What Preps are you doing this week? Part 9

[moominmama]

Harvested red gooseberries, blueberries, rhubarb and last of the peas, pumpkin and other plants doing well so will carry on with early morning watering.

Made a delicious gooseberry crumble cake, and froze the rest of harvest (though calling my bowl of fruit a harvest is a bit of an exaggeration - but it was a big bowl!)

[ForgeCorvus]

I've finally been paying attention to my inherited sewing machine. Elna/Janome have a "heritage" section to their website, but this one is too old - still, when I contacted them, they sent me a pdf of the instruction manual and a link to the accessories that are relevant. Within half an hour! That's service.

Is it a Singer ?

[WomanOfTheWoods]

I've spent the last two hours in the woods gathering blaeberries or bilberries / Nordic Blueberries. My fingers have now turned blue with the juice.

Blaeberries take forever to pick but make the absolute best jams and are delicious added to fruit crumbles. And talking of crumbles it looks like I'm in for another bumper apple and plum harvest this year... but the pear trees which had a bumper crop last year have hardly a pear.

[Arzosah]

I've finally been paying attention to my inherited sewing machine. Elna/Janome have a "heritage" section to their website, but this one is too old - still, when I contacted them, they sent me a pdf of the instruction manual and a link to the accessories that are relevant. Within half an hour! That's service.

Is it a Singer ?

No, ForgeCorvus, its an Elna - I suspect they merged with Janome at some time in the past, their email addresses all say "Janome". It's inherited, but its from the 1980s, electronic - my mother was a *serious* sewing addict. Elna 3007. As I say, I have the pdf manual, if anyone needs it, but its freely available from the company. Very good service.

Why do you ask, do you have a Singer? I love those old tables

[ForgeCorvus]

Why do you ask, do you have a Singer? I love those old tables

Errm.... Four
One electric in a cabinet
One re-badged as a "Standard" that I keep threaded with black.
One which according to the serial number was made in 1917 (threaded in white)
And a shuttle type that is currently in pieces until I can replace a tiny screw that holds the cam block to the needle shaft (I don't think those are the names of the parts though)

[Arzosah]

Four! Respect 1917 is a good long time ago now, my word.

[GillyBee]

Guilty as charged T'other half has literally dozens of guitars in various states of being repaired. I can't complain or he points to the sewing machines.
4 Singers - treadle 201K which I love, 2 99k hand cranks bought to teach people to sew. One old 44k in bits but too rare to get rid of.
1 Frister & rossman handcrank bought for me as a joke by t'ther half.
2 Essex "miniature" handcrank chainstitch machines.
and a modern(ish) bernina and an overlocker.
9 in total. I dont think I forgot any. All but one are in working order and used at least occasionally.

[Arzosah]

Wow! I'm impressed! It's all shelved for now, till September, but I love the idea of having a hand-cranked something. Or a treadle, I remember an older cousin of mine mending his jeans on one

[ForgeCorvus]

Four! Respect 1917 is a good long time ago now, my word.

I bought it at our local recycling centre for £5,Then spent another £20/25 getting it serviced by a guy in the village

[jansman]

Considering that there ‘may’ be power cuts/ rolling blackouts this Winter ,I am making sure emergency lighting is taken care of.So,lots of disposable batteries, lots of rechargeable batteries,all of which go into LED COB lighting. LED technology is superb,safe and reliable. Just about where I want to be now. I picked up another USB battery charger ( just as back up) which can charge batteries via any USB point ( tv ,solar panel or battery pack). I picked up another power bank from B and M .Goodmans brand for twelve quid. I have Anker too,but these cheapies will power up a couple of phones or tablets easily:

These will also power a USB lightbulb too. I have ordered a couple more from China. A fiver for the pair!

Heating won’t be a problem,as we are solid fuel,and boy ,we have plenty! I know it sounds daft ,given the current heatwave,but there will be a fire lit by the end of September. That’s not a long way off.

I shall also make sure that next Spring’s compost / fish blood and bone ,and the few annual vegetable seeds are laid in.