A Very Expensive Bridge
July 10, 2015Just about this time last year, I wrote a blog post about why I don't make quilts to sell.
I currently have three projects that are "due" this fall. One each in September, October and November. The October one is a wedding gift. The November one is a miniature (with all the pieces and techniques of a big quilt, but in teeny tiny pieces) and the September one... That's the one I'm here to talk about.
The September quilt is an art piece to be entered into a local-ish quilt show. The size must be 20x28", the theme is "Build a Bridge". The prize is a pretty ribbon and bragging rights. That's all.
I had a lot of problems finding my inspiration in the theme; I spent hours/days looking at pictures of bridges - trestle, suspension, fairy, natural... then branching out into other media - stained glass, shadows, linework (it's okay if you don't know what they are). I asked for suggestions from people I trust and read poetry and short fiction and went down many, many rabbit holes.Okay, I was being ingenuous when I said I spent hours/days. I spent WEEKS looking for inspiration, and then trying to mold that inspiration into something that could be rendered in fabric. Once I finally found the right fit for my creative brain and capabilities, the REAL work began.
(Hint) I'm not drawing a bridge.
I had to do a basic drawing, both with pencil on paper and mouse on screen. A whole lot of math was involved. What size should this section be? How can I get 17 motifs evenly and pleasantly distributed? (that answer is, I can't)
From first drawing to where I am now - hand-drawn finalised real-sized drawing and an accurate reverse image - it has taken me approximately 12 hours. 12 hours of drawing, measuring, moving, erasing, printing, taping, drawing some more.
And I haven't even touched fabric yet.
I'm not creating this as a pattern for sale or a class to teach. I'm creating is because it interests me and stretches my brain.
But if I were planning to sell the pattern or if I were designing this as a finished piece to be sold... At this stage already I have spent (conservatively) 30 hours. At $10/hour (not much above minimum wage in my state) that's $300. And, as I mentioned before, I am a skilled, experienced quilter. My hourly rate should be higher than 'just above minimum wage'.
Wait. I shouldn't be counting the hours of looking at bridge pictures and doodling on paper and reading poetry and... ? It's research, isn't it? It's something that I am doing specifically for this project, so it should count, I say. A journalist gets paid for research, not just a story. Scientific-types get paid for research, not just the cure for cancer. If this were a paying gig, yes. I get paid.
Yesterday, while cutting fabric for a customer at the fabric store, she mentioned that someone had asked her to make two king-sized Seahawks quilts. She told them, okay, but it'll cost at least $150 each.
I nearly jumped over the cutting counter. I explained to her what I've just laid out for you, dear readers. When I got to the part about minimum wage, I asked her if she could get a king-sized quilt done from design to binding in 15 hours. (of course, the answer was NO!)
Hopefully I got the little hamsters running on the wheel in her head and she begins to value her work more realistically. I'm sure trying to be more mindful of my time and value.
permalink 1 folks clicked here to comment
Not My Usual Sunny Self
October 11, 2013 "Want to help me pack?" "The Atrocity Archives" by Charles Stross ♦♦♦♦◊Who doesn't like a giveaway? Especially for those of us who do artsy-fartsy stuff or read or... whatever - the opportunity to 'win' something that an interesting or respected creator has offered is a pleasant hope.
(rant)When one offers an item as a giveaway on a blog or from a business page, one's readers may get excited about the possibility of winning. When one goes on to say, "Go to my Facebook page and LIKE my item then come back here and leave a comment that you did so" one's readers (or maybe just I) feel a little jolt of pissed-off-ed-ness and feel like they were (I was) tricked into getting their (my) hopes up. (I don't do Facebook.)
If you're gonna do that, advertise it as a ^$%@! Facebook Giveaway up front. Some of us have little hope to spare - don't trick us into squandering it on your bait and switch event.
(/rant)
Having said that, overall things are fine here at Casa del Babble. Mom just left after a lovely week-long visit, I'm still employed for now. Today I'd like to curl up with a book or a knitting project and just "be", but I've gotta work this evening. Mr. W. is comparatively fine, MoonPie is adorable and super-sweet as always.
Labels: babble
permalink 3 folks clicked here to comment
Yet Another
June 20, 2013 As far as she was concerned, the only magic she'd ever need was the good strong grip of his hand in hers. "Ritual in Death" by J.D. Robb ♦♦♦♦◊Yes, this is Yet Another blog post that begins with, "Wow, it's been so long since I posted!"
My usual
At the end of April, I accepted a job at Jo-Ann Fabrics as Manager In Training. My eventual title will be Operations Team Leader (woo, huh?). This has and continues to be quite a journey. Adapting to the oh-so-Corporate mentality, learning So. Many. Procedures.
Always being on the run. And let's don't forget: Working full time for the first time in over a decade.
I'm not home a lot and when I am, my backside's made of lead and my chair's covered in magnets.
Remember The Contest? I "won" second place. Even though by pure numbers of votes I was leading throughout the voting time, apparently there are guest judges who get to allot 100 votes to their favourites after the public gets to vote. I'm not sure how I feel about that, but hey - lots of people liked my quilt and I like my quilt so there's that.
Then there was the 5-Pound Bag post. How come nobody pointed out my error? One can't stuff 100 pounds of sh..tuff into a 5-pound bag - one tries to stuff 10 pounds of sh..tuff into a 5-pound bag!
I actually had to go back into my journal to find out what the 'adventure' was that I hinted at. After close examination, I have no idea what I was talking about.
I was contracted to write a quilt pattern for a quilt shop in Centralia (that's also where I joined the quilt guild).
I finished my Dicey Knitting scarf and my Bashful Butterflies shawl. The scarf has been blocked but I haven't found a good place to take a picture of it (because it's 80" long). The shawl hasn't been blocked, so it looks like a piece of cranberry-colored ocean coral.
I finished the top and pattern for Rainbow Rows. 
Very cool but very time-consuming border!
(Bell conference)During the month of April and halfway into May, I was a bell-ringing fool. Two planned concerts, three emergency-last-minute-fill-in concerts, a day-long bell conference with dozens of other choirs.
Of course there's more. I think I've just caught everyone up to mid-May. I'll be back, hopefully sooner rather than later.
But I'll leave you with this - found on a trip to Goodwill when Mom came to visit.
Labels: babble, knitting, quilting
permalink 1 folks clicked here to comment
A Five-Pound Bag
April 13, 2013 Abandoned book "Blindsight" by Peter Watts ♦◊◊◊◊Good morning, all! I have stuff to say - I had an adventure this week, I accomplished something this week, I kinda learned a lesson this week and so much more... BUT
You know that saying that goes something like "trying to shove 100 pounds of sh...tuff into a 5 pound bag"? That's what my morning looks like - I have 10 pounds of to-dos and only a 5 pound bag of time.
I've tried to avoid teasers on the blog, since I have a bad track record of following through, but join me in having high hopes that this evening or tomorrow I'll be back and share all the news that's fit to print.
The real reason I opened my blog client this morning is that I have a deep and compelling need to share this with you.
This makes me laugh and laugh and laugh.
I don't know who originally shared gif, I saw it first when Kristin G. shared it on G+. I'd give proper credit if I knew who to thank!
Labels: babble
permalink 2 folks clicked here to comment
Here, Birdie, Birdie!
March 23, 2013 Abandoned book "The Mangrove Coast" by Randy Wayne White ♦♦♦◊◊
I'm doing it again! In early May I'll be participating in another blog hop - woo-hoo! I'm looking forward to designing something fun.
:Puts thinking cap on:
First ponderation - is it birdie or birdy? permalink 4 folks clicked here to comment
Down Undah
February 16, 2013 He bent down to meet her, and she knew she was home. "The Judas Strain" by James Rollins ♦♦♦♦◊
My friend Helen's mom has moved in with Helen and her family in Tasmania while they build a home on their property for her. I think that the older we get, the harder it is to embrace change, whether we want the change or not. A group of us from The Quilter's Last Resort forum have come together to make basket blocks for a housewarming quilt. One of our group has volunteered to put the top together and another has volunteered to machine quilt it. I would imagine someone signed up to do the binding, too, but you know that definitely wasn't me!
Anyhoo, this is the block I sent to be added to the quilt. Of course I couldn't just use a pattern that already existed. I had to draft my own. There's batik fabric in there. And plain ol' quilting fabric. The background is the back side of a print. The basket is made from a specialty print.
Here's a close-up of the fabric in the basket.
And because I'd never hear the end of it from Helen & Laura, here's a recent picture of Moonpie. It looks like she was earnestly asking me a question when I snapped the picture. I wonder what it was?
permalink 3 folks clicked here to comment
Hello, It's Me
February 11, 2013 Give yourself a pat on the back - if you can still bend that way - if you just kinda sang that title.This is a Public Service Announcement to my friends and fans :snerk: that are..
Dut-dut-DUHHHHHhhh...
NO REPLY COMMENTERS.
Here's the deal: I don't get a lot of comments so when I do get them it makes me smile. I read every single comment and I want to reply - whether to answer a question or to just say a heartfelt Thank You for taking the time to click and type a few words.
The unfortunate thing is that there are some of you who, when I try to hit the Reply button in my email, have a no-reply email address so I can't say Hey.
A couple of blogs that I regularly read have addressed the issue partially - if you have a Blogger account (whether you blog or not), there are ways to change your settings so that an email address shows up with your comment.
Karen at Sew Many Ways has written two posts about changing your settings here and here. Madame Samm over at Sew WE Quilt! put up an adorable little picture that links to Erin's blog, Sew At Home Mummy, and her instructions here.
That's all well and good if you have any affiliation with a Blogger account. But what if you don't?
I don't allow Anonymous comments on my blog. Literally within 4 hours of lifting that restriction, I get my first f many SPAM comments. I don't really want to deal with that, so Anonymous isn't an option for me.
On my comment form there's an option below the Google/Blogger ID for OpenID. According to the OpenID website, OpenID allows you to use an existing account to sign in to multiple websites, without needing to create new passwords. In fact, they say that you may already have an OpenID.
It looks like I 'qualify' in multiple ways for OpenID: I use Google, Yahoo, Flickr, Wordpress AND I have my own website.
Please, if you can, take a few minutes and dig around the OpenID site and see if it's something that may work for you. Then hopefully we can start a conversation!
permalink 4 folks clicked here to comment
Catnip
January 27, 2013 Abandoned book "Wishful Drinking" by Carrie Fisher ♦♦◊◊◊
MoonPie doesn't give a second sniff to catnip, dried or fresh.What does get her attention, though is the leather on Mr. W.'s shoes (especially wonderful if he's wearing the shoes that have the toes blown out - good sniffs AND playthings!) and
WOOL.
It's certainly not Christmas, but you couldn't have proved that by how thrilled she was that I put my basket within her reach.She seems to be particularly fond of the skeins I bought from Ray at Knitivity. Ray hand-dyes some awesome colors and is reasonably priced.
Adora-Cat is trying to abscond with "K-Man's Fingering" weight yarn, 100% superwash Corriedale. Corriedale is a type of sheep prized for both its wool and its meat. I had to look that up. (The Wikipedia page is here.) To me, all of the sheep-talk is best left to spinners and dyers. I am sooooo unsophisticated about that sort of thing: "Ooh! It's pretty! Buy it!"
Labels: babble
permalink 0 folks clicked here to comment
A Short Story
January 25, 2013 Abandoned book "The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency" by Alexander McCall Smith ♦◊◊◊◊So, while I was in Blogger looking for an old post, I came across this draft. It's a couple of years old, so things have changed, but I like it and decided I'll share it anyway.
I sleep on my back. In fact, I might have already mentioned it, but I sleep like Lily Munster. So, given that info, how the heck does my hair look like this when I wake up??
And holy cow, do I need to visit my friend Miss Clairol or what?? (That's on my list of things to do this afternoon)
When we first met (okay, when I started blogging), this was how long my hair was.
You might recall when I mentioned that I know product and compared my natural curl to Medusa without the antisocial behaviour.
Then last year Mr. W. cut my hair for me. He nearly had a coronary, but I assured him that A) it would grow back and B) it's so curly that it didn't have to be perfectly straight across the bottom (as if that was even possible!). So, he cut an 11" pony-tail off of me so that my wet hair was about down to my collarbone.
Now, I love my hair. I loved being able to wash and go and end up with curls that many women would love to have. I loved being able to straighten it and have it hit at almost waist level. So when I willingly got it cut so drastically I naturally KEPT the pony-tail. I know it's kinda weird. And probably grosses some people out. But if you want to see it, you can click here. There's a 5½" red ribbon next to it that's tied onto a straightened & folded over lock of hair for length comparison. That's the only way I could tell that 11" had been cut off since the rest of it was all curled up. But I'm a bit of a nerd and like to see how much the curl sucks up the length.
I loved the "New Hair" - and everyone else seemed to, also. Less product, less shampoo & conditioner, less time spent before I was out the door. It felt bouncy and springy and I could straighten it more often if I wanted to. When I straightened it, I felt like "That Girl" (I even bought a wide white vinyl headband!) - though when I went surfing for Marlo Thomas' picture I now see that her hair was longer than my cut.And then there is now. A couple of months ago, I asked Mr. W. to give my hair a trim (hair trims had to happen much more frequently than when it was long, that's for sure!). I said, "Cut off about an inch." He apparently used The One That Got Away measuring method ('And it was thiiiiiiiiis big!') because next thing I know, I can feel a breeze on the back of my neck!
At first the breeze was Mr. W. hyperventilating when he realized just how short he was cutting my hair. Then of course, it started curling like nobody's business and he REALLY started to panic. But he kept saying, "I like it. It looks really good on you. No, really, I like it a lot!" Uh, kinda like a mantra, now that I think of it.
But I'll tell you what. My New New Hair is just stinkin' cute. Customers and co-workers went bananas over the new look. I can wash & go in fewer than 5 minutes and by the time I reach my destination, I have this bouncy, curly 'do that makes me feel happy and self-confident.
The downside? It has to be cut every other week. But, hey - it's not like I have to make an appointment and drive into town. The other thing is that if I DON'T wash it in the morning and just be a lazy, hang around the house slug, I can't pull it back into a pony-tail and call it good. This length requires massive amounts of curl (check!). If the curl is brushed out (like when I first wake up) I'm more in the Phyllis Diller mode.Just sayin'.
Okay, it's present day now. The short short cut was ultimately too much for me. I couldn't keep up with the maintenance after all, and dernit - I missed my ponytail!
My hair is back to "long", though 3 or 4 curled inches shorter than the original picture.
And Miss Clairol and I are taking some time away from one another. She, too, requires a bit more of my time than I'm willing to give right now. And the truth? I'm seeing someone else on the side.
Labels: babble
permalink 0 folks clicked here to comment
Neener Meh Awww Phew!
January 30, 2012 Now I had to make it count. "Cape Storm" by Rachel Caine ♦♦♦♦◊I'm at the point where I don't have much to show but things are thiiiiiis close, so I think this will be a drive-by...
For Crispy (and my mom, too) - neener neener. This is my kitchen island 20 days after The Big DeClutter. The only thing that's been added is the wooden thing. My brother-in-law gave that to me, I think, but I cannot for the life of me remember what it is. Whatever, I haven't used it in at least 7 years, so I'm thinking it can go away.
Speaking of going away, this is part of what I unearthed from under the island in the challenge from a couple of weeks ago. Except for the wooden thing, all of these things have found new homes, I'm happy to say!On the reading challenge front, the 'witchy' book that I started reading on my Kindle wasn't a keeper. I've started another book by a familiar-to-me author and so far, so good.
Here's a glamour shot of MoonPie...
And an action shot of her with her favorite toy!
My fabric and yarn mojo is coming back, so hopefully I'll have something new or finished to show you! permalink 1 folks clicked here to comment
Um, Yeah.
January 08, 2012
30 minutes.
The dish for keys, one pair of scissors (the utility knife has been put away), a pack of gum, a container of dry cat food and the box with necessary kitty tools, goodies and meds.
The Charging Station is not built, of course, but the things that need to be charged are there so it's easier to get an idea of what Mr. W. will need to accommodate, plug-wise.
Oh, do you see that fabric on the 'bar'stool? Those are FQ's that I've been meaning to send to a forum friend, PrincessKris. But I've lost her mailing address. Maybe someone from the group can help a poor procrastinator out with an email or private message... ?
Labels: babble
permalink 3 folks clicked here to comment
52 Week Challenge
Some of them passed it on. "The Black Unicorn" by Terry Brooks ♦♦♦♦◊Over on Google+ I found (and joined) a small group of people who have discovered the 52 Weeks To An Organized Home weekly challenges.
Now, before I go any further (and you know I will), let me tell you that I know you might be rolling your eyes or thinking 'here she goes again' or something like that. Because you've met me - you have noticed that over there on my sidebar are no less than FIVE quilt-alongs, BOMs, mystery projects that date from (at the latest) 2010.
So you're probably pretty confident that I'm not going to subject you to weekly before and after pictures and become the latest FlyLady evangelist. *And, no, I have no problems with FlyLady or her evangelists. I'm just not going there.* (Again, You've met me.)
This morning I mentioned to the G+ group that I am tempted to just wait out the weekly challenges until I find the one that will address what I think is my problem (paper organization, de-cluttering work/craft spaces). But that might defeat the purpose.
This week's challenge is Kitchen Organization: Countertops & Sink. One of the first things the challenge has you do is to figure out what you actually use your space for. Our kitchen island sees these activities:
Cooking & food prep
The dreaded Drop Zone
Wrapping packages to mail
Occasional rotary cutting surface
Cooking & food prep - no problem, if there's a cleared-off space to do it, at least. The Cooking part of the equation is the use of a slow cooker, by the way.
Drop Zone - well, that's where change and re-training comes in, doesn't it? There are 12 steps (literally) between the drop zone at the end of the island to the den, where most mail is dealt with. Three steps to my sewing closet (where most of the stuff that comes home from work goes). Other than the fact that there's a trash can at one end of the island, there's really no reason for most un-kitcheny things to land on the bar for any time at all.
Wrapping Packages and Rotary Cutting - maybe once a week we need to wrap a package and the rotary cutting happens maybe once a month. I don't keep my rotary cutting stuff in that area (it's those 3 steps away) but we use tape and scissors and wrapping paper/plastic and mailing envelopes and labels and packing tape there.
So, I'm taking my first step. The kitchen island - which in this picture is surprisingly (for us) uncluttered.
Other than opening the lid to the trash can and sweeping everything into it (Mr. W's suggestion), I came up with A Plan that we can both can get behind.
Here goes:
1. The packing/wrapping stuff can go on a shelf or in a drawer that's just around the corner. That's where the mailing envelopes are kept, and there's a metal bulletin board that I could hang the scissors on if I were to glue a strong magnet to them.2. That hand lotion? It's been there for years. Nobody uses it. Trash.
3. Cords and things that need to be charged - We have so many things that need to go on chargers! (Yes, it's a First World Problem) There's a little cubby-area right outside the den that has cupboards and a little counter that would be a perfect area to install a power strip (or four) and make into a charging station. Mr. W. has offered to make that happen SOON (maybe today???). I will, in the interim, get out my trusty label maker and label all of the darned wall-warts so I know what charges what!
4. The cupboard above where we're going to make a charging station holds Mr. W.'s prescription meds. He's going to make a place for mine, too, so that they're off the island (heheheh).
5. My small electrics are used infrequently. They usually live behind closed doors. Put 'em back.
6. Eat the donuts. Put the other munchy stuff in the cupboard where it came from.
Or eat it.
7. Hey! Put my camera back into the knitted bag I made for it and stick it back in my purse.
That's not so bad, I don't think. And other than a trip to the big orange home improvement store, it can all be done in less than an hour.
So why haven't we done it before?
eta: What a dork! I hit publish without giving the post a title!
Sorry 'bout that...
Labels: babble
permalink 0 folks clicked here to comment
Catching Up, A Bit
December 17, 2011 Abandoned book "The Spellman Files" by Lisa Lutz ◊◊◊◊◊Well, I posted around Thanksgiving time and then just left you hanging - did my pies turn out okay? (Yes) Did I forget to put the fruit salad on the table? (No)
Did the turkey turn out well this year? (Hell yes!)But I do have a question for you all... do you tie the turkey's "ankles" together for its stay in the oven?
And another one: The wing tips are always just icky. Is it written anywhere that "Thou shalt not cut off the wingtips before baking" ?
My new favorite apron does double duty as a toy for MoonPie...
The earwarmer pattern I tested for Becky, in action. I've actually worn it out in the real world and it's done its job marvelously. It hasn't stretched out much (yay and not so yay), so it's quite snug on my big ol' head.I'm not sure why I haven't just sat down and whipped out another* - it's just an evening's worth of work and I could be more comfortable wearing one that fits better.
*Oh, yeah. That would require actually sitting down. And not falling asleep right away.
For the friends and family who bore The Drastic Haircut of 2010, my hair is finally growing out.(The above-the-chin-length haircut was cute and easy to style, but it required too much maintenance. I function much better when I have the option of tieing my hair up in a pony tail when in a hurry.)
And, a new mattress topper for the guest bed. Mom's been a trooper on the "firm" mattress in there, but after Thanksgiving she finally spoke up. We just put the (softer) topper on the existing mattress and boxspring. If she doesn't get a nosebleed up that high, maybe she'll feel like she's in The Princess and the Pea...This year I made only one Christmas present. I carried it back and forth to the shop (the place I am during daylight hours!) to get a decent picture for you. Um. I didn't. Maybe I'll have to make another one for me - just so I can take a picture for you all, it's not like I want one for myself... :snerk:
And we shall not speak of the chicken.
Labels: babble, holiday, knitting
permalink 1 folks clicked here to comment
Insert Clever Title Here
November 21, 2011 Abandoned book "A Kiss of Shadows" by Laurell K Hamilton ♦◊◊◊◊Hmmm. Well, I went to the doctor and we talked and she gave me a really-really-really low-dose anti-anxiety med. I started taking it right after the second concert this last weekend; I'm told it'll take a couple of weeks to 'kick in'.
Mr. W. & I used to (sorta) joke that if we went to the doctor with our arm cut off and we were waving around a bloody stump, the doctor would say, "Lose weight and stop smoking." It seemed to be the automatic response, no matter what the complaint. (For the record, we've both stopped smoking) Now I'm realizing that the words have changed, but the song is the same. For the past couple of years, when I go to the doctor for anything, the response has been some form of, "It's a symptom of [pre-]menopause."
:sigh:
I test-knit a pattern by missbecky, whom I "know" from Google+ (that's where I'm spending a lot of my online time).
The pattern is a cabled earwarmer, and except for a couple of suggestions that were purely cosmetic, I had no problems with the pattern. Becky has now posted/published the pattern for free on her website and on Ravelry.
I knit the test out of Premiere Yarns Serenity Chunky Weight on size 10 needles. It was just a bit snug on my head (but remember I have a larger and flatter than expected noggin), but the addition of one extra row before and after the cabling will fix that with no problem. The button is from my Great Grandmother's button jar.I guess it would be a good thing to get an action shot, but I really stink at the whole bathroom-mirror-picture thing and Mr. W. is just not the right person to ask right now.
I'm sure you've surmised that I survived the first two of the bell concerts. I made new and interesting mistakes in both (as many bell players often do). I also missed my "groupie" at the retirement home. I'll need to call & find out if he was away or unwell that day.
The turkey is thawing slowly in the refrigerator, Mom's on her way (or will be soon) and I have a guest room to excavate. I'm going to try to keep the stuff that gets moved into the sewing closet out of the way of the sewing machine, in hopes of conquering that chicken. permalink 2 folks clicked here to comment
A Little Help From My Friends
November 15, 2011 And as The Traveler approached them they rose up to heaven, keening and calling to each other. "The Traveler" by John Twelve Hawks ♦♦◊◊◊Heh. Do you know what a BFINM is? Best Friend I Never Met. I have a few; some I met through blogging, some through organized online groups, some through the two forums in which I am active(ish). These are people with whom I have something in common, whether is a fiber-related passion or a way of looking at life (or both). These are frends who will send me emails like this:
Oh where, oh where has my blogger friend gone,
Oh where, oh where can she be
It's been one long month since I've seen her post
Oh where, oh where can she be.
Heh. Okay.
Pam, my coworker at the shop, had a pretty major surgery that didn't go as smoothly as she expected, so she's been away for at least a month. While we have a couple of wonderful women who can step in and sub for her, I've also been taking on an extra shift or two.
It's heading into the holiday season, so that means bells-bells-bells-bells. I have 5 concerts scheduled between this Saturday and the week before Christmas. I've developed what seems to be bell-related anxiety attacks. Seriously. I've figured out that it's some sort of hold-over from the stress of the quartet's performance. Fortunately the 'attacks' are not debilitating, but I feel queasy-butterfly-ish most times of the day right now and it's also affecting my sleep. I'm actually going to see a doctor about it and hopefully we'll be able to do something. Quitting bells is not an option at this point, or, if I have any control, at any point in the future.
We at the shop just came off of two back-to-back Quilt Shop Hops: Southwest Washington Quilt for a Cure and Lewis & Clark Trail Shop Hop. That meant staying open some additional hours and also being open on Sundays. I had a blast, by the way - but at the end of each day my arse was made of lead and the floor was carpeted in magnets.
I knit a pair of socks for Socktoberfest.
"Charybdis" by Fiona Lucas
and "Toe Up Spring Forward Socks", a Linda Welch pattern adapted by 'Avalonne'.
The yarn was Premier Yarns Serenity Sock Weight in colorway "Indigo". (Wha?) I liked working with the yarn, but it loses its memory fast and the socks stretch out until washed again. Someone told me that was because of the bamboo content. I dunno.
I started a third sock before the end of October, but the print in the yarn and the pattern I chose didn't play well together. At all.No progress to report on the chicken. I'm hoping to finish it up next week, while I'm off for the Thanksgiving holiday. I will laugh at myself (and admit it to you) if I find that I've been procrastinating for almost two months over something that takes me 10 minutes to finish!
Oh, yes - and it is Thanksgiving next week! My favorite holiday of them all! permalink 4 folks clicked here to comment
A New Adventure
October 06, 2011 Abandoned book "Wedding Belles" by Haywood Smith ♦◊◊◊◊
Dear Old Iron, I will miss your heft and long cord, and your dependability and silent companionship over the years has been greatly appreciated.
You've served me well for a long time and through the good times and through some difficult situations. Remember the marathons we had, pressing other peoples' quilt blocks into submission? Good times.
I understand that once you get to a certain age, you may - through no fault of your own - experience bouts of mild incontinence. You may also become a bit moody and occasionally steam and sputter when unprovoked.
It is time for me to allow you to retire, dear Iron. You will be sorely missed.
Dear New Iron,It's difficult for me not to think of you as a whippersnapper. Sorry. You've got a tough act to follow.
But I promise to allow you to prove to me that I can't live without you (though you seem to be a bit of a lightweight and you might not know how to hold your cord up high quite yet). We have a few things to do together in the near future (Christmas is fewer than 3 months away!).
Let's bond.
Labels: babble
permalink 1 folks clicked here to comment
Queen of Last-Minute
October 02, 2011 Abandoned book "Cold Flat Junction" by Martha Grimes ♦◊◊◊◊So, BossLady's birthday was on Sept. 11 (a bit of a bummer sometimes). I decided I was going to make her a Sparkly Chicken. I've had the pattern for quite a while; it's from the Birds of a Feather book by Brenda Kirby & Debra Hassig. I started collecting sparkly fabrics, including begging some off my friend Peggy, and a week before her birthday began by fusing super light interfacing to the stretchy fabrics (which was most of them) so I could cut out all the pieces.
I had all day Monday and Tuesday to work on the chicken. I'm surprised you didn't notice a bit of a shift in the space/time continuum when I was actually working on something before the last minute.
But then.
On Monday before noon I got a call from Marilee to do my Mighty Mouse impression (here I come, to save the daaaaaay!) - the shop was having a killer sale and the volume was more than BossLady and Pam could handle. Of course I swooped in and lent a hand - giving them each the opportunity to breathe a bit. I was happy that I could help and it was fun. But that chicken wasn't sewing itself while I was gone, yanno?
But then it occurred to me: Marilee's birthday was on Friday before BossLady's birthday and I wanted to make something for her.
Drop the chicken, begin work on sewing machine mat. (That's a quilted mat that you put under your machine so it's quieter. And prettier. And a place to put pins and stuff...)
I used some of my "love-it-don't-want-to-cut-it" fabrics. I had pulled these out of the closet and thought, "I love this fabric, but I want to use it for something really special." Then I thought, "Hey! What's more special than making a gift for my friend?" So I narrowly averted hoarding behaviour and boldly cut into the 'special' fabrics.The little roundy things dangling from the front of the pocket(s)? Fused and fancy-thread painted. Because Marilee likes artsy-fartsy (and I was on a deadline!). Oh. Another thing about the roundy things? There's hook and loop tape on the back of them so they can flip up into the pocket and adhere to the mat to hold the pocket shut. It won't keep little things from falling out, but for some reason I thought I ought to provide the ability to 'close' the pocket a bit.
I found a font I liked, blew it up and used it for the pattern to quilt Marilee's name on the back (I can explain how, if anyone's interested). Yes, it's reversed on the front, but the fabric's so busy - and the machine sits on it - so it's not a noticeable feature. Then I did really simple straight-line walking foot quilting from the back, using the stripes as my guide. I actually managed to get the mat finished, kinda wrapped (a shoebox with a ribbon) and presented to the birthday girl on her birthday. I think. It was last month, so maybe I was a day or two late but my memory has changed the actual event to a more flattering version.
Those horizontal lines you can see on the back? Those are straight pins. I forgot to take a picture of the mat before I gave it away (surprise!), so had to get an action shot of it after Marilee had started using it! permalink 0 folks clicked here to comment
True Story
September 20, 2011 Abandoned book "Wizard at Large" by Terry Brooks ♦◊◊◊◊Take-away Chinese dinner last week.
My de-cookie'd fortune, which I shared with Mr. W.:
He gave me a Mona Lisa smile (oy, don't picture that) and handed me his fortune.
True and accurate.
Labels: babble
permalink 0 folks clicked here to comment
Brief Bookmark Disquiet
July 22, 2011 Abandoned book "Lost City" by Clive Cussler ♦♦♦◊◊It's late at night and I've just set aside my cross-stitching. I prefer to do this kind of thing early in the day (and not 'wee hours' early), but Mr. W. decided that he needed me to accompany him on a trip into town earlier today and then there was the obligatory nap and well, you know how it is, right?
So, I've just set the stitching aside. I'm in the midst of the sixth of nine bookmarks; so far everything's on one big piece of fabric (sorry, no pictures, it's late and it's dark).
And then I had a thought. A concern, if you will. I've spent hours on these little stitcheries and haven't actually put one together yet.
What if my math is wrong? What if this really clever idea of mine has some sort of unforeseen design flaw?
Well, crud. I think tomorrow I'll sacrifice a rectangle of Aida cloth to actually make a prototype. Flippin' brilliant, that's what I am.
I had some help reading the pattern tonight.
Stinkin' adorable.By the way, Mr. W. & I passed by a Humane Society event at the mall today. We looked through the window at the kittens. He insisted that we keep moving... and then said, "Oh, isn't that one gorgeous!". Then he said "We have to go. NOW."
Hmmm. Do you think MoonPie might get a playmate? My birthday's in a couple of days (have I mentioned that already? heh) - should I not shake the birthday present too vigorously?
Probably not. But there's a glimmer of - what? Hope? - possibility, at least, right?
And tangentially related: We were at the mall to go to our itty bitty Borders store. It was really sad; the liquidator was in there, talking about what to do tomorrow (later today, now). We're sad because that's our only non-recycled bookstore in the county and just sad at the demise of the chain. Yes, we bought some books and didn't wait to come back tomorrow/today to get them on sale.
Labels: babble
permalink 4 folks clicked here to comment
A Mysterious WOW
June 29, 2011 Then he drove back to the office. "Deal Breaker" by Harlan Coben ♦♦♦♦◊So here's the mystery: I've actually worked on something a little bit. But it's a gift for someone who reads this here blog, so I can't show it right now. It's almost done, though, so I will share all the gory details hopefully next week!
Oh! PLUS I scheduled my fitting with the Men in the White Coats:
I started knitting two new pairs of socks. The thing is, they barely fit over my smallest finger.Same stuff as the larger socks I'm working on - Bamboo & Ewe yarn. Size US1 needles. The amazing Jeny's Stretchy Slip-Knot Cast-On.
Again, they're for someone who reads the blog, so that's all you'll get until they're done.
So, I survived Shop Hop. Strangely. I'm kinda numb. It started on Thursday (the first day I worked), I wasn't all pumped up and excited to be heading to work. I think that there has been so much build up for soooo long that I'd reached my limit.
Not that it wasn't fun. I got to meet lots of new people and see lots of people I hadn't seen for a long time. I learned that I apparently have a good memory for faces, though the names don't always come. There was a lot of, "Wow! I haven't seen you forever! How have you been?" coming out of me and (fortunately) lots of people telling me what they'd been doing and why I hadn't seen them in so long.
Saturday I arrived at the shop in full regalia - not only in my Diva apron, but the ensemble was completed with a red feather boa and a tiara. I thought the tiara was just to make my entrance, but a funny thing happened: Remember 'way back when I told you about how my hair curls like Medusa's? Well, the tiara was placed upon damp hair and by the time my hair had dried it had crawled all over the crown and was holding it fast, albeit a little bit tilted to the side.
Mixed blessing, eh?
The crown & one of the stars was made from cotton lame', but I didn't have gold, only bronze... I had to let my attitude do the alchemy.And I know there are those who will ask, so I'll tell you up front: Yes there was a picture or two taken of me in full get-up, but none of them were taken with my camera. You'll just have to let your imagination run free. Be sure to put a couple of streaks of grey in the imagined coiffure, won't you?
Labels: aprons, babble, knitting
permalink 3 folks clicked here to comment
Look! Labels!
- Stitchery
- Quilting (of course!)
- Sewing (but not quilting)
- Aprons
- Babble (Includes Rants)
- Blogging Ups and Downs
- Charity Crafting
- General Crafting
- Adventures in Felting
- Holidaze
- The Ubiquitous "Intro"
- Knitting Machine Fun
- Knitting, Mostly by Hand
These Posts Might Change Your Life!
The Last Time I Was
CUTE
- Click the Pic to Visit My Blogger Profile
-
Where I Hang Out
- Visit Me at Google Plus!
-
Previous Posts
- I want to get back to blogging, really I do.But.Li...
- The Googs tells me that my Blogger blogs are gonna...
- A Very Expensive Bridge
- Dollies, Not Doilies
- The Mysterious Corn Dog
- My Kind of Doily
- Yummy-ish
- Why I Don't Make Quilts To Sell
- Sharp as a Marshmallow
- I Retreated
people have looked at this blog - Cool!
