- An outdoor performance of Pride and Prejudice in the park - by the highly recommended 'Heartbreak Productions' touring theatre company. A handful of actors playing multiple roles - using only subtle costume tweaks to differentiate between characters - on a tiny stage with minimal props. Incredibly clever, and also very funny. Everyone, cast included, had a whale of a time.
- A trip to the Yorkshire Arboretum at Castle Howard (where Brideshead Revisited was filmed, back in the days when Jeremy Irons and Anthony Andrews were winsome, floppy-haired young men). Essentially a natural library showcasing a collection of trees from around the world, the Arboretum is a delightful place to visit if you are a tree-lover like me!
- An early morning weekend walk at the park. Captivating colours, sunshine and frost on the leaves. Here comes Autumn again...
- Although I've been knitting a few bits and pieces (and unravelling some too) I've recently revived my 'O' level dressmaking skills using this pattern book below. It's such a clever idea to use variations on a simple tunic and a basic cardigan pattern to create countless different permutations and combinations.
I was pleased to find that my sewing skills are still reasonably good, and I managed to finish my first tunic (the pink one) within just a few hours. I thought I'd measured myself accurately enough and chosen the right size accordingly, but I couldn't help thinking "This looks huge!" as I was putting it together. I also kept thinking, "Hmmm, but you are a generously upholstered lady, possibly in need of a reality check when it comes to matters of size!" I couldn't try it on for fear of stretching the unfinished arm and neck holes, so just kept going until it was finished. Whereupon it emerged that my first instinct was right - it was huge! As in 'gaping at the underarms and almost slipping off the shoulders' huge. Not to be deterred I decided that it was still wearable as a pinafore with a long sleeved T-shirt underneath...but as I'm currently trying to lose weight (1.5 stones lost, 1.5 to go) I don't know how much more wear I will realistically get out of it.
So I went ahead and made another one, this time in a plain fabric with contrasting pocket linings and one size smaller. The fit is a bit better but I'm starting to think that the pattern simply wasn't designed for ladies with larger bosoms - although this one is just right across the chest, it still seems too wide everywhere else...
...and yet despite these reservations I have had lots of lovely compliments when wearing both tunics, so I'm going to give the pattern one last try in the next size down, when I've shed a bit more weight, and see if the third time truly is a charm.
- Along with our trusty XXSCat dog we've just returned from a four night break in my favourite place on the planet (Seahouses). More of this in my next post.
