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ARRRRRRRRRRGH!

Still sick.  Been in bed most of the week.  BORED!! So I must be getting better - although my cough is still quite scary and the aches are undiminished *sigh*

Also, it’s very very hard to lose weight when all you do is sleep and eat.  Funny that.

Today was, however, a Good Mail Day: The latest  Quilts Japan; the new Threads, the latest Cloth Paper Scissors - and two patterns from Christine Johnson (the wrap dress, and the princess top/shirred top pattern).

Read two Charles Stross novels yesterday (Glasshouse and Halting State).  Brilliant sci fi writing - Glass House references one of my faves (The Forever War by Joe Haldeman)  as well as a lot of other sci fi; but don’t even ATTEMPT Halting State unless you’re at least marginally familiar with computer science/A D&D/sysadmin work.  If you have a working knowledge of those, then you’ll love it.

Also in recent reading: three of the Sir Baldwin de Furneshill series by Michael Jecks - 14th Century murder mysteries; another couple of Chelsea Quinn Yarbro’s Count Saint Germain series (which is far more an excuse to write about interesting historical periods than blood & gore vampire stuff.)

No new sex-and- shopping finds - although I am waiting on several on the reserves list at the local library.

All of which is merely a lead in to showing you this (very rough, he didn’t want me to post it!) cartoon by Mr Beloved about my reading habits:

Click for bigger; the caption reads:

Chocolate-eating Vampire Quilters in Manolos Go Shopping For Love.

Yep, I’d read that - would’t you?!

Cos right now, I feel like a steamroller has run over me.  The Cold from Hell (now with added asthma!) is still dominating my life. Ick.

Look for me as soon as I can remember how to breathe and think simultaneously,

C

MAKE ME SICK!

I am down with The Dreaded Lurgey.  Mr Beloved even had to go to the LIBRARY For me today - so you know I’m really crook!

Arrrgh.  Bed, again. Still. Grrr.

Sorry for the not posting thing - I am spending more time horizontal (and wrapped around a hot water bottle) than vertical at present.

The good news is that I have an appointment with the specialist on the 15th July - and fingers crossed will be able to schedule surgery (TAHBSO - yep, the works) AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.    Yep, then I have to deal with menopause all of a sudden - but at least the ovulation and period pain WILL BE GONE FOREVER, muaaa haaa haaa!

My GP is wonderful and agrees that after an (unsuccessful - it made things WORSE) trial of The Pill this is the next course of action - having a specialist “look at things more closely.”

“They can look at them all they like ONCE THEY’RE IN A JAR”, I said.

Back to bed.

This from McCalls Patterns:

At first I thought it was just the turquoise blue hosiery I hated.  But no, I realised when I saw the line drawing:

wide lapels (ugh!) pocket flaps on the widest part of the hip (double ugh!) and a RUFFLE  on the bottom of the whole shebang? (BUCKET!!!)

I realise that although this has just been released, SOMEONE NEEDS TO RECAPTURE IT AND NEUTER THE HORRID THING BEFORE IT BREEDS!!!!!!

I can get with the ruffle at the bottom of sleeves things - really I can.  On a bell sleeve, it CAN be super cute.  I am waiting with bated breath for the May Burda World of Fashion magazine to come (in about 4 weeks time) because I think this jacket is adorable.

See?  But that McCall’s pattern is the mutant offspring of a princess line coat and a provincial production of “My Fair Lady”.    And even though I would quite like a pair of turquoise leather gloves (well, maybe - although a classic plum or scarlet would be better) NOT EVEN THEY can excuse the hideousness of that coat.

There is no possible universe in which this outfit could look good.  If you happen to see anything like this In Real Life, I suggest you back away quietly - don’t run, you don’t want to attract its attention.  *shudder*

I am cold.  Toowoomba has been freezing cold and windy all day - which is part of the reason I stayed in bed for most of the day.  I’m only up now because even though Mr Beloved has just read the starting grid for tomorrow night’s Formula 1 grand prix, I want to watch the qualifying.

But I have a completely irrational desire to make THIS:

Vogue 8421.  I want the version on the right, with the impossibly huge sleeves.  Do I own this pattern? No.  Do I have fabric to make up into this pattern already in my stash? NO.  I am crazy in love with it anyway?

YES!!

*sigh*

It’s Susannah’s fault - she’s wearing something like this in one pic in the new book, and I am smitten. Also with the vest thingummy she’s wearing over it -I could ROCK that whole look.  Especially now I’ve worked out what shape I am (Vase.  Yep, vase.  Huh! Now if I could just work out what bloody COLOURS to wear, I’d be set!)

The fact that the blouse takes 3.6 metres (of 115cm wide) fabric and most of that is in the sleeves WILL NOT STOP ME.

Being too bloody cold to do anything but dream about it might!

Sorry, all - I am truly miserable and while I lovelovelove getting your comments, I am just not up to replying. Arrgh! Thanks you so much for them, they DO help - but I think something is really WRONG. I’m just so tired and feel so HEAVY all the time.

Mr Beloved thought I was up reading too late- nope, even putting the book down and turning of the light and putting on my CPAP mask at a reasonable time, (ie, before himself even breaks away from his computer!) and sleeping right through until about 5-6 am when the dog says she has to go OUT, I’m STILL EXHAUSTED.  So much so that I crashed out from around 2pm til 7 this evening.  THIS IS NOT RIGHT!!

Did a few minor errands today - needed more pattern tracing paper so I can trace off a Jalie pattern - possibly this one - to make up in the $2 metre knit I scored at Spodshite yesterday.

Also got to the library - my turn with the Trinny and Susannah Body Shape Bible finally came up (there were a dozen reserves ahead of me) - but after a quick look through I’m more confused than ever about my shape.

Haven’t lost any centimetres off my waist or hips in the last 4 weeks - but my weight is now down to 107.9 - that’s lighter than when I left Canberra, at the end of 2003. Yay!

It probably would have been a little bit more if I had said no to dinner with the girls before we went out on Saturday night - but hey, ya gotta live, right?

And now - I’m back to bed. For those of you lucky enough to be able to work, I’m sure that sounds like BLISS - it’s not when it’s your whole LIFE!!

Whine whine whine.

Had a lovely night out with the girls on Saturday night - dinner at a Thai place (Thanks, Sue, for bringing wine - yum!) and then off we went with several THOUSAND other women and a few intrepid blokes to see Menopause the Musical. Fun, but LOUD!

I have spent the last two days entirely in bed - Mr Beloved wakes me up and makes me eat stuff, and feeds me cups of tea, but that’s all the energy I’ve had. Pathetic.

Tried to sew a dress to wear for the big night out and it was even more DISASTROUS than the last attempt!! At least now I know that long full sleeves with elastic at the bottom make me look older than my grandmother…. and that the weight of knit fabrics makes a HUGE difference to the alterations I need to do- which I spent AGES on - and which were then TOO BLOODY BIG.

BTW: I HATE THE F****KING CONTRACEPTIVE PILL. It was supposed to suppress ovulation and therefore the pain - NOPE. after some research, did you know that every kilogram heavier you are than 70kg makes the pill less effective? Great. I’ve had 4 migraines and feel like I’ve had PMT all month and THEN been run over by a garbage truck. And the diet? That’s just a loss right now - I think if I even walk PAST food I’m putting on weight, I don’t even have to eat it. I am NOT looking forward to seeing the dietician tomorrow.

Right, that’s about enough whinging from me - I’m off to make a last cuppa tea for the evening and watch CSI:NY.

The old - straggly, unflattering, frizzly, with dye growing out.

The NEW - sleek (and even I can manage to straighten it now there’s SO MUCH LESS HAIR!) and definitely more age appropriate. Hair colour completely natural (I’m growing into my silver hair…)

Whaddaya think?

It’s sort of a modified bob - longer at the front, not severe shaping at the back but enough to keep it sharp. And I feel so much LIGHTER without all that hair - wow - must take that into account at next weigh-in, LOL!!

I love it so much. I am now officially at home here - I have good girlfriends, and a good doctor, dentist, and hairdresser - I’m NOT (touch wood) MOVING!!

Yes, we went and saw Sex and the City: The Movie. Yes, the dresses were fabboo - and yes, we cried - even the one of us who claims to be QUITE hardhearted shed a tear, didn’t she, Chriss??

Best dress? Ooooh, such a choice! The rose dress. DEFINITELY the rose dress! Not the shape so much (cos bubble dresses on bigger bodies= CIRCUS TENT!) but the print - I am sw0ooooooooning for the print!

Also? Tomorrow, I’m getting my hair cut. OFF.

Yep, you heard me - OFF!!

See, there’s this dyed LINE in my hair (from when I gave up getting it dyed) that looks totally BOGANish, and since I refuse to start smoking Winnie blues and wearing flannie shirts, the only other option is to REMOVE IT. WITH SCISSORS.

My hairdresser doesn’t know yet - except that I changed my appointment from “Trim” to “Style Cut”….

In other news - tonight I decide whether to attempt to pull apart the Domino fabric dress and re-sew it smaller. Cos - this “sack of unsmiling potatoes” look? BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAD!

I can’t believe I just blogged that picture. Have I NO SHAME at all?

Well, since I have…. should I attempt to unpick it? Or just give up??

Remember how I’ve been in HEAPS of pain because of my hips?  Uh huh.

So what did I do on Tuesday night?

Well, because I AM A TOTAL NONG, I put the big cutting mat on the lounge room floor and cut out a dress.

AND…?

Um, you know the feeling of trying to move a rusted piece of metal?

Yep.  My hips.  AAAARRRRGH!

Today has been about three things:   Ibuprofen + heat + extra codeine….

Thanks all for your good wishes - the pain is almost back under control - HATE getting a bad flare-up like that!

So Saturday - was FANTABULOUS! Sue, Chriss, and I went to Brisbane and had a lovely time. Sckafs fabrics was amazing - a real Aladdin’s cave of fabrics, trims, hats, and fascinators - swooon!

Here’s what I got: (obligatory fabric haul on bed shot, for the PR girls!)

From Fabric Barn in Sumner Park: beautiful polyester jersey, cream/grey/black dots - 2.1 metres.

From Sckafs in Indooroopilly Shopping Town: the yummalicious polyester jersey in cream/chocolate different scale dots - reminds me of dominoes a bit! Also 2.1 metres - I was being optimistic about the size I was going to cut out, I think. Might have to be some creative piecing now to get this to work!

And the black with red squiggles fabric - from Sckafs bargain bin, $5 per metre: it’s only 1 metre wide, and I got just over 2.5 metres. It’s permanently pleated, (so behaves almost like a knit - lots of stretch), dries in a nano-second, and would be perfect for a reversible top of some sort: I can’t decide if I like the black or the cream with black side better. In any case, the mark which we were hoping would wash out didn’t - so I’m going to have to plan and cut this one carefully. ( I did get a further discount - only paid for 2 metres, and that was the end of the roll, or I would have bought more!)

Also - a couple of pieces of tailors chalk (chipped due to my carelessness, bugger!) to replace the pieces Constance J. Woodle ate (ewww!) and some new pins - nothing worse than trying to sew knits with big old blunt pins.

And today in the mail: Jalie patterns! I’ve been reading everyone’s reviews of them for ages and not been brave enough to order, but Sue and I took the plunge. First up - the twin set, I think. The pattern paper is HUUUUGE, since there are 27 sizes printed on the one sheet, but once I trace off the right size I think it will almost take longer to cut than to sew! I also got Pattern #2804, the Empire Crossover Top; Pattern 2215 (which I ordered for the little skirt with the attached undies, but now I really like the pants and shirt as well), and Pattern #2682, the V neck top.

There’s nothing on TV tonight after Time Team, so if my back holds out I might actually get something made.

Also in the mail today - something I won off ebay. Which I probably didn’t NEED but I really really WANTED - since I have such fond memories of looking at Mum’s copy all those years ago:

I know, I know - totally frivolous! I don’t have kids, I barely even KNOW anyone with little kids - but - *sigh* I am going to daydream about these patterns! Mum was incredibly creative and took the bloomers from one design, the bolero top from another, and the little hat from a third to design my fondly remembered bee costume (hey Mum, any photos?!?)  All the patterns were given as diagrams - it was up to the dressmaker to draft out the patterns in the correct size.

Right, now we’ve had dinner I can go try and clear enough floor space to actually CUT something out!

Haven’t done a meme in AAAAAAGGGES and since Gwen tagged me - here we go!

7.) 6 peeps I wanna know more about (in no particular order):

Anyone reading this - Tag, you’re it!

Off to Brisvegas with the girls - fabric shops!  WHEEEE!

Talk to you when we get back….

because I HURT, dammit!

Calling the pain management doc first thing tomorrow and BEGGING him to inject my right hip with whatever it damn well takes to make it STOP HURTING!  It could be napalm for all I care, just MAKE IT STOP!

Bed now.

I missed ANOTHER quilters day. Grrr! I am SO SICK OF THIS PAIN!

Went to the gastroenterologist yesterday - he was much nicer than he seemed last year - thank goodness! Agreed that my issues are NOT his department, and also agreed with the course of action that my GP had already planned. Good to know, but not particularly helpful on the day.

Also - he acknowledged that while I don’t have diagnosable coeliac disease, I do have a wheat intolerance. YAY! Why yay? Well, now I feel justified in avoiding gluten most of the time, but can allow myself the occasional piece of toast if I really feel like it.

No sewing happening either - tried a sleeve from the Rio jacket in muslin and Mr Beloved reckoned it looked like something Frankenstein’s monster would have sewn! Also, the whole tricky seam is on the back of the sleeve, where it can’t even be seen - so why bother?? I still like the look and drape of the vest so I might have a go at that. I might even just put a plain sleeve in and make the jacket…

Sorry no posts with pretty pics - all I want to do right now is hunch over a hot water bottle and moan. I realise that isn’t helpful, but you try exercising when your lower abdomen feels like it has a bread knife cutting into it!!

GRRRRRRRRR!

We are total Eurovision tragics in this house. Every year we invent drinking games (Which we don’t actually drink to, it’s symbolic, fewer calories that way!) try to predict The Dress Trend (so far: backup singers in WHITE. Boring!) and get wildly enthused for some obscure country (AZERBAIJAN! You ROCK!!! Devils! Angel boys with an almost castrati soprano voice! Devils transforming into Angels! OMG!!!)

We got to watch the first semi-final tonight (we have been on a Eurovision news BLACKOUT since the actual event on Tuesday) and I must say -I never knew Poland produced so many plastics. I don’t believe there is a single natural element left in their contestant:

(Trust me, those teeth were SCARY when she sang…)

Greece sent their usual Britney-esque bubbly performer (Britney before the drugs and shaved head, obviously); Belgium YET AGAIN sent a group wth an entirely made up language; political voting was in evidence even at this early stage (was there anyone who doubted Boznia Herzogovina would get in ?) and Ireland and Estonia sent joke acts.

Thrillingly - Finland are in the finals again with another hard rock act (minus Lordi’s rubber prosthetics this year) - pure 1980s long-haired bare-chested pleather-panted ROCK GODS!!

Bring on Semi Final TWO!!!

Just watched Trinny and Susannah do their body shape show. I’m more confused than ever - what shape am I??

That’s my silhouette, traced from a photo of me in me undies. (no WAY would I post that!!) You might need to click to see it bigger. The line across my boobs is because that’s the widest part.

I’m on the list to get their book from the library but that’s months away yet - and I’m not buying another book where I’ll only use half a dozen pages! Maybe I’m this shape?? OR maybe this one (if I had more of a waist)

Opinions? What shape are YOU?

*sigh*

My knees are buggered after my very short session working with only SIX different exercises int eh gym. How pathetic! However, I have allowed to three entire squares of Lindt 80% chocolate in my calorie count today, and that has lifted my mood considerably.

And so to bed.

The Plume dress.

Interesting idea, but would it work on a curvy women - especially in a plus size? Course I wouldn’t pay 298 POUNDS for something that’s going to be knocked off in every high street shop anyway. (Unless perhaps it was silk jersey,in aubergine. Then I tend to lose any sense of reason.)

[Found on The Thoughtful Dresser, which is a very cool blog.]

(Mr Beloved does not like having his picture taken!)

The tears were worth it - this turned out to be an almost wearable prototype!  (I’ve said he’s allowed to wear it at home only, he can wear the next ones in public, LOL!)  You can see my review on Pattern Review here.