Sarah

On my continuing quest to find the perfect material (I am currently looking for a particular tweed and ripstop tent material in brown) I visited Fabric land in Bedminster. What an amazing shop. I think it is a retirement home for fabric as it was full from floor to ceiling with patterns from the 70s and 80s and not really much past then. There are two aisles, one of which you can’t get down due to the foam piled up and there is no order to the rest of it. I found some interesting material with a little Dutch looking girl on it weighing out cheese and I bought 1m for £2. I made 2 bags for birthday presents and one for a small child.

There are snakes on the loose in Hove.

Please read this post about the Antarctic. It really is one of the best written blogs I know of and everyone should read it and then wonder why the penguins are dying.

Athens was busy in many ways:

with dogs
I am a bit scared of dogs so when we started walking through all the different neighbourhoods and saw the dogs roaming, sometimes in packs I was a little nervous. They are however so much a part of the scenery that you get used to them. They don’t bother people (much) and people don’t bother them. I did still keep my hands in my pockets when passing them incase they bit my fingers.

We stopped to look at the ancient fenced ruins in the middle of the city and watched the dogs taking food back to their puppies. Then we watched them at rush hour waiting at the zebra crossings to cross with all the people. Some of them got a bit excited and tried to attack the cars.

with traffic
I have never felt so nervous as a pedestrian walking on pavements. Crossing the road at a crossing is very very scary, especially the time we crossed when the man was green, after having for waited for all the cars to go over on red, then from the other direction a man on a moped came speeding towards on the wrong side of the road. He also wasn’t wearing a helmet.

I only saw one cyclist the whole time we were there. You just wouldn’t cycle it is far too dangerous. There is also no cycle parking, only motorbike parking. Tom described the horrible crash we saw.

with cigarettes
I was impressed in a perverse way with the amount people smoked. From the people on our hotel reception desk to the cleaners smoking fags while cleaning. Then there were the people in restaurants who chain smoked and looked like they couldn’t wait to finish eating so they could light up another one. Apparently strict new rules have come in and if that is the case I would have been really perversly impressed before.

with archeaology
The acropolis is amazing. Just incredible that sculpture which is 2500 or older can be still here. The parthenon is so big and SO made of marble. Sad though that the biggest factor in its decline has been firstly the restoration efforts of the last century and the polution cause by the last 50 years. Oh and perhaps the robbing of the acropolis by many people in the 1800s.

with markets
the markets very good, however I would never take a vegetarian to the meat market. I don’t think I’d like to take anyone to the meat market. Everyone was smoking and I think it’s where the dogs get all their food.

The herbs and spices were great though and the olives and the olive soap. I bought lots of olive soap for about 28p a bar. Pulses are very big there too, I bought some chickpeas.

with trip hazards
I realised how we have an unhealthy obsession for health and safetly and we put our safety in the hands of other people too much. In Athens we both tripped up so many times because there are countless trip hazards. In the UK we don’t really have to look where we are going anymore because it is all too safe. I don’t really know which is the better way to live.

Despite all this negative comment I had a really really good time. Photos to follow when my phone lead decides to work again.

While conducting a thorough sweep of my person and my luggage for sharp objects I am quite impressed with how many things I had:

Tweezers (2 pairs)
Nail clippers
A corkscrew
A craft knife
3 extra blades for craft knife
razor

I could do some damage with that lot, though I can’t because I have to leave it all at home.

I am going to Athens. I am going to eat some feta and some olives and I am going to visit some old buildings.

The downside is I can’t go to bed tonight..actually I have already been to bed tonight for two hours. I got up at 10pm, the taxi is coming for me at 12.20am, I get on the coach and get to Gatwick at 4.15am. Then I have to wait 45 mins for Tom to arrive. I am going to spend that time thinking of an interesting rendevous point and trying not to think about Gatwick and how it is the most scummy airport in the UK.

Expect a thorough photo post on my return.

I made three bags today, one for me, one for my mum and one for Tom. I can’t tell you what they are like as it is a surprise for Tom though I am concerned he won’t really like it. When I voiced my concerns to my mum she said “well it hasn’t got flowers and girlie things on it” and when I voiced my concerns to Tom he said “why won’t I like it? Does it have flowers and girlie things on it?”. It doesn’t by the way but obviously if I ever want to make something horrible for Tom I now know what to make.

So during the last few weeks of sewing etc people have been telling me I should sell the things I am making. I have always been very hesitant about doing that and today I realised it really is a waste of time as it took me about 6 hours to make all three bags, I spent about £6 on materials and I wouldn’t sell them for more than £5, or at least I don’t think people would buy them for more than £5. So does that mean I would be earning £1.50 per hour? I couldn’t buy any vegetables to fill my bags on that money.

So I have decided I am going to make stuff for trades (and for presents). I made my mum a bag in a trade for some marmalade she made today. I think she only got paid about £1.50 an hour for making that too. It made her say visious things about tescos again. I think Tom is brain washing her.

Tom and I were sitting on the sofa when there was a massive crash. The whole building shook and I thought it was an earthquake. It wasn’t though, it was a car crashing into my building, into the cafe on the corner. Another car had crashed into the back of that. It was like watching Casualty and the Bill and London’s burning in the flesh from my window. I think however it hasn’t done much for the structual soundness of my building as I’m sure my bedroom door wouldn’t shut properly this morning.

If there is one thing I made in 2004 that you should make too it is - for the meat eaters - Libyan Soup with Cous Cous, and for the non-meat eaters - Chickpea, Chilli and Coriander cakes. That is two things.

If there is one thing you should buy to make your life more enjoyable it should be anything from the OXO Good Grips range. I would recommend the tin opener.

If there is one thing you should do (unless you already do, which it seems many people do) you should re-join your library. You can get all sorts of things such as DVDs and OS maps and of course the traditional book.

If you haven’t made any resolutions you could use those.

I got a sewing machine for Christmas from my mum and dad and to celebrate I have a new category called SEWING.

The new range of sarahmade products will include in the first instance bags. Lightweight shopping bags and more complex slightly padded bags with lots of pockets. The emphasis will be on the practical and therefore they will be made from lightweight and waterproof tent material. I have found the best website of 2005 so far Pennine Outdoor. They stock all the fabric I could ever possible want. I have just ordered two leaflets on making general bags and cycling bags.

In the first two months I will be just practicing and Tom, Kate and mum and dad will be getting lots of bags to try out. Then if I think my bags are the best I will branch out and possibly take commisions.

I love January for its new project inspiration.

Tom and I saw the new year in with a venison casserole and fireworks on Brighton beach. At about 11.50pm we were setting up our £6.99 box of Global fireworks on an empty beach and when we looked up it was completely full with people watching us, and all the other people letting off fireworks. Ours were the most budget but did get a round of applause out of sympathy I think. I had a sipped port while we lit them.