Pew,Pew, Barney McGrew...

Today was my first day back in school since my birthday, and I was only needed for the morning. I took chocolate biscuits and panettone in to share in the Staff Room at break. These were very well received, especially the panettone! I love panettone - plain, buttered, toasted, pan fried...

After lunch I remembered to go and post the pork pie to Steph - but take no responsibility whatsoever for the condition in which it arrives! Then I came home and started my project.

Here's the foam I got yesterday - laid out on the lounge carpet. The plan is to make a custom-fit cushion for a pew. This is not just any old pew, this is one which my brother has retrieved from his church. It had been removed to make more space, and so he brought it home to go in their kitchen behind the dining table. We sat on it at lunch on Easter Monday. It fits the space beautifully, but needed some sort of padding. We agreed that a neutral fabric would be best - so I got some 'Ditte Beige' when I was in Ikea.

Here's the foam [corners rounded off] and the pieces of fabric . I decided against piping, as I am not confident enough of making a good job. Also decided to sew the back seam by hand, rather than using a zip or Velcro. It would be hard to get a sixty-six inch zip in straight - not to mention the cost of it. Velcro would add too much bulk - the cushion needs to fit snugly.

Here is the finished product - displayed on my bed - and somehow not looking straight! It will look much better on its pew, I'm sure.I assure you the front and back edges are  parallel.  It took just under 3 hours from start to finish, and cost £14.98 for foam and fabric. Now all I have to do is work out how to get it to Marion in Norfolk.

We had housegroup tonight, which was quite thought provoking.Linda led an excellent study on the beginning of Mark Chapter 1. One of the study questions related to our view of the Old Testament, and how important is it - would the New Testament on its own suffice? Unanimously we felt the OT is crucial to the NT. Slight digression about Leviticus and rules on not eating shellfish, but one of the group pointed out that its OK now, because the NT talks about being 'prawn again'! Apart from that, it was a useful time!