Hubby reaches his 70th birthday today.  We are indeed blessed to have him steering our ship through life’s turbulent waters.  We love him more with each passing day.

Just a quick note in my blog. I trotted off to see Les Mis, (I feel I can say the abbreviated version now I’ve seen it) after wanting to see it for some time.  Hubby calls it The Glums and as such didn’t want to see it, however I loved it.  Its a three hour spectacle which in any other show might stretch before you like a chasm to be crossed, especially when your bum has gone numb., but these hours just flashed by in a whirl of human emotion often raw sometimes comedic,  flashes of colour, gunfire and song.  It was magnificent.  I must watch the film, having been told about it.

There is one thing that I must remember for next time. The Queen’s theatre is quite small, well it is when you compare it to the Birmingham Rep.  And if I was to look at the distance from the stage one sits in in the best seats at the Birmingham Rep, one might realise that same distance is definitely down to cost wise of 2nd level and even 3rd level seats.  I stood at the back of the stalls, and the back was still quite close.  It must be the beauty of the small London Theatres and is something worth considering when booking in the future, it might be worth spending the twenty five or so pounds on the cheapest tickets rather than not see the production at all.  There is another thing about the Queen’s I loved, I have a 33″ inside leg, the leg room was spacious, well it was in Row C of the stalls.   I’ve never known such leg room in a theatre, the space  makes such a difference to the long legged amongst us.  Of course always check with Theatre Monkey  for hints and tips on the best seats.

I had such a great time, and one day I will learn how to buy really cheap tickets, I haven’t learned how to pick up the last minute deals, hints and tips very welcome.

Before my new found addiction to making sourdough bread, of which I have just spectacularly failed, two loaves went in the bin last night –  they had been proved for too long and instead of rising majestically, they ended up being soggy, yet brick hard flat , inedible loaves which mocked my attempts at mastering the wild yeasts – oatcakes were my main carbohydrate come lunchtime.

Recently I ran out so decided to make some up, my recipe inspiration came from Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, I used pin head oats and porridge oats as that what was in the cupboard and rape seed instead of olive oil, but good Cornish sea salt.  They were simplicity themselves, tasted so good with tomatoes and made wonderful lunches, snacks and suppers.  Even hubby liked them, tentatively trying them, he proceeded to demolish them.  I shall make more.

Having waited with eager anticipation to learn of our new Princess’s name, I was amused to hear it was Charlotte having recently been to Kew Gardens and Kew Palace the main home of King George III and Princess Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz.  I was interested to learn that King George III had met Princess Charlotte on their wedding day and that they went on to have a very happy marriage being blessed with 15 children – and remarkably (for his status and the era) he never took a mistress, mind you, when would he have had the time.   I think its rather cute that our youngest Prince and Princess are named after a true love match all of those years ago and may they be very happy growing up together.

We had a lovely day, it was beautiful, enjoy.

Toile has invented a new game, we are calling it Path Footie. The rules of the game seem to be to bat the ball along, at high speed, trying not to let it veer into the grass and to be able to turn 180 degrees at an even higher speed when she runs out of path and needs to go back the way she came.  She loves it.

I popped into John Lewis, as you do –  we all know its my second home in London – and spotted this lovely pattern, Burda 6950, a button front gypsy styled top,  which I thought would be a good excuse to use some of my lighter weight cotton fabrics to give me some nice floaty summer tops to wear.

I bought this batik in Stratford upon Avon at Fred Winter’s and have long since forgotten the price, I bought 2 metres.  The pattern called for more and I was lucky to squeeze the pattern onto the fabric, I mainly did this by ignoring the instruction to place the neckline casing on the bias and risked it on the straight.   I looked at the neckline, worked out that it wasn’t that big a curve and went for it, it was fine.  This is my first draught, or a toile by any other name, and you know I always do my toiles in a wearable fabric as life’s too short to make it up in calico/plain cottons, so lets have a look at it. 

Finished result.  Mmm, I need a little extra fabric from the neckline  to the raised waistline to accommodate me.  When I looked at the tissue patterns I nearly added it there and then, and I should have done, it also shows how far I have come that I can now look at patterns and realise that I need to make that little tweak.  Its only an inch, but it would make all the difference.  I also think adding a little bit on the shoulder, maybe half an inch, would make it feel more secure/comfortable in everyday wear.   I like the skirt of the blouse, but if I were to lengthen it to make the dress, (I’d need to add extra length)  I’d like it just a little bit more flouncy.  And that is enough to achieve by splitting and opening up the pattern.

Again you can see maybe the back needs to be a little bit longer, just to bring the back neck up a little.

Details are sweet, two different widths of ribbon to add contrast.

And then the waist ribbon removed, so that I can tighten the neckline to allow me to wander out and about without fear of showing a little too much.

Its fun and it will be perfect in the warmer weather.