It is a sad fact of life that Mabel’s Fancies is not my day job. My day job involves accounts, web maintenance, and talking to people on the phone about bits of pre-war automobile in several languages (though not at the same time, obviously). It doesn’t involve needlework, alas, but it’s a nice job. I like it. And sometimes it throws up pleasant surprises. Like answering the phone this afternoon and being greeted with “hello princess!” by an elderly gentleman I didn’t know (I’ve been called “petal” as well, and “ducks” – this royal treatment is definitely a step up).

Another surprise came when I was asked to put together assorted grommet packs. Until we started this business I had no idea what a grommet was, and I am still a little hazy as to what you use them for, although I can see the larger ones making quite a good foundation for Dorset buttons. Putting together packs of them, however, I can do. I opened the two boxes of grommets and… looked at the boxes. They clipped close. They had moveable dividers. They looked remarkably like smaller versions of the large craft storage box I got for my goldwork materials some time back. Not quite such good quality, but perfectly usable. And just the right size for a project box when the project needs rather more threads and bits and bobs than will fit into my usual, small project boxes.

Soon the bags were full and the boxes empty. Now all I need to do is fill them with threads! My Leaves project, perhaps, or the Tree of Life, or…