Thiughts on Me Made May 2017

Well apart from my inability to get a photo every day...... I have discovered gaps already. My clothes have all been made towards a work wardrobe not a weekend one!
Clothes from the 4th & 5th will appear next time I wear them & hopefully remember to get photos of!
In order Weds 3rd, same pattern different fabric as Tuesday. Thursday 4th, self drafted copy of a RTW that I loved & wore out, Sunday 6th a denim waistcoat with hidden pockets. This was originally made for a trip to London & contains hidden pockets for security, shown in pictures.

 

Credit card sized pocket in the facing, a Velcro closure pocket attached to the waist seam & a patch pocket secured with a snap behind the outside patch pocket.

Velcro secured pocket within patch pocket, also showing a zip pocket in the side seam.

 

Me Made May 2017

Well yet again, here we go again.  Can I try blogging more than once a year??!!!
I signed up to Me Made May this year - I'm attempting to wear something I've sewn every day.  And attempting to document the fact.  I suspect once a week might be my limit but we'll see.  I must point out I take lousy photos too. As can be seen on Instagram @scottiesews
Monday the 1st I realised I am sadly lacking in the walking clothes department & all I could manage was a waistcoat that I made nearly ten years ago.  It has proved handy, originally made as a travel waistcoat, it possesses numerous hidden zippered pockets for tickets, passport, cash etc.  A Simplicity pattern I think.

Today was a better effort - A Vogue pattern cowl neck top & slim Sandra Betzina pants, a typical working day outfit.

So already identified a gap in the walking wardrobe.  I have also pledged not to buy any clothes this year so I need to find some suitable fabric for walking trousers. 

 

 #MMMay17

 

It's all in the mind - trials and tribulations of a would be dieter.

Having written this post it all seems somewhat deep and maybe I'm a little nuts, but I'm posting anyway as I doubt I'm the only one questioning myself or my life.  Also I'm hoping that by putting it all out there in public I can motivate myself more to simply just get on with doing what I need to.  I can't risk failure then can I???!!!!!
And by the way, this first weeks steps have seen me hit over 72,000 and still this afternoon to go.
All in the mind?
Well it is!  At least as far as eating goes.  Slowly, very slowly I am beginning to accept that only I can stop myself from eating too much.  From eating high calorie, little nutrition snacks.  Not that the realisation has had any immediate effect but it's a step in the right direction.  I hope.  I know I will never be able to stop myself completely but I need to see cakes, breads etc as a treat.
 Half the problem for me is that I like food in general and so does my family.  We bake cakes and biscuits, we cook most meals from scratch so we can control what have but with a husband and son who can eat any amount of anything and not show it, it becomes hard for me not to join in.  So willpower and promptly freezing almost every leftover or most of the cakes has to be part of the answer.  I just need to convince them to do that so I'm not tempted.  It's going to have to be a family affair - me losing the excess. So there's another realisation it isn't just me that that needs the willpower, the family will have to change their habits too.  That could well be the hard part.  Especially as hubby is a really good cook. 
Today after walking the dog around Witherslack woods I will visit a friend for coffee (unlikely to be cake as she is consciously dieting anyway) but I will be coming home to a roast beef dinner with all the trimmings and hubby does vast quantities of roasties and Yorkshire puds with the excuse the dog enjoys them too.  Not to mention the cauliflower cheese with Stilton - I adore Stilton.  Well any cheese if I'm honest - once when visiting my parents while expecting my daughter, we were living in Germany with the RAF at the time - Mum had a piece of Lancashire Tasty on the table and I ate the lot, it was such a contrast to the German cheeses and a reminder of my childhood.  I did enjoy it too!  There - another reminder of my lack of willpower!
I know what I should be eating.  I have actually lost weight before on a proper diet plan and I felt good.  But life got in the way and the weight and more came back.  There have been family deaths, ill health with those closest to me that is an ongoing issue, a frail elderly Mum who lives on her own an hour away (I'm the only child) and I have been comfort eating.  All the while knowing I shouldn't do so. 
My hope now though is that I know I need to get myself fitter and healthier to be able to cope with whatever is thrown at the family next.  I am the constant in everyone else life so I need to be in the best possible place to be that cornerstone that holds the family together.  They all mean the world to me so I need to put myself in the best possible physical and mental space to be the person I want to be for them.
Edited to add I managed 82,171 steps this week so over target but I must emphasise that I had two days when I didn't make 10,000!

Why the Walking Challenges?

I signed up for Country Walking magazine's Walk 1000 miles challenge in January & I am amazed at just how far I can walk in a day.  Now I would love to only need to count the steps/miles outside of work but I seriously doubt I would achieve the goal so I count everything!  I use a Fitbit clipped onto my bra as work is "bare below the elbows" in clinical areas which I don't go into very often but I don't always wear bottoms or dresses with pockets on which to clip a pedometer so this seemed like a good choice.  The only time I haven't worn it was two weekends ago when I was ill in bed for two days.  It seems as accurate as the app on my phone seems to be. 
I consciously walk a little extra most days subject to time & to a degree weather - if it is absolutely tipping it down I miss the lunchtime 10 minutes and/or the after tea walk the dog around the block. Dillon the Dobermann doesn't like the rain either.

Lunchtime is a ten minute walk around the site at work.  I tend to do this at a brisk pace & shrug the shoulders, concentrate on the breathing & hope to feel refreshed for the rest of the day.  It seems to work.  The later dog walk is a more relaxed affair, slower as dear Dillon likes to stop & sniff on this walk when I want to keep moving.
This set me thinking what I use the time on these walks for.  I wondered if I should be more active on the evening walk or was the slower pace & consequent time for reflection as good for me as the brisk lunchtime walk? 
I've now tried both & have decided for now that both are equally beneficial!  The only thing I have been hoping for is a better nights sleep due to more fresh air & exercise but sad to say that hasn't happened as yet.  I don't sleep well & the sleep monitoring function on the Fitbit seems to reflect this.  But the other benefits of walking are doing me good, even if I can't see the results yet.
One thing I do know is that I won't be giving up the extra walking anytime soon, I enjoy it. 
I've always walked the dog at weekends anyway & that distance can vary from a couple of miles to six or seven, again weather dependant to a degree, & on Sundays I am with a friend I've known for over thirty years.  We just know & understand each other & love to walk.  It's our time to put our world to rights & simply just "be".  You can't put a price on this friendship.  Oh & our dogs love the open air!
Now there is another walking challenge I'm joining - work has started one this week & I'm hoping to increase the motivation to do more & maybe get my head around the amount of unnecessary food I put in my mouth.  I actually eat fairly healthily during the day but evenings are my downfall along with the occasional cake at work when I'm feeling stressed.  I have to change my thinking here.

So why the walking challenges? Walking is good for the soul & the body. It's a simple habit to form & the benefits outweigh every negative.  Physically, emotionally & mentally it clears & refreshes the body in my view.  Positivity is improved & I hope to become a better person all round by the end of the year!

Will I give up the occasional glass of wine, gin or very rare takeaway?  No!  Life's too short to give up things that give me pleasure.  Will I be more mindful about what I do in every part of my life?  Yes I think I will & I think walking more is going to help me in every way - it gives me time to think, to clear my mind, to walk off that cake, not to mention exercise the dog!!

Oh & I'll crank out some extra miles next weekend when I'm a volunteer road/traffic marshall for Kendal Festival of Food.  Two loves in one weekend! 

Every January........

Every January I try to resurrect this blog, and every year I seem to fail miserably!  I blame life on getting in the way which may be a good thing!  So yet another attempt this year.  Blogger won't let me change the header photo at the moment. Very annoying.
My motivation for this post is the staff conference I've just been to.
 Aim Higher!  #towardsinclusion.
It was buzzing. From the start. The background staff that keep our NHS trust
 running needed this, hopefully the first of maybe an annual event?
   It was good to catch up with colleagues from other sites & to gain an insight into what other departments do.  More than that it was a roomful of people with a desire to build & improve upon the new & existing exciting things that are planned / already happening.

Our Chief Exec opened with positive feedback & plans for the future for our staff to "Flourish", closely followed by our Chief Operating Officer who certainly seems to know what it's all about - for all of the staff not just the clinicians that hit the press.
Our Finance director almost had all of us on our feet dancing!  Black eyed Peas - I've gotta feeling.  Oprah Winfrey in Chicago.  Now that's how you get attention!  However the message was clear, the flash mob dance started with one & ended with them all dancing together.  That's how we need to work - together.

Our key note speaker was Leo Houlding - climber & adventurer.  His journey from planning to leading a successful attempt on an unclimbed route on the granite tower of Ulvetanna in Antartica.  Wow. Wow. Wow.

What stood out to me were the attributes of self. Self determination. Self Reliance. Own choice. Own challenge.  Multiplied by the men that went with him who he was ultimately responsible for.
It was as much about the journey as the destination & his leadership skills.

Most of all the simply facts that planning is key from the bottom (in this case base layer clothing, attention to minute detail - will the zip fail, what will happen if it does, possible death due to weather conditions - & "toilet bags") to the outer wear & the top of the mountain.  And then back down again (& removing the "toilet bags").  You leave absolutely nothing behind in these places!
All eventualities MUST be planned for - think risk assessments & then more risk assessments.

Then when you start the journey, break it into manageable steps.  Use the teams individual skills to form a cohesive bond that can adapt & react to changing circumstances.  Be the leader, be open to change, don't ask your team to do something you won't do yourself.  But be mindful & respect their feelings & skills.

So the title of the conference Aim Higher was apt.  From Leo Houlding's ascent of Ulvetanna to us individuals who keep the lights on & other things in our hospitals.  We need to grasp the new wave of initiatives & move with them, nurturing & improving upon them as a team.  Because if we put our minds to it WE CAN DO IT!

Now I just have to apply all that to my own life - lose weight, exercise more etc. etc.
I've started.  Last Sunday I pledged to #walk1000miles with Country Walking magazine, slightly easier that 10000 steps a day.  Although I would like to achieve that as well.  It won't happen today - been sat on my backside for most of it with only the dog to walk later in the rain & dark.  And it has to be said the Castle Green Conference Centre buffet was rather good.

The Mojo came back

But is in danger of leaving as quickly as it came!
I had some stretchy navy fabric with a superb drape so I thought it would be perfect for Butterick 6106, a Katherine Tilton jacket I  liked the look of. 

The jacket went together perfectly but I'm not sure I like it on me.  But that's not the problem.  I had washed the fabric several times & threw it in the dryer but the colour kept coming off on my hands.  Started when I pinned the pattern on & kept on all through the construction.  I tossed it in the wash again but nothing has changed the dye keeps coming off on my hands.  So nothing for it but toss it.  Along with the remaining 3 metres that will never be of further use.  I'm really hacked off about it as it washed, dried, stitched & ironed beautifully.  As well as draped nicely.  Nor was it the cheapest, although by todays standards not particularly expensive either. 
Live & learn.  Back to the drawing board.  I need some clothes but haven't got much in the way of suitable fabric.  Soon be payday!

Communication one small step at a time

Via my Twitter feed I have stuck my head above the parapet at work. But the ability to make a comment & receive a positive response shows how far my employers have progressed in communicating with their staff.  I suspect there's still a long way to go but it's a step in the right direction.  More than this it has given me the incentive to get more involved in cooperative work between senior management & the rest of us.  It can only be good for everyone.
Communication is important, a tool we cannot live & work without.  And the NHS has to move forward with this. We can't live without the NHS so I am choosing to work with it & play my small part in helping it along. I hope the small snowball will gain momentum. I am proud to work for my local trust.

Change is good

I have changed the blog title to Life is for Living - so live it! & the address dreaminginkendal.blogspot.com to better reflect my life as it is now. 
I have hopes & dreams to persue.  Family to love. Good local food to cook & eat, not to mention work out how to get someone to spin Herdwick fleece into cloth for clothes & curtains.  No I haven't got a flock of sheep or access to fleece, & yes I do know spun on it's own it wouldn't work, needs to be blended with a longer fibre.  But this is a subject I want to look into.  So many ideas not enough time.  Or cash!

How's this for a view from a car park?  Mitchells Auction Mart at Cockermouth.  The home of Woolfest.  The place responsible for my obsession with Herdwick & the possibilities that could open up.

 

Check out the inspiration from Woolclip

 

 

 

 

Kendal Festival of Food

There have been so many good reviews there's no need for me to write another!  Refer to Twitter or Facebook for links.  I volunteered for the second year as a road marshall.  Gets a bit boring but also get time to checkout all the stalls before I plan my shopping!
I only buy what I can't make or haven't time to have a go at or sometimes buy something different that I might try making myself in the future.  Duck sausages anyone?  I've bought some based on a tasting & I reckon I might make some in the future.  Nothing could be seen as cheap but everything was excellent quality & from the north of the country.  So local ish!  And I came home inspired & made a seeded fig & walnut loaf. Came out a bit heavy but had been itching to try the dough hook on the Kenwood Chef.  Needs more practice or maybe hand kneading is better.  Time will tell.
Tea tonight was butternut & other assorted veg soup with homemade soda bread.  Using up veg so feeling good about that one.  Given that I took today off work I did very little & tea was a bit last minute "don't know what to make"!
I love this town I live in.  So many amazing things go on here throughout the year it's deserving of good reviews.
I've taken to twitter lately & the blogs suffer accordingly!

Eat local

Last November I bought half a Herdwick sheep from a local farmer (friend of a friend) & we are loving the taste of proper food. Reared only a few miles away. Today's dinner was slow roasted shoulder of hoggett & there's enough left for sandwiches & to put some in what t'other half is calling a cassoulet, with locally made sausages + beans & veg. That'll be tea Tuesday probably.  Not sure about tomorrow's tea, think it was going to be homemade pizza but I doubt himself will make pizza dough & I don't think we've got anything other than cheese to go on top!
I can't wait for himself to get back to work. Hopefully the operated foot will keep improving so he can do so.  I need him out from under my feet, although coming home to a cooked meal instead of having to start making one is pretty good.  It's the rest of the evening I need me time!!
I want to make sausages again now I've got the attachment for my new Kenwood Chef. I plan to buy local pork from down the road at Sillfield Farm to make my own sausage meat. Maybe even try wild boar.
I have realised that less is more for meat.  The better ( & more local) the meat, the more it costs but the better the taste & you really don't need to eat as much.

Well here we are again

I thought I'd try to resurrect the blog.  I seem to have even less time than usual at the moment but I've Dillon managed two posts on the other blog,  Dillon - A Dobermanns tail so I have to try.
My clothes sewing has taken a serious dive but I have bought a couple of courses on Craftsy & hope to do those within the next 6 months!  I gave up the teaching as the paperwork & frankly the attitude of my last teaching observer made me despair.  I don't see how a class of mainly beginner sewists should be expected to help one another with a new task (ie putting in a zip) while I do paperwork.  Surely as the teacher it is my job to teach.  So a difference of opinion was the final straw.  My students backed me all the way.  They were a lovely group of ladies & I hope I have inspired them to continue sewing.
I do knit although that too is on the back burner until the lighter nights as the current pair of socks is a darker yarn that my eyes do not like in artificial light. 
My other half is recovering from an operation on his foot & pardon the pun but he is under my feet while I am in the house.  Not much longer hopefully before he is back at work.  I work full time & getting up earlier to walk the dog combined with taking him out last thing at night is beginning to tell.

I love the photo below of my beloved Dad who died nearly 14 years ago.  That's my daughter with him - she's now coming up 27!

Dear son has left school & started a college course, but has managed to fail his English GCSE a second time & he really needs a C not the D he managed again or next year will be a difficult one for him & therefore us by default!

Awards evening rolls around again

This year there's no time to make a new dress so I shall wear last years without the jade trim at the front and back.  And the hair will have to be loose as I won't have the time or cash to get an updo.  It is a new chief exec and chairman this year and I'm in a new job as well!
I haven't had much time for walking lately but did get out on Monday see Dillon's blog for pics.
I am also franticly trying to plan my teaching for this year and haven't got beyond ideas, let alone samples!  HELPPPPPPPPP

Posting two days in a row! Or not - the router crashed last night along with a laptop so this is the third attempt, currently minus pictures as I think they may be part of the problem.
 Here's my guest post from Heather, one very courageous lady who is sharing her story in the hope it will help and inspire others. 

My Struggle With Cancer and the Village that Saved Me
The days between when I discovered I was pregnant and the birth of my daughter were some of the most eventful and joyous times of my life. My pregnancy was normal, except for an emergency C-section, and on August 4, 2005 my daughter, Lily, was born.  On that day, everyone who meant anything to me was with me-- my village.  My husband, our families and our dearest friends were all with me when Lily came into this world.  Everything was perfect.
I had to go back to work within a month of her birth. I didn't feel up to it, but waved it off as just a side effect of giving birth.  I was tired, out of breath, and always fatigued.  Eventually I realized something was wrong, and after a doctor visit and a battery of tests, I learned the terrible truth.
On November 21, 2005, when Lily was just three and a half months old, I was diagnosed with malignant pleural mesothelioma.  It's a cancer caused by exposure to asbestos, which had damaged my lung nearly 30 years before.  
No one wants to hear they have cancer.  It's even worse to hear you only have 15 months to live.  In an effort to fight it off, I began immediate treatment.  I cared only about surviving for Lily and my husband.  My every thought went to them.  Her birth was supposed to be a happy time and this disease was ruining it.  My village, all those people who are always there for me, encouraged me as I started the best treatment I could get.
My parents stepped in from South Dakota to help care for Lily while I was in treatment in Boston.  My husband was there with me on February 2nd, 2006 when I had an extrapleural pneumonectomy.  This procedure removed my cancerous lung.  I was in the hospital for 18 days and spent two more months waiting for radiation and chemotherapy treatments.
As my treatment progressed, my village grew.  My husband and I met other families going through the same thing, and our support networks intertwined.  We leaned on them and they leaned on us, providing selfless support for each other during the worst times of our lives.  My parents had their village grow as well in South Dakota, while their friends helped watch Lily while they worked.  
I welcomed and prepared for the non-stop task of motherhood.  I never expected to be fighting for my life against cancer. Yet I fought and eventually I recovered. Today, I am cancer-free.  I missed some of the moments every mother wishes to see, some of the first things Lily did, but it was photos of those moments that helped me through the whole ordeal.
Those pictures, and my ever-growing village, are why I am alive today.  They gave me the strength to fight and the will to live.  Never take your friends and family for granted.  With their help, you can do anything, just like I did.  My village was there for me and saved my life.
Heather Von St James is a 43-year-old wife and mother. Upon her diagnosis of mesothelioma, she vowed to be a source of hope for other patients who found themselves with the same diagnosis. Now, over 6 years later, her story has been helping people all over the globe. She continues her advocacy and awareness work by blogging, speaking and sharing her message of hope and healing with others. Check out her story at the Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance Blog.

Let's start again....

At least I'm going to have another go at blogging & see where it leads me.  I've also set up a another blog, Dillon - A Dobermann's Tail, to document the life, rambles & escapades of our lovely dog!
Life is changing, hopefully for the better now.  I've had a horrible couple of months at work & chose not to persue the problems rather just get on & get out.  And get out is what I am in the process of doing.  The new job is full time & likely more suited to me anyway, so better income & I can give up the weekend job that is beginning to drive me nuts. Right now I'm going to sort out Dillon's blog & some pics.
Oh & there's a guest post coming soon...........

A view from the top of the Helme looking towards the Kent Estuary taken this afternoon .

Frugality strikes again

Or rather the need to be frugal.  It never went away just things got easier for a while.  However, neither child received a birthday present this year so I'm determined they will get something worthwhile at Christmas, and we will have our first grandchild mid December   This means we have to put aside now.  Not so easy on a hand to mouth existance which will be the state for some time to come I fear as we pay off the debts incurred by a failing business, thankfully we both now have regular incomes.  Tonights supper is homemade veg soup with a large amount of homegrown tomatoes in it & homemeade bread with the last of the bread flour.  Not sure if I will have enough money next week to buy more but no doubt we will survive. 
I picked up a book being thrown away by the library at work this morning.  "Your Best Life Now" by Joel Osteen, published 2004.  The title intrigued me, I am a fairly positive & optimistic person as a rule, only inclined to the occasional bout of self pity, the anorak less so & sometimes it's hard to cope with.  The book is based on belief in God & His ability to provide.  I am not a religious person particularly, I was brought up Church of England, taught in Sunday School for a while even, have been confirmed, married in church & if we'd had the money would have had my second marriage blessed in church.  My 90 year old Mum is a firm believer still & so was my beloved Dad.  Yet I can't bring myself to attend church on a regular basis.  I do believe, however, that to be a Christian is to treat others as you would wish to be treated yourself, whatever / whoever you may be involved with.  With respect & dignity.  And that's good enough for me.  I digress.  I think that the bottom line is to have self belief & to me that is what the book is about.  I also believe in fate & I think this book was meant to fall into my hands & remind me to be positive.  I'm not sure how much I can  influence my much loved anorak but maybe he'll pick up the book & read the back cover & seeds may be sown in his mind.

Another awards evening

For the second year in a row I was invited to our hospital trust's annual awards evening, dress code smart so posh frock time.  Spotted this pattern in a case that my friend's Mum gave her, real vintage vogue, designer at that.

I borrowed the pattern & redrafted it to fit me using PMB5 from Wild Ginger.  Got to love that software, it fits right out of the box.  The details I changed by hand & I certainly had to tweak the muslin a few times before I was happy.  Note to self - next time an approximate copy will suffice not every dart has to be in the same place!  Pity the detail of gathers on the slanted seam either side of the waist can't been seen in the pics I'm told it's quite slimming!  Bra strap holders kept the shoulders where they should be, as the weight of the cowl tend to pull them one direction or another.
Photos courtesy of my daughter taken at midnight after I got home, very tired , hence the lack of smile on one.  I just wanted to sleep.  Which I did, overslept this morning which wasn't good as I had to be some miles away on a course for 9AM.  Somehow I made it in time to get some coffee before I started.

Testing times

Indeed these are very testing times financially.  The anorak has changed his job, now employed rather than self-employed, & won't get paid until the end of July.  This is really pushing beyond the boundaries as there isn't enough money to cover all outgoings between now & then so I am restricted to around £30 a week for housekeeping, fuel & whatever else might be needed.  Watch this space........
We've survived last week on homemade soup from the freezer, eggs from a friends hens, some homemade bread, homemade cake, & bits & pieces in the store cupboard & freezer.  I did some shopping today & have split a 750g pack of mince into 3 & put in the freezer, padded out with a tin of beans, or some other veg that will be 3 meals, not all this week, two chickens that will each do 3 - 4 meals + stock from the carcases, & I think the dearest item was a pack of 4 pork chops that fed us tonight braised in stock with apples & mushrooms.   However one chop & sauce was saved for a meal to take to work by the anorak next week.  I also stocked up with a bag each of SR flour & plain flour & some veg.  We'll see how long we can manage.  I also had to spend on a couple of plastic lunch boxes that are microwave proof for the anorak to use at work.
Hey ho.
I have even managed to sew a top & long skirt for the hot weather if we get anymore this year, I can't stand trousers when it gets hot.  In fact I prefer dresses but apart from one I made a couple of months back I have only got as far as altering the patttern for another.
My darling Dillon, the Dobermann, won the "Best Rescue" dog at a local companion dog show a few weeks ago.  Fancy a prize for Dillon just being himself!!

A dress finished

I finished the dress from Vogue 8413 & I'm not sure I like it!  The drapey fabric isn't drapey enough for the cowl to hang properly, although looking at the pattern envelope it looks the same so maybe it's just me.  I have about a metre left & I might try & squeeze a version of Butterick 5567 out of it, if not a simple top will have to suffice.  Quite when or where I'll wear the dress I have no idea, I need a function to go to.  Wait, Mum's 90th birthday could be the opportunity, I will need a jacket or something to go over it & the same fabric might be a bit too matchy matchy so I'd better get thinking.  I have a pink tweedy one in the stash but I think it's the wrong shade, maybe a contrast navy would be good.  In which case I'll need to go shopping again!
No photo as yet, need a little time & space to set up the tripod & find a free wall for the background.

Progress

Of the career kind.  I think.  I am now the Domestic Supervisor at our local hospital.  A sideways move but necessary in these uncertain times within the NHS.  It should keep me employed during the next round of job cuts, most of all I hope it will prove to be a stepping stone to better things.  I didn't want to make the move but I'd rather keep myself in employment than face possible redundancy which could have / maybe be an option in the next 12 months.

Meanwhile I have  my beloved Dillon to keep me sane.  Well he keeps me exercised anyhow!  Fresh air & walking a few miles nearly every day has to be a good thing, except when it's raining & neither of us wants to go out.  A flash back to last year, it took us a long time to persuade him to go for a drink in the stream, he hates getting his feet wet as a rule. 

I'm sewing Vogue 8413 view A, well I started it a few weeks ago, in a dusky pink drapey fabric of unknown composition that a friend had in her stash for years & I mean years, going back to our flat share days, so that's over 26 years!  I had a wild idea of making a skirt & several different tops in it but I forgot & cut out the dress instead!  So that's an idea for the future.

Dearest Dillon

This how I just found Dillon!  Half asleep on / half off the settee.