School Needlework

[Katharine]

Thanks for your best wishes - he seems to have them puzzled. After a bad cold he had very severe aches and pains and a swollen left side of his face. They have no idea what is causing this - but I don't know why they need to keep him in another night. Today I have spent three hours driving to have two hours of visit tomorrow I will be in work so halve that unless they let him out. Now that he is not in pain, I am not so worried but it is a little concerning.

[cj]

The men seem to have been hit very hard by various viruses going round this winter. Several older gents we know have been ruhed into hospital with 'cardiac' problems, treated in some cases for months only to find that it was a virus and their hearts are fine. Hope your hubby will be OK soon, Katharine.

[Katharine]

He's home now They did more tests and head shaking today! The test they think most significant won't give a result for two weeks but thank heaven they didn't want to keep him in that long. It just worries me what they are testing for - John doesn't seem to worry but ... I am different!

[kerrensimmonds]

Blimey Katharine.. it does sound very scary. But at least if John is home now you will not have those long drives. I shall pray that they diagnose nothing sinister - and that he himself is feelng OK about all of this. What a worry for you.. fingers crossed.
Love
Kerren

[midget]

Fingers and toes crossed for you both, Katharine

[Alexandra Thrift]

to Maggie and Katharine,

Warm thoughts to both of your hubbies.xx

I had the pleasure of meeting the lovely Joe at DR's memorial service in Horsham and was mighty impressed that he had driven all the way from the West Country and was about to drive back !! Please give him my warm wishes Maggie and mention that I chatted to you both outside the Chapel.

[Angela Woodford]

Same from me, Maggie! He is a lovely man, and I very much enjoyed meeting you both!

[midget]

Thank you Angela and Alex. Joe is home now and getting bored. This afternoon he announced that he had better go indoors or he would grab a spade and start getting the ground ready for broad beans. hey don't know what triggered the heart attack, but are all pleased with his progress.

Maggie

[kerrensimmonds]

Take care of him Maggie.. draw him in when he gets too ambitious for his capabilities!
Kerren
And tell him that there are loads of Old Blues 'out there' concerned not just for you but for him too........

[englishangel]

I have just 'turned' a knitted waistcoat given to No 1. son by one of his girlfrends (don't ask). It is knitted natural raw silk and she bought it for herself but has since lost weight, discovered a curvy figure and didn't want it, so he brought it home and said "what can you do with this Mum?"

I didn't have to turn the seams or anything but my buttonholes are a joy to behold.

[J.R.]

I have just 'turned' a knitted waistcoat given to No 1. son by one of his girlfrends (don't ask). It is knitted natural raw silk and she bought it for herself but has since lost weight, discovered a curvy figure and didn't want it, so he brought it home and said "what can you do with this Mum?"

I didn't have to turn the seams or anything but my buttonholes are a joy to behold.

Why do I have visions of Mr Toad, from 'Wind in the Willows' ???

[englishangel]

I don't think Mr Toad's was natural raw silk.

[J.R.]

I never realised you were that close !

[Angela Woodford]

I have just 'turned' a knitted waistcoat given to No 1. son by one of his girlfrends

I didn't have to turn the seams or anything but my buttonholes are a joy to behold.

Hey, well done Mary! Buttonholes were never my best thing - bound went boggly, and in 6's we used to beg Christine Goodwin to do the top three on any garment. "If the top three look good, she won't notice the rest...".

When we moved to Devon, I experienced a bit of a gastronomic honeymoon. There were so many marvellous fresh ingredients with which to make delicious things, not to mention the pasties and the clotted cream. I was appalled that my perfectly OK size 12 shape was beginning to get... a bit... larger...

I'd been a jolly fatty at school. It should serve as a warning that friends still call me "Munch". I don't mind at all - it's like the oral version of a fat photo on the fridge. But I have set myself a challenge. Now I'm back in shape, I would like to make myself a dress or a skirt! My sewing machine has been serviced and is ready for action - and I've still got the instruction book, which is a miracle !

The thing is - it's so long since I've made anything to wear. Often I find that sleeves are a bit long. Hipster trousers and boy shorts come up to my waist. I get trousers at M&S mostly where the medium length is OK. I'm just over 5'3" and have an odd feeling that what Vogue Patterns called "Misses" will now be too tall for me. Perhaps I will check my measurements and see if the pattern books count me as a "petite" or "half-size" or "womens'" which is unknown territory. I don't want to buy more fabric than I need and waste any - I'm on a strict budget.

Goodness - starting all over again? I wonder if I'll remember the stuff SWSNBN taught us?

There's a John Lewis at Cribbs Causeway, Bristol. Hooray!

[MKM]

Buttonholes! Was it Alex who sat up all night to finish her buttonholes, carefully sewn in nylon thread, only to obliterate them with a too-hot iron as dawn broke over Hertford?

My mother always bought 20% less fabric than the pattern recommended - she seemed to think the pattern designers were in a conspiracy with the fabric manufacturers to trick her into buying too much. Then she would spend happy hours rejigging the layout to make it fit.

It might be worth checking that John Lewis still sells dress making fabric. Last time I was there they had moved the haberdashery department to the top floor, and it seemed smaller than I remembered. But I was only interested in the knitting wool, and didn't look at the dress making section.

If you go, could we meet for coffee?