So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, goodbye...

I've just said goodbye to my faithful old Dell laptop, which I've had for 5 years - I wanted to get some more RAM (that's Random Access Memory, for those who don't know, and it's what your computer uses to put stuff it's using short term, so, the more, the merrier) for my laptop; the nice man in the shop pointed out that the cost of the RAM would be double the cost of newer style RAM, and that as the old girl had hit 5 (which is apparently multipled by 20 for laptops, kind of like by 6 or 7 for dogs), it wasn't worth upgrading her any more.

Well, I'm not one to hang around, as some of you may know, so 2 hours later I walked out with a new one...

The process of moving everything isn't as bad as it used to be, but it's still a bit of a pain, but I was up and running in about 2 hours... amazing really - and when I say 'up and running' I don't mean 'waiting to load things on', I mean, surfing the net, writing this blog, editing my photos, ripping more music, you know, the real stuff. 

Anyway, now I have a headache from spending too long inside the house looking at the computer, and it's a shame because yesterday & today are perfect Autumn days - and this is what I'm looking at - just gorgeous.  Those biggish shrubs are a native & the birds and butterflies just love them... as do I, as they stop me having to look at the blue house behind us.  There's a whole ugly story about the man behind us who had a bit of a brainstorm one day & cut off all the foliage from his turpentine trees, leaving us with an ugly view of him, and vice versa, I'm sure.  I don't think he realised his improved view of our roof would be the result!

And finally, the sewing!  I'm about to make these lovely pieces up into toiletry bags for my lovely DSSIL*: 

I had a funny moment at the beautician yesterday, when I was explaining to the lovely Beckie about my 'toilet' bags; she said "do you keep toilet rolls in them?".  I realised I should probably update my vocabulary, so I don't end up sounding like my Nanna!  Anyway, off to lunch (sardines & crackers), then to the sewing machine!

And here's half the finished result!

And we'll have fun, fun, fun

Till they tell us to stop. Actually that's not how the song goes, but hey, you can't win them all. However, if you are lucky, you could work with me, and win this pair, which I made this afternoon. We're working on a plan to have 'fun at work', which imho is an oxy-moron. Now, I'm not saying you can't enjoy your job, and the company of the people you work with, but when management has to sit down & get everybody to think of ways to have fun, then you know you've got issues, man, serious issues.

Anyway, I was detomm (dumb enough to open my mouth), and suggested a raffle, with proceeds going to the bushfire appeal. So of course I get to organise it, collect the prizes, sell the tickets, hound people to buy the tickets, beg people to buy the tickets... actually I'm sure the purchasers are going to be very generous. The big cheese threw in a voucher for Red Balloon, which does a great job selling 'experiences', and somebody has anonymously donated a $50 Sanity Voucher (oh, that would be me... gotta put your money where your mouth is, after all), but until Friday, nothing else had turned up. Hopefully I will be inundated by donations tomorrow, and my small handmade contribution will go to a nice home!

Question for the panel - should I make more of these to sell? Upside - Easy to make, look fantastic, very useful - downside - market (well, Etsy, anyway) already has a bazillion of these for sale, people only need so many cosmetic/toilet bags (although the prototypes seem to be holding up nicely in my bathroom, that's for sure). Let me know what you think. Small prize available for the neatest, most correct entry.

Back to the small but perfectly formed room - MWH has just finished building me new shelves & I need to go & move things from really big bulky boxes into smaller boxes. I'm going to try & find some fabric to put on Etsy in a destash sale. Don't hold your breath!

Busy, busy

I took advantage of the cooler weather to go back to bed for a bit this morning, that's the other thing I hate about summer, I don't sleep well & so I'm perpetually cranky. What's that? I'm always cranky?! Well, how rude. I'm just particular, that's all.

Enough about me, more about the work in progress. I found a great site here & she suggested using a quilting ruler (of which there are a few in the house, even though I don't quilt) to cut squares out of each corner (mine were 1"/2.54cm) & then lining up the seams. Boy, what a great tip! My perpendiculars are pretty perped, let me tell you - anyway, I was so thrilled I made two bags & some lavender pyramids & put the lot up on Etsy for the bargain basement price of $25. US, that is. Anyway, we'll see. There are lots of people out there doing pouches, boxy or otherwise, but only mine has the added bonus!

The only other thing was that I haven't seen any method of making a lined boxy pouch without having a raw or overlocked (that's 'sergered', to those of you in the US of A) seam showing & I don't want that. I want it to be really nice! I did have a bit of a brainwave about how to do it, but when it came to practical application, I couldn't figure out how to do it. I need my mother for this, she's a genius at that stuff! Mum! Get on a plane!