I recently moved home and like many others, had the joy of discovering the previous owners lied about everything and the house was falling down around my ears. So, for the first 10 months I had been in a building site with no place to sew or workshop. While notRead More →
Well, it’s been a while. I have Fibromyalgia. Hypothyroid, Type 2, and Gilbert’s Syndrome from an undiagnosed or treated incidence of Sheehan’s Syndrome in 1992. Let’s not forget the inherited HEDS and suspected Lupus. Yes. Soooooooooooo boring. Who doesn’t? Not an excuse, just get on with it I hear youRead More →
I originally did the research and made the reproductions in 2003 when I was involved in reenactment. Most of the ” ‘tude” was aimed at a couple of stolid purveyors of Fakelore. Fakelore or pseudo-folklore is inauthentic, manufactured folklore presented as if it were genuinely traditional. Richard M. Dorson 1950 Or as often seen in theRead More →
When looking to design and produce plus sized clothing I found four main issues in tackling the idea of making things fit. Traditionally patterns are scaled from a size 6/8 and a bra size 34B based upon a survey of women’s measurements first taken and not changed since the 1930’s.Read More →
“He was a part of meand then he was gone” We did not have thatIn those daysAfter you leftThere was nothing missingNo piece out of placeNo feeling of being lostNo ache or leaningTowards that anchorThat other halfTwinned heart We were wholeWe did not grieveYou were goneAnd the days movedAnd thereRead More →
And now you are goneto younger fleshAt the price of painsplatteredradiating to allinfected by you bothI didn’t conceiveI would be open to this diseaseOr that this infection would last so longHelpedby all those supportive friendsdesperate to hasten the sicknesswith with some telling new truthof which I was completely unaware thenRead More →
You and I are pyracanthasShort sweet blooming seasonWhite tiny single rosesLethal russet thornsThat if any try to penetrateOr stormWill find themselves impaledCut to ribbonsAnd bled beyond savingPoisonous berries to allbut feasts to finches, great tits and crowsTenacious and practically impossible to prune or cutAnd the only way to be ridRead More →
Sat in a folding chairPaper mask over my mouth and nosecold and boredObserving as he unseals the chimney breastuses an old axe head and a bolsterto pull the plaster board awaySoot and coal dust flyhe takes possession of his new placehis hearthhis homeHe’s happy It is my task to sitRead More →
All the scattered piecesthe bits of me that broke off in your handscrumbled away with each doubtI had forgotten what they all werefrom what part of me they fell missingthey became locked up so tightin this house that was you and Istuffed into crackslike tar paper and gumto keep theRead More →
Part 1 I wanted what they hadI wanted toEscape through wool coatsCoarse dusty yarns brushing my faceBrown soft cloth on my fingersCrunch white powdery mothballsBeneath my heavy laden feetChlorine filling my noseBurning my mouth and throatClearing my mindLifting my shoulders Push past LeaveAll that I amStep intoCold clean crisp snowRead More →