Elephants and humans

I just had to run up another Sorbetto top in this quirky elephant print fabric.  In a neutral beige colourway, I thought this could be worn with similar neutrals, my uniform de rigeur - jeans - and layered with a cardi of any colour.

I had a steep learning curve and now fully understand why more fabric is needed for one-directional prints!!  Sometimes its the only way to learn...As I splashed out and bought one whole metre of the fabric, I had to get inventive to avoid having either the front or the back of my top with upside down elephants.  I decided to to sew an additional strip at either side of the fabric before folding to create the necessary extra width.  As these are next to the side seams, they are somewhat hidden.  Not too bad a job...

I was also brave when sewing the bias binding at the neckline.  As it was 1 inch wide instead of the 1/2 inch suggested, I thought I would definitely be able to catch both front and back in one sweep.  Ta da...success!


I also added two lengths of cream lace to each side of the central pleat and sewed this through both the edge of the pleat and the front.  This has the added bonus of securing the pleat and making ironing that much easier.  Marvellous!!

On another note, I am losing my faith in human kindness/courtesy, call it what you will.  Is it so very hard for people to make eye contact, smile, hold doors open, register other road users??  Are these people happy?  Is everyone so full of their own self-importance that they can't spare the seconds/minutes for these small acts of civility?  My hopes were raised this morning when a dog walker greeted me with a smile and a cheery 'morning' on my return from the school walk - only to be dashed later on by a lady driver who seemed to forget the rules of the road and someone who let a shop door close right in front of me .  Do you find this problem or are people happier in your part of the world?  OK, enough, rant over.


On a positive note, Mr B is currently enjoying the luxury of a French carp fishing holiday courtesy of an Australian businessman.  Largely thanks to my writing an excellent recommendation, I nominated him as a deserving member of HM Armed Forces and guess what?!... he was picked!!  And  now I am a fishing widow again... although strictly speaking its my own fault.


We are both astounded and overwhelmed that a previously unknown individual would wish to make such a massive appreciative and generous gesture and I must say, it does restore my faith in (some people's) human kindness.