Boxes and sewing machines and turtles.... it's off to Northcote we go!

The studio in Brunswick is nearly all packed up. The new place is still empty. Tomorrow is the big Three-Men-and-Truck day.
Having spent eight and a half hours (!!!) waiting for the electricity guy to read the meter yesterday, with no electricity or furniture (but WITH the company of a 5-year-old!!), I've had a good look around the new digs. (Although slightly traumatised from the entrapment episode) I like it.....

I especially like the air conditioning and the dishwasher, but I'm also pretty happy with the amount of space and light and storage space. And I love that it's my very own place with my own front door.

It's a great improvement on the Brunswick studio.... but there are still lots of stairs. At least they're prettier.

This is my 3rd floor workroom, where I'll do my sewing and product development, and have the occasional sit-and-stitch on the balcony.

The office and showroom will have their very own (first) floor... (no balconies, but at least there are less stairs). You'll be able to come and shop during office hours there when we're settled in.

Until the new office is set up and functional, we'll still be operating the shop from the Brunswick office. The girls are doing a mighty job, working around the chaos.

While packing, I found an old friend. A blast from 1977 (I made her when I was 8 years old).

She's lost her goggly eyes but she's still kind-of cute.

Every patch brings back a memory of a garment made by my eldest sister who taught me to sew (and gave me all her scraps).

Her neck represents a turning point in my understanding of patternmaking.

I remember stitching the neck into the seam of the body and then realising that it was too floppy. I handstitched around the base of the neck to hold it into place and looked at the shapes of the individual pattern shapes. Something clicked in my brain....

So.... those lovely empty rooms up there will be full of boxes, dismantled furniture and sewing machines tomorrow. I haven't worked out where to put the turtle, but she'll be coming with me.

Just like the school holidays when Mum wouldn't let my sister and I out to play until we'd tidied up our room...

I keep finding things to play with.... I found one of my books from Grade 1 at primary school.....

Nice to know that I'm still friends with three of the people in the picture.... and I've since learned to spell Julie, Glenys and Fiona.

There were lots of amusing drawings and writings.

I particularly loved this picture of The Sermon on the Mount. (I went to a Catholic primary school).

I don't remember my teacher correcting my spelling. She must have just had a quiet smile to herself.

The girleen has been packing, too. I made a deal with her. If she chooses the patterns and the fabrics she likes and wears what I make for her at Sewjourn, I'll keep making things for her. If she rejects them, then no more making things for her.

She narrowed it down to a 60 litre tub of folded fabrics. I explained that I may not get it all sewn up in a couple of days. She suggested that I could stay a week if I needed to. (IF ONLY...!!!)

So... I'm off to Sewjourn for about 48 hours..... (which, incidentally is about 24 hours short of the time it took my sister and I to clean up our room that time. We had a ball!).