How to bend your boning!

Anybody would think I hadn't been doing any sewing around here - but I have I promise! Nearly all my sewing time has been taken up with Miss L's Dress the last few throes of which have had me nearly weeping over my sewing machine. Note to self: NEVER sew with that kind of silk again. It's like sewing fresh bubblegum. Boo hoo. It's the hem that's had me in hysterics. I've conquered the outer, but now have to tackle the lining hem. I've been putting it off but I know I have to face up to it soon.

Another problem was the boning. It's one thing to shove flexible metal bones into a firm structured and strong garment like a corset which is built for boning, but quite another to sew round the curves of bubblegum. Suffice to say, that if only i'd know how to do this before today:


It's a peice of riglene boning, heated and shaped. I had no idea! I know you won't want to see it in situ, but this is a perfect replica of one of my own curves!! All you do is iron the boning (use paper on top to protect the iron) then quickly shape while it's warm. Keep doing this until you get the required shape. Brilliant!


The red sash which goes with the dress has had me develop a nasty case of obsessive compulsive disorder. I'm sure i've got the cleanest hands in the village, and I"m sure there are still dirty marks on it! However, the colour is such a perfect red and it's dupion silk, much easier to sew that bubblegum silk. I'm very pleased with how it's turned out - despite the dirty marks. (Only joking Miss L!!)...

Many things in The Marmalade House have been causing consternation this week.

Poor old Eggy and Peggy have a nasty case of Red Mite. I've renamed them Pick and Peck as that's all they seem to do at the moment. This weekend, it will be on with the protective chemical suits and in with the disenfectant. I've been spraying them liberally (as per the instructions) and they seem to have perked up a bit. If you've never heard of red mite, read Jane's
cautionary talehorror story here.

It seems that those red mites aren't the only bugs in my garden ... Look what i've discovered in the greenhouse!!


Apologies for the wobbly picture - there was a spider web in my hair! eeek! ... These are EGGS. Cabbage Whites have discovered my secret stash of sprouting brassicas. So after further examination I'm going to have to seek out and destroy all of them before they hatch. This happened to me unawares last year. One day I had cabbage seedlings, the next day I had cabbage seedling stalks.

Have you heard the wasps scratching your fence yet? Listen. They are building their nests. They have been scratch scratch scratching my shed. They eat wood you see. Then they regurgitate it, and make it into paper. Nobody has yet discovered how they do it. They have signalled to me that it's time to keep my sewing room doors firmly SHUT. Humph.

I have a new best friend who's been taking up the rest of my time.

What's fearsome and loathsome about Mr Site I hear you say? Nothing! Nothing at all. I've been having lots of fun with him and I'm VERY impressed with the package - if you buy it from Amazon there's £40 off the Pro version which has search engine optimising tools and a super fandabidozee shopping cart system. Really good value for money and i've heard that he's putting lots of smaller web builders right out of business because what Mr Site does for £99, they do for hundreds ... and hundreds. Trouble is, I now have a rather larger shopping list to contemplate. Mr Site told me so. Jimmy might never get to university at this rate, but on the other hand, the risk might pay off and we'll be able not only to send him to college, but to buy him a round-the-world ticket too. Fingers crossed eh?