Actually I did, which surprised even me. Standing at the back of the room I was nervous to say the least, after all it had been a long time. However once the music started my mojo, my solid snappy punches and my roundhouse kicks were back and before I knew it Body Combat was over and I had burned over 500 calories. However turning up once isn't a come back so what else have I done this week? On Sunday my camera and I went for a bracing walk with my youngest daughter and then we nipped over to Westhill to watch the duathlon and cheer on our friends. Monday was a 3k swim and it felt so good to be back in the pool. My apple watch was recording the session but did you know not only does it not record a kick set but it also doesn't record the calories burnt when you are doing a kick set. The watch seems to think you are lolling about at the side having a rest, you would think the HR monitor would notice all the frantic kicking activity but no! Now as all swimmers know a kick set is not a lot of fun so the injustice of not having the distance or output recorded was so unfair that I fumed for the rest of the day. By Tuesday I had recovered my equilibrium and got back down to the gym and managed another Body Combat class and another swim. And so the week has continued with Pilates, two gruelling weights sessions, another swim and today a RPM class. My watch is applauding me but my legs in particular are saying 'what the jiggens'!! On the plus side I am sleeping very well and I am in an excellent mood.
In between all this gym activity I have also done a lot of work. I spent a lovely afternoon with my friend Sam printing the first of the hand dyed denim. Sam was very much the teacher and insisted on reading the safety advice and making me wear gloves and an apron whilst I would have just charged on ahead. Her advice and tips were spot on though and although I hadn't printed for about six years I was soon happily covered in paint (thank goodness for the gloves and apron).
Typically dyeing involves a lot of power in order to heat the water, and then maintaining it at that temperature for up to an hour. For the fabric dyeing I am using a slightly different process, which involves only using cold water and whilst it takes a lot longer for the dye to fix the colours are just as intense. Once I have set the process up I can just leave it and come back the following day.
Sewing has been fun this week as I played about with the dimensions of the tote, and the linings. As you know I love taking the time to make sure the outer and the lining truly go together and whilst one bag came together very quickly I spent a lot of time humming and hawing over the second lining but in the end I picked a batik that reflected the darker areas of the hand dyed denim and I am glad to say it worked. Well I think it did but I will let you all make the final decision. There are now 10 colourways in this new project bag range including chartreuse, deep red, hot pink, emerald, dark grey and a bright blue. Each bag is about 10 inches high and 14 inches wide and opens up into a very large project bag that can easily hold a jumper.
They will go on sale next Friday the 24th but in the meantime here is a sneaky peek.
I did finish uploading a variety of bags to the sale page on the website, so please go and have a look. My fabrics and linings are all cut up ready for next weeks work so now I just have to enjoy the weekend before gym and work start all over again.
Tonight is bubbles Friday with my friends and tomorrow I am thinking I will visit the art gallery now that it has re-opened. Sunday I have some toddler joggers to sew, the blind I didn't make last weekend and the garden to tidy up. Wonder how much of that I will get done?
Oh I also want to finish the new Peter Robinson I got from the library and finish the fair isle jumper I am knitting.
Enjoy your weekend
Hilary x