Warm Afternoon.

The morning felt much more like our typical summer weather, overcast and cool but by mid-afternoon it was sunny and warm once more. (I'm listening to talk of showers and unsettled weather on the radio.)

Today I tested my sewing machine and I can confidently say that it is back in working order. It was Peter who came up with a suitable project as a response to my bemoaning the lack of pockets in my favourite summer trousers. It was a good idea to make at least one pocket. I used some black material and based the pattern on the pockets of my shorts. I'm not the neatest person when sewing but this time I made proper folded over hems and French seams. I used the machine to sew the pocket into the unpicked side seam of the trousers because let's face it machine stitches are neater than hand sewn ones. However having finished off all the loose threads I found that there is some puckering spoiling the line of the sides so I'm going to unpick those seams and re-do them by hand. That's a job I can do sitting outside should this fine weather continue.

During the afternoon we went outside to the thankfully peaceful back garden. Peter in a lounger and me lying on my yoga mat trying to even up the tan on my legs. (For tan think pale gold.) The blackbirds were back and forth to their nest in the ivy. They seem to be getting used to our presence and have stopped scolding us from the fence. Today instead we could hear the female making clucking type noises as she sat on the nest. No peeping from chicks yet so perhaps she was talking them while they are still in the eggs. I took a quick photo (below), you can just see her tail under the heart shaped ivy leaf in the centre of the photo.