Moving Chaos

I had a great team of friends help load up the removal van and it all fitted in - only just! My journey with a brief stop took about 8 hours but the van man got stuck in a traffic jam for hours and eventually turned up the next morning. He then discovered that the roller door was jammed shut because some stuff had shifted. We levered it it open a little with blocks of wood and a plank then my sister became “Flat Stanley”, shimmied into the van and dislodged the longarm poles. 

We quickly realised that the garage would not be suitable for long arming and storage so decided that the longarm would have to go indoors which is actually a much better solution, especially in winter. The garage is in utter chaos with all of my boxes and bags just being dumped in a bit of a heap. 

The problem with moving all of my belongings into my mum’s house is that it is already pretty full so it is like a game of very tricky Tetris trying to put everything away tidily. In reality, most of my stuff will have to stay packed up in the garage, just better organised.

I had a go at starting to set up the longarm but it was really difficult even though I have done it before. The manual is dreadful - the text makes no sense to me and the photos are awful. There is a YouTube video which is a bit better so I will watch it 25 times and might get there in the end.

I visited Nella’s new digs and had a bracing trip to Cromer for chips. She is delighted that she will be able to see me whenever rather than just a few times a year.

Nessie is happy that she has boys and cats to play with…

Are We Ready to Go?

 Just like that it was my last week at Quilt Direct. There were 2 hectic days at the start of the week while an Embroidery Mastery class was running. There was much running about fetching goodies from the warehouse for the attendees and many, many cups of tea to make. My final 2 days were spent teaching how to be confident and creative with the L890. The pupils all enjoyed exploring the techniques like gathering, flatlock and fringing. My colleagues had a whip round and gave me some money towards getting a 3D printer because I want to make an army of gnomes;) Or maybe some useful sewing notions.

We packed up the longarm and put its “brain” into a box. I have set it up before and dread doing it again but will have to just sort it out and get it back working on quilts in Norfolk.

I packed some more boxes wondering why I have so much stuff and worrying about fitting it into the van

I went out for Sunday dinner with my friend, Jo, who made the most incredible version of Nessie with a kilt and sporran. The details and skill are amazing and the head even moves. 

I can’t believe I move on Tuesday - my plan for Monday involves taking Nessie for a haircut, dismantling my bed and trying to box up whatever random items are left.

Next week’s blog will be written in Norfolk!

Rapidly Counting Down

How can it only be that I have one working week left in Devon? The time since I started packing has flown. I just want to get going now because almost everything is packed but I am trying to savour living by myself in my own space.

I reduced the price of my velvet sofa on FB Marketplace and found a buyer but they want to pick it up this weekend. I don’t have any garden chairs left then figured I could move one of the hideaway single beds downstairs to make into a temporary telly-watching spot. 

I have insisted that the Van Man hires a bigger van but I still have nightmares that my goods and chattels will not fit and will have to be left on the street.

I am at a bit of a loose end - I have no projects, can’t do any more packing, the friend I was going to visit is ill and the house 2 doors down has dug up the alley so it is a bit of a faff to get out. Maybe I will go and read a book and try not to feel guilty about that!