"You're a dirty mare!"

Well - it's been another strange day.  How else do I describe a day that started with two crazy ladies running into an M & S café shouting "where are the toilets?" and ending with me being called a "dirty mare"?  Let me explain.

Sewingbuddy hard at work

As you will be aware, Sewingbuddy and I were gong to a Zentangle workshop today in Cambridgeshire - around 2 1/2 hours away.  So we set off early - I left home at 6:45am.  The plan was to get through Boston before the rush hour started and to stop off at the A1 / Peterborough service station for a comfort break and, perhaps, a cup of coffee.  However I didn't reckon on two points:-

1. Sewing buddy would drink FIVE cups of tea before we left home, and
2. There would be a huge traffic jam on the Peterborough ring road.

As we edged forward inch by inch, so our need for a comfort break became ever more essential - we took the only decision possible - and followed the convoy of lorries who came off the ring road and travelled the maze of back roads.  On the plus side our gamble paid off as they took us to the A1 but, on the down side, we passed no suitable comfort break points - not one until we were literally minutes away from the class.  However we decided that arriving at a sewing workshop rushing in to go to the toilet was not a dignified entrance - hence our use of the M & S café at the services!






So - onto the workshop.  We started by tracing a pattern and sewing it in black thread.  Some areas were then coloured in - all very accessible and I was pleased with the final result - eventually using shadow quilting to echo the design.

How it should look like

My effort so far!

My real problems started after lunch where we traced a more difficult design and then used the free machine embroidery foot to sew it - again in black.  My machine just refused to work -sewing round 10 stitches before shuddering to a halt.  Having tried rethreading the machine, changing the needle, reloading the bobbin etc, it was suggested that I cleaned the machine our.  To my shame this amount of fluff was found underneath - hence the blog title!  After that the machine ran smoothly - although I am not so sure about my sewing!  Clearly I have to finish the sewing yet, colour in certain areas and then add beads and sequins.  However it was great fun and something that I would like to practise further.  I mean - come off it - sewing AND colouring in!  Such fun!

Mind you - perhaps I ought to clean my other machine out as well - what do you think?