Great to see you back, Sigrid, and from such adventures! I'm looking forward to whatever you have the energy to post, whenever you have the energy.

I love that your son asked you to patch his jeans for his departure from the nest. He must have inherited your textile sensitivity! I was in Paris two years ago and patchwork coats were all the rage back then, so you might still be fine! Have a wonderful time. x

Thanks for letting us know! I hope this blog doesn't totally disappear though, it would be such a shame to lose all your advent calendars and so on... However: onwards! I like Wordpress.

Hilarious Donald Trump eggplant! I wonder if it would sell in Aberdeen? He's just opening a very exclusive golf course here. Glad to hear your clothes were empowering. I hadn't thought of wearing steel-capped boots to work, perhaps I should try that. I do have magical items to wear to work, but usually they are somewhat secret, like a necklace out of sight or a bracelet or a hankie. My onw work-clothes rule is no black. I have many colleagues who wear only black. It keeps me somewhat sane, I think.

Nice to see a post from you again - although it's allowed to go slowly when you have a wee babe (or even a larger one). I can't say we've really been captured by the Olympics, but I've been following them from a distance as it were!

You look fab in that dress! Perfect fit, and you just look so happy in it. I agree that you surely could find or devise some sleeves to go along? I have a very old dress from about 1918 or so, and curiously the sleeves are made separately - they're attached to a light cotton bolero-like undergarment, and the rest of the dress goes over them like a pinafore/jumper. I wish we could get Dansko shoes here in the UK. Although having badly sprained my ankle a few years ago, I don't suppose I could safely wear them now...

What beautiful photos. I'm so glad you're having such a good holiday. Here life is both more and less complicated. More, because we are camping out in other rooms while the kitchen is redone, and less because having to move everything is a wonderful incentive to let go of Stuff. My husband just took a carload of Stuff to the dump (recycling centre, as they now call it). My knitting, during a stressful time, has become very simple indeed: squares! Wish I could crochet...

What a great goody bag! I'm so happy for you. And: genoise cake? I don't quite know what that is! (Another aspect of Where You Are From.) It looks delicious though. A very happy belated birthday to you, Sigrid.

That is so cool! I'd forgotten about merthiolate. I used to be from there too. At the moment I'm from Too Tired to Think - but won't forget about this brilliant prompt.

P.S. the top you're wearing is stunningly gorgeous!

You look lovely and that blue is amazing! I am a big fan of long skirts - though not quite as long as yours - and I do wear a slip a lot of the time. I usually have a hand-made silk slip but it's worn through and I haven't made another one just yet. My store-bought one seems very shoddy in comparison. Lined skirts are the best thing of all, though. And I love the perfect nose's idea of silk shorts for bike riding!

Ooh clever you! Both your patterns are so creative and I could imagine attempting them (if I had a sewing machine that sewed knits - that's another story). Well done! Big pat on the back!

We have been ooh-ing and aahing over your lovely son! I look forward to following his reading interests as they develop.

That treasure trove of samples was destined to come to you! I can't think of anyone better to find uses for them - as your mending job clearly illustrates! Excellent -

That's a great skirt - it looks so comfy! Your account of making it made me laugh, especially when I got to the opening of the beer part...

That is fabulous! Now see, a lot of people might have that fabric and that zipper lying around without thinking of combining them. You certainly have a talent to make wonderful creations out of unlikely combinations - even with food!

I'm not sure I would want to meet that Dragon Lady in person. But I'd like to see your own Dragon Lady photos! Your outfits are fab, and I am, as always, in awe of your sewing skills.

What a darling baby! I'm certainly glad that the CF scare came to nothing. It really is true that when you have children you discover that "your heart is now walking around outside of your body" in Elizabeth Stone's words. Well, maybe not quite walking yet! Take good care, I think of you all often! Enjoy each day. They metamorphosise so quickly...

As usual, your post is making me think. It's interesting about one's (our, my) reluctance to wear what we've made in public. I've been on the receiving end of quite a few bemused/snotty remarks about my homemade clothes over the years. Once I made a dress from some Japanese fabric that I'd been given. It was black with white Japanese characters, and I used wide red bias tape on the hem and around the square neck. I loved that dress, and loved wearing it - until the day a perfect stranger in Normal, Illinois (yes!) came up to me and challenged my right to wear it. I think he found the characters offensive? In a way, wearing things we've made is challenging to other people, though usually on a more subtle level. I have no tips about "selfies" (great word). Except perhaps: think of all your keen readers who will be eagerly awaiting a glimpse of your outfit, and smile for us?

Our family has had a laugh - including our cat - over your cat's investigation of the timer light on your camera. Thank you for that! Your p.j.s look beautiful and you in them. (I also laughed out loud at your account of your inhalant abuse afternoon.)

Those buttons are a fabulous present. Top marks to your husband. Uncanny how the red ones go with the fabric you bought. Were you thinking of incorporating them into the design, as decoration? Unless the blouse buttons up the back of course. I'm quite sure you'll find good uses for all of them. I'm glad you've had a few treats and new things. I can't speak about eBay purchases as I steer clear of eBay, knowing what I'm like!

That is genius! I've always either taken everything out or overlapped a bit at the beginning and end of the re-done section. (Funny about no coffee too...)

Oh how lovely he is! I hope you are getting plenty of help (mustn't lift the kettle even!) and having some lithesome moments all together. Many congratulations to the three of you. Soon you will find that it's hard to imagine your previous life. Welcome wee Magnus!

Dear Katherine, Just a quick note to say I'm thinking of you all very much!

That is very lovely, Sigrid. I wish I could get Interweave Crochet here. I'm not good at crocheting, though, so this would probably be too advanced anyhow. Congratulations on having your pattern published!