My Blog

Contrary to popular opinion, I have not spent the past month either chained to my TV or travelling to various soccer stadiums around the country. But, despite being totally averse to anything remotely sports-like, it has been very difficult not to be moved by the wave of socca feva inundating the country. I even have a little South African flag waving from the radio antenna of my car! Sadly, our team didn't make the second round. My support is now firmly behind Germany (you can't get away from your genetics - I am 50% German). Many commentators believe that the final match will be between Germany and the Netherlands, and this will bring me into direct competition with my many Dutch friends - no hard feelings, hey?

On the sewing front, very little has been happening (not due to soccer-watching, I might add). My last serious sewing project was making a fine linen shirt for my dearest husband, whose birthday follows shortly after my own. Despite furious late-night sewing, I didn't quite make the deadline, mostly because of a nasty tummy bug doing the rounds. I still have to finish the cuffs and buttonholes.

Most of my time has been taken up by major decluttering operations here at home, viz. our garage. It had become so bad after five years of being the dumping ground for all sorts of unwanted furniture, boxes and STUFF that we couldn't get into it any more. We spent two whole days carrying out the contents, organising into piles and making decisions to Dump, Keep or Give Away. I am happy to say that we Dumped and Gave Away a lot of things, and that the garage has now become a roomy workshop.



We are still sorting through tools and the hardware equivalent of notions - screws, nails etc. - but we are getting there. The interior needs a few coats of white paint and more shelving, but I've already started on my first workshop project - restoring a little chair my dad made for me when I was one. Forty years old: almost a semi-antique!

Meanwhile, I have been dealing with the fallout - taking stuff to Hospice, cleaning/polishing/refurbishing some furniture I want to sell, taking pics and posting on Gumtree. I also wasted several days looking for curtain fabric for our sitting room/lounge. I finally declared a one-week moratorium, because it was taking up so much time with zero results.



I really need to make some time for sewing again!