It’s rather odd to be packing the car up for a week in the Peaks: mountain bike – tick; walking boots – tick; sewing machine  – TICK!  It’s been a good week on the sewing front. I celebrated my birthday and a lovely sewing friend gave me a jar of buttons, a pair of stork scissors and a vintage apron.

Button jar with two of my favourite cards

A hurried photo and inappropriate undergarments have not done justice to this gorgeous vintage apron

I have spent the week tinkering about with Lauren’s yoke top – not for me the garment in a day type blogger – a week seems almost the minimum time in which I could actually make something.  I also discovered a new haberdashery in Worthing where I bought all the various notions I need for forthcoming projects – get me – NOTIONS – six months ago I wouldn’t even have known what that meant.

This week ‘s episodes of The Great British Sewing Bee have been a delight – how fabulous that sewing is so mainstream we now have celebrity specials for charity. But ….. my oh my there were some frock shocks!  I sympathised hugely with some of the efforts and the time pressures. For me, sewing is leisurely pleasure – if I had to do something to time it would kill the enjoyment of it for me.

So, here I am now in Hartington, in a gorgeous little cottage I have stayed in, apparently, seven times before according to the Visitors Book. Being a walker and an anxious cyclist, it is the perfect place. There are brilliant walks and lots of disused railway lines which have been converted into off-road cycle paths.

Manifold Cottage, Hartington – a cosy home from home

So, when I am not walking, cycling, marking, I plan to finally finish my silk yoke top and, big claim dear readers, start and finish my new Dahlia! What a gorgeous pattern – I bought it as soon as it was released. I have decided to use some fabric I had bought to make another Sureau. I did have some sumptuous wool plaid (navy and red) but I think I am going to save that and do it with the Sew-a-long as I will definitely need some help matching those checks.

Have a FAB half term everyone – happy sewing,

Toodle pip,

Clarinda x

My yoke top WIP – if Rachel can take her sewing machine to Brazil I can certainly manage to take mine to the Peaks