Mission Impossible ... and a little displacing ...

My daughter and her lovely hubby are coming for supper on Friday (although we're only an hour away it's difficult for us to meet up as we all work such long hours). My mission yesterday was to clear the sitting room floor and all other flat surfaces of stock, stock and more stock.


Needless to say the mission continues today as I got somewhat sidetracked yesterday. Because the old eiderdown I'd been unpicking was still needing to be emptied of feathers, Pauley and I attempted that for a change of activity. Many sneezes later that job was done.


The obvious next step as I was passing was to empty the car after the Giant Flea Market at Shepton on Sunday. Obvious because the contents of the sitting room (and by this time the kitchen, too!!) has to go somewhere and the studio is still awaiting a good clear out to make room for all these other things. It was such a lovely sunny day that it was far more important that I should be outside savouring the sun rather than inside squinting as the sun shone through the window don't you think?






In between all this I needed to sort some buttons into drawers and boxes. Have I ever mentioned I like drawers?? And buttons??

Another displacement activity was soon needed, so I sorted out the pile of recently acquired table linens, which had also found their way to the sitting room, into more piles. I'd cleared a space by removing the eiderdown and emptying a box, so there was room to make more piles! These fell into the categories of needing to be washed, just needing ironing, charity shop, polishing cloths for one of my DH dealers, keep for 'projects' and finally those beyond redemption. As luck would have it a Help the Aged worker dropped off a sack whilst I was emptying the cary. He's more than happy to take as much as I can leave outside for him tomorrow. Great ... that meant move on to attack the garage and find the 2 boxes and a bag of charity shop stuff that has been making its way further and further towards the back as other things have piled in!

So far this morning I have displaced admirably ... I've taken some photographs, and sat writing this post. Soon I shall have to be brave and put my sorting head on again in an attempt to reach the finishing post. I must finish today as Dairy House beckons tomorrow and Thursday, leaving Friday to food shop, take Mum to the garden centre before preparing for our visitors!



If I get a move on I could empty everything that remains in the sitting room out into the garden. It's another lovely day so maybe if I got that far I could then empty the shed and refill it ... and whilst I'm doing that I could begin to sort things into piles for the Vintage & Handmade Fair on 14 November and the Christmas Market in Bridport on 21 November. Now there's a good displacement activity! At least if I've emptied the house Pauley could stay inside and lock and bolt the doors so that nothing can creep back in (until Saturday)!



My vintage mannequins are breeding again. There are currently 2 in the hall, one in the car, one in the studio (plus the little wicker one I used to use for display at DH, and that scary one from way back with the wooden arms) and 2 at Dairy House. Prices range from £100 to around £350.

Moving on to blogland topics, Niki dropped off my calendar order at Shepton Flea on Sunday. Like this year's calendar, 2010 offers a vintage feast for your eyes every month, and each colour-themed photo has a backdrop of Scheurer fabric. I believe they will be available at the Vintage & Handmade Fair.



Last evening, when I'd finally escaped tidying mode, I caught up with a few blogs and, starting with Treefall saw that several bloggers have been making their own scarves. This prompted me (at midnight) to search out the scarf I made in 1978. It's a wool tartan and I'm delighted to say that those wool nibblers haven't found it in 31 years and it's (as we speak) moth-free. I've worn it every year, bar 2008, but it will become part of my 'keep warm at Dairy House' wardrobe any day now!

This particular scarf is over 5 feet long (64" width fabric) and the first one I made. That year there were many wool tartans and check fabrics available in the shops and I made and sold endless scarves by simply stitching along the sides and ends, and fraying up to the stitching. At the sides I stitched a mere ¼" in, to has as little fraying as possible, but I left a couple of inches each end to make a decent frayed edge. Such a quick and easy method. I used to do the sewing when I got home from work while Hannah played. We would then drive to collect Pauley from work and I would fray the edges while we sat in the car waiting for him. Gillie's then husband worked at the same place and we would park our cars side by side and chat while I frayed. I'd forgotten this, but when Gillie came back into our lives in 2002 (by visiting rather than just Christmas letters and cards) she reminded me, and said that whenever she thought of those Northampton days she thought of my scarves!!! Fame, had I but known it

So ... the time has come. I can't put off the evil moment any longer ... shower, dress, attack ... I may be gone for a while ...

Update: I've received an email request from Hannah for baked ham, mashed potato and gravy! As the clearing has progressed reasonably well so far I thought I could spare a moment or two to look through this ...

I now know how I must lay the table ...

and how to cook the meal ...