h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

>>Perhaps I'll be repairing all my flannel PJ pants next weekend

Phwoarr!

Not those kinds of pants.

I realised that. It was the 'flannel' part that got me going.

And there's a thought...why in UKanian is it 'pyjama *bottoms*', but never 'pyjama trousers'?

Because pyjamas don't wear trousers, silly

AH, you're a flannel man, Edward?

I got three new pairs of flannel bottoms for Xmas, but have about a half dozen or so in need of seam repairs. I'd like to repair rather than get rid of them, since I can rarely find any I like.

I *always* wear flannel pajamas, a t-shirt, and in cooler weather a pullover and some socks, to lounge around the house. Sometimes even when company comes.

*jumps up and down excitedly*
I have this exact same machine! I haven't used it for a while, but I believe it to be still in full working order. Nothing that a clean and a bit of oil wouldn't sort out anyway. The belt on it is made of a strip of leather. I have no idea if that is what they were originally.

My mum had a Singer treadle & i (typically!) disobeyed orders not to go near it, used it as a circus ride for my toys & got my hand embeddded in the treadle.

Luckily, i now live with a guy who has some sort of fancy electric type machine, adores sewing & has "sewing days", some sort of weird therapy i think, but if you neeed to know anything about this sort of stuff, or have hidden desires for norty tight jeans etc etc >, just email me & i'll hand him a nice new project, ho, ho, ho......

Flannel pyjamas sound just the job for the current climate here, i've hopefully managed to send you (PC) a pic of our little house in genuine Oirish snow by email, wyrd one.

zdt

Hi coelacanth! The belt on this one is also a strip of leather, as opposed to a fan belt. How cool that we have the same machine! Small world.

Terri, I'll definitely tap you two for assistance with my projects! That's awesome. I hope I can sew well enough that when I'm done knitting a sweater, I can use the machine for the seams.

I received your email and the photo of the house in Angouleme turned out OK but I can't open the one in Ireland. Do you have some way to send it in another format? I'd love to see it. The one in Angouleme was pretty, of course, but I want to see the new digs.

Flannel *and* strips of leather.

I had to buy a used belt (I won't buy leather, wool, etc, unless it's second-hand) but it looked to be in excellent condition from the photo. Meanwhile I think I found a couple places on teh interwebs that have replacement belts made from rubber or something.

Flannel- only bottoms, though. I haven't worn flannel shirts since the grunge kids made them all popular amongst the mullet crowd.

Does that mean you're topless? Sounds a bit chilly.

Goodness, Ivan. Give Ed a vision of a topless woman in flannel pants with leather straps, why don't you?

But, no, I just tend to buy separate bottoms and then wear them with t-shirts, pulling on a sweater or a fleece when needed. Of course this means I have as many clothes for kicking around in as I do for wearing out of the house...

Ooh look, a particularly happy Bonobo.

*goes to find a mop*

What about the idea of a nicely bone"d, gusseted corset with a lining of flannel & wool, to keep ones delicate regions warm & toasty, but also norty? What sort of lacing would you think?

* Converts PC's innnocent thread to perverts yet again.*

Snowing here & we're off to see the County Council about solar heating for the swimmming pool......as one does.

zdt

to Terri.

I've often wondered why they're called 'basques'? Any theories...whether plausible or silly?

My guess is that it's to do with whalebone. They were big whale hunters, yer Basques.

I don't care much for corsets. They hurt my lower back, and they make it nigh on impossible for me to see my feet.

Basques (I've heard the shorter ones called bustiers and the longer ones torsolettes; this is the first time I'd heard one called a basque) are OK, under dresses and such, if they're not too tight. The "whalebones" (and the ones in bras with underwires) are made from plastic noawadays, or at least the only ones I've owned have had plastic.

Since they say the term comes from the French, perhaps basque is the region in which they originated or where many of them were made?

Oh, and hi, Terri! *jumps up and down, waving*

The treadle belt I ordered for $5 was in my mail box this morning (delivered last evening). It seems a bit dry- obviously these belts fit loosely and one doesn't want them to stretch much (I was thinking of giving it a tug or two before installing so it won't stretch as much after it's been installed) but neither do I want it to break right away. I hope it's not all dry rotted or anything.