Before Christmas I bought some fabric from an eBay seller fabricexpressonline.  This is the eBay store of Narang Wholesalers in Bradford.

When the fabric arrived we had sick folk and Christmas and I put the fabric in the sewing room until things had calmed and I could get back to it.

When I did open the package I found two of the three pieces I’d ordered to be faulty.  And one of them was a good 1/2 meter short!

So I wrote to the seller who agreed that if I sent all pieces back they’d refund me the full amount for the fabric, plus initial shipping costs, plus return costs.

Ha!

Today I received the payment for the original fabric cost and the original shipping costs, less £1.20 PayPal charges, because they sent the money as a payment for goods I’d sold them, rather than a refund for shoddy goods they’d sold me and I’d returned.  It was also light £4.41 for return shipping costs.

I queried it.

They told me they weren’t now refunding the return shipping costs as I should have contacted them earlier, and they weren’t refunding the fees either.

Now, I’ll admit that I should have checked this sooner, but frankly, shoddy goods are shoddy goods and if you’re selling online your stuff should be as advertised.  And if you email me to say you’ll refund all my money, well….do it.

It’s not a great deal of money at all.  That’s not the point.  The very poor levels of customer service are the point.

I won’t be buying from them again.   They have a good star rating.  But I can’t leave feedback on their shop!  I wonder how many other dissatisfied customers find they’re unable to do so.

It’s up to you whether you want to risk it.

The AWESOME!!!

Vogue Patterns, on the other hand, win my Gold Star of the day for exceptional customer service.

I want to make this top again, this time the version with the tie neckline:

On the weekend I pulled out the fabric and the pattern and laid them all out.

I checked for the instruction sheet.

Nowhere.

I turned the sewing loft upside down and inside out.

Nada.

I suspect the sticky fingers of small people!

Or possibly my inability to find anything up there.

Either way I really wanted to double check them.  So I dropped Vogue Patterns a quick email today explaining my predicament and asking if there was any way they could help.

Within 5 minutes I had a response.  Including the instructions.

5 minutes!!!!

I swear it takes me longer than that to actually open an email, never mind read it, find the required information, attach said required information and press the send button.

So, this is a shout out to Meg at Vogue Patterns, who today restored my faith in human nature.

And that some companies do actually give a crap about their customers.

I’m seriously impressed. And I definitely will be buying Vogue Patterns again.

36 weeks (ish)

254 days (exactly)

That’s how long it is until I submit my last paper of my last module of my degree.

Not that I’m counting!

My French module starts on Monday.  For this I have to produce 4 written pieces, in French, between 500 and 3000 words, dependent on the assignment.  Plus 2 spoken recordings.  Plus an oral exam (about which I am, quite frankly, terrified!)

My English module finishes on 7th June.  I have 4 papers left to write for this. Each being between 2000 and 3000 words long.  Not so worried about this one.  It’s a little more straightforward because it’s actually written in English, which is a start.

And, I need to go back to work for a few months too.  I’m in the throes of searching for a temp placement as I type.

I am, to say the least, going slightly loopy at the thought of it all, BUT, I know that WE can do this.

The Husband and I are a team.  We are an amazing team. He is all hands to the pumps in times like this and shares all chores, with the exception of ironing, because I’m a bajillion times quicker at it than he is.

We have AMAZING support in the form of Ma and Ma SIL and Pa SIL, who will be helping out with afternoon childcare (the munchkins are in nursery in the morning).   Button and The Boy will be ecstactic…every morning they ask if they can go to Nana or Grandma’s after nursery.  They’re always bitterly disappointed when I point out that I’ll be collecting them!

Ah the joys of motherhood!

So, yes, I won’t see as much of my friends as I do now, but we’ll catch up as often as we can.

And I won’t be knitting or sewing as much.  But you can be your bottom dollar I’ll be squeezing a bit in here and there when I can.  Just to relax.

And I’ll still be here.  Maybe not quite as often, but please bear with me.  And come October 4th I’ll be sewing and knitting like the world is about to end!

However,  the odd thing about all this craziness is that I’m feeling ridiculously blessed.

Blessed that I’m healthy enough to go out to work.

Blessed that I have enough smarts to be able to get a reasonable hourly rate for my work.  Not what I’d earn if I was working in a full time permanent role, but this isn’t a career move for me.  This is a means to an end.  And anything above minimum wage is a bonus!

Blessed that I have the support network to enable me to go and work for my family without worrying that my children are safe, healthy and happy.

Blessed that I have a supportive husband who will work with me to enable me to finish my degree.  And that I have the mental facility to undertake such a project.

All in all….a small bag of lemons but a very big drink of lemonade.

I have to tell you that when I first saw this pattern I wasn’t particularly overwhelmed, and, frankly, would never have picked it to make myself.

That would have been a mistake. Kudos to Celia!

I. LOVE. THESE. TROUSERS!

Don’t get me wrong…I’ve tweaked the pattern a bit.  And wearing them I think I need to do the waistband again. It’s not quite snug enough and there’s a wee wrinkle just below the waistband at the back.  My bad!

But.

And it’s a BIG but. (Rather than a big butt before all you wags go there!)

I. LOVE. THESE. TROUSERS!

Did I just say that.  It’s just that they are so flipping comfortable.  My one pair of jeans are too short in the body and so uncomfortable that this is a revelation.  Trousers don’t need to be uncomfortable.  Who knew?

For these I redrafted the leg to make them considerably slimmer.  I love the finished look.  And though I thought I wouldn’t be, I’m completely converted to back zips.  I had plans to change these to fly fronts, but I’m not convinced I will just yet.  Although I seriously need to add pockets for the next iteration.

The fabric is an aubergine wool mix that I picked up from Badder Fabrics in  Hereford when we went to Ludlow.  My new favourite fabric.  Joy to sew.  Joy to wear.

I don’t think I’m ever going to get a perfectly smooth front because I’m so round in the tummy, but these are so lovely I’m willing to forgive.  And I’ve moved slightly in this picture so my leg is causing the folds.  And of course there’ll be folds when you move.  Duh!

But, I’m well on my way to hitting one of my 2012 goals…the perfect skinny trouser.

I think I should make another pair very soon to refine the pattern and fit, don’t you?

And to cap it all, when I’d finished these last night I realised that I had enough fabric left over to cut out another of these skirts:

Burda 8/2009

As the pattern was hanging right next to my sewing table…that’s what a did.

Rather a good day’s work, no?

PS. Badder Fabrics don’t have a website

but they will send out samples if you give them a ring and ask them to.

The owner is a most delightful lady.

 She was charming the day I shopped there and very helpful indeed.  

Just my opinion.

]]> http://pendlestitches.wordpress.com/2012/01/22/the-almost-perfect-trousers-m5238-fo-22012/feed/ 12 pendlestitches M5239 (1) IMG_4039_edited-1 IMG_4048_edited-2 IMG_2543 http://pendlestitches.wordpress.com/2012/01/19/good-golly-miss-molly/ http://pendlestitches.wordpress.com/2012/01/19/good-golly-miss-molly/#comments Thu, 19 Jan 2012 14:31:56 +0000 PendleStitches http://pendlestitches.wordpress.com/?p=2705 ]]> When you’re feeling less than your normal self, there is something rather cheery about receiving a parcel in the post.

Even when you’re expecting it, its a nice surprise, as you never know which day it will land with a satisfying ‘plop’ on your doormat.

Well, today I received these beauties from Molly over at Toferet’s Empty Bobbin, who has been clearing out her pattern stash.

I’m so thrilled with these as not only are they gorgeous designs, but also pretty near my size, so there’ll be the minimum amount of grading to do.

Thank you, so very much, Molly.

I’m definitely putting the blouse pattern on my “fit list” for my fitting course in April.  I know I’ll need a full bust adjustment, but not only will it be fun working on a vintage pattern on the course, but I’ll be in safe hands with Celia, and will get the best result for the pattern.

I’m seeing the blouse in summer weight voiles, perhaps with a perky polka dot or a natty stripe, tucked into straight legged trousers (with turn-ups) with ballet pumps and a jaunty spring in my step.

The dress….chambray…with a fabulous belt and low heeled pumps.

And is it me, or does the red-head remind you of Bree Van Der Kamp?

Off to practice my haughty look!

]]> http://pendlestitches.wordpress.com/2012/01/19/good-golly-miss-molly/feed/ 2 pendlestitches IMG_4027_edited-1 IMG_4029_edited-1 http://pendlestitches.wordpress.com/2012/01/18/barking/ http://pendlestitches.wordpress.com/2012/01/18/barking/#comments Wed, 18 Jan 2012 13:46:58 +0000 PendleStitches http://pendlestitches.wordpress.com/?p=2701 ]]> Cough…not mad!

Although I’m confident there are plenty of folks who would say the latter also applies and I can’t really argue.

Bronchitis and an ear infection.  I don’t like to do things by halves!

So the trousers remain unfinished but I’m on the last sleeve of the Ella sweater and have cast on a cardigan for Button.

Pictures soon of stuff I promise!

Ma, on the other hand, was adamant.  She was getting us something significant and special and hang the cost!

We hit a compromise.

Why don’t you make us a quilt?

Apart from the fact that you don’t have to shell out for it all in one go…it hits the mark in so very many ways.

:: It’s an original piece of art and I LOVE that.

:: Every stitch was Made by Ma with love.  A tremendous gift of love, time and effort.

:: It will become a family heirloom that can pass down through the generations.  A legacy of Ma’s incredible talent for our children and all the children to come.

:: It will keep us all warm!  A necessity when you live in the north of England! (Although, to be fair, I think this one would warm us through a Canadian winter!  It’s amazingly warm.)

And so, last night, after 14 months of incredible work by Ma, and on a suitably frosty night, The Husband and I snuggled down under this beauty for a cosy nights sleep.

The backing is the same silk as the curtains and the lampshades

This is a truly spectactular quilt and we are thrilled and grateful that Ma took all that time to make it for us.

Thanks Ma…we will treasure this more than you could ever imagine.

We love you.

*******

PS.  She thinks it’s not that well made.  I’m thinking she’s crazy!

PPS.  It was still a significant amount of money! And a significant amount of work.   I tried!

PPPS. This was the mystery quilt project I’ve been working on.  Ma was losing the will so I offered to do the hand-stitching on the binding.  I love hand-stitching.  I’m odd like that.

As she’s now a big girl, the required birthday treat was a trip to Starbucks for smoothies and toasted teacakes.

As soon as Daddy got home from work we headed to the park to make the most of the last of a sunny day and try out the new scooter she received for her birthday.

After an understandably shaky start, and with a charming degree of determination

she cracked it

How did it happen that the quiet and developmentally delayed little girl who came home to us only 3 short years ago is now scooting round the park and preparing to go to school?

It’s shocking how much I love her (and her brother), how proud I am of them and how amazing I think they are.

This little miss is beautiful, yes, but also brave, funny, charming, cheeky, and loveable.  Oh and a million other good things too.

She astonishes me every day with small kindnesses, huge fearlessness, an insatiable curiosity about the world and a limitless capacity for mischief!

I am blessed to be her Mummy.  I’m thankful every day that she (and her brother) found us.

Happy birthday, my beautiful, darling girl.

Knowing the usual epic proportions of my to-do lists, and the inordinate amount of simple carbohydrates (both food and liquid) consumed over the Christmas period, I suspect it’s a combination of the two.

Maybe it’s because it seems never to stop raining here and the world is continuously shades of school uniform grey which my mood seems determined to absorb and reflect.

image source wikipedia

Whatever the cause, the outcome has been that I’ve been suffering from a spectacular case of Januaryitis and therefore nothing of any great creative excitement has been going on.

Except the château quilt, of course.

Let’s not forget the château quilt!

But nothing else to show for it.

However…today I finished the 3rd assignment for my English module and whilst I still have 3 to go plus the final paper in lieu of exam, I’m halfway through this module.  The French course material have arrived and I start in a couple of weeks. But that gives me a little bit of breathing space in which I can slow down a little, give the house a good scrub and do a little sewing to finish off a couple of projects that are soooooooo overdue for completion and are therefore really bugging me.

So, hopefully I have more lovely things to show you soon, but the first part of this year is going to be  light on new projects and heavy on expletives in more than one language as the stupidity of cramming two final year (for this read really quite hard) modules into one year (even though I was running out of options and really needed to) hits home and I disappear under a mountain of textbooks, dictionaries and ironing.

This too shall pass.

And when it does I’ll have time to sew up a storm.

And I’ll have a degree to boot!

You may remember that for my birthday last year Ma treated me to a Northern Quilting workshop at The Patchwork Chicks in Barrowford.

I’ve finally finished the quilt.  I call it the château quilt because it reminds me of the carved stonework in the châteaux of the Loire valley.

I know that pride is a particularly unattractive trait…but I’m awfully proud of this quilt.  The design is entirely mine utilising traditional quilting patterns.

Every stitch is made by hand.

Even the edges are turned and hand finished rather than a machine sewn binding.

I love this quilt and I’ve enjoyed every single stitch.  I love the feeling of continuity with women across centuries who have stitched quilts in exactly the same way as I stitched this one.

I really want to make another one…this time double or king sized.  But I’m working with Ma on another quilting project at the moment, I have the Gardener’s Journal to finish, and I have another secret quilt project to follow those.  So I’m not adding another quilt project to the list for this year.

But… never say never!

The pattern is New York Cardigan by Erin Harper which you can purchase on Ravelry (of course…this is one of my favourite resources for knitting patterns).

The yarn is Sublime Cashmere Merino Silk Aran.

It’s so delightful to wear.  Soft and cosy and comfortable.

I love the detail on the front band:

Once again I prove I’m the luckiest girl in the world!

Funny story, though…I wore this cardigan yesterday to take Ma out for belated birthday coffee and cakes and to purchase fabric for her birthday gift.  We were sat having coffee and Ma got up to get serviettes.  When she returned she was laughing to herself.  She’d been thinking as she walked away from the table what a lovely cardigan I was wearing…only to realise it was the one she’d made!

Which goes to prove what I’m always telling her, that she is indeed a talented craftswoman.