Babette says 'thanks'!

Ten days have passed already.. ten days from Patches-the special Christmas Market.. a mini (on the grand scale of things) fulfilling success. Must thank organizers, visitors and buyers alike. I loved every smile and every smirk, they were all well deserved..

Loved setting up beneath Our Lady's aluminium shrine with fake ponsiettas and a dead candle, loved the soup and the cupcakes, and speaking with people who care or are well on their way towards caring about such crafts. Also loved having some very unexpected buyers by the stall.. a day full of surprises.

It took me a full ten days to get back to a 'normal' routine where I can fit in a warm drink in between work and more work.. ten days to finalize most of the orders in time for christmas, meet up with people who reserved stuff, plan a meal for 8 hungry relatives, bid my 'students' a temporary farwell and ..breathe.. at last.

So in a sentence.. Patches was good.. actually.. better than anticipated.

*Note to self: do something about the bloody lighting next time round!

Here's me looking all suspicious at a sneaky camera lens. With that look on my face I'm surprised anyone stopped to look at the stuff at all.

Today marks the beginning of the Christmas recess.. days I've planned down to a T..with sewing , sewing and more sewing .. I missed it in the run up for the market .. I also mssed sketching ideas for future projects in my notebook. I woke up in the middle of the night thinking about a shoe collection ... would have sketched it down quickly on toilet paper but we were running low ... (withdrawal symptoms!?)
So I come back home to two surprises and I immediately sense that my holidays are off to a good start. A beloved great aunt sends this low waisted floral dress and lacy 'pink' confection of a skirt with my mum. I'm lucky enough to have her exact size from some 30 years ago, so all's good!

Although I've always been of the opinion that the cheapest buy is the most rewarding; I was admittedly forced to reconsider this belief a few days ago. I made an exception last Tuesday. I bought something exceeding my usual average budget of 5 euro (max.) ... being without a salary for so long has made me immune to the pleasure of shopping.. nowadays I only accompany friends on shopping ventures to scrutinize hems and closures for details, looking all dodgy like a friend from hell.. ''tut tut what a badly lined coat''.. ''tissss.. setghaw imqar jaqtaw il keffa dritta!''

Last Tuesday I spent a handsome sum (for someone who sews) for something absolutely beautiful from 'blush & panic' and only felt a little remorse. I felt like I was conducting a social experiment.. I was re-introducing myself to money-spending civilisation.. this cannot be anything but a short stint at it.. I tried it again today but drove absolutely no pleasure from trawling the capital's streets..

SO I'm taking it as a sign that this 'early 40s' dress was made to be mine .. and although neither this photo nor myself could ever do it as much justice as it's original owner, I still think it's a dress that could see me well into my 50s provided I retain the same size (implausible to say the least! but we pray, if only for the sake of this dress)

So a dress and a book about the history of dance are to be my wage-baptizing treats to self. Oh and regular Indian take-out because that, unlike the rest, is a necessity.

Off to work on a project that's coming along nicely.. just realizing that this pink and grey theme is acquiring a fan base, it's attractive in a practical but fun way.. I love grey.. but I guess I've already said that a couple more times.