If You Can't See It - You Can't Sew It

I have a thing about oozing. I don't want to. I want my things to stay contained in my studio and not make their way across the entire house. This is partly because I don't want everyone else's things oozing either but it's also because I have a 300 square foot studio and really, that's enough. However...

... the state of the closet was getting quite unreasonable. You know how certain things weigh on your mind and eventually you get to it and get them over with. Three things have been heavy on mine - year end, cleaning house, and THE closet. I told you a few weeks ago that I was going to do the year end that day. I didn't. On Friday, I said I was cleaning house. I didn't. And then there's THE closet. Obviously, it was the heaviest because I got to it first on Saturday.





This top shelf was driving me crazy. The overhead projector is outdated technology as are the halogen lamps. They're gone now. That basket is full of embroidery threads from when I designed cross stitch (about 24 years ago) and haven't used in eons but do still want. The pillow forms have been waiting, waiting, waiting. I have ideas for them, just not top of the list ideas.

Based on the depth and width of the fabric mound on the floor, I was pretty sure that I'd need some more boxes BUT... I didn't. In fact, once things had been sorted and organized, I was actually down a box. YEAH me!




The closet is about ten feet wide and four feet deep with two doors. Here's what the left side looks like now that I've tidied it up. Those are banker's boxes for legal/letter files. Tucked around the corner where you can't see is rolls of tracing paper, the tripod, the yarn swift, and a extension table for my sewing machine. They fit neatly against the wall. On the right side, tucked into the same position, is a roll of batting.






A lot of what you see on the right side is supplies for textile art and purses including all the boxes at the top and the wicker baskets. The pillow forms take up less space in this position AND...

... there is even open space. YES YES. I believe in open spaces. When areas are crammed full, I feel crammed. When there is "white space", I feel like I can breath and move and extend and it allows creativity to flow. I'm working on the premise of "if you can't see it - you can't sew it" which might be silly but it works for me. Now, when I open the closet doors, I can see exactly what fashion fabric I have. In case you're trying to count, there are sixteen boxes of fashion fabrics. I put them in a collage.




There is one gold, one chocolate brown, and one black with brown circles on it piece of fabric. Otherwise, anything brown that you see is floor or box. I'm not a brown lover. I'm a fuchsia, lime, and blue lover and especially a black lover. These colors aren't transferring very well but you get the idea. If it's green, it's lime-ish with a blue base. If it's pink, it's fuchsia with a blue base. If it's blue, it tends toward electric navy or denim.

I expected to sort out a lot of fabric only it didn't happen. There was one piece of a cheap knit bought for muslins that wasn't necessary any more but that's the only piece I got rid of. Otherwise, there's a predominately red boucle which really isn't my color only it was fabulously on sale. I bought it intending to either sew it with a black collar or give to my friend when she's down this summer. And, there are two or three lighter colored pieces that will be okay for wearable muslins but wouldn't be my first choice. Typically, I wear medium to dark colors even in summer.

KathrynT asked - Have you thought of making shirts out of wovens with a touch of lycra? They don't feel so constricting after the comfort of knits.

Yes, however... as you can see... I have a LOT of fabric much of which is woven so I'm concentrating (attempting to) on using what I have. That said, one piece is an exceptionally stable knit. It has possibilities.

Yesterday, I did the year end. It didn't take very long. I knew it wouldn't. I was avoiding those final figures as these were for the last quarter of my business. Yes, closing was a good idea. The last time that I quit work and stayed home, I got seriously in debt because I was ignorant (I literally didn't know how to manage money) and I didn't adjust my spending to my lack of income. Not wanting to go there again, I also started a new file to track 2010 Studio Purchases calculating both monthly and year to date expenditures. It's an interesting total already and a good accountability system. I'm glad I decided to do that.

I'm spending weak when I'm in the middle of an art piece and it needs a specific some thing to finish it and I'm spending weak in the face of a fabulous fabric sale although not as weak as with art pieces. I like patterns, especially on sale, and I joke about having a lot however, I'm really picky about what I buy because I dislike information overload as in too many books, DVDs, or patterns especially when one is just another version of the other.




I am STRONG, STRONG, STRONG when it comes to yarn. I'm not sure why that is. Perhaps because knitting is a social outlet for me and not my primary creative one. Above is my yarn shelf. It's under the edge of my work island. I took this picture last night. On the shelf is all the yarn that I have. I'll buy more only when there is available space. Right now, I'm working with the green on the top shelf.




On Sunday, I tried to decide which project to knit next. There was a sweater pattern I really wanted to do only none of the yarn matched gauge so I tried to find a pattern to match the yarn. That didn't work either. Finally, I knit a swatch, found a basic sweater pattern that matched that gauge, and am using it as the starting point to design my own cardigan. I'll see how that goes. If nothing else, it'll be fun.

The back started with six rows of moss stitch followed by stocking stitch. I'm planning some kind of shaping detail for the waist. Once the back is knit to size, I can count rows to calculate the design for the front. Today is knitting day so I'll be working on that... and maybe cleaning, VBG!

Talk soon - Myrna

Grateful - personal accountability

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Personal Growth - God gives out Wisdom free, is plainspoken in Knowledge and Understanding. He's a rich mine of Common Sense for those who live well, a personal bodyguard to the candid and sincere. Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don't try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go. He's the one who will keep you on track. - Proverbs 2 and 3

What is success? Is it money? Power and position? A designer wardrobe? A Home & Garden decor or "the" right address? At one point in my life, I'd have said yes, all of the above. Not anymore. Now these sound like stress not success.

With the closure of the business, and those figures on the bottom line, and the opening of my exhibit, a new budget, the fun of fashion sewing again, and all sorts of other things that are going on right now, I'm finding a new expression of success. Success itself is internal. For me, it's not stuff. It's a heart thing. It's about being grateful, being the best me, and living at peace with myself.

Making art is a step by step process. Start, do one thing, do another, continue responding to the developing piece, keep going until it's done. Cooking is proving similar. Sewing fashions is much the same as will be knitting my current sweater. With all of these, I trust my instincts. I listen to that small voice within. Life is like this too. There is no magic formula just step by step. I don't need more things or more information. I simply need God's wisdom. It comes from asking. It comes from within.

I'd been thinking about that question - what is success - a lot over the weekend. Yesterday, I read this article by Debbie Lachusa called A Different Perspective On Success. Interesting confirmation. I love how God works.

Karen W wrote - I'm glad that all yours and mine are in their 20's and 30's. Now, I get to enjoy the grandchildren while they are still young and not in their teens. - - What is the purpose of driving the buses all the way to Guatemala? Are they a gift to the town where your three children live?

LOL - the boys are 16 and 20 so not as old as you think. We are still in the tail end of the teen years however, I love teenagers. They're as hormonally screwed up as I am which makes life interesting. Both boys live at home. My daughter and son-in-law are 23 and 25 and live HOURS away. Way too many hours. Howard got hugs yesterday. I'm jealous - LOL.

The buses are going to Impact Ministries in Tactic, Guatemala. They have numerous schools and medical facilities. Everyone has to walk, many for quite long distances, and the roads are very dangerous for both the students and staff. Two teachers were killed on their way to school a few months ago. The buses will provide safe and quicker transportation.

The buses were being remaindered by the school district here in Kamloops and had to be sold outside of the district - a legality of some kind - so the ministry, with Howard's help, was able to buy them and now the four men are driving them down. They are going to make a tremendous difference to a lot of people in Tactic. We've heard that even other ministries are excited that these buses are coming. On Sunday, my in-laws were in church in Abbotsford (2 1/2 hours away) and the guest speaker mentioned the buses. She's in charge of an orphanage in Tactic. My MIL then said "that's my son" - of course! We never stop being proud do we. Too fun.