If last week was a weird week I haven’t got a clue what this one should be called! I had more vertigo, a migraine from hell, so bad that Mr Myasthenia Kid had to take the day off from work to look after me – more about that later and I can’t share any of my sewing makes over the last few days as they are all birthday presents for friends between 23rd June and the end of August. A little frustrating when I am so pleased with all of them, The good news is that my sewing job list on my phone for the months of May and June have reduced dramatically!

 

As I wrote in my last blog post I attended a course last Wednesday regarding how to use my overlocker. I was so excited about the course and I hate to say it but it was a real let down. It was everything a teaching session shouldn’t be. In a previous lifetime (1996-2005) I held the position of Training Manager at my place of employment. I was responsible for all the training that took place for the 350 plus staff we employed at the time. Not only that I was also sent to various other locations throughout the south-west to teach other Training Managers (they were also sent to work with me to get an understanding of their role) and to teach staff for new store openings. I loved the job and I am not afraid to say that I was bloody good at it. It broke my heart when head office in its wisdom decided to get rid of the role. Training quality immediately plummeted – in my workplace. I have been sorely tempted over the last few years to do  a  freedom of information request to see how many court cases they have had since removing the Training Manager role.

 

So with nearly ten years of teaching under my belt, I know that people have varied learning styles. Some learn by watching something and then having a go, some people learn by reading a manual and some people learn by a mixture of those two. Unfortunately the course seemed to be mainly the us the students sat at our machine with the trainer talking at us. So bored was I that I actually got my phone out and started to look at Facebook – discreetly. I didn’t want to be rude but I had to do something to keep myself awake as the stairs getting up to the classroom had nearly killed me. Oxygen was almost required – this was not suitable for the disabled sewist.

 

The course had been billed as getting to know your machine – I’d had mine since 13th April so rather than being terrified I had dived straight in. It became clear talking to the other 7 pupils ( excluding my mum, yes 9 people to one tutor how on earth could all of us see anything when she demonstrated at a machine?) that they had never even opened the boxes that their overlockers had come in, that possibly mum and I were too advanced for this course. I obviously wound the tutor up when after she dramatically cut all 4 threads on my overlocker and asked me to re-thread it and I had it done in less than 5 minutes. She told me off for using my machine when I was checking that it was chaining (working properly). She didn’t realise that I had threaded it and actually knew a little about what I was doing. The course went downhill from there.

 

Three people’s machines broke during the day and not once did the tutor offer any support, instead there were sarcastic comments dressed up as imparting information that certain brands of machines were basically crap and  It concerned me that someone who claimed to know so much about brands was unaware that Elna and Janome are the same company. One lady went downstairs and bought a new machine but still this woman ploughed on and didn’t recap with the lady what she had missed. The same happened when my mum’s machine broke.

 

By the end of the day I could barely maintain a civil composure, I was threading my mum’s machine to ensure that she had a working machine when we left the course – thankfully her machine was repaired there and then by the shop owners – I can’t fault them at all. I love their shop and they have always been lovely which is why I am not naming the location of the class as I wouldn’t want to damage their reputation, when this was someone who obviously comes in and works for the. The teacher was demanding yet again mum and I stand in front of a machine that we wouldn’t have a clear view of – when both of us have mobility issues which were obvious due to the mobility aids we were using. I practically hissed that I was beyond tired as was my mother and having a working machine before leaving the shop was slightly more important than looking at the backs of people’s heads. I then let her look at the back of mine as I got on with threading mum’s machine – something the tutor should have done when she was told mum was having issues seeing properly due to the light coming in through the window.

 

All I can say is thank fuck I didn’t pay full price for that class. I still feel ripped off knowing I paid £27 for it. I will be honest yes I learned some bits and pieces but not £27 worth.

 

Thursday was a complete right off as at 2am I woke up with a migraine, it was hideous. I couldn’t stop being sick and by the time Jamie found me lying in the dark at 9am I could barely speak. By 2pm I was starting to come around but I was just completely drained. However my back would not put up with me lying in bed any longer so I forced myself downstairs.

 

I was wiped out by the migraine for a good couple of days but I did get some sewing done. I managed to make a start on my floating triangle quilt, so the week wasn’t a complete right off. I have started taking pizotifen again in the hope that it prevents more migraines in the future or if not it at least reduces the intensity. I can’t cope with that again nothing stops the pain or the sickness.

 

My quilt pieces, this is as far as I have got as the rest of my time has been taken up making birthday presents,

 

 

Now all that is left to do is to join them all together in the right order!