I’ve had a frustrating day today. You may know that I’ve started dressmaking again after a gap of maybe 25 0r 30 years. I used to be quite good at making clothes, but I’ve lost a lot of the skills I had. My new sewing machine makes me feel like a real dope and everything takes ages.

As well as machines ‘improving’ and becoming more high tech, patterns have changed. Back in the day, you carefully measured yourself to pick the right pattern size, but not anymore, now a pattern has six sizes and you have to negotiate the right one of a bunch of converging lines for your size.

I may be too old to re-learn all this! Or this!