I resolve

Inspired by Galadarling.com my three resolutions for this week are:

• To put at least one item on ebay - that pile of stuff that came from my parent's house has gotten smaller but there is still a way to go.
• To make 2 present bags - I've got an idea about dolphins, waves and desert islands that I want to try out.
• To repair the curtain in the front room - it only needs a few stitches!

Etsy and Easter

I've had a lovely Easter weekend. I've worked on my allotment (chilly but bracing!). I've been busy sewing while the snow fell outside. I finished off a skirt, turned a top into a sort of jacket for summer wear and put the finishing touch to a bag or two.
I was quite pleased to find inspiration to sew returning. Last week it took me three attempts to do a present bag, although I did finally come up with this. It doesn't show up brilliantly in the photo but it's a cocktail glass. I've also finally got around to putting some of my stuff on Etsy (Do feel free to visit http://www.prettylittleparcels.etsy.com/).

My sister came for a late lunch on Saturday so I had a go at the pot roast from vegan lunchbox. As I followed the instructions exactly and didn't make any changes as I'm prone to do, I'm mystified by the result. It was delicious but it served two with a scrap barely big enough for a sandwich over, not the serves 4 with left over for lunch as the book claims! Pity as it really was very tasty.

I'm feeling quite refreshed and ready for a new week at work. Let's hope there's some sunshine so that I can give one or two of my new wardrobe items an airing!

Trying to stay on track

I didn't post an update to my weekly tasks on Monday and there was a good reason.

I had a hectic week, as I was quite busy with a big event for work. It all went splendidly. One glorious bit was Mimi, knowing that I'd been in really early and running around, bought me in a smoothy. I hadn't had time for breakfast so it was just what I needed. It made me feel really special and supported. Thank you Mimi. If I compile a list of the nicest things that have happened in my life I think that will be on it.

I planned to spend part of Sunday writing letters and catching up. I got up early, made a good start on some paper work when we heard from one of Dear Heart's sisters. She was coming up to London for the day and did we want to meet up for lunch? We rushed around, leapt on a load of buses and trains and had a marvellous lunch on Gerrard Street. I got to visit one of the Chinese supermarkets and bought many delicious things.

However, it also meant that I didn't get all the stuff I wanted to done. I couldn't face the thought of posting and adding the same tasks to my week list. So I made sure that I left work on time to put a dent in my tasks.

I pleased to report that I published one of my draft posts (Talking books), made start on the tie pouches and finished the top.

I dyed some of the t-shirts. However, for some reason we don’t have a plug for the sink in the utility room. I had to produce a complicated arrangement of plastic tubs and weights to stop the dye draining away. The colour of the t-shirts is a lovely olive green and covers the staining, but it's not even. However, this gives the garments a designer, Per Una kind of look. I think with a bit of appliqué and beading it could even look intentional!

Here are my Mother's Day creations. I put a poem inside the card that I found here http://www.thetoymaker.com/Holidays/MothersDay/1Mothers.html This is great site and find it very inspiring.



The flower on the front of this card is actually a brooch. I was really pleased with the way this turned out.

And I have laid out paper, envelope and pen on my desk so that I can start on my long overdue letter to a friend as soon as I get home tonight. It’s been on the job lists in my notebook for way too long.

I’m not setting any new tasks as such this week, although I anticipate sorting through the seeds for my allotment, a second round of dyeing and running up a skirt and a few other bits.

Talking books

This is one of the posts I began writing after I had a few days at home in January. I don't listen to talking books very often. Although I like the concept of putting them on my ipod, the whole thing of having to put them on my computer and then transfer is not something that I'm likely to do. Not when I could just rip open the covers of the print version and begin devouring the words straight away.

However, occasionally the library has a title that I want to read only in audio format. This has been the case with 2 titles by the wonderful Laurie R. King. In fact, I must say here that if you haven't yet discovered her Mary Russell series stop reading this and log onto the website of your local library instead.

Anyway, I decided that I would enjoy a talking book while I was at home for a few days anyway. I had plans to do house work type stuff so a talking book seemed ideal to make the tasks more interesting.

It actually proved to be more of a challenge than I thought and is clearly a skill I need to develop. First of all I had to remember to actually listen to the story and not just filter it out and think about other stuff. This was particularly difficult when I was doing something like washing up. I began to realise how noisy my home is and how noisy many of the activities I undertake in my home are.

Sometimes I'd run out of tasks but want to get to the end of the disc before moving to another area of the house. No problem, I thought. I'll just sit here at the table and listen to the last few minutes. I then realised that I find it very difficult to do nothing. I picked up magazines and papers to flick through. Examined plants. Picked at my nails.

It took my much longer than usual to get into the story. However, once I was into it I wanted to just carry on listening. As discs had a running time of about 14 hours, there came a point when Dear Heart arrived home that this just wasn't going to be possible.

So all in all, I think I need to practice listening to talking books. I think this will generally will help me to become a better listener. I'll be better at paying attention to everything that is said. I won't be so impatient if the story doesn't come to the point straight away. Maybe I can listen to some of my favourite books in audio and appreciate them even more!

Did I do what I said?

Of course I didn't. Despite resolving last week that I would publish posts that are currently in draft form, write a long letter to a friend and take the bags under my desks to a charity shop, my actual completion rate was very poor. I did manage to drop the bags off at a variety of charity shops. However, the letter remains unwritten and despite posting several times last week none of the posts were actually ones that I had begun and abandoned.

So this week I am going to sort out those posts, write the letter and post photographs of my mother's day creations. I might also figure out how to use the weekly resolution logo from Icing who inspired this weekly thing in the first place.

I did do loads of sewing. I made it to the sewing shop last week and got some dye and some zips. so over the weekend I refitted a pair of trousers and put a zip in. then I cut out a top and got about half way through it before I ran out of time. this week I want to finish the top, dye a load of t shirts, make some pouches out of ties and turn an old pair of trousers into a dress. Will I get it all done? I intend to give it my best shot!