Sunday 27 April

Woke around 6.20am. Decided I may as well get up as lots to do. Working on a pattern for a dress for Amira. Made a coffee and took it upstairs, in my pyjama's and slippers. Heard Boar get up a bit later.

Worked for an hour or so. Boar roused Locket and Brains round 8.45am as they were going to church. I'd decided not to as I felt I needed all the time I had. Arranged for Smurfette to pick up Brains & Locket.

Had some of the lovely Rye toast. 

I'm really enjoying it. I get a loaf, put it in the freeezer and have some for breakfast with peanut butter. Yummy!

Brains & Locket went off. Boar and Pa went to Cambridge Terrace Congregational Church around 10am.

I read my Bible. May not have gone to service but still wanted my own time with God. I asked for help with draughting today.

I had a lovely, long shower. No-one at home to need the bathroom, turn on a tap, or anything else. Bliss!

I put on some towles to wash. Then went upstairs to continue working. Asked Smurfette to pick up some more brown paper. I find it good for draughting. Brains & Locket brought it home. 

   

Boar got home. He had dropped Pa at Johnsonvale as usual. Boar cooked some leftover veg for lunch.

I got on with the job after some food. I tried this and that, then decided to just use the basic pattern and take it from there. I finally cut out the calico for the toile or mock-up. I was planning on doing a fitting at 3pm, but I text to say I'd be later. Amira wasn't worried as she was home anyway.

Boar went to pick up Pa. He called me after about 15mins asking me to text Pa to say he was there!!!

I finished stitching the toile together and I was off. After figuring out we could have fried eggs and tomatoes on toast for tea.

Out to Titahi Bay. Amira asked if I'd cut out the fabric. I explaned I never do that till I know the toile is ok. “So, I could change the dress a little bit?” she asked. “Ah. . . .yes.” I said, after taking a mental deep breath!

I showed her the toile. She showed me the pic. THANK GOODNESS! Not too many changes and will actually be easier.

Fitting done, home again. With some eggs given me by Babs, to save me going to the supermarket. Kind thought, but I had to go anyway as I needed to get GF bread. 

I also got some chippies and a calculator for my sewing area. Handy for draughting and means I don't have to turn on my phone every time I want to do a calculation! I text Brains to tell him I was on the way and suggested Boar put the tomatoes on. Ate the chippies on the way home.

Boar cooked the eggs when I got home and dinner was ready.

Decided to do just a little work before I settled down. Had a eureka moment. Had been trying to roll with the tracing wheel

on my green mat similar to this one below.

Not too sucessful, and I thought a bit of Pinex would be just the thing as the spikes would sink in a bit more. Glanced around. . .and there was a piece! Excellent. It was even covered in hessian :) And the idea worked well too. I got the pattern traced off ready to adjust it where I need to in the morning.

I caught up on my blog. Locket came and chatted to me. These conversations are precious so I suspended my writing while we talked. Part of the conversation was around a young girl who Locket was close friends with when she was little. Locket was 4 months old and Emma 2 months old when they “met.” I'd set up a group for families with pre-school children who were planning on home-educating. Maria came with Jo and Emma to the very first meeting. We were in frequent close contact till the family moved away mid-2007. Late 2007 or early 2008 Maria was diagnosed with cancer. Though she fought hard and bravely Maria died on 8 July 2010. A precious daughter of God gone to be with her Lord.

Locket has seen Emma around Tawa, and saw her at Easter Camp. Emma came into the tent Locket was sleeping in a few times as one of her close friends, Dot, was the “tent leader.” Locket said she smiled and said “Hi,” but Emma just looked at her in a puzzled way, as though she was trying to figure out who Locket was and how they knew each other. It may come to her one day.

I picked up writing after Locket went off to bed. Now it's more than time I closed my eyes. I've just realised the time and need to be up reasonably early. . .there's a dress to sew!!

Amira, Vince & Vineet fly away to Fiji very early on Wednesday this week!