafford Street on Saturday on my day out in Liverpool, I was too busy in the fabric by the kilo section:rotfl:

short_bird

Horace wrote: »

Daff, mum would hate strangers tramping over her garden - she is very precious about her garden, even I have to watch where I walk and what I do in it:D

How about this organisation: they seem to be quite well behaved:D And they may have ladders!
http://abundancebirmingham.wordpress.com/

Memory_Girl

You know how ladies don't perspire - they glow???

Well I have "glowed" myself right through a painting / sewing t-shirt stuffing cushions into their new covers.......................... still it saves me putting the heating on.:rotfl:

I have pulled the loose covers on for a final fitting having and tacked the last seam - OMG!!!! I am so excited they look lovely, bright:D but lovely.

Total cost so far £7.87 for the two sofas - :j:j:j

Heads down for the finishing - and photographs (camera batteries are charging in expectation)

MG

lucielle

Can't wait to see it, feel like I've been in labour!!!!
L

groatie_queen

Wow, MG, can't wait for the great Sofa Reveal, I'm sure it's going to look fantastic.

Been out for cuppa, caught up with dear friend, now having Scotch Broth - hm with whoopsied breast of lamb, will do about 6 meals I reckon, is delicious, made in pressure cooker. No need to cook tonight, will just have hummus and pitta bread and a baked apple.

Big clothes sort and tidy up this afternoon.

Memory_Girl

lucielle wrote: »

Can't wait to see it, feel like I've been in labour!!!!
L

This has been so much harder than either of my boys - just thought I need to throw up a picture of the box cushions first don't I?? But first lunch I think.

MG

greenbee

Well done MG!

Plasterer has most of the spare room and landing ceilings prepped, apart from where he has found some mould from an old leak where the plasterboard will need replacing

I'm hoping he'll get the spare room finished today so that I can make a start on moving the stuff from the study into it while he does the hall and landing. However, he doesn't seem to be moving at any speed, despite knowing that the need to move stuff is a major logistical issue.

Front step has been paved... The slabs aren't particularly nice (grey concrete rather than stone, but the stone available was all horrid colours), but it is at least now safer and less slippery (not to mention neater) than the quarry tiles were.