How many times do you sit down in front of your laptop with every intention of writing, only to find that every clever word or thought you ever had abandoning you?
That has been me for the last month, so my apologies about that. I rather unwisely decided to change jobs at the same time as trying to buy a house, two quite tiring, somewhat stressful activities. I’m naturally a bit of a perfectionist, which can make me a bit anxious at times (I won’t call it anxiety because my fretting definitely isn’t that serious), which combined with stress and exhaustion caused me to crash and burn in quite spectacular fashion. We’re talking tears, insomnia, random feminist fury, the works. So for the last few weeks I have been carefully putting myself back together: early bedtimes, lots of quality Kindle time, no backlit screens before bed and definitely no alcohol. And now I’m finally finding the time to do some blogging.
But I’ve been doing some far more interesting things recently than having a mini-meltdown, including quite a few different sewing projects that will be appearing here in due course!
Turning 29…
Yes, I am officially closer to thirty than I was on the 23rd July last year. Which really doesn’t bother me that much. I feel happier with myself and who I am than I ever have at any point in my life before, and how old I am has no effect on that at all. I’m not getting older, only more awesome. And what better way to celebrate another year on planet Earth than with an extensive fabric shopping trip? I started the day with a mountain of blueberry pancakes in Bill’s, before trotting across town to spend a number of hours in Cloth House, my spiritual haven. I bought a LOT of stuff. More on that story in a future post!
Kindling
Sadly, I’ve previously been a bit of a Kindle snob. I say sadly, because now I finally own one I can’t believe how awesome it is. In the right mood I devour books, one after another day after day, and Kindle is the perfect vehicle for my kind of reading. I can read eight paperbacks in a week without bringing additional clutter into my home. As part of my recovery I’ve been deeply absorbed in the Miss Fisher Investigates series, which I thoroughly recommend if you want a truly unusual, powerful female character. Or if like me you are pining for Australia and love that it’s set in 1920s Melbourne.
Pattern making
I should probably have mentioned this first, given that our entire dining room has been taken over by it. I’m completely in love with the process of creating a pattern from scratch, with taking a design that exists only in my head and turning it into a real, three dimensional garment that fits me exactly. I’ll be writing a full post about my experiences at Central St Martins and the garments I’ve been making, but suffice to say that I’m wearing one of them right now and it’s awesome.
Taking a trip to Nirvana
Chris and I had a little holiday in Hastings a few weeks back, which ended up being less than relaxing because we were on tenterhooks waiting to see if our house offer had been accepted or not! But as well as being beside the sea and some extremely beautiful coastline, Hastings is also a short drive along the coast from Rye. Rye is a ye olde coastal village, the very definition of quaint. Think cobbled streets and cream teas, with some truly excellent jam. It also has a very important claim on any sewists heart, being as it is the home of Merchant and Mills. Now, you guys know how obsessed I am with all things Merchant and Mills. Everything about their brand makes me happy, from their books and patterns to their fabrics and tools. I yearn for one of their pairs of sheers. I spent a happy half hour, and more than a few pennies, browsing fabric and pins and all manner of tantalising things. I’ve already started creating with my purchases, so watch this space!
Oooh, I ‘discovered’ Cloth House last week on a rare trip to London and loved it. Can’t wait to see your haul. Perhaps a youtube show-and-tell?
Maybe I will! I have already cut into a few of them, so I’d have to show the remains! I’m glad you enjoyed Cloth House – it’s one of my favourite shops in London!
I know the feeling on being burnout, I have been feeling the same recently! I do love curling up with a book and I’m definitely getting back into it! Have you watched the Miss Fisher Murder Mysteries TV show? It is ACE and I think you would love it!
Maria xxx
OMG, I LOVE the Miss Fisher telly series – I binged on the first two series when I found them on Netflix, and I cannot wait for series 3 to be added. Apparently it has finished airing in Australia now, so hopefully not too long to wait!
Can’t wait to see your new sewing projects Lizzy! I’ll be back in the UK for a visit soon and am adding Cloth House and Merchant & Mills to my must-visit list!
I definitely recommend them – both a little pricey, but the stock is really special. Just had a cheeky look at your Kollabora page, and I love your Morris blazer!! Such a beautiful colour. I’m also very jealous that you live in Melbourne, I was lucky enough to visit earlier this year (for the first time!) and just loved it. Especially Tessuti 🙂 xxx
Hello! I’m just popping by from the Blogtacular FB group. I had an impromptu blogging break over the summer too. Sometimes life is just more important, yes? It sound like you had a good time anyway. I’m now following some of your online place. Nice to meet you! x
Aw, thank you! I agree, sometimes you just need to get some space from online life – I’ve just started a new job that involves a lot of social media and running a wordpress site, so by the time I get home the thought of spending any more time on a computer feels like too much! But I’m working out the balance. Are you heading to Blogtacular next year? I had such fun at the last one that going to next year’s was a no-brainer!