Divinely Crafty

I got tested today on my culinary skill~z.  I passed.

Actually, I think I did brilliantly if I do say so myself. (and i do.  say so myself, that is.) I was told 20-25. 30 showed up hungry.  There was *just* enough.  Some people got second helpings, so no one went without.  But more would have been better.  What can ya’ do? eh!

They asked me back to cook next week two days for someone going on holiday.  That is a good sign.  Axel said that the word on the farm was very favorable.  Hooray!  I love to cook.   And it is cooking with really great food.  I used veggies grown in the college market garden and meat raised right there.  That is pretty cool if you think about it.  It isn’t fancy, but it is good.  My forte’ is seasoning so I can usually make something special out of odd bits.  I learned today as more people kept coming in past blessing the meal these few key tactics in cooking on the farm:   Think quick, keep it simple. Dazzle them with a splash of flavor.

I am really happy to be able to do this.  One of my wishes is to be cook for ‘our vineyard’.  Wherever, whenever….if….thats why its called a wish. So this feels like a glimpse into a wish.  cool.

Making full use of my new skirting/drying table. Airing out my Lleyn fleece which got soaked in a summer shower the other night. Bad me thinking it couldn’t possibly rain. Dyed up some of the odd bits of lleyn and dorset that I got several bags of. Much of it will become batting/stuffing or core fiber for needle felting, but oh what lovely stuffing it shall be. Now just to decide what to make with it…
Been shopping some lately too. Ordered hand carders and a new drop spindle. And a niddy-noddy. And some yarn. I forgot to get needles…do I dare get another thing? I hope I sell some of my stuff in my Etsy store. Not sure what I have up there is really what the demographic there is very hip to. I dunno. But maybe someone will see it and like it. I am working on taking pictures of some super cute dresses for girls that I made. Some really sweet stuff. I need to stop playing with wool for a moment and get these darn things listed!

Yesterday Axel made me a skirting/drying frame. Made from salvaged wood and chickenwire that was being discarded at the farm. It fits perfectly on the table top outside, which is where I will use it until he builds supports for it.

With the weather as unpredictable as it can be around here (English summer is a real mixed bag…) I need to be able to have an indoor spot to work. I have grand plans for the garage, where I am slowly but surely establishing my spot (it started as just needing space to hang herbs to dry) among the bikes,books and other rapidly accumulating stuff. Hopefully I can get this arranged into a nice little workshop. For now its kind of a frightening mess. A work in progess, if you will.

I sewed something!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!We have been here for nearly a year (17 July is our anniversary) and this is the first piece of clothing I have sewn in all that time. I have made pillow cases and costumes, but no clothing. Anyone who is familiar with me knows that is a serious blip. I don’t know what it was that kept me from my machines, but hopefully I have my sewing mojo back and this will be the start of something good.

So what did I make for my re-debut? A dress for ME! Yippy! My shopping trip to Brighton this past weekend inspired me to get busy. As I browsed the shops and choked on price tags, I made mental notes of elements I liked. I tried things on and decided which ones were good on me and then came home to attack my stash. (Which has been faithfully waiting for my attention nicely packed away in a cupboard.) I winged the pattern design, sketched out on a few select pages of the Sunday paper. A few try-ons and adjustments had me wishing I had a dress makers form, but eventually I got it right. Well, as right as I need it to be anyway.

Lightweight cotton print knit, mock wrap, empire waist bodice with a line skirt.

Close up of the print.