Seasons

I've always joked that I wanted to "homestead" in Alaska.  I never really thought that I would live there, but I do now.  My vision may have been more along the lines of one room shack filled with books, and fabric, and a sewing machine;  location somewhere in the very, very remote hills.

While in real life, it rolls more like a different house with more bedrooms, and a heated driveway so I don't crash into the neighbors house when I back out.  And lots of things to arrange after the movers left their wake.  Like all the books they shelved with the spines in, and the cords packed in boxes which nested and require a fifteen minute experiment in trying not to feel overwhelmed about unpacking a house, cleaning, organizing, and decorating so pregnant all while trying to mother two little boys amid the waves of morning sickness the third trimester's cruel joke.

Maybe I said it too many times and the man upstairs heard me.  Maybe my version wasn't big enough and it needed a major overhaul.  Maybe it was as simple as an answered prayer about not having to move with a new baby.  I am overhauling my whole life right now it seems, and right before a baby.  Baby number three who we hope to meet likely just after Thanksgiving.

I just finished reading "1776" and I must say, sometimes reading the struggles of others while you are engaged in your own battle puts things in perspective.  I mean it is not crucial if my fabric sits a little slouched on the shelf until I can clear the cubby it is supposed to be in, or the fact that I haven't sewn in a WHOLE MONTH, and feel so adrift, but still avoid tackling a nasty box of misc. which sits under my sewing card table.  Looking at the bright side, at least my machines are plugged in and I found the telescope for my serger so I can quit having nightmares.

I have never not had a baby quilt ready by this point, so in the morning I tackle that box like a Hessian soldier was trying to invade my homestead, with the gun of persistence that not even old George couldn't help himself to stop to admire.


And though difficulties may pester me it seems now from all angles of life; I will do my best each day.

Scenes from last week:

sewing cubicle

After almost a month without stuff, I think they were shocked to see it all arrive.

Snow on the first day of fall.

 

"Above all Washington never forgot what was at stake

and he never gave up" 

-McCullough p.293

 

On The Fly

What have I been sewing lately?
How about what have I completed?

Pillows for couch = complete with handmade forms stuffed with foam and closed with invisible zippers.
Burp cloths       = Chenille on one side, flannel on the other.  I curved the shape so I could just serge them easily.  Some will be given away (while I was doing them I got a little carried away).
Kid Fleece Sleeping Bags= top edged with satin blanket binding and stitched with a programmed train stitch, will add the zippers today.  I used 1.5yds of Thomas the Train fleece.
Log Cabin blocks        = for a baby boy quilt, blue centers, blues, greens, whites, and naturals.
A simple zippered pouch = used a piece of quilted fabric that came flying at me, edged with leftover lace satin stitched decoratively on by the zipper.
Heavy Duty Fleece P.J. pants as well as flannel ones=  for the boys for winter.  Used a double needle to make the waist stitching, very pleased with effect on the heavy fleece.
Flannel Nightgown      = for me!

Summer winds down, I throw away things and use them up as we will be moving at month's end.  To the northern most city in the U.S.  I imagine days to sew when it is way too cold to venture out.

I bought a new sewing machine.  Five months of hyperemesis gravidarium gives one ample time to research what they really want.  And it took the full time to decide.  I will post on that later as I have not had much of a chance to play.  I am super pleased and excited about it.

I have some zippers to install, and a car seat blanket to make (like on pinterest) and some mending that I should do.  The boys should nap, but are not.  I am excited for what is ahead, a rec room, with a big fat corner where my sewing stuff will all go.  So no more moving machines to sew.  They might all be able to set out in a line!

Sew Expo 2013

detail of paper collage/painting seen at booth

 

I'd never been to sew expo before.  I guess I didn't realize it was so big.  And they had lots of classes.  So this year I jumped in and headed down to look around.  I figured at the very least it would be an opportunity to sit down at all the different sewing/embroidery machines. 

I took six of the classes, and I must say, despite the pitches I took away some meaningful message from each one.  Everyone had their own style of inspiring others.

Highlights:

-Don't be afraid to do things your own way.

-"Don't let me buy anymore fabric" If you don't buy that fabric your not sure what your going to do with it, later you will be missing the said piece needed for what you are working on.  And you would never have that story of how that fabric you bought years ago was just perfect for your current quilt.

-Make sure your using the right materials to make your memories last in your work.

-Take other ideas and make them your sewing ideas.

-Be ready to break down designs to simple forms, master the simple forms separately, then combine them, then expound on them.  Think about machine quilting as an example.

-Pay attention to what works for you and ditch what doesn't.  Whether it be supplies or techniques I found this was a common theme that most all the speakers exemplified in some way.

I spent Friday and Saturday wandering up and down the isles and took three classes each day.  I did sometimes feel a bit out of place as part of the younger crowd in a demo of largely the Baby Boomer age group.  I think perhaps they just didn't market to the younger crowd, or else they couldn't get away from the kids?  

Sew Expo as defined by husband, "A bunch of women walking around wearing vests with big bags full of shit, buying a bunch of crap they will never use".  Yes well, it was funny the way he said it anyway.

Like the idea of making a raw edge pattern with scraps

purchases

I bought some trims and some hand marblized fabric.  So I did behave myself.  I enjoyed sew expo, especially since I got a break from the boys to walk around and see it.  I must say that it was inspiring to see a specialized community come together for an event like this.  It was a good experience for motivating all us artist sewers out there to get going and create.




  

Cutting out garments

For the past week, I have been cutting out garments. 
Winter is good for laying out lots of yardage on your extended dining table.

I've cut out nightgowns and p.j. pants, some waffle shirts, and a jacket out of silk.  I have a laundry basket now full of garments stacked all cut out and ready to go, and I found that if you fold all the pieces on themselves, then tie with a ribbon (like a package) you can layer all the tied packets, together with their patterns, and then I will just pull one off the top when I go to sew and all the instructions are there, and the pattern picture reminds me what I cut out.

This beats the alternative which is two small boys snatching the pieces and spreading them all over the room for you to pick up!  Ah well, and it is also much better than the trash bag I used to group that pieces from the last garment I cut out.

The weather has been ideal for doing stuff around the house, and I am getting a jump on my spring cleaning.  You can only clean so long before it is time for fun, so we cut out Valentine's Day hearts and taped them up on the wall, I taped, little boy put them on the wall.

I have been checking out embroidery designs on the web (love these line type designs), making chicken noodle soup, and in general staying inside out of the rain.  It surely helps one get to the bottom of the laundry pile as well.

I've been trying to learn to use Lightroom 4.  So far, I'm operational, but there is so much more to learn.  Thank God for YouTube, or it would be going a lot slower.  It does make a lot of your really bad photos look almost passable, which is nice.  And maybe eventually I will get them organized.

My machines are due back soon from service, so hopefully I can get all those packages of ready cut garments sewn up!

Pics

Winter Inspiration

"You can make something useful, functional, and fabulous from absolutely nothing, so save your money for purchases that you cannont make, such as vintage beaded fabric..."

 -pg. 92 Where Women Create Book of Organization by Jo Packham

 

Funny how life throws one pieces in order that seems ludicrious.  Like winning an auction for embroidery thread, and THEN your machine refusing to embroider.  This all could make sense, if only humans could see the future, but we write our story every single day, without heeding the possibilities of the next day.

 

So I hit upon thoughts of how to use embroidery thread without a embroidery machine.  Decorative stitches.  Yes, and I use those on hems, and neckline, and omit the lace on nightgowns which actually should have lace as it seems so everywhere right now.

 

If one could pintuck the present and the future, I think they would still find themselves confused.  I read books on sewing and I find myself thinking. 

1) Reading the book on organization should help you.

2) I'm glad I only just read about that project, now I    don't have to do it!

3) There are always techniques that seem obvious but you haven't done, and lightning hits, e.g. folding and then serging the fold, and triming against the seam.  Where was I all this time? 

 

I have been engrossed in a studio redo, and inbetween that my sewing has largely been comprised of mending.  Sheets, jacket zippers, etc.  I have completed some nightgowns and flannel p.j. pants.  However, nothing lately that speaks to my soul.

 

For my sons quilt, of course I pick a block that takes an hour to complete, and I mean an HOUR of stitching and ironing all ready cut out pieces.  Sailor's joy, yes, but I was not expecting it to take that long.  It is done in Civil War repros and yellows/blues with poision green backgrounds.  That said, I am improving my technique vastly with inset Y seams.  Maybe that will serve me in the future.

 

My Christmas present was some cubbies for the sewing room, and also some glass for my camera.  I have the cubbies in and almost filled, but they still need to be arranged neatily. 

 

My thread is arranged and sorted by color in drawers now, which I have found works the best for me in my small space.  It blocks the dust, and if you need a green, you can pull out a whole drawer take it with you wherever and find the right one.

 

I ponder my goals for a new year.

 

1) Mermaid art quilt on my design wall, IS coming together this year (then I can use all that thread I just bought).  It

 

2) My son's quilt.  I made him a duvet cover, but know he needs his big boy bed quilt.  It will come together easy once all the block are done, and I will send it out to be hand quilted.

 

3) Quilt some quilts already! I am a sewist who loves to quilt, but just seem to sew more than quilt.  I was halfway through the micro-stipling before I blew up my machine again, so I think I am at a machine crossroads.

 

4)  More embroideries...

 

5)  Print some pictures on fabrics and get my son to paint on fabric more.

 

6)  Finish the quilt for my couch and make some pillows to go with

 

7)  Try to blog once a month

 

 

It has been a mild winter here.  The boys are constant entertainment.  My oldest helped me sort the embroidery thread, and he wanted only to open all the new in plastic ones (so like me) and he snuck a couple but I made him stop.  He helped me "finish the job," and I love it.  He really likes his quilt.  I took a pause on it over the holidays and am resuming this week.

 

Life is full, and I am expectant that this new year will bring sewing adventures that stretch my creative talent and widen my ambitions.