Monday 23 November 2009

Sew Poorly

I've been laid low with a horrid ear infection! I thought it was just a little swelling, but by Thursday last I was in such pain that in tears I called the surgery to be told that they only had an appointment the following Monday (today) and that the whole of the West Oxfordshire medical team were "training" for the whole of that afternoon!! I swear it would be easier to get an appointment with Dr Who in his Tardis these days! Anyway, I think the receptionist took pity on my tearful whimpering and, after I explained the problem, managed to fit me in with a doctor before said 'training' event! I came away with a bottle of antibiotic eye drops (yes EYE drops) to drop in my ear, and thankfully, they seem to have done the trick! Apparently the pharmaceutical company who makes these drops, couldn't be bothered with the time and expense of re-licencing them for ear purposes ... not that that decision was reflected in the price!

I'm not the only one who's had some 'medical' attention. While the aforementioned doctors were 'training', a nice man came to my house to service my sewing machine. Yes, came to my house! I couldn't bear to drop her off in a shop and wait the prescribed two weeks for her return, and so it's lucky that I found out about this man.

Look a the state of my needle plate! The nice man had a special file, so it's smooth again now, but these divvets were playing havoc with my sewing as you can imagine! They're there because I had a nasty habit of pulling the fabric through from the back which bends the needle, and then all it takes is one pin to cause a crash, and then a crater.
And look what happens with a blunt needle ... really I had no idea!! The strip on the left is blunt needle syndrome, and on the right, nice new needle perfection.

Meanwhile it's been busy busy busy here, and will continue to be so for the next three weeks. On the table, I've got my ongoing shelf stock makes, a party dress, a corset (for sale), another party'ish dress, and oh .. did I mention my day job.... it's the big conference the week after next .. the one for 500+ people that I was hired to organise ... eeek! The overtime is going to get me one of these ...
So I don't mind too much!




15 comments:

Rebecca said...

Oh lucky you, are you going to be getting some chickens? x

Pomona said...

Hope your ear is better - I know it is very painful as the Ploughboy used to suffer very badly. I am glad that I am not the only one with the little holes in the needle plate - I had put it down to incompetence!

Pomona x

Locket Pocket said...

Hope you feel better really really quickly!

Lucy x

Pipany said...

Ooer, I had better stop pulling fabirc that way! Didn't realise the damage it can do. hope you feel much better now Julia x

Diane said...

You have reminded me that my trusty machine could do with a service. As luck would have it, I have a retired Sewing Machine service man living a few doors away, and for the price of a bottle of Whisky, he's anybody's!! Glad your ear is on the mend. xxx

Gina said...

Hope your ear has cleared up Julia. I have a poorly dog with an ear infection at the moment. Trying to get drops in his ears is nearly impossible and what I do get in he shakes out!

MissT said...

Hope you're feeling better, and I love the hen house.

BTW, when it was the done thing to have your sewing machine serviced, there were a few lurid novels about passion with the sewing machine man!!!!!!! xxx

karenshopes said...

Hi just popped in to say hello, I have enjoyed reading your blog and will visit again. Do you have time to pop in and say hello ?
Karen

The Coffee Lady said...

I hope with all this activity you have some time to convalesce!

Jane Le Galloudec said...

In the spring of this year I gave my machine a really good clean and followed all the instructions in the manual for a 'home service' I was amazed at how much difference it made to the quality of the sewing - when I thought it was the quality of the sewer!

dragonfly said...

Isn't ear pain just the worst? Hope you're feeling better.

Love the chicken house, especially the egg shaped door!

Tracy said...

Hope you are well on the mend soon, Julia...you are important to many, so be taking good care. :o) ((HUGS))

Sew Create It - Jane said...

Hope you are on the mend...ear aches are the worst!

Chrissie said...

Hope the 'eye drops' are doing the trick!

Indigo Blue said...

Oh Julia you have my sympathy! I have had an ear infection and the pain is very intense! The relief once it had cleared up was immense. 500+ people, that's a lot of tea bags!
My word verification say's WOMIE does that make me a womble groupie.
x