A Certain Ineptitude

Saturday was a crashing flashing night. The storm started around nine in the evening and lasted until after three in the morning. When the lights had flickered earlier, I'd stopped sewing to find the candles and a lighter and to figure out how to use it. You have to unlock it, flick the gas button forward, and pull back on the trigger at the same time. Terribly coordinated. I figured it out and then I practiced just in case I had to do this completely in the dark.

I have a certain ineptitude with "technology" that has my family shaking their heads at me. For example, I know all I need to know about driving a car if when I turn the key, it starts. I feel the same way about the computer. If when I turn it on it works, this is good. I've learned some other basics (about cars and computers) but I'm not a whiz by any means.

Before the guys left last week, I asked Aryck to rent me a movie. That alone had them darn near panicking as I only watch a movie perhaps two or three times a year, usually with them. Then, he had to teach me how to turn on the TV and run the DVD player. According to him, you just push the big button in the middle of the controller and wait. Which controller? We have five. Oh, the one for the X-Box. Okay, which one is that? The white one. But... the big button is at the top not in the middle. You can see how these lessons went. It was a quick "any idiot could do this" lesson, given at the speed of sound, and then - apparently - I had learned all that I needed to know because after all "it's very easy". Yes, well....

On Wednesday, I wanted to watch the movie while eating lunch. I pointed the white controller at the TV and pushed the button and waited... and waited... and waited... and nothing happened. Then, I remembered that he'd said if I put the movie in the tray, it would automatically start so I pushed the button to open the tray, put in the movie, closed the tray, and waited... and waited... and waited... and nothing happened. I assumed some key step has been missed, perhaps the TV needed to be on a certain station. This is typically the French station so I tried that and - once again - nothing happened. SO...

... I went into my studio, pushed my computer monitor forward to the edge of the counter, tipped it downward, edged my curl up chair as close as possible, placed a cold drink on the sewing station to my left, grabbed a cuddly blanket, curled into the corner, and watched the movie (He's Just Not That Into You) in my studio. I'm technologically inept but not completely helpless.

For all that I want to sew clothes, not a lot is happening any too quick. I wanted to make a blouse and a skirt this week, and the blouse is almost finished. It's a four hour blouse max so as you can see, this is not for lack of time. This lack of sewing is partly because I'm winding down from THE BIG DECISION, and partly because of my serger. After many years of faithful service, the timing wouldn't stay set for more than a few minutes especially if I wanted to stitch beyond turtle pace. Then it pings and gathers and generally looks horrible as opposed to clean and neat and professional. The serger is a White 534 and quite old. I bought it when sergers were brand new to the home sewing market, I think over twenty years ago. It was a solid but not a top of the line serger.

Friday, I talked to Charlene at Anderson's Sewing Center and she gave me some suggestions. I re-set the timing, sewed for about ten minutes, it went ping (again) and I thought, that's it. I cannot sew without a serger and I especially cannot sew without a serger that works. Saturday morning, I went out for breakfast, dropped some bags off at the thrift store, and bought a new serger. It's a Janome 1100DX. Again, not the top of the line but what I could afford right now. Charlene offers a trade up option. I have a year to decide if I want to return this one for what I paid for it and upgrade to a more expensive model. I'll do some research and see.




Hopefully, I get a job soon because I paid for the serger with the money I'd set aside for photography. I want to replace those funds by the time the nine pieces are finished as I really want them photographed. Speaking of the nine pieces - skirts and tops will be pushed aside for the rest of the week. My friend Barb is arriving today and we'll be spending a lot of time in the studio. She says she's finishing things. Me too - the lines & shapes pieces. YES YES!

Talk soon - Myrna

Grateful: the gallery in Vernon where my work is exhibited was threatened by the Terrace Mountain fire. Carolina and her family (and all the art) were evacuated last week. So far, her home and gallery are safe and I heard on the news that things are improving. Hopefully, this new storm hasn't caused too many more issues.