Clouds and silver linings

It has been some time since I last posted but I have been busy in my life with all the intentions of making a post.  Guy and I went to the beautiful South Island to watch our boys (Cleave and Murdoch) row in Maadi Cup and had a blast camping around the area.  He was not keen but I think enjoyed the experience and had the chance to reconnect with some old friends while down there.  The boys rowed their hearts out but were pipped at the post for a medal by much less than a second and loved the whole team spirit.  Their school was lucky to win the overall trophy for most points as the competition gets harder and harder each year.



Logan and Cleave showing grit and determination.

We got back from the holiday and the husband set off back to Ethiopia and the salt plains in the Danakil Depression.  He was lucky enough to spend some time touring around Axom and Lalibela before he left the country and the job contract.  The rest of us got to stay home and dream of summer as autumn and winter closed in.  And it is the subject of seasons that is the reason for the title of this post.  Along with beautiful leaves, autumn crocus's and apples we get an onslaught of field mice looking for a warm place to hole up over winter.  The bee hives were protected, the cat was on patrol in the house but not in the sewing room! One morning while looking for some interfacing what should I find but the signature calling cards of mice, I opened the cupboards to find that a family had moved in to the shelves of the fabric stash.  They had spent alot of time moving between the shelves picking the best place for a nest. So it all had to come out and be washed and all at at time when getting normal washing dry is a challenge. So what is the silver lining you ask?  I have had lots of time to revisit the material and remember the plans and patterns for each piece and what started as a chore has become a process of sorting and reviewing.  Not all will be replaced back in the cupboard when I can be sure that the infestation has been removed as we still have not isolated where they managed to gain entry. So for the moment it sits on the bench in the dining room.

It has been a trip through memory lane as some of the material I am ashamed to say has been aging in the stash since before my oldest was born.  I am now onto sorting the other cupboard of fabric out.  I normally have it shelved in colour groupings - these are the browns greens and whites shelves, with the coating and denims shelved together. How do you store your fabric?