Travelling On

badmemory

If you are new to sewing by machine, may I make a suggestion?  Don't try making any actual garment straight away.  Buy some scrap material or use something that you are going to bin, even if only an old tea towel.  Then practice sewing in a straight line.  Learn how to finish the ends of a line, forward a half inch, back again (there should be a button to press) then go forward again.  Then learn how to zigzag.  Apart from anything else it will build your confidence in your ability. 

I too was in trouble at school but for an opposite reason.  Cut something out in class one week - how long does it take a teacher to come & check you have the pattern laid out on the material correctly?  Next lesson, where is the garment - here it is finished (I wore it last weekend) - but you were supposed to finish it in class - couldn't wait - but I have a new one to start!!  But don't get me started on domestic science - didn't learn to cook until I was 23!  I only did one term at school & they couldn't wait to shuffle me off!

Karmacat

I absolutely know people on here would do that, SL, you may be assured of that.  But it's stashed **away**, and would be quite difficult to get out.  If I were to do it right now, it would be wasting both my time and energy, and others' too,   People on here are incredibly helpful, I'm always in awe, but I'll ask for it when its sort of the "next but one thing on my list", not 5 or 6 items down  

Just confirmed that to myself ... spent half an hour on the computer looking to see if I have the instruction leaflet downloaded from their website, they do the older machines.... I'm going to leave it there for now, SL  

And thank you for your own offer!  This one's an Elna ...

Hazelnutty

And the threading is only the first step for me!  Imagine a cheeky 12 year old in a gymslip, being called "depraved" by the sewing mistress.  That's me.  I never took to it

I remember my first year of senior school report (*cough* late '80s) 'Hazelnutty's sewing techniques are well sub-standard' So totally with you, Karma!

Karmacat

Hazelnutty said:

I remember my first year of senior school report (*cough* late '80s) 'Hazelnutty's sewing techniques are well sub-standard' So totally with you, Karma!

Hurray

I confess, I've found it difficult to get going today.  I've sort of got my head down to staying at home now, even though I hate the sound of it for so long (winter!  jeepers, winter is coming, Ned Stark told me) but my sister is running by me the idea of 4 nights in a well-cleaned airbnb in one way I'd love it, in the other ... nooooooooooo!  So it's made me very restless.

Went off for a short walk, saw a water pipe broken and spewing nice clean water into the gutter from the pavement.  Walked back home immediately and phoned the water company.  Who wouldn't touch it, as they deal with foul water only.  Honestly ... so they put me through to the other water company here, who deal with clean water.  And they wanted to put a note on my account!  Er, no.  Bit of an argument about that.  In fact, I might pop out there and take a photo.  Still, what was nice is that I had a moan with a lady I've just become nodding acquaintance with, and she was very sympathetic

apple_muncher

We popped into the W0rks whilst away and they had C*****mas craft stuff out on Aug 1st... Yikes!

rtandon27

I'm  so jealous of your proper real-life moan - its been ages since I had one of those!!!

Karmacat

I know!  It was refreshingly normal!  I refuse to think about the C word, but I'm still stuck thinking about popping away within England for 4 nights.  I was certain I wouldn't overnight, but then I just read that since lockdown easing, the rate of infection has gone down from 12 something per 100,000 to 8 something.  OTOH, with the schools going back, there'll be a *lot* more transmission going in.  And I might miss my fencing guy anyway ... never easy, is it ...

maddiemay

Hi Karmacat, thanks for the wave on another thread recently
I have been plodding trough the long shielding period, I have started venturing into my lovely small town, also the indie garden/home appliances/DIY shed and also a small garden centre. 
Having spoken with my Immunologist this week my plans are to carry on doing this, probably go away in our caravan (to rural locations) and to get out and about as much as I can. (as per criteria in last paragraph)
The incidence of Covid 19 both in my county and the adjoining one has been very low all along, and as far as I can glean, 2 people have died from the virus in this town, (hospital acquired) both who were extremely ill from cancer and had not long to live anyway.
My condition has the worst outcome of all the immune deficient illnesses they deal with, before I can revert to anything like the old normal there needs to be mass effective vaccination or herd immunity needs to have kicked in.

Sorry this is a bit waffly, I am trying to say, think about doing what you can (safely) now, keep checking out the figures locally to you and anywhere you want to visit, it is likely with winter approaching and large spikes in Covid19 forecast, many of us will need to revert to lock down. Trying not to think too far ahead, but really do not know if I can cope with a lock down winter.
Take care MM

Karmacat

Hello maddie, thanks for posting good to hear that covid incidence is so low where you are.  I hope you get your away trip

If I had my own little caravan, I wouldn't hesitate to go away, absolutely - it's laying my head down on somebody else's bed (and pillow!) that really worries me.  And when I read airbnb's "enhanced cleaning" protocols, they included things like ... cleaning doorknobs!  Well, surely, they do that!  Even in normal times, once a month or so?  I'm leaning towards not going, anyway, and I think my sister's not so enthusiastic as she first was.   Ever since the chronic fatigue, I find uncertainty - about a date, about a time of day, all sorts of things - very unsettling, verging on upsetting.  I never used to be like that, but there it is.   It still leaves my sister with options of her own, after all, and we could do more than we're doing - we haven't yet been on any days out, for instance, we could go down to the sea! 

I know what you mean about a covid winter if it happened, I might get a series of projects set up, so that come spring I wasn't using springtime to plan and research, if that makes sense.

In the meantime, I just watched Michael Mosley's 21 day lost-a-stone programme - I don't think I need to lose a whole stone, but certainly half a stone, and a whole stone would give me confidence in my health and my ability to fit into my clothes

maddiemay

You know that I completely get where you are coming from re: the Fatigue and I do understand your feelings about other people's property. I would book a cottage or apartment in certain geographical locations, and having the benefit of a car would be taking my own pillow and copious amounts of Zoflora and J cloths. I am not being snobby, purely practical I would not want to stay in areas subject to mass tourism from folks living in busy conurbations until/if ever this awful thing is tamed.
I hope that you are able to visit the sea and perhaps some NT type gardens and estates, OH and I have both found visiting Attingham Park really uplifting, lots of walking and amazing walled gardens, we go armed with a flask and picnic, a real treat.
Good luck with the Michael Mosley way of eating, I haven't looked at this programme, but previous ones have looked healthy and sustainable.