We thought we had been organised in using the back bedroom to store everything from the hall and bathroom but then the plumbers arrived. That meant emptying the airing cupboard too. And then they wanted the carpets and floorboards up as well. John was here alone as I had been rushed into hospital and so everything was moved rather quickly into the only room left, our bedroom! Well that was a bit of a mess.
The thermo store looks like something Heath Robinson would be so proud of. John managed to take out the remains of a chimney in there and gained a lot of room. There is still plenty of work to be done to tidy everything up and totally rebuild the airing cupboard but we have heating and hot water again.
I was in hospital from the Monday to Friday night as I had lost 8 pints of blood in less than 36 hours from 3 lesions in my stomach. Looking at the photos of inside I have very thin stomach lining and I know I'm ulcer prone, too many years taking Voltarol. Unfortunately one of these lesions seems to of happened over a vein and bled rather heavily. We can only guess that, as it is very near my hernia, it rolled and split. I wasn't very well for a time and had to have four blood transfusions. Mind you with all the moving of stuff and no water perhaps the hospital was the best place to be for a while there!
The rest of the build is coming along nicely with more plumbing in the bathrooms being finished, plasterboard going up and the whole of the old roof being replaced as well as the new bit. We also opted, after a lot of thought and looking at many options, to go for lovely eco cedar cladding along the back and gable cheeks. That has also all arrived.
The new windows arrived two weeks ago but they had made them in the wrong colour. As they were timber and not painted they have had to be totally remade again, a bit of a delay!!! In less than two weeks we leave for Australia. Luckily the builder is staying here to carry on and hopefully the windows will arrive for him to fit so he won't be working in the dark for too long!
As you can imagine I haven't been too well to make much. The brain has been more than a little foggy. Not sure if it's lack of blood, lack of oxygen or just me in general! I could spend a little time sitting at the kitchen sink using up some of the felting wools I bought for the Fiona Duthie workshop on making felt wrapped soaps. Quite a pleasant task and something to go on the charity table at next years open studios.
I also completed the online workshop to make wands. A strange subject I know but one that took my fancy. I also made a stand to keep them in and this is the end result.
They were very hard to photograph! I think it was because of all the bling and spangles.
I think I have an appointment to finalise the bedrooms today and then I will go and potter in the studio. No bending or lifting to strain the tum and plenty of sitting down as I run out of puff pretty quick.
I posted about the machines on Facebook and totally forgot to blog about them!
Aren't they sweet!
John bought me the Wilcox & Gibbs. She is 10" to the top of the wheel and sews a beautiful chain stitch like a dream.
As that one looked a bit lonely we then bought the immaculate little Essex which also sews beautifully and is 7" to the top of the spool pin.
And it came with this diddy, teeny child's Casige which is only 5.5" to the top of the spool pin and works too.
In the making department I have been cracking on with the EG Course and two Artful Gathering workshops. I would show progress pictures but I usually don't because the course tutor has gone to a lot of trouble to put these together and I think progress pictures would undermine that and probably breech a copyright or two. They are also paid for courses and again it's wouldn't be fair on the tutor to bandy her lessons about freely on the internet. I'm sure you understand!
I did finish another Olivia cardie.
It just needs blocking and buttons but it's a lovely crinkly lightweight yarn by Sirdar called Raffaella. I have so many spare and odd balls now I can see where the term Granny Blanket came from! I must do something with them all. Perhaps a crocheted blanket.....
It was also Mike's birthday a couple of weekends ago and I drew a portrait of Grandpup Remi for him.
In case you were wondering about the rusty nails panel, they have oozed a little!
Don't forget all pictures can be clicked on to be made bigger.
I will confess that in the beginning I did spray with a little salty water but other than that they've done their own thing. No idea why some marks went up and some down but I'm happy with that.
The build is plodding along. We are all Celotexed in so it's almost like having real walls. The roofer starts next week. Wiring for the solar panels is in place as is most of the rest of the wiring. The Plumber is also starting next week to install a whole new thermal store system, could be fun juggling the amount of water we have to use! Bathrooms are all ready to be delivererd and the bedrooms are in the plans stage. Can't move in the garage for 'stuff'!
Finally hello to new followers, waving madly from the outer reaches of Dorset. I'm glad you found your way over.
Keep cool in the heat everyone! Unless you're down under of course.
