Wordless Wednesday, 12th June 2013

 

and two broody hens...

 

and one little chook that doesn't know what (s)he is but, thankfully, is continuing to keep quiet about it! 

 

They're a couple of characters these two and growing into really beautiful birds.  Calming down and coming for treats enough that we're starting to let them venture into the garden, though they still go into a mad squawk when one of the big girls comes too close. 

It's just that I'm still waiting for that one wake up call that changes everything... the nervous anticipation rather reminds me of being pregnant.  A very odd kind of pregnant! 

It's all about the garden...

It has been the long week of opposites; four days of absolutely enforced relaxing in Alicante one minute followed by a non-stop week at work coupled with four busy days of home alone time as the lovely boyf literally got off one plane and onto another.  I wasn't going to write anything those first four days - it would have meant putting down the Mango Mojito ;o) - and couldn't have, not for want of trying, the next four.  Then, come the weekend, when all I really wanted to do was put the other half of the corset together, take lots of photos and tell everyone about it, the Leaning Tower of Laundry and ironing stared balefully at me for the ironing board...

 

I duly abandoned all attempts at crafty creating and the ironing of shirt sleeves and trousers that it would necessitate, and took myself out into the garden instead.  The weather might not be Alicantesque, but the sky is blue and its not so cold that you can't enjoy working up a little sweat.  Plus, there was a tree to move and, as you can see, it is a riot - clearly something is enjoying our cooler, wetter summer and, when it looks as pretty as this, I'm not complaining.

 

Ok, we're not quite at pretty yet, more green, but the flowers are all so close to blooming, I can see the potential for "really beautiful" already. 

 

On the other side of the garden, the fruits are looking really good too.  I have (never having grown anything fruity but strawberries before) been wondering what baby apples and blueberries look like and was a bouncy child when I spotted them last week.  The apple tree, in particular, is looking very fruitful (pardon the pun)... it is genuinely exciting!

 

And my experiments are continuing nicely, two Pak Choi and the celery are growing well.  I started off two more Pak Choi this morning, it seems a waste to throw the bases away now, when you know you can so easily just grow more.

 

The big jobs of the weekend where trimming the Laurel (we can walk under it now) and moving the tree in front of the Sky dish.  After three years of work, the Laurel and I though are now reaching an understanding, it was in such bad shape when we moved in and I had no idea about what I was doing, but I've learnt a lot and it seems to be responding.  It doesn't threaten to fall over anymore and this years is also full of bird nests, which is a delight to see.  The tree that I moved was a moving in present from my Dad - one of his experiments :o) - we think it may be a Japanese Peach tree...  He wasn't sure if it would do very well so I planted it out and left it alone; my favourite, tried and tested, gardening technique!  It was only when the Sky man said "move it" that I noticed just how tall it had grown.  So move it I did and have decided to try it in a the old Victorian tin bath.  I wouldn't want to leave it behind if we ever moved.  The bath had a side drainage hole, which I removed the cap of, and have lined with good layer of gravel at the bottom.  It should work nicely and drain enough to keep the soil from getting too damp.  The soil the tree came out of was so dry that the roots were practically soil free when I lifted it out.  I have planted the tree in new compost but, if anything, I don't want to give it too much "good" after it's previous living conditions.

 

 

Once it's settled I'll trim it into a better shape and keep my fingers crossed for some flowers and maybe some signs of fruit next year.

 

Next job is to get painting inside the greenhouse and finish that off.  The tomatoes and mints are doing nicely in there though; our mad little idea looks like it might just work.

 

Alicante, Wordless Wednesday 5th June 2013

The Corset - half done!

Out of paint and with not much else to do, I decided to put the next panel of the corset together.  That went pretty well and, though I was planning to call it a day, I then decided to "just try" the center back panel.  After that, with my little family all dozing on the sofa, it didn't take much self-persuasion to have a go at the center front panel, spoon busk and all.  I have half a corset sewn together!  Yes, there's a huge amount still to do, but finally, I have half a corset sewn together and it is looking good!

This is what started it all.  On the right is the second gusset piece that I stitched together last night.  I pinned and stitched the three pieces together.  The center and right hand pieces have a small spiral bone, the center piece bone slipped neatly in between the seams and the right hand bone I inserted into the piece and then ran a line of stitching down the outside edge to hold it in place.  I will finish the detailing on them later.

Once the top panels were finished, I added the bottom piece - my last set of measurements work very well.  This is the first time that the three top pieces have fit width wise across the bottom piece.

I sewed the new panel to the first and that is where I planned to leave it... the photo below captures the colours of the linen very well.

The back panel starts with a traditional seam; sewn in right sides together, pressed open and then folded over and pressed again.  The panel has a wide steel bone on the seam edge, a run of eyelets and a thinner bone on the other side of that.  I drew in the lines for each bone, measuring the width needed for the eyelets in between.  There will be 10 eyelets on each side, I will get the lovely boyf to help me put them in another day.

Finally, the front panel and the spoon busk.  As luck would have it, the side I was working on was the easier of the two.  The front and lining pieces are laid right side to right side and the busk laid on top.  I marked either side of the clasps and then sewed the seam in, stopping for each break and double stitching either side of it for strength.  One seam with five gaps to slip the busk clasps through.  Changing the sewing machine foot to a zipper foot, I then ran a line of stitching down the outer edge to hold the busk in place.

The center back and busk panels were then sewn to the the main panel piece (the busk to main panel was the single most nerve-wracking line of stitching I have sewn in a very long time!) and I was happily doing a silly dance or two around Miss G.  Oh, and taking lots of photos!  I am going to insert a spiral bone along the bottom seam too, to kick out and stiffen the shape at the hips.  I mocked it up with a spare spiral but will order two longer ones so that they will run from the busk to the back bones.

I just adore the shape of this corset and the hip in particular.  The texture of the cording and the weight are seductive.  I am seriously in love with this corset and can't wait to try it on... though there's a bit more of a wait before that happens, I shall have to be content to oogle it on Miss G instead ;o)