Frustrations of a new doll maker...

Well I started the new doll and was really happy with the legs, and I could see Myrtle in my mind. I knew she was called Myrtle, even though all I had were a pair of cream spotty legs. She was going to be a little old lady - a feisty little old lady.

I had the materials and thought I was away. Then it all went down hill - as often the best laid plans often do!! So I went ahead and made a body for her. I used jersey doll skin fabric this time. Last time I used flesh coloured cotton. Anyway I was fairly happy with the body, and carried on with the arms. The first arm almost complete I realised that the body and arms didn't match in any way. The body is too big and totally the wrong colour for a little old lady. A rethink was called for and I decided that I would remake the body - still not quite there with that yet. While I had been stuffing the arm I had completed I had a nagging feeling that something wasn't quite right somehow. See the photo below and tell me what went wrong - what's my deliberate mistake??

Yep, you guessed it. The hands on upside down!! Now I need to take the whole thing to pieces, turn the hand round, remake the body slightly smaller with different material and I'll be back to where I was a week ago!! With Christmas only a week away and presents to make I think this may have to take a back seat til the festivities are over!!

The joys of management...

No sewing today as I am reeling from a challenging day at work. I manage a small team and today we did team building stuff. On the whole it was a success, and some big steps forward were made. But following the session I took a little time to reflect on what we had done, what was said and how we could "move things forward". I found myself using management buzzwords like "thinking outside the box" and "this isn't a blame culture". I thought afterwards, what did I wish to achieve out of today - all I wanted was for the whole team to get on, to work together and for us all to do what we do best - care for people. We are nurses after all, so that's what we should do. Lots of questions came out of that thought - do we care for our clients (used to call them patients but oh how time changes), do we care for our immediate colleagues, do we care for the company we work for(NHS) or the company that we provide the service for( prison service) or for the people around us who aren't our immediate colleagues. On the whole I'm pleased to say the answer is yes, at least most of the time, although now and again I wonder if we are helping the "clients" by, for example, providing them with easy access to opiate based pain relief for "back pain" - difficult to prove, easy to fake. My nurses work hard to provide equivalent care and the best service available to what can be the most difficult to please group of "clients" I have had the pleasure of caring for in over 30 yrs of nursing service. I have 4 separate solicitors letters on my desk awaiting reply, all complaining because they did not get what they wanted - please note however that is not that they are complaining because they did not get the right treatment, good service, polite, knowledgeable and timely care, but because they did not get what they wanted. Drugs to feed their habit, a letter to get them out of work, evidence that there is a reason they can't produce a urine sample for drug testing cause by some never heard of illness or a side effect of their medication. It's a tricky job mine, but always a challenge.... Oh and by the way, mostly they get free access to solicitors. I expect if they had to pay for solicitor's time I would waste a lot less time replying to just such letters...

Winter...

It's cold, very cold but as yet we've been lucky to not have any snow. I say lucky but in some ways I envy those who, like my brother is surrounded by 6 ft snow drifts and at least 18 ins of snow everywhere. Altho I don't envy him having to park a mile away from home and walk back to his country cottage!! We saw a few flakes of snow and that's been all so far. The cold however does make you want to curl up in the warm. My sewing room isn't the warmest room in the house so it needs a heater on for at least 20 mins before I can venture in there. Mind you it is small so once it's warm it tends to stay warm. I spent yesterday evening sorting through my ever increasing stack of fabrics and had a thoroughly enjoyable and creative juice making evening. Must have been good as I woke up in the middle of the night dreaming about my latest creation!! Maybe I need to get out more, although I do work full time and have two very manic spaniels so it's not like I never get out!!!

Speaking of the spaniels the latest little incident we've had to deal with is that Rocks, the youngster has discovered how to get onto the dining room table. He's obviously gone up market as he started by sleeping on the coffee table. Anyway the problem with all this table climbing is that it means he has an extended reach to things that he shouldn't be getting hold off such as the TV freeview box buttons, now in tiny little pieces. Husband currently surfing the net for a replacement...

Enough musings, the sewing room calls... And we can't watch tv so I might as well use the time usefully...