We bought a house, yes, you read that correctly! We have bought the house where C was raised. It is in our farm-yard, and his Mother lives there now. She is building an annex onto her other son's house, which is underway. The house really needs gutting, certainly a new roof, new heating, new electrics, blah, blah. It is a major under-taking, and we have no idea when we will be able to afford to renovate it. We will be keeping our own house, as it is also part of the farm. We will live here until we get the other house suitably renovated. It is a very old house, almost certainly from the 1800's. We would love to renovate it sympathetically.
So after a stressful day of signing papers, to buy the house, we were feeling fairly tired of it all. I got a text early the following morning to say that a friend's husband had been killed in a car accident. So for the last couple of weeks my mind has been taken up with thoughts of her and her family, a 9 yr old and a 1 yr old. Not to mention going to the funeral, most certainly one of the saddest ever. What do you say....she is not Irish, they moved here from Eastern Europe for a better life. Nothing I can ever do feels like enough. Thankfully her Mother was here at the time.
We have also made the decision that M will not be making her First Communion along with the rest of her school year. It was a hard decision, but we feel it is the correct one. We may arrange it for when she is older, or not. We will decide later. There are too many reasons to list here, but it just wasn't right for us, right now. So there will be no white dress, for now anyway. M will go on the day of the Communion, and she will wear the navy and white dress that I made as a trial dress. Thank you to everyone who shared your stories of your own white dresses, I enjoyed reading them all.
Anyhow...on to lighter things....if you are still with me that is!
This is what I've been up to...T got a Sketchbook shirt and a Huck Finn cap
The girls got new-ish tops
I got a new tunic
M got new skinny jeans
And a skirt
And my Mother got a new Skirt too
I think that sewing may possibly help me when I'm feeling overwhelmed....what do ya think!!!?
Click on the photos to find out what pattern I used for any of the clothes, it should be in the description. As Colm's great Aunt would say..."I've enough talking done!"
22 comments:
Congratulations on the purchase of the house, Millie! I love all of your sewing, and I adore your mother's outfit. She looks beautiful.
How very many lovely things you've made. All very impressive, and I especially like the airplane shirt and your mother's skirt - such a pretty print. Well done for buying the house - it'll be fun to fix with no rush. And many good wishes to your poor friend and her family.
Thoughts are with your poor friend.
I am super envious of the Liberty fabric - they didn't have any when I last went there, should have ordered online before it all sold out!
Love all the clothes you've made, especially your mum's skirt!!
Sounds like exciting times ahead! When you start on the house renovation, you'll have to blog about it. I find renovations on older/historic homes fascinating.
Thanks Medrie...I will pass on the compliment. She is delighted with a skirt that fits her well. Most others fit either in the hips or the waist, never both!
Thanks Mise..We are looking forward to, and dreading the renovations, in equal measure!
Luckily my friend lives in a small village, where everyone is helping her as much as possible.
Thank you Jo.
The fabric came from a shop in Belgium! It was on sale and still, I only bought 0.9 of a metre (I think) and I managed to eek the shirt out of that. It feels wonderful, so light and smooth.
Thanks Nicole...The skirt is a big hit! I think it is an excellent pattern. I must make myself one soon. Maybe in corduroy for next winter.
I will blog about it Cindy. My MIL will be living in it until at least the end of the summer, so there will be no blogging about it before then, but I am very much looking forward to/dreading, what we will find when we start to peel away the layers of stuff from the walls, and floors!
Oh goodness! You have been busy! I've been so out of the loop lately with blogs and such. I FINALLY got your package mailed the other day! I cannot apologize enough... I found it buried on my sewing table and freaked! But now it's on it way over the sea to you!
Such beautiful clothes! The skinny jeans are my favourite but your top is fab too. i know what you mmean about stress and sewing - there have been times when the machines have kept me sane!
Sorry to hear about your friend. Very sad.
I love your tunic - I hadn't seen that one on Flickr.
And unless it's stressful because of deadlines, sewing is VERY cathartic. More generally, creating is therapeutic. It's progress you can see.
No need to apologise Heather....I had forgotten about it too! I have kind of been out of the loop too! I look forward to the package arriving....you're very kind!
Thanks Kathryn...I have plans for more skinny jeans for her. I got some red stretch denim!
It sure is Joy.
Thanks, it is very comfy for running after kids! I know what you mean about the deadlines....I think they cause me the most stress! Otherwise it's the perfect therapy!
Sorry Millie,sometimes life sucks.
xn
What a well-dressed bunch you are! You're a wonderwoman!
How exciting to have a building project too. The gutting and putting back together part is never that much fun - but I'm sure you'll do a marvellous job with the decoration when the time comes.
My thoughts are also with your poor friend. What an awful thing.
You have made some very lovely things there!
I'm very sorry for your friend, I hope she gets all the help and support she needs.
I totally agree with sewing when things get too much - I found it very calming and it allowed me to focus on something 'nice' when things were going horribly wrong around me.
It sure does for my friend right now.....Thanks Nicole.
Thanks Sadhbh, it really does make me feel more in control when I can sew! I can't even let myself think about decorating! Thanks for your thoughts for my friend.
Thanks Beatrice. I think my friend will get help, for herself, and her children in the village where ahe lives. I hope so anyway. It's a great little comunity. I am glad that sewing helped you, you have made some lovely things recently, and I hope you are settling in well in your new home.
Happy Mothers Day Millie!
What awful news. It's always ten times worse when there's children involved.
But congratulations on your house purchase. it would be lovely if you are able to restore it sympathetically to its period - old houses are so much nicer than new (made-on-the-cheap) ones.
I'm sorry to hear about your friend, that sort of tragedy can make our worries seem small. Thank goodness for sewing.
Angela
Thanks Nicole...I hope you had a great day!
I agree Ana, it was so sad with the kids involved.
I hope we can manage to do the house justice....thank you.
Absolutely Angela. Just before I got the message from my SIL, about my friend, I was telling myself to cop on, that there are people with bigger worries than us. Little did I know how true that was.
I can imagine that you have felt overwhelmed lately, buying a house is one thing, but being so close to a bereavement.... I hope you have been able to give as much support as you could muster.
I am glad you have things to take your mind of things. I like the clothes you have made, but love your mum's skirt (wonder why ;-))!
Funny, I was just about to begin a blog post the same way. For different reasons, of course, but glad to know I'm not alone.
(all the sewing looks lovely, btw!)
Thanks Thirza...Sewing has slowed since, so it obviously was helping when things were difficult.
A-line skirts are pretty cool, huh?!
Thanks Andrea...indeed you're not!
Thanks...I hope I did Thirza..I need to visit her again soon.
The clothes making has certainly helped....an A-line skirt is a handy thing to have!
Thanks Andrea, and you sure are not alone!
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