Your Day (apart from gardening) - what took place?

I fitted up a new floodlight at the top end of the garden, that's so I can see what I'm doing when feeding the local wildlife.
The one I replaced was only a couple of years old, 50watt LED.

My really old one nearer the house has been there for more than 25yrs, but its a 300 watt tungsten one, I think I last replaced the bulb 15 yrs ago.
But I bought two at the time so should see me out.

 

@Retired thanks about Keith and those storage boxes look great, I'll tell him about them.
I know how much stash that accumulates when doing card making. I do a bit myself and I've got a wardrobe full of boxes with embellishments and papers and pre cut die cuts that Keith has given me to make my own.

Bron's card looks pretty, what does she do with them if she doesn't sell them?

It's best to keep a distance from neighbours and just have a good chat outside and that's all.

 

One of my friends makes fabulous cards. She has a whole room ( spare bedroom) set up for the sole purpose of her craft. She has embossing machines, a die cutting machine and card in every colour imaginable along with all the other bits and bobs.

 

On the subject of having a designated room.

@Logan , you do dressmaking don't you??

Have a look at Lori's room she has set aside for it. I bet it will make you as jealous as me!!! It's on the Yawn,Yawn,Wakey,Wakey thread.

You have to click on The Muppet Show first.

 

I only do a bit of dressmaking, can't get much of the material here. I'd rather do the card making. Dressmaking takes a lot of time, but with cards i can do a bit at a time and i enjoy it more.

My mother in law had a room just for dressmaking. She did all of her clothes because bought ones didn't fit well and all of her curtains. She made a pair of curtains for us when we moved in here. Went to the Birmingham markets to get the fabric.

When I get my bus pass when I'm 65, i might go there and see what i can get.

I don't think that I've seen Lori's room.

Keith has got a die cutting machine, but he has limited space, he only has a one bedroom flat.

 

Hi,

Thanks Logan. Bron makes lots of cards and I'm forever supporting our local post office as she sends them to friends; I can post seven or eight cards at a time and take them along in a bag to keep them together. Our Hampson's Garden Centre and The Range are Bron's favourite card material places and I also buy lots online for her. Bron can spend up to four hours making each card and she's been card making for about ten years.

Good job you don't live near us Logan otherwise I'm sure you'd enjoy;

Fabworks Online

We used to visit often but these days we've got everything we need. Years ago Fabworks were really cheap when the husband was running it then the wife seemed to appear and the prices started to increase so we didn't visit as often just our impression and no doubt they are still very popular.

Yes we've learned our lesson regarding neighbours; the old saying "the higher the fence the better the neighbour" is true.

Kind regards, Colin.

 

Yes, @Logan it does take time and not having a fabric source handy would make it pretty much impossible.

My daughter in law and I will be doing a makeover in granddaughter's room to make it more grown up. I've already given them the rod for the drapes and as soon as it's up and the measurements taken, I'll make the panels. It's only about a 6 foot wide opening, and full length drapes will be made. It'll take me a day to make them. But as I say, I have the equipment and can simply walk in the room and start. This is where I layout items (right now just a PDF pattern laying on the table) and the iron on the left is a full 7 liter boiler iron and the one on the right is a hybrid - both boiler and steamer but on a smaller scale. I keep my patterns filed in that little unit to the right.

as @Upsydaisy mentioned - I've got a good mix of domestic and industrial equipment. Those are from left, a regular mechanical sewing machine, then a computerized sewing/embroidery machine, then a domestic serger and behind that another babylock serger that I use for fine fabrics, on the right is an industrial serger.

then I have a blind hemmer, an industrial straight stitch and button and grommet presses and loads of other fun equipment
It's only much in the last 6 months that I really started into making clothing. I've made my coats and jackets in the past but sewing tops and trousers is fairly new to me.

Got lots to learn and one of my friends who is a skilled tailor told me that there are no errors in sewing, just opportunities for new designs! I'll take her word for it

 

@Retired I just followed your link and that is a dandy source for people your side of the pond!

 

Thanks for that link Colin, looks really good!

 

I've turned green with envy Lori.

 

Totally agree @Logan that's my problem here too, nowhere to purchase the fabric.

 

@Retired thanks for that link it looks great but a bit too expensive for me.
We have The Works here that's where Keith gets most of his supplies and from Amazon. That's great about Bron's cards they look amazing.

Thanks @CanadianLori your room looks great, i haven't got a spare room for all that equipment. It's funny i only made tops, skirts and trousers.
I did make a mans shirt a long time
ago that was challenging. I've always been into sewing but learnt how to use a pattern when i went to secondary school. Made my first blouse and a nighty. The lesson wasn't just for sewing we did knitting and cross stitch. Always liked making things.
When I lived in Worcester used to be able to get fabric, there used to be a Woolworths to get the zips and thread. The fabric and patterns from Russell and Dorrell but they're gone now.
But as i say it's Birmingham to go to for that, but have to be careful there's a lot of pic pockets there.

@Upsydaisy you're right it's difficult to get it.
There's one shop in town but only got a small range, but don't like working with stretch fabrics.

 

I made this about a year ago, the fabric is cotton and there's lace on the bib and sleeves. Not sure if i should have done the lace in a different colour but there wasn't much to choose from. After i made it and put it on it looked more like a smock and I'm not sure if i like it, maybe if i wash it, it will be better.

this is the sleeve.

The fit is great though, i could do with a new sewing machine.

 

Hi,

You're most welcome Logan. Craft items of any kind are generally expensive possibly due to low demand; with each passing year people are spending less time on hobbies and more time on mobile phones or visiting MacDonald's.

When I started restoring vintage valve radios after retiring in 2000 there were electronics stores where components could be bought; we visited this store many times often weekly;



After 70 years trading it finally closed. We also used to visit Maplin's but Maplins became useless for components finally selling junk that didn't interest us at all now Maplin's too have closed. Fortunately all the components are readily available online and perhaps this online buying has resulted in both companies folding; a shame but people are increasingly lazy unlike us gardeners and crafters.

There are five basic joints in TIG welding; this morning I completed the last two; Butt and Edge joints so I feel proficient enough to move on to projects.

View attachment 133520
Edge joint.



Butt joint.

I find those who have hobbies are generally interesting people to know and are usually cheerful and happy; those who just concentrate on making money are usually downright miserable.

Our neighbours gardener Paul has just phoned us; Paul is very hardworking and trustworthy; we've known him a few years and always enjoy a natter with him. Last year Paul told me about a repair that had been carried out on one of his petrol mowers and he explained that one of the control cables had broken; the service guy charged £60; I asked Paul to let me have a look so he brought the mower up specially; I've never seen a worse bodge job. I said to Paul in future I'll do all your equipment servicing free of charge regarding labour you just pay for parts against recipes; Paul obviously was delighted but said he was more than willing to pay because he's seen lots of work I've done; funds aren't a problem to us and I like pottering around I told Paul to keep it to himself otherwise we'd have a long queue at our door. This morning Paul asked if I would show him how to service a petrol mower he would take a full Monday off next month; I had suggested I show him a while ago saying it would be in his interest to learn rather than just let me do the work; Paul hasn't a clue about mechanics even unable to sort a spark plug out; I've now got an apprentice and basic servicing is just so easy; oil; air filter and spark plug covers most of it; few tools are needed and I've got plenty of spare tools so hopefully Paul will avoid being ripped off in future.

I did sort the control cable for him; the service guy had installed a cable 13" too long wrapping the inner around the lever; I've never seen such poor workmanship; I made a new nipple and shortened the cable to it's correct length. Such work is very easy for me and once Paul can do basic servicing I'll show him how to decoke and grind valves in etc. In future with luck Paul will be able to do all his own servicing just for the cost of parts. It's not difficult it's usually the labour which costs the most.

Kind regards, Colin.