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I too have a "mushroom" , Ros! and, believe it or not, I can darn! but I only mend woollen gloves - not socks!
I can never remember to take gloves out with me, so I keep a pair of inexpensive black woollen gloves in every winter coat pocket! (especially dog walking gear!! ) and I do darn any holes!
But that is about my limit of usefulness!!
No, I'm right- handed but our son is left-handed as is one of our grandsons.
It will be interesting to see if the baby follows in his big brother's footsteps.

HI All
I went to a convent school where we were taught needlework including smocking,embroidery ,drawn thread work, everyday sewing and knitting,we had to make a garment each term and woe betide if it didnt pass muster,my blouse failed as I put the button holes on the wrong side I still have a huge button box and far too many reels of thread and I still like to hand sew.The weather here is cold windy and we are expecting rain,no heat wave insight

Good Morning Everyone,

Hi Doglet, nice to hear from you.

Guess what? It is Still raining ! and I had my heating on for an hour this morning.

I like knitting and sewing - was never taught either but learnt by watching my mother who was a dressmaker. I knitted many jumpers for the whole family and made myself several dresses/skirts, as well as curtains etc in sewing. It was very much a past-time at week-ends, such a change from my job; but Doglet, I am sure I could open a shop and sell needles and pins - my mother had hundreds of them, and I myself bought more while in England !

Ros, I think you saw the best behaved of our young population - unfortunately there are many others who do not behave so well in society - We do have a big problem in some suburbs of Paris as well as around some large council estates (cheap social accommodation) - but of course these youngsters would never make it to Oxford or any other University for that matter.

The students in Paris do tend to use the streets around the Sorbonne and in the Latin Quarter as though they owned them, it has always been so really, but they are boisterous rather than arrogant. This is no excuse for not showing respect to other people, particular to someone in a wheelchair; I tend to think that their behaviour when in England might be somewhat less courteous than when they are in their own country.

Morning Elle, if you are about.

Yes, Pigale, I am about!
I got wet through this morning whilst out walking the dog! Very heavy rain here and a mite chilly with it, too.
I had to change my jeans when I got home!
We didn't do any sewing or cooking at school, Doglet.
I have a very well equipped sewing -box ( inherited from my mum) with a lot of coloured threads, a buttons tin, and many needles and pins etc - but I rarely put it to use!
Useful "just in case of an emergency" though!
We had some French friends over last Summer. They brought their five children. I was most impressed by the young ones' behaviour! They ate everything offered (unlike their English equivalent ), conversed as best they could in English that they said they had learned especially for their visit - and were a delight to have around!
(Tho' their Dad did say that they weren't quite as good as that at home!)
Any one else having heavy rain today?

P. S.There was a song "Needles and Pins", wasn't there?
Can anyone remember who sang it?

Hi Elle
We are waiting for rain,its cold and windy,my friends who live in Suffolk say they have floods

Hi Elle!

Never heard of the song but just googled it - the group was The Searchers' and I have never heard of them either ! Sorry.

I had to teach myself, we didn't do needlework at school. Well, we did once a week in theory but the teacher was hopeless and I used to do my homework in the class. I think smocking is beautiful and sometimes make a smocked top for a special baby. Do you ever make any for adults, doglet?
You have black gloves like I have glasses, Elle! I keep a pair in as many places as I can in case I lose them and get stuck. My prescription hasn't changed much so I think old glasses are OK for anemergency.

The people who block up our streets are vast groups of schoolchildren, pigale. Quite young I usually think. The Italian teenagers are the worst, they don't even look at what they have come to see- or rather, their parents have sent them to see.

Finished laying the wooden floor of the sunk patio! Now have to wash loads and loads of stones for the edges. Or perhaps I'll wait for the promised rain.

Hi Rosalind
I made Vyella nighties for my daughter some smocked some pin tucked with embroidery but I am afraid surprisingly she was a very large baby and we couldnt get her arms down the sleeves!!!! I did however make a few blouses for her later.
The rain has arrived

I am doing my very best to send the rain on to you Ros !