Aug. 11, 2024

3-9 August

Over the weekend we walked around a few cute little villages around where we’re staying. We found a French clothing shop called Fragronad, which had some really nice clothes. I bought a matching shirt and shorts set which I’ve been wearing everyday pretty much. It’s a really loose, pink pattern cotton. Perfect for this hot weather (30+ degrees).

I love the style, so am inspired to make more of them when i get home! I just need to be able to copy the pattern and find other cool fabrics to make it from. Could be nice to give away as gifts as well. So that’s a project lined up for when I’m back, i’ve been looking for something to my sewing mojo back, and this is a good candidate. Already have some fabric samples I found online.

• Strawberries
• Green Circles
• Gingham blue
• Flowers
• Green Flowers
• Lemons

In other news, i’ve found the perfect YouTube accounts for hand wood working. It’s this guy that has been an expert for a while and wrote a book, never heard of him before, but I think he’s well known. He focuses on fine furniture and mainly by hand, which is perfect. He knows how to do things effectively before the invent of all these power machine tools. Am hoping to learn a good foundation from him and re write my list of tools that i need. Already he’s shown me the bench jig, which can double as a mitre box! Love it. And how easy it is to make yourself. 

Graham Blackburn

Paul Sellers

I’m hoping to surface a good technique for the plant pots that I’m keen to make. If I haven’t said already, my next wood working project will be more plant pots, but try to make them at home with my own hand tools. First I actually need some hand tools and perhaps a workbench. I initially thought maybe I’d try to make my own bench, but then got recommended B&Q as a good place to get workbenches and I did find some really nice ones! It will probably cost the same to make it in the wood materials I would need as to buy it. I do love making everything myself, but this bench I found really has everything I was looking for e.g. a wooden vice at the front and the side. How exciting! Will measure up my craft room space when I get home to see if it fits. I’ll probably need to replace my desk with this and have this double as a desk. We’ll see.

I’m starting to miss home – we go back on Sunday when I go straight to a birthday party. I’m looking forward to seeing my garden and all the veggies that have grown while I’m gone! The best surprise to come home to. My partner and I have gotten into the habit of doing the laundry the day before we go home, so we can unpack a set of clean clothes and not have a pile of laundry to do when we get home. It’s such a good feeling! 

In final news, the cardigan I was knitting for my partner… Definitely too small for him. I’m going to keep it for myself though. Have been working on the final sleeve most of the week. Annoying when I ripped out the initial cardigan, I undid one sleeve then realised I didn’t need to, I could just reuse the same one, the sleeves weren’t the problem originally. So I’m remaking the one I ripped out. But now there is a chance the won’t be the same, since I don’t have my notes from the first time I made it, not sure about the needle size I used. The second sleeve is coming out looking like much tighter stitches than the original sleeve… So we’ll see again if it gets fixed by blocking. Otherwise I’ll have to redo it. I don’t have other needle options with me on holiday anyway, so there’s no time lost in continuing with these right now. On the other hand, the cardigan is looking decent so far, at least for my fit.

 

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