The Visit

I usually love having friends to stay and the last few days have been no exception, except that I have been sick. A very painful throat, swallowing actually hurts, not the regular irritating tickle, no voice and a nasty cough. It is now nearly 6 days since this started and there is no change. Not good. I do not want to miss work, which I go back to tomorrow and that is because I have a stupidly over developed sense of responsibility.

Fact: The NHS can live without me
Fact: I have a brilliant job share partner
Fact: People (even the hard nosed like me) get sick

If I am honest as well, I could have tried less when my dear friend Francoise was here. But she completely spoils me when I go to her, so I wanted her to feel as spoiled here.

So, we went to Hastings one afternoon. The weather was glorious and we poked around the old town and enjoyed the higgledy piggledy streets.

We saw a lot of charity shops all during her stay and she came away with a fab pleated skirt and me a little blouse.

We went to London to see the David Hockney exhibition but were defeated by the 90 minute queue. She is due a new hip and there is only so much a pair of old pins can bear at times. Consolation was a visit to Liberty London. I have been looking at dress-making patterns on the sly, while deep in side questioning the sense in doing MORE when I want to create more space and time to enjoy what I already do. I gave in as you will read below! I am still however, totally thrilled by this sort of thing:

We went to the Stitch and Craft Show at Olympia. I was not a well bunny that day, but really grateful to be driven to the station, to bus it all the way from Victoria and to be collected and brought home afterwards.

Maybe it was the malaise, but the show did not grab me. There was something a bit shabby about the whole thing. The quilts for the Olympic Games were the most disappointing collection of quilts I have seen in a very long time. (My opinion readers, this is my blog!). There were a great many nice stalls, some brilliant works in all the crafts and the funky Mollie Makes yurt

but something was missing.

I kept thinking that under that roof were some supremely talented individuals and some amazing materials to be had, but think that some of that was lost in presentation. Some stalls were so messy and in fact one or two were even a bit grubby, I was shocked.

I bought a piece of fabric to make a dress and feel all confused inside about my creative 'direction', but in Primose Hill at a lovely place called Sew Much Fun I got a pattern. The owner is a lady called Roz and she was just so informative, experienced and helpful, I left there thinking that sewing ones own clothes (as I used to) is a really cool thing to do. It is really a matter of planning and making sure the job gets finished.

So, we did a lot. The slow cooker worked its socks off a few times and Han made a great meal for us one night.

Francoise went home on the Eurostar today and I will miss her, but I need to refocus on my family now and my plans for our home/life and my crochet and sewing.