Wonky bag.

Hello. It was enrolment day today at the college where you can go along and discuss which courses you are interested in. I have marked a couple in the brochure and wanted to speak to someone to get more information. 

There is a sewing club for six weeks, and I asked what kind of sewing is it, is there a teacher, and what do you make. The very helpful lady said it's a lot of fun, last term everyone made a skirt. Well that didn't float my boat, I very rarely wear a skirt. I told her I get most of my clothes from charity shops and car boot sales, so it seems hardly worth the bother and expense to make my own. She asked me what kind of sewing I am interested in, I said mainly recycling textiles. She took my details and said she would speak to the tutor, and maybe come up with some ideas that I would be interested in. 

There is another course I want to join so I filled a form out for that. Up-cycled textiles sounds more like me, that one starts in November for six weeks. For £40 the price is quite good, and will get me out meeting people when the weather turns a bit colder. It will save on my heating bill, ha ha. 

While I was in town I paid my credit card bill into the bank. It's very low this month, hardly spent anything. A look in the Age Uk charity shop as well. I have wanted a lightweight smart jacket to wear when it isn't cold enough for a thick winter jacket, and not warm enough to go without a jacket. This one will fit the bill. I like the big pockets, it's nice and long and covers my bum, (hate short jackets), and it's like new.   

And it's only £1. I felt a bit guilty for handing over just £1, so I put some change in the charity box. When I have a sort out at home I always bring my unwanted items in here, it's the best charity shop in town.

I was a bit limited for time, so I did a quick dash round Aldi to pick up a few essentials. I haven't needed to go to Tesco this week, so a top up shop will do. Broccoli, carrots, cucumber, 39p each. Bananas 68p, I always count the bananas because they can range from 6 huge fruits to 9 small fruits. I couldn't find 9 today so had to make do with 8. The funny thing is you can buy a bag of fun size bananas which don't have any more in, but they are 99p.

Remember the curtains I got for £1, I got them for my friend but they don't fit his window. I am turning them into shopping bags. This is one I have just knocked up. It is a bit different because I have put a lining in it, just to see if it works. Yes it makes a good strong bag, and probably waterproof, but it is a bit wonky, one side is a fraction bigger than the other side. However, if anyone would like my wonky bag please leave a comment, and I will pick a name out of a hat, or a bucket, or any other receptacle I have handy. I will post it out to anywhere in the world. Closing date Sunday 24th 6pm BST.

It is very strong, will carry a load of spuds, or library books, and is an ilona original, albeit a bit wonky. .

Enjoy the Bank Holiday weekend. Toodle pip

Pimp your notice board

I sat in bed this morning with my cup of coffee, don't think I lounge in bed the whole morning, I don't. If I wake early and don't want to go back to sleep I make a coffee and bring it back to bed, anyway, that's bye the bye. My extra half hour in bed is thinking time. I wanted a quick and easy project which I could whip up in no time and write about it here. 

I was thinking about picture frames, there are hundreds of different ways to make them and I quite fancy having a go at some of them, but I haven't any pictures that need framing, except the latest big one.  I have some wood sanded but I am thinking I want to get on with something else, so I went to The Range yesterday (big department store), to see if I could buy an off the shelf frame to save a bit of time. Well no. I can't. My picture is a none standard size and the frame will have to be made. Next time I make a picture I will choose the frame first. Anyway, don't want to drag this story out too long, I don't have the right woodworking tools for the job, but I have found a friend who has and he said I could take the picture and wood to his house and he would help me with it. That's good, it will save me a bit of time. 

In the meantime, back to this morning's idea. Not a picture frame, but I have a piece of cork covered pin board, which I removed from it's frame to use for something else. I bet most people have got one of these, but I got to thinking they are pretty ugly. So, what to do to make it more attractive. Most people I think would chuck it away. 

Cover it, what a brainwave eh, ha ha. I looked for a piece of fabric. It needs to be loosely woven to take multiple pins sticking into it and not leaving lots of holes. Something with a simple pattern, preferably not multicoloured. This blue one will do just fine.

I ironed it flat and put it face down with the board on top. Using a ruler I marked it on three sides adding half an inch all round for the seam. My piece of fabric is long so I was able to cut the two sides in one piece. Then I sewed it together on two sides, right sides in, leaving one end open to turn it the right way.

The board slides in the pocket. It needs to be a tight-ish fit, if the pocket is too big redo one of the seams taking it in a bit.

Then take a short piece of fabric a few inches long, fold the edges to the middle and fold again and stitch.

At the open end tuck one side tightly around the board.

Then turn it over and fold the other selvage edge over and pin it in place.

Tuck the ends of the loop inside and pin.

Neatly hand stitch together.

And there you have a new notice board that looks a whole lot better than a boring brown one. 

If you use plain fabric you could use buttons or ribbon to embellish it. Or you could add a latticework of ribbon to slot your notes into. If you are making curtains you could make a notice board to match. I think it  looks pretty neat. Have a go, you can hand sew it if you don't have a machine.

Thank you for your comments on yesterdays post, they are very interesting.
Toodle pip

You have two choices.

Good evening. I am dead chuffed when I get complementary emails dropping into my 'in' box, it puts a big grin on my face and gives me a warm fuzzy feeling. Such a lot of you tell me I'm an inspiration, well let me tell you it works both ways, you are an inspiration to me. From the lengthy comments and emails you send me, I get an insight on what's going on in your world, and there are a lot of people who are far more talented and cleverer than I am. That's a new word I have invented, cleverer :o)) 

I get inspiration for blog posts from you. This quote came in on an email recently from a lovely reader.'I always enjoy your blog because it spits in the face of my worst fears- ending up alone in my retirement'.

As soon as I read that I thought, aha, yes, I may be alone but I am not lonely, there is a difference. Living a single life on your own is nothing to be fearful of, lovely reader. You have two choices, if you live in the middle of a town or city and stay indoors all day, you will be lonely, or you can say stuff it and get your coat on and go out and meet people. I have never let my singleness stop me from doing what I wanted to do. When I was a teenager I went long bike rides by myself. Took some sandwiches and had a picnic. When I got a motorbike I went even longer bike rides on my Honda 125. I once set off from my home in the Midlands, kept on going, and ended up in Aberystwyth. I was only there about half an hour when I had to set off back. Boy was my bum sore that day, ha ha. 

I wanted to go a bicycle ride in France so I booked myself on a coach trip. They wouldn't put my bike in the boot so I had to go without it, and have a walk round Calais instead. I wanted to go to Germany on a coach trip, so I booked it and went. We stopped for a break at Lubeck and I wandered off, then couldn't find the coach. They eventually found me. We went through Checkpoint Charlie to the Eastern side, for a look around. I asked all my mates if they would go on holiday to Moscow with me. No one did, so I went by myself. It was amazing, very cold but amazing. I fancied having a cottage in the Lake District but no one wanted to go with me, so I went anyway. Had a lovely time exploring, in my battered Bedford Viva van. 

Look at me now, all these walks I have done, and days out. I don't wait around for someone else to say, I'll go with you, I get on with it and do it for myself. No one is going to hold my hand. So, I know I have two choices, I either don't go anywhere, or I go by myself. 

So lovely reader, ending up alone in your retirement need not be scary, you have two choices. Stay in, or get out, and maybe join a group, get a dog, do voluntary work, help friends, chat with neighbours, coffee mornings, gardening, join a gym, keep fit classes, there are all manner of things you can do when you are retired. I'm sure lots of our lovely readers will add to the list of things you can do as a singleton. 

Retirement is when you stop living at work, and start working at living. Best of luck lovely reader, you'll be fine.Toodle pip.

Please excuse small writing, don't know how that happened. Too late to start messing around with it now, I'm off to bed. Goodnight.

x

Jeremy Kyle, I'm only being honest. Book review.

Hiya, yes I do find time to read occasionally, not very often though. I've never been what you might call an avid reader, I can take them or leave them. As  a child I read The Famous Five, and The Secret Seven, after that I moved onto magazines. Jackie was my favourite. I remember a relative buying me Nicholas Nickleby, for Christmas once, I never did read it. 

Today I own hardly any books, I have given them all away. Except a few travel books, and I think I might have a cookbook somewhere. I think it's really strange that some people have hundreds of books all neatly lined up on bookshelves. I wonder if they ever read them more than once. These days the library is where I keep my books. If I want to keep them for longer than the allotted time I just renew them. 

My choice of reading is autobiographies, and non fiction.  I can't get into fiction, I can't bring myself to read stories that are made up. Strange really when I prefer modern and contemporary art, which is mostly the figment of someone's imagination. The mobile library has a very small non fiction section, so sometimes I am struggling to find something to read. I often take the same book out several times if it is a particularly interesting book. 

The Jeremy Kyle show on the tele may not be everyone's cup of tea, it definitely isn't mine. I have caught bits of  it on occasions, usually when I have been at someone's house and they have had it on. The whole thing makes me cringe. I probably think the same as everyone else, how can people go on there and tell the whole wide world what is wrong with their dysfunctional family. Shouting and swearing are the norm, as is throwing the odd punch now and then, though this behaviour is quickly defused. Fancy having big and burly security guards on duty in case it gets out of hand. Shocking really. 

Anyway, curiosity got the better of me when I spotted this book, I wondered whether it would give an insight as to what goes on behind the scenes. It does, Jeremy Kyle writes exactly how he speaks, direct and to the point. He has a bit of a colourful past himself, and draws on his own experiences to dish out advice. He is an agony uncle with balls, and tells it like it is. No pussyfooting around, he gives it to his guests straight and shoots from the hip. This style may not be to everyone's liking, but for me, I like a bit of common sense, and he has got plenty. 

He had a happy upbringing in a loving supportive family, and admits to being a recovering gambling addict. His daily struggles with OCD still affect him, and he has been twice married, he has four children.

In this book he takes a hard look at the social problems blighting modern Britain, and looks for solutions to repair what is damaged. He maps out an agenda for change, insisting that personal responsibility and a strong government is the key to the way forward.

His show is on the tv every weekday morning, and contrary to popular belief people are not cajoled into appearing on it, they are queuing to get in. Everyone appearing who wants to sort their lives out are offered support through relationship counselling, addiction counselling and detox. Sometimes the investment of months of work follow an appearance on the show for some of the guests.

Jeremy Kyle, although he has a direct and confrontational approach towards his guests, comes across as someone who genuinely cares in this book. Yes, he is a showman, but he has some good old fashioned down to earth common sense solutions to today's problems. I would suggest that some of the out of touch politicians who live in their ivory towers should read it. Jeremy Kyle for President I say. I enjoyed the book.
Toodle pip.

Getting the chop

Hey up chuck, how ya diddlin? Sorry I wasn't around yesterday, spent a very enjoyable afternoon with my family. Pub lunch with sis and her hubbs, then a natter with Uncle Stan, picking his brains about picture framing. He gave me a few pointers, something to think about when deciding how to frame my picture. Well. I've thunk, and I am going to have a go at making a wooden frame with recycled timber. I have plenty of it in the garage. I have also dug out a piece of glass that was propped up against the back of the garage, someone gave me an old greenhouse which I never erected but kept the glass. Knew it would come in useful for something. It is two feet square, I've cleaned it up and tried it against the picture. I wasn't sure I wanted glass in front of it, but it looks pretty darn good, so I'm going with the glass. I've also found a piece of hardboard for the back and cut it to size. So, I have all the pieces, now just have to make it.

It's time for my bi annual haircut. I no longer go to the hairdressers, gave them up a couple of years ago. I never liked how they cut it so why pay money when I can do it myself. I have posted about this before, but it's worth another mention in case someone might like to give it a go. Maybe you already do cut your own hair.

I start off outside so that most of it falls onto the yard and gets blown away in the wind. I put a mirror on the window ledge, and comb through my hair with my fingers, lifting it and cutting the bits sticking up with the scissors in my right hand.

And I keep doing that all over. Lifting and cutting.

 When I get to the back and sides I lift, but then have to twist my wrist and pull the ends to the side so I can see in the mirror what I am cutting.

When I think it's nearly done, I move just inside the passageway between the mirrors hanging on opposite doors, so I can cut a straight line across the bottom. Yes, I think that's enough going by what has landed on my shoulders.

 Is that to Modom's liking? Yes, that will do nicely, thank you.

Job's a guddun. Looks alright to me. Saved me £20 if I went to a posh hairdresser, or a tenner if I went for a  five minute chop at a drop in shop. No petrol needed to go to town, and didn't have to wait for a student to do it at the college.  

If you don't already cut your own hair, why not have a go. Or if you don't feel confident enough, get together with a friend and cut each others hair. It's not that difficult.
Toodle pip.

The sweet smell of fresh air in the countryside

Hello, to my bloggerettes. Thank you all very much for the comments on yesterdays post, you are so kind. I agree that the picture should be exhibited somewhere, though that is easier said than done. I checked out the Ropewalk website, an arts centre near the Humber Bridge, and their application criteria is quite complex. Also there is a two year waiting list. I imagine most reputable galleries will have a similar selection process. Open exhibitions allow one off's to apply, but these usually only happen once a year. I'll have to make more pieces, then approach galleries with a collection of my work. I'm off to see Uncle tomorrow, to ask his opinion on framing it. An excuse for a day out.

So what did I do today? I fancied a walk but it looked like it might rain, and I couldn't find anywhere I wanted to go on the maps. I decided to walk the 5.25 miles into town, have a look round the 20 21 Arts Centre, read the magazines and newspapers in the library, and choose some books, and if I felt like it, walk back. I found six books which were a bit bulky to put in the rucksack so I got the bus back home. 

Most of the walk is quite pleasant, until you get to the industrial estates, then the built up areas on the outskirts of the town. This footpath was diverted about a year ago, it used to go diagonally across the field, now it goes in a straight line from the road to the edge of a wood. The field used to be left rough, now it has a crop, it's used to grow turf, as most of the fields around here are. The landowner is Mr Sheffield, the Prime Ministers father in law, he is not seen very often in these parts. 

The path now goes through the wood, whereas before it went around the edge.

Here is the diversion marked on a poster nailed to a fence.

This is what they use to water the turf when it hasn't rained.

There are underground water pipes all along this track, the machines come along, connect up, and then they are towed to the middle of the field.

I heard the buzz of a tractor and the wonderful smell of cut grass. That's one hell of a lawn he has got to mow there.

The tractor has got extra wide smooth tyres so it treads lightly and doesn't churn it up.

That field is done, so the driver folds up his cutting arms, and goes across the track in front of me into the next field. I love watching anything to do with machinery. I would love to have a play with that. 

There's acres of turf all around here, a smooth as a babies bottom, and very lush.

Hay a bit further on, and I passed a field of spuds as well. The bales are waiting to be collected, and the spuds are waiting to be dug up.

Getting towards town now, passing the industrial estate. The pond is looking like a nature reserve now. It's very popular with dog walkers.

Now I'm in town. This rough patch used to be a multistory car park, till they flattened it. Now there are a lot of wild flowers on it. Much more pleasant to look at. Every town should have a wild flower meadow.

Here are the books I picked up from the library. Going to settle down on the sofa and have a look through them in a bit. Ooooh, exciting, a great way to spend a Saturday night.

My dinner tonight was potatoes, courgettes, and runner beans from the garden. Mangetout peas and egg noodles from Tesco with a yellow sticker. The bits of shredded carrot you see was part of a mixed salad which I ate most of yesterday. I put them in the steamer with the rest of the veg to soften them up a bit. Very nice it was too, I scoffed the lot  :o)

That's about it folks. Heidi cat is still out so I'll go and find her, then I'll get my nose in those books. Have a nice Sunday.
Toodle pip

A magical place

Imagine a magical place where yellow spotted green flowers grow on twisted turquoise vines. Where flowers float freely in a gentle warm breeze, and flowers of different colours hang from the same stem. Imagine yellow and red flowers growing on tall straight stems, reaching to the sky, searching for a drop of sunlight. 

Imagine a place which is so secret, that no one has ever found it, and no one has ever set foot there. Where the only sound is of butterfly wings, and dragonflies, which hover and dart over over a cool shaded pond.  

Imagine fighting your way through a tangled forest and finding this enchanted place, a place so beautiful it almost takes your breath away. Come with me and enter this magical place.

I love my magical place. It is much better in the flesh, though the colours in the photo's are pretty much the same as the real article. The picture measures 2 feet by 2 feet. All I need to do now is frame it.
Thank you for looking. Toodle pip