Getting The (Sewing) Needle

From Facebook Archives

23 February 2025 at 13.36

Thanks to being overambitious patching Thunderthighs' jeans, 

I only have one spare sewing machine needle left.

Is there anywhere other than John Lewis to buy them from?

Erica  Amazon? We’ve had them from there.

Miss Doozer  First for Fabrics on the industrial estate opposite ASDA  https://www.1stforfabrics.co.uk/ 1st For Fabrics | Fabric Emporium | Newcastle upon Tyne.

I should also have (somewhere) some spare Singer Universal Cotton 2020 and Stitch (Stretch) 2045 sizes 80/11 & 90/14 (130/705)

Mrs Bun  Hobbycraft x

Mrs Quilt  Hobbycraft is the nearest to you that's open on a Sunday. Check if you can buy "Denim" or any other word that indicates a heavy weight needle!

Ms RM  Yorkshire Trading I normally find the cheapest

Mrs Lasage  Ben I can send to you if you PM address I will pop in the post tomorrow xxxx

24 February 2025 at 08.39

I have completely caught up with the repair and reuse sewing basket.   

Three pairs of jeans, two pairs of denim shorts, a pair of pyjama bottoms and several t-shirts, all Thunderthighs', patched or seams resewn (including one trousers pocket), one pillowcase reseamed and another created from the remains of two where the other halves were so bad they've gone for tea towels.

Paganess  You put us all to shame!

Fester got a packet of needles from the haberdashery in the Grainger Market, whose helpful staff got exactly what we needed when he explained what was required.

 

The Range

First thing Thursday morning I had a finance meeting with the CEO and Treasurer of LDNE.

Getting dressed I said to Fester 

“I think I might pop into 

The Range on the way home and get some seeds.”

“That'ud be good; which ones?”

“Oh - just ffa and parsnip.”

“What about tomatoes and pumpkins and marrows?”

“It works better when we get them at allotment sales.”

The meeting went well, I parked outside The Range at about half past ten, collected a wheely basket and went into the gardening section.

I ended up with: 4 packets of different types of parsnip seeds; 3 of broad bean (ffa); 3 of radish; 2 spring onion; 4 nasturtium and one dwarf pansy.

As they were in the same section, bags of peanuts and suet for the bird feeder.

Then had a 'little look around, just to see'.

Found toiletries: a pack of cottonwool balls; one of cottonwool pads; a tub of moisturising aqueous cream with aloe-vera; another with cocobutter; a tube each of Argon oil shampoo and conditioner.

Then some gifts (get them when you see them); a cuddly bird hot-water-bottle; three A5 notepads for Easter/Father's Day/Fester's birthday.

In household items, a packet of curtain hooks.

Finally in crafts: a sheet of orange felt and one of orange foam for knitted chick beaks.

One hour and forty odd quid.

I had thought of going into Wyndsor's World of Shoes as I probably need a pair of trainers, but I didn't have the heart.

Waterworks Countdown

On Wednesday afternoon Thunderthighs went to wash his hands and called from the bathroom

“There’s no water coming out of the tap.”

I went downstairs, where Fester informed me that there was water coming out of the kitchen tap but very slowly.

Texted the neighbours who had received alerts from the water board.

Miss Doozer opined “I can only assume Northern Gas Networks hit the main in their quest for gold at Four Lane Ends.”

They’ve had the road up at the junction for some time causing quite a traffic tailback at peak times.

The water-board said they would be working on it and it should be rectified by 7pm, and to run the taps for 40 minutes if the water was discoloured.

I advised Thunderthighs, who was fretting, that there was plenty of hand-sanitizer to clean his hands.

After tea Fester decided we should check whether it was back on.

We were sitting in the office and, apparently being unable to walk the four yards along the landing from the office to the bathroom, he calls Thunderthighs down out of the loft.

"Thund, go and run the cold tap in the bathroom to see if it's discoloured, but give it 30 seconds."

Off he lumbers, water runs and then we hear "Dodo, dodo, dodododo, boom" a la Countdown.

Collapse of aged parents.

He reports back to us holding his ipod, which he has used to time exactly 30 seconds.

 

Variety Is The Spice

Very few facebook posts to choose from, and those all short.

But I’m posting late today because of an early meeting and I won’t be posting tomorrow so chew over these…

From Facebook Archives

20 February 2011 at 08:08 ·

All packed and ready for the Scottish trip - tata til Thursday

20 February 2012 at 10:58

Today: Ferretfingers’ college has training day. 

Tomorrow: take Fester to farm and Tesco.

Wednesday; collecting for Marie Curie Cancer Care. 

Thursday; volunteering at Learning Disabilities Federation. 

Friday; collecting for Marie Curie. 

Another full week!

19 February 2015 at 12:37

First crocus up and frog moving in pond #signsofspring

Mrs Poet  Keep French out of our ponds .

Bentonbag ... tell 'em to leg it and take their snails with them.

19 February 2018 at 11:22

I've spent the last two Friday knit'n'natter sessions alternately stuffing and sewing up teddies and shoving chocolate eggs up chicks' bottoms.

20 February 2024 at 19:25

Sitting watching Pointless and the couple said they would use any winnings on 

Inter-railing 'albeit a little later than most'.

"That would be good" I said wistfully "I wonder how much it would cost to get someone to mind Ferretfingers for three weeks.  Probably more than taking him."

"And he wouldn't like it being left behind."

"Nor would his brother ... mind you, that would be a good reason for doing it."

Their father gave me a reproachful look 

"This is not a sword dancing team, where winding people up is de rigeur."

Paganess  Leave all three behind, they'll muddle through and you can have a ball

Bentonbag  I would but need his credit card, and someone to carry the bags, frighten footpads, scoundrels etc

Paganess  Steal his credit card and use it to hire a body guard, simples

Mrs Leftfoot  Yeeeeessssss!  Two go interrailing.  Yahooo!  Think how many months that would cross off.  We wouldn’t "have to" meet up again for another year or so.

 

(photo credit George Boznyak 1994)