Mam's Kimono Gown

Similar garment
from the web.

Front view

I love this garment of my Mother's.  

I have always admired it from a young child and now I just love the sight of it.  

I imagine my Mother as a young wife who has travelled half way across the world with her new husband. 

She arrived and settled into her new life with a lot of joy and enthusiasm ....

Embroidery on Fronts

....... and a gorgeous looking husband!!!   

Damage above right

What fun they must've had!

Now this beautiful garment is 'going home'. 

Back view

I think the moths have had a wonderful time with it ..... 

.....or is it just the friction of movement melting the silk? 

I do not know what it is but it is upsetting for me to see ......

Damage to back right

Back view close up

.... what to do?




If you have any suggestions as to how to repair this vintage garment, please let me know in the comments.

Medals and ribbons

Whilst we were sorting and clearing the house, I found my father's Military Ribbon bar.  I knew that his medals had been willed to my nephew so when I found this ..... it was like finding a treasure!!!

I have been trying to find what sort of medal would have been awarded for each ribbon and it has been very interesting research.  I think I have managed to locate most of the ribbons, General Service, Battle of Britain, Africa Star, Europe Star and Defence.

I have just discovered another 'badge' of which Dad was very proud ...... 

The Badge awarded by the National Blood Transfusion Service for donating 21 pints of blood.

Dad went every six months to give his blood,   I have always presumed that his dedication came out of the things he saw and experienced during WWII.

It made me very sad when I found out that I couldn't give blood, my blood condition doesn't allow it, but at least I have Dad's badge.

Proud Moment

There are times in our lives that our children make us really proud.  We are very fortunate that DDN and DDC still continue to produce those moments.
This week, if I could, I would burst with pride ....

DDC and SiLR are showing that they have such an open mind with educating their child and I couldn't be more pleased.  Considering how old Little Soldier is, I am loving learning how he experiences life.
When I first heard he was going swimming, I was full of trepidation ..... I have a fear of water .... my children are just beautiful in water and they fill my heart with joy and admiration ....... but to take a little one .......  yes!   I know that it is perfectly safe!    I know that babies have a fail safe system in their bodies!       but this is my BABY grandson .......

Every week they have a great time, even though DDC reckons she is very nervous of letting go of him in the water, they experience the water together.

So this week when I received this ........

...... my heart went into overtime....... look at his little face ......amazing!  Incredible!  so munchable!!    .... what incredible parents he has to enjoy this with him, I AM SO PROUD OF THEM.

First visit to MacDs

Well, it was inevitable that the day would come ...... when Grandma takes Little Soldier to one of her favourite eating places.

We had been very busy visiting a couple of warehouses to buy the necessities of life ......
Hancock's .......

and then onto the next one for necessities for our little black cat .......

Blakemore's..............

On our way home we spotted the famous 'Golden Arches', we were left with no choice .............

While Grandma gave Little Soldier his lunch, DDC placed our order ...... Charity toy appeared and after Grandad introduced the giraffe to Little Soldier there was much debate about a name ...... Gertie!

The waitress who brought our order popped back later to chat and admire the Little Soldier ..... lots of smiles and laughter..... then it was time for a staff shift change..

The new waitress came to say hello to the Little Soldier and when he gave her one of his smiles, she was lost and immediately went off  .....


......... to reappear with balloon in hand!!!!

This was something new!!

This new blue floaty thing needed exploring .........

............. and explore he did ..............

A very busy day with lots of new attractions and surroundings to see ...... in between the sleeps of course!!!

Warning of future plans

As you are probably aware we have had to clear space to enable Central Heating to be fitted and now we are in the process of putting the house back in order before we begin again for the decorating.  
I must admit that the workmen were very good, clearing up as they went along, but we now have a space in our back bedroom that needs to be plastered.  PJ has laid floorboards as much as he can to cover the hole in the floor, but we still have a space above which is bare brick, but a plasterer he is not!

We also have several boxes and crates still to be sorted and two are rather special - the photographs!!!  Two crates of photographs I hear you say?!?!  Oh yes!!!  I collected all the found photos and albums together, put them in the crates and now I am going to sort through them to see the story of my life.

Lots of my photographs were taken whilst PJ and I were travelling so I am hoping to collate them with my travel notes, boring I know but we have to think of the children ..... I started this Blog so that my grandchildren will one day be able to see where they came from.   Now I will incorporate stories of what we did - not what Katy did - just us as we travelled abroad and lived our lives in England as the children grew up.

So look out for the boring bits!!!

Wear something light at night

We have travelled around this country a lot but, one evening, as we all came home in the car, I noticed a child.  This child was being carried from a broken down car at the side of the motorway by its mother.  As I happened to look across the road, I noticed the legs dangling at the mother's side as she carried the child up the embankment, otherwise I would never have seen him.

This scene worried me most of the way home and, after we had arrived safely and gone to bed, I thought about all the 'ifs and ands'.

If that child's legs hadn't dangled I would not have seen him.

If I didn't see him, how would any other driver see him.

If he was being carried and it was a cold evening, how would he stay warm once they reached a 'safe' distance.

If he was at that safe distance, how long would he be there.

And if I didn't see him, how would anyone else .......

It played over and over in my head and I thought how it would be if it happened to us.  Cheeky Monkey would be carried up the embankment and then what!?

By next morning I had decided I would not have him standing in the dark and cold with his adults.  I would make a blanket for him, not just any blanket but one that had stripes of bright fluorescent colour.  These stripes, being fluorescent, would be picked up in car head lights so that he would be seen.  The blanket, crocheted in various wools would be thick and keep him warm when he was wrapped in it. 

I took myself into town and bought several balls of wool including three fluorescent green and started crocheting that very night.  I just made it up as I went along, crocheting each ball of wool into a square, or oblong in my case!  I then made sure that each square was the same size by adding rows of the green and then joined up all my squares with the same bright green.  

Once they were finished, I went round the outer edge, stopping to buy more bright green, twice in dc and twice in tr.  

The blanket is finished, it is rolled and ready to be kept in the car, just in case a cheeky monkey needs to wear something light at night.

Danger!!! Men at Work

One thing that PJ and I have finally agreed on is the reason we have never had Central Heating installed!!!  It's all the disruption and mess, but needs must so .....

Ready for the boiler

Underneath the boiler

The engineers arrived and, I have to admit, have been very good workers, polite and helpful.  

It wasn't until they went for their lunch and I ventured out to see what was happening that the truth hit me ..... I hate upset and disruption in my house and garden!

We have been clearing and boxing and I have been perfectly happy .... most of the time ..... but today after seeing this ......in my back bedroom - known as the office ....

My workdesk

The Lounge

Here is my lounge - although by the time the men left for the day most of this was tidied up .............

.............. and the garden!!! ...... Less said the better!!! ......

The Craftroom

..... and all crafters should look away now....

It was all tidied up at the end of the day, our admirable workforce went home to eat and sleep.

We went to our local Carvery for our evening meal, leaving the cat to roam and explore on her own.  She had been shut away in the back room downstairs all day, going frantic at times and never moving far from me all day.  When we arrived home (with a turkey carcass!) she had calmed down and eat her evening meal(s) with gusto!  

Little does she know that tomorrow morning it starts all over again - the drills will be going as the gas pipes are connected - but at least the carpets will stay down!! 

Bathroom

Back Bedroom

The rads are very smart and look easy to clean, I am pleased with what I see so far (excluding the mess of course!!!)

Now answer this .....

When we arrived in the yard last time there was an addition parked up.  It had been delivered a couple days before, so of course I wanted to have a look.


So here he is, taken down to his skeleton, shining in the morning sunlight.

The green engine glowed, its number painted on the smokebox door  

..... and footplate ....

...... and his name .....

Coming home I walked towards the gate and went along the other side of the engine chassis and ...............

lookee here! ..........

......all dressed up in red!!!!

Now answer this ....... why..........