So… we had snow about a week ago and quite  frankly it’s out-stayed its welcome.   It’s scarred, lumpy and dis-coloured.  The school field looks as if a messy chef has decided to give it a covering of half-melted chocolate ripple ice-cream.  Humph.

One lovely bonus to the glacial conditions is the chance to view up close some usually discrete, hedgerow and wood dwelling birds.  I have wasted (literal) hours trying to capture shots of their feathered gorgeousness.  Why?  Well,  I’m in-expert with a camera and the birds move about.  What’s the point of this tale?  Well, I have hundreds of photos of fluffy rumps.  Particularly the fluffy rumps of a gregarious grouping of Long-tailed Tits.  See?

These fabulous creatures arrive in a flurry of chatter that they continue whilst they hop about the hedge.  Hours I tell you, hours, spent watching these little guys.

Is there a sewing story buried in here somewhere?  Well, yes there is.  It occurred to me that my newly finished ‘NOT a dressing gown‘ gives me a fluffy rump.

Although, now I come to tell you, I realise that my point would have been much better illustrated with a photograph of my posterior.

Have you detected an air of unreality about the above?  You would be right.  The ‘NOT a dressing gown‘ has been challenging at times and what I really wanted to call this post was T!t B*ms.  That’s what I’ve been photographing and that’s what I have said quite a lot whilst wrestling with the fur.  Not least last night when trying to get my machine to make some button holes with its special button holes for furry fabrics stitch.  And why in the name of all that is furry did I self-draft a shawl collar?

For those who like these details, the pattern is from Prima Nov 2008 and I used this Threads article to draft the collar.  It would have worked much better if I’d found some instructions that accommodated raglan sleeves.

One last birdy bottom.

What have you been up to?
Px

Postscript:  In daring defiance of my daughter I have in fact worn my ‘Not A Dressing Gown’ out and about in public not once but twice since writing this post.  It was perfect for the Narnian Spring melt that was going on today and no-one stopped and pointed and asked why the silly lady was wearing her night gear out in the street.  I therefore declare the ‘Not A Dressing Gown’ my second Jungle January success!