Hats off to travel agents

 This has been a heavy travel planning week, which became a bit confusing because I've been making bookings for four different countries/trips at the same time. I don't know how travel agents can keep dozens of clients straight and manage all their bookings with accuracy and efficiency, but then I suppose they have a lot of software systems and research databases to call upon.  I'm off to Nantes on Monday for my long-planned visit to the Pour L'amour du fils needlework show - I was booked to go during COVID which got abandoned due to the first lockdown, then every year since I've had hotel reservations but ended up going to Japan or New Zealand or somewhere else.  But this year I am definitely going so have been finalising bookings for that.  I've also been finalising a trip in 2027 to China for three weeks, working through my own researched itinerary in conjunction with a China tour company for a private tour (not a group) which is affordable there because local prices are fairly low.  At the same time, every couple of days I have been booking my train journeys one by one for Norway this August, which can be booked 115 days ahead which happens to fall into these past few weeks.  And also a few tours etc.  And communications are ramping up for my trip to St Kitts with a quilting group at the end of May, plus I had my travel clinic appointment to see if I need any jabs (I don't) and have been doing a bit of shopping for the expected too-hot-for-me weather.  First world problems I know, but it is taking a lot of brain power and now I am wondering if it is the demands of planning and research which will start limiting my travels before my physical capabilities give out!  I suppose that's why people use travel agents, but I've never had much luck with them myself.

I washed my Double Wedding Ring quilt and it didn't explode or fall apart. The 80/20 wadding contracted into a nice vintage look.  So it just needs pressing and binding now.  I've not done anything more on the Vintage Linens quilt, we've had a bit of nice weather this week (up to 18C and even 22C one day) so I've been relaxing out in the garden and been on a bit of a reading jag.  I did start stitching on a little house chart from CrossStitcher magazine.

I finished weaving the Sock Wool tablerunner, which is adapted from a pattern from Little Looms magazine.  This photo is fresh off the loom before I washed it to full the yarn a little, and I will be sewing folded hems at each end (so there won't be any fringe).  My tension got a bit tighter towards the end, so the pattern band at that end is a bit shallower but I'm hoping it won't be obvious once it dries.

I glued together the 3D printed dollshouse furniture from last week, and gave it a nice wood colour with some alcohol ink markers in accordance with online advice.  Then a spray of satin varnish.  The Chesterfield chair I painted to look more like leather.  They look decent, and not obviously plastic.

Meanwhile I did a six hour print of this interesting chair which has a 'wooden' spindle frame and printed upholstery, it printed pretty cleanly.  I still need to paint it.

I also designed and printed some ridged roof panels to improve the look of the 1:24 caravan roof.  I've started designing some of the internal furnishings for future 3D printing as well.

But the print I'm happiest about this week is my own design for a Cross-stitch workstation.  I designed this using the Maker Lab desk organiser generator, to my own specifications.  I added holders for marker pens, needle packets, scissors, threader, seam ripper, a tray for floss, and even a removable tray for cut thread ends.  It turned out really well and has really tidied up my work table in the living room, replacing various other makeshift solutions.  It just seems so magic that you can imagine something, draw it out, and then the machine-of-the-future just prints it for you.  Although it did take 9 hours to print. It's not even that expensive.  This used about a third of a roll of filament, so maybe cost £4.25 to print, plus the cost of the electricity of course.  I am feeling a mild urge to design and print organisers for all the things, and all the drawers.