And sew it goes

I've been working through the gigantic pile of clothing that needs something - holes in pockets, knees, elbows, toes, missing buttons - that sort of thing. Part of it is cost-saving - new clothes are expensive-  but a large part of it is trying to reduce our consumption and use what we already have. I'm not a very good sewer (Sewer? I suddenly see why the word seamstress was used - ok I just looked it up and apparently the two most used words are sewer (circa 14th c) and sewist, which sounds like someone who is against sewing. Considering my skill level, sewer is probably uncannily accurate). This week so far I have successfully replaced a set of jean pockets as well as two patches on another pair. This isn't so bad, I thought. Maybe I'm getting better at this. I just need to take my time and go slowly.

Well tonight I took my time and slowly and carefully patched a jeans leg right through to the back of the other leg. I am not getting better at this. I have put it slowly and carefully to one side, in the cold silence you employ whilst you decide whether to scream or cry or possibly both. I turned off the machine, walked to the fridge, and poured a large glass of wine. I don't know if I can even unpick it all without wrecking the remaining knee. Maybe these are sacrificial jeans.

Perhaps sewing needs to be a morning activity for me, not an after-a-rather-trying-workday-in-london activity.

Other than that, it was our Christmas Lights turn on in Faversham last Saturday and it was everything you'd expect it to be. There's a stage in the marketplace and school children perform in choirs all day which is adorable. The brass band starts playing around 430, Santa comes out at 5, and they countdown to the lights turn on which never turn on the first time. Some of them come on for the second countdown and then, to the soundtrack of Neal's drum rolls and an awful lot of excited squealing children, they all light up on the third countdown. Every year. It's one of those fundamentals that you can count on in a world of change. We play a few more songs, then the night market kicks in - loads of stalls selling food and drinks, and another band. It's great. I love our lights. In Faversham, we have the Christmas Lights Charity which raises money all year for the lights, and puts them all up. It's all volunteers, and I don't think they get much funding from anywhere else. Lately they've been doing a "buy-a-bulb" scheme, and when you do, you get to personalise it with a marker. West Street is full of people looking up going - is that one mine?

I even got my picture taken with Santa:

Someone did a lovely video - I don't think I can embed it - but here's the link: https://www.facebook.com/deadeye.eu/videos/2501489596834406/

I have a gig with the big band on Monday, then the Brass Band Christmas concert on Thursday. Then it's just carolling with the Brass Band a few weekend mornings and we're done for the year. 

Whoooosh. Just like that.