adjustments

Did you join us in meat free week last week. Perhaps its something that you already do regularly. A couple of people mentioned Meat Free Mondays, which sounds like a great way to keep this issue front and centre in the everyday week.

We managed a week of vegetarian dishes, and it was great. I really enjoyed the restriction and how it made us pull out a week of meatless meals from our repertoire. We ate falafel wraps, Malaysian egg curry*, fried eggs on toast (the night we had an early band performance), minestrone, nachos, marinated tofu stir fry and spaghetti squash with something else, hmmm, sorry can't remember!

During the week the Mr and I did something else for our health, we took a day off and drove down the coast together, had lunch at Stanwell Park and swam in the surf. Bliss! It was meant to rain all day but amazingly we had the most perfect weather! And it was such a great way to recharge. We had tried to have lunch for his birthday the week before but things were too busy. I'm glad we waited, it was a perfect day.

This week is another birthday week at our house, a momentous one in fact! My little baby boys turn 13 tomorrow, they will be teenagers!! When I started writing this blog they were just seven, in fact it only seems a blink ago that we found out I was even having twins. I must share that story some day, talk about a surprise!

And now, as my sister helpfully pointed out, from tomorrow we parents will be outnumbered by teenagers! Wish us luck ;-) Actually I love teenagers. Its such an exciting time, difficult in some ways but also an amazing period of growth and discovery. And they are great to talk to and laugh with... on their good days ;-)

There has been some making this last week, of course, there is always making round here!

Cath put the call out on instagram the other day for volunteers to help crochet washcloths for a really fantastic cause directed at young women. I pulled out some cotton from the stash and my dodgy crochet skills and I've made four so far to contribute. Visit her blog to find out more about this wonderful charity which you also might like to help.

I have still been potting away on my wheel too. I like to think that each time I do my skills improve just a little bit. I'm even starting to have slightly more control over the shapes I'm making. My nine week course finished last week, but I don't have all my pots back to show unfortunately as they were still in the kiln at our final lesson.

I've also been working away on some sewing for myself. It feels very self indulgent especially as I'm trying to alter patterns and learn more about how to do that, which takes a lot of time and brain space. As a result the bits of paper and fabric come out every so often and then get packed away mid alteration.

Despite that I think I might just have managed to do my first successful Full Bust Adjustment. I'm hoping this is the missing link in my garment sewing and that from here I will be sewing less shapeless sacks or bandage tops!

I've been experimenting with the Built by Wendy Simplicity 3835 pattern, and I've just finished a fourth muslin which I'm finally happy with. I'm keen to go back now with this new knowledge and sew a Tova or a Banksia top, two patterns I've attempted before with qualified success. When I have some better photos I fully intend to share what I've learned here. I think its such a good thing. If you are anything more than a B cup this is an invaluable modification.

Anyway that's what I've been doing. How about you? How is autumn/spring treating you. Its still muggy here in Sydney, but the nights are finally cooler which I am loving! And the garden is producing its autumn treats, the grasses are flowering and the camellia is out. I do love seasonal change.

* not sponsored but this was a Marion's Kitchen curry. We love these packs, they make a really authentic curry without too much fiddling. I'm so pleased to see she is expanding the range to include some other cuisines alongside the red and green Thai curries we love.