Home - Alone - In The Studio

Home. Alone. What a lovely day this will be. Even if I never manage to climb out of my curl up chair and spend all day as a lump by the window, I'm looking forward to it. Yesterday was so warm (18 Celsius) that I was hoping for a walk this morning only last night, on the news, they were predicting snow. Go figure. Oh well. Either way works for me. I'll be home - alone - in the studio.

The move has reached the desperate search for boxes to throw the last bits and pieces into stage. Actually, we've been scrounging for boxes the entire time - and tape - and felt pens - and bags - and paper. It's been somewhat frustrating but somehow came together. We've all been working incredibly hard and have the aches and pains and bruises to show for it. Tomorrow morning, I go to work at the new location which we hear is not quite ready. This could get interesting. Everything from the old store will be coming in the front door and the first of several shipments - just 750 pieces this time - will be coming in the back door. I know nothing about receiving. I may be learning.

This morning, I'm using the "new" editor for Blogger. It's not new new, just new to me. When it first came out, pictures wouldn't load easily so I went back to the "old" editor version. After emailing Debbie Cook several times yesterday - THANK YOU Debbie - I can insert the code to get line breaks with the old version but decided I should try this version and see if I could figure it out.

I'm figuring out new software all over the place. Four days later and my desktop is still not functioning my way and I'm debating looking for a more user friendly operating system especially after what Debbie told me about browsers. All these Word products seem to get more and more convoluted every time I update. Right now, Internet Explorer keeps wanting to close down so I'm working from my lap top. Go figure. So much for upgrading.

Isn't learning funny? I tend to think of myself as an adventurous person who likes to try new experiences only I'm not really. I'm adventurous only to a point. There are huge portions of my life that I want to run like clockwork in a safe, predictable, functioning way - like my car, and my computer, and my kitchen, and my sewing machine - providing essential, background, support for the things I want and need to do. Within that framework, I love to learn about subjects I enjoy. Not so much about subjects I don't enjoy.

I'm reading The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin - on my e-book, which took me quite a while to figure out and get comfortable with. I still can't download a book from wherever, only from my computer, because I haven't learned that trick yet. I have learned that I don't mind reading romances on my e-book but that, with a book like this, I would prefer the hard copy in my hands so that I could refer to different sections and pull out quotes easily. That kind of learning is relatively easy. The book is fabulous by the way. I'm only on Chapter four but enjoying the way it makes me think.

I brought home a Vogue and a Burda fall/winter catalogue last night. Surprisingly - or not so surprisingly - I already own a lot of the patterns that intrigued me although I did fold down a few pages. kAtheRine Tilton's work intrigues me far more than her sister's does. Her designs seem to have (slightly) more fitting or at least more shape as with Vogue 8691 which reminds me both of a top I tried on in Nanaimo and of a top from Anthropologie that Summerset highlighted yesterday in her Make The Look series. I'd link you through only I can't pick up the exact link at her blog.

This is my T & T t-shirt pattern with all it's versions stuffed into a ziplock bag. As you can see, it's slightly trashed. While debating what easy task I could do today that would inspire creativity without straining my brain too much, I've decided to make clean copies and draft some new lines from inspirational sites like Anthropologie and from the patterns in my collection. Other patterns. Imagine using them. What a concept! As you can tell by my somewhat uninspiring writing, I'm quite tired. Hopefully I'll have something more interesting to share tomorrow.

Talk soon - Myrna
Grateful - a day off - sort of successfully using the new editor even though I had to insert two breaks with html code and one isn't working.

Deep In The Drapery Section

The last two days have been spent deep in the drapery section. Working with my partners, we've sorted, stacked, grouped, bagged, taped securely, and restached roll upon roll upon roll of drapery fabrics. They're long - eight foot - rolls of heavy drapery fabrics. Exhausting. ddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd I was supposed to have today and tomorrow off only they needed more help today so I'm in for four hours. Apparently there is more stuff and it's taking longer to pack than they had anticipated. Last week, I just wanted the final day to come. This week, I just want to get it all in boxes and get going. After today, my next shift is Friday. If the new location is ready, we'll be working there. If it isn't, we'll have the day off. ddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd ddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd dddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd ddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd On Sunday - our last day - I picked up a meter and a half of seven different knits. Taxes and fabric came to just over fifty dollars which is a really good deal since these were the higher end knits. Monday, I carted a whole bunch of knits back to be added to the bargain section. I was relieved that none of them were the colors I'd bought even though they are now only slightly less expensive than what I paid. I will get some of the striped knits for trim once we're moved and everything is set up. Hopefully as part of the grand opening sale, the bargain section is 50% off. ddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd Ann - Windows live is part of the update that my husband just did with my computer. I've barely figured it out for email. I'm not a fan of updates and new software so I'm happy to use the "old" Blogger way for now IF they get it fixed. If not, I may have to figure that out. I'm too tired for new software right now. It's so frustrating when things don't work like you expect them to work. ddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd Debbie - the coding isn't there and I can't enter it myself. It doesn't register. The glitch seems to be on Blogger's end. I saw the same situation and/or read about it on a few blogs yesterday. Eventually, it'll be fixed. Luckily, I can use white text for now tedious though it may be. ddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd ParisGrrl - I have talked to the McDonald's woman twice now. Once to compliment the way she dresses and again in Value Village on Saturday. She's a very nice lady. The timing is not good right now to go for coffee. Maybe once work settles down. Re: the credit cards and RTW. Good point. dddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd Elisabeth - thanks for the hug. The disinclination could be any number of things. Adjusting to work is definitely a factor although I don't think it's the only thing. Blips are normal though and - even though I might wish for higher creativity - if I sew up all those colorful knits, I'll have some much needed summer t-shirts. That's a good start. ddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd Talk soon - Myrna ddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd Grateful - even though the RTW t-shirts didn't fit the way I wanted, with these fabulous knits, I can sew some very pretty versions. YES YES

New Arrivals

Why is it that when you can sleep in, you're wide awake and when you have to get up, you can barely pry your eyes open? Saturday, I was up even before the alarm would have rung which made for a leisurely morning. I read blogs. I read books. I took a latte out to Howard's work and went shopping. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Gathered Hemlock Dress - $148.00 - this dress looks interesting in one print and prissy in another. What a difference fabric choices make. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - In an effort to buy a few basics, I spent over an hour at Value Village - a chain of second hand store in case you who don't know what that is. After trying on thirteen different blouses and t-shirts, I came away with nothing. The only one that fit remotely well had a hole in the sleeve. I gave up at that point. Obviously the mood wasn't with me. Why bother with the rest of the aisles. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Timeless Ribbed Tee - $48.00 - a basic t-shirt for forty-eight dollars makes sewing my own look like a fabulous savings especially when it takes me hours to buy and less time to sew. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Remember the older woman I told you about who breakfasts at McDonald's with her husband every morning? The one who dresses so amazing? She was there shopping. This woman has to be in her early to mid seventies. She's tall, slim, well proportioned and apparently fearless. She was shopping while dressed completely in shades of white - slim cut jeans, leather stiletto boots, a long turtleneck top, and a fur vest. I'd really love to spend some time with her although once Fabricland moves to its new location our paths are less likely to cross. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Alfresco Tunic - $98.00 - unless you could see my waist underneath this would be unflattering and maternity-ish. Even so, I loved the details and especially the back. Maybe as a swimsuit cover-up - LOL - if I ever wore a swimsuit. dddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd After Value Village, I went to Reitmans, which is the ladies dress shop that I'm most likely to find clothing in. Last spring, the place was chock full of skirts. This spring, it seems to be pants. I was not in the mood for trying on pants. I wanted tops. ddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd dddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd ddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd dddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd Checkmate Tank - $78.00 - I thought this was a very nice way to use gingham without getting that little girl playing dress-up look and the shaping is very flattering. It'd look great with the skirt below. ddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd It was another hour, mostly wasted, although I did realize that petite tops fit my body proportions better heightwise. There's none of that bagging under the arms or pooling at the back waist although that doesn't help the width any. My hips are still wider than intended which still means trying on a lot of garments and coming away with next to nothing. dddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd dddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd ddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd dddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd

Voile Maxi Skirt - $258.00 - I have a lot of cotton voile fabrics that could be made into simple skirts like this. I liked the smooth yoke instead of the gathers right at the waist. ddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd I bought a plain black, V-neck, t-shirt and a black and grey printed t-shirt with some ruching around the neckline. I went for color. How does this keep happening? I did get some color. I'll tell you how tomorrow. dddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd dddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd dddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd dddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd Dusky Dunes Skirt - $68.00 - LOVED the seemingly abstract way this skirt was put together. It looks soft, comfortable, completely wearable. dddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd There were several really cute cardigans that I could not even pull up my arm. Apparently small bicep widths is another factor in this season's fashions. At least I can sew. At the end of a fruitless day trying on clothes, I can go home and sew myself something. How frustrating for someone who can't. dddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd ddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd dddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd En Plein Air Dress - $258.00 - a simple, summer dress. Simplicity had a pattern similar to this that was done with a lace overlay. I almost bought it Friday night but there was WAY TOO LONG a line-up at the till for me to wait through that. ddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd Saturday afternoon, I went snoop shopping on-line and checked out the new arrivals at Anthropologie. I'm sure this was just another way in which to avoid sewing although why I'm avoiding sewing I have no idea. I'm in one of those less enchanted stages I guess. We all go through them. Possibly... dddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd ddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd dddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd dddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd Crocheted Tank Dress - $458.00 - pretty but check out the price. There isn't a hope that I'd pay that much for a summer dress - not even for a special occasion. ddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd It has something to do with changing sizes. I'm envious of those women who have remained the same size for years and years. It's totally doable to build up a wardrobe of basics and beauties if your size remains consistent. What you buy or sew one year will be wearable the next and the next and the next. If your size fluctuates - as mine does - it's SO ANNOYING. Every season, every fluctuation, you're starting over because even five to ten pounds totally changes the way a garment looks and feels. I need to give this some thought to see if there is some "fault of my own" that I can deal with to change this situation. I wouldn't mind being slightly more fluffy than I'd like if I was consistently fluffy. I also need to learn to sew to the middle of the range so if I go up or down five pounds, I'm still okay. ddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd Blogger still wasn't fixed Monday night when I finished this posting. To get the spacing needed, I had to insert rows of letters and then change them to white text. What a PAIN that is plus my husband upgraded my computer and I have new software to learn and "things" to try to get back to normal like the width of the text on my screen but... at least I could post. Let me know if there are glitches - besides funny spacing. I'm at work all day but can - hopefully - fix things for tomorrow or - if I'm lucky - Blogger will be fixed. dddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd Talk soon - Myrna dddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd Grateful - surviving the first day of an unbelievably unorganized move

Silly Blogger

I did have a posting written for today only Blogger is being completely unco-operative and not allowing spacing which makes for a cramped entry. This picture.. ... is supposed to have two spaces above and below it. It doesn't. I'm not sure what to do about that and I don't have time to figure it out right now so - hopefully - more later. Talk soon - Myrna Grateful - surviving the last day in the old store

My Mathematical Mind

Since I normally wouldn't be here, you can imagine how absolutely delightful it was to show the housekeepers around and then sit in my curl-up chair reading my book while they did the work. Of course, it wasn't done exactly the way I'd have done it but the boys wouldn't have done it my way either so that was okay, or at least it was until they handed me the bill. Then...

... my mathematical mind immediately extrapolated hours times dollars per hours times four weeks a month times twelve months of the year equals MUCH MONEY. There's a lot of things I could do with that grand total, which leaves me in quandary. I don't want to do all the work and I don't want to put out that kind of money. This is going to take some creative thinking but for now, for this week, everything is clean.




Thanks for the links for the purse inserts. Unfortunately, everything visible, even if in little side slots, is not my style. I'm as minimalistic and contained with my purse as I am with my studio. Right now, I have a small outside zip pocket for my keys, a small inside zip pocket for my business cards, paper, and pen, a larger zip pocket for feminine products and medications, and the main cavity that contains my wallet and my e-book. That's it.

If I carry beauty products - which I rarely do - they go in the main cavity, usually in a zippered make-up bag which is partly what prompted me to think along the lines of several "pencil case" type bags. I'd enjoy making them individual by using textile techniques like on my Kobo cover above - when and if I have time.




There wasn't a YouTube video specifically for the generic foot however, one did point out what I was doing wrong. It wasn't moving the needle. I needed to uncurl the coil. Once I did that, the stitching went exactly where it needed to be and the zipper closed beautifully.

I'm so glad that I had Ron Collins demonstrate invisible zippers at the workshop in February. The foot makes all the difference - so much so that I can see putting invisible zippers in almost everything. It's really quick and easy. Even though I have a generic foot, I've customized it with an unused shank. It's permanently attached, set up, and ready to go. Perfect.




The skirt binding looks crisp and clean. I like the way it highlights the front and blends through to the back. I'm not too sure about the defined line between the white and black fabrics. It seems too stark. Maybe it's just me so I may take it along to work today and get some opinions from my co-workers.

The bow won't work as hoped. The flippy sections start higher up than I thought. Instead of a bow at knee level, it would be hanging off my butt which is too pin the tale on the donkey-ish for me. Around the hem might be better. Or not at all. We'll see. Either way, it fits nicely. I have the waistband left to finish.

This is the last weekend the store is open. I'm working eight hours today and on Sunday, the absolutely last day. I imagine it's going to be incredibly busy and unbelievably messy and somewhat crabby and hopefully not to push and shove. Monday and Tuesday we're packing the store - another eight hours each day - so blogging could be intermittent next week. I may lack the energy to type or enough to talk about or both. I'll let you know.

Talk soon - Myrna

Grateful - a clean house - solid math skills - the ability to prioritize, rationalize, justify, compromise - LOL - we'll see what's needed

Detached Pockets

One of the women shopping in Fabricland yesterday was wearing a dress with a different fabric at center back. The same fabric was used at the front yoke and for a binding around the hem. I'm sewing a skirt so it's different but not. How weird is that?

I thought I was working on an original idea but it was obviously triggered by something that also triggered this woman's idea. Thinking back, I remember being downtown a few weeks ago, in a women's shop, and the sales clerk showed my friend and I a dress that had a completely different fabric on the front as the back. She said it was a new trend. I didn't like it. The two fabrics didn't go together in any way and looked jarring I thought but... obviously something stuck and tickled.




Before work yesterday, I serger finished the seam allowances on all the skirt pieces and then stitched the front and back sections together and pressed the seams. Last night, I cut, stitched, and pressed the binding and attempted to insert the invisible zipper. It's great except that the stitching is not close enough to the teeth. The Unique Invisible Zipper Foot comes with instructions on how to sew a zipper and none on how to put together and use the foot. How ridiculous is that? It looks like I only need to move the needle over but I'll check for a YouTube video and see what I can learn first. It wouldn't hurt.




In thinking about what I would have to do to purchase the fuchsia purse I was telling you about - the one with the lime green lining and the single cavity - it occurred to me that if I abandoned the search for purses with the perfect number of pockets and instead bought purses that had one zippered outside pocket for my keys and one large inside pocket, I could then divide the contents into sub purses each in a different color making it easy to change purses and know which contents were in which "pocket". I'd simply pull out the sub purses - which are really detached pockets - and transfer them to the next purse. Quick and easy. What took me so long? I love purses. I hate changing contents. This could work.

Sewing purses is incredibly popular. I'm amazed by the number of women who come into Fabricland, pattern in hand, looking for purse fabric. Perhaps, it's because purses are so darn expensive. This afternoon, I'm taking my pile of purse patterns over to my friend's so we can discuss what she's going to sew. I have nine patterns, only because I weeded out a few that were never going to happen. Nine purse patterns. I've never even sewn one. All the purses I have sewn have been my own design. It might be good to actually use one of these. Go figure. What an idea.

Talk soon - Myrna

Grateful - Today is the perfect day of the month to not be going to work. Such wonderful timing.

Black To White And Back Again

After work, the last thing I wanted to do was go to knitting. It was the locked in the mall thing again. An hour would have worked. A forced three hours wasn't my thing PLUS... I had the idea for a skirt tickling. I wanted to get started.

These are both cotton. The one on the left was a remnant and the one on the right is yardage from my stash left over from textile art. I'm going to use the white fabric as...




... the main fabric for this Vogue 7937 skirt and use the polka dot for the middle back and center back flippy sections. Instead of hemming, I'll use a bias binding around the bottom from the black and I'm debating a bow of the white at center back. It might be too prissy for me when it's done. We'll see. As an idea, it seemed fresh and bright and spring-like - as opposed to snow.

The pattern is drafted with a 1 1/4" hem. The two previous times I've sewn this, I've cut it off the bottom and then used a serged and turned edge. This time, I cut it off the pattern ahead of time, which is a good thing since I just barely had enough of the white to cut out the three pieces needed. I'll start by serge finishing the edges in white which is already threaded in the serger and then change to black. I've done a lot of black to white and back again serger threading lately.

Johanna wrote - House cleaners are a great idea! We have them come every other week and it works out well. I rush around picking up the day before as I don't want them to spend their time putting things away. Things don't always get done exactly the way you want them to, but at least they're done!

They come tomorrow for the first time. I explained to everyone about how things have to come off the floor and other surfaces to make it easier and quicker for them. I know it won't be done completely my way and I'm okay with that. The boys are just glad that someone else is going to do the work however...

... my husband and I are looking at this more from the perspective of there's only so many hours in a day - in a life - and how do we want to spend them. It might seem like the timing is related to my job and I guess it is in a way but more from the perspective of getting the job because just being around the house wasn't how I wanted to fill my hours. I wanted more interaction with people and less repetitive stuff that I don't really enjoy like cleaning... and cooking.

Becky wrote - Every time you mention food allergies, I keep thinking you should check out the GAPS diet. I have kept my mouth shut until now. Here is a link for a cooking class.

That's a great link for someone first dealing with allergies especially if they need help walking through those initial stages. The elimination diet is simple but NOT AT ALL easy. That information is available for free in numerous places only there's something calming about having company when you're dealing with an issue this big. I did a lot of research into leaky gut syndrome when I first started to develop allergies although my research said that recovery would take 3-5 years which is what ...

... the Naturopath that I see agreed with - in part. It was his opinion that some foods were never going to return, some would return with trigger point guidelines, and some would return without issues. He also felt that if foods were not rotated, more allergies could develop. I've been building up my system much as described in the link (above is my lunch cocktail) and so far I agree with the Naturopath. It's going about as he described. It also went as the link described. First I was allergic to one food and then to more and more. That's why I finally went to the Naturopath for food testing. Having that list is helpful.

At first, when it was just gluten that I was intolerant to, I read The Gluten Free Girl by Shauna James Ahern. She has such a way of writing about food that I wanted to run into the kitchen and cook something. That's so not me. Shauna decided to focus on all the food she could eat and make a journey out of that perspective rather than focus on what she couldn't eat. She was able to do that because she already had a love of cooking and because she's only Celiac with no other allergies.

When it was just gluten I was avoiding, it wasn't so daunting but as the list got longer, figuring things out got harder and harder. Statistics say that most people eat the same ten foods over and over which is partly why we develop allergies. (Never mind the fact that the same ingredients are in processed foods over and over and hidden where you least expect such as cornstarch or flour used as an anti-caking agent in spices or coffee.) Before the allergies, our family had those ten foods. They were nothing fancy. Just basic "farm food" that relied heavily on cans and packages to add flavour.

I feel we are wasting a lot of food while I try to figure things out and it's quite discouraging when you cook a wadder after a wadder. I know nothing about cooking completely from scratch and using herbs and spices effectively. I've never cooked that way and my mother never cooked that way. When I observe someone who loves to cook, I can see the same passion and energy that I have creating with fabric and I know that spark is missing BUT... there's enough of a desire that with help I can improve considerably.

If the woman I mentioned yesterday is not able to cook for us, I will find someone to help develop menus. That approach would be second best. What I like about having someone actually cook the food is that we can taste it and I'll know what I'm aiming for when I try cooking it (and my boys will get an idea of what's possible). Recipes alone haven't helped. I have a HUGE stack of cookbooks and it's all gibberish to me. Someone who cooks passionately knows the difference between batters, the interaction of ingredients, and the language of taste and reads those lists completely differently. That's an interesting thing about our information overload culture. Even though it's all out there, it can be just words. Sometimes you need a real live helping hand.

It's a short morning. I start work at noon. It's coffee and blogs time and then I'll get dressed, sew for a bit, and go. Yesterday wasn't as busy as I expected. Maybe people are waiting for the best sales at the end of the week. I hope there is something to entice because there is a LOT of stuff still in the store. Packing it looks NOT FUN.

Talk soon - Myrna

Grateful - chosen changes

The First Day

THIS ....




... AND THIS...




... is NOT what I expected on the first day of spring. It snowed for five hours yesterday - a wet, slushy, yucky, annoying, snow. Most of it has melted since but there's still some on the grass. Luckily...




... you can purchase spring in a bouquet, arrange it in a vase, and pretend or...




... receive it as a gift. My friend Lori Jane brought this violet over on Friday as a cheer you up present for a particularly tough week. How wonderful to have friends like that. Isn't the pot pretty?

The grocery shopping is done. Kyle came with me to Costco, pushed the cart, and did most of the loading and unloading, which makes it so much easier. I remember when the kids were little and Howard travelled for work. He'd be gone weeks and months. Back then, I rarely took the kids grocery shopping. It was so much easier - and a break - to hire a sitter. Now that they're older, it's great to have them help. Time and changes - a part of life.

Speaking of changes, we've been having some rather serious discussions at our house about things that need to change and what's possible and what will happen if they don't change. After hoping for a better distribution of the work load and after numerous discussions with no results, I hired a cleaning service. They'll start at once a week and if that's too much go to every other week. As I said to the men, this is less expensive than me moving out. It'll mean spending less in other areas and that's okay. I'd gotten extremely unhappy as the unpaid maid. Four adults and one person doing all the work, wasn't working for me.

AND... I'm hoping to hire someone to cook for us several times a week as a learning opportunity. She's the friend of a friend and out of town right now so I have to wait until next week to ask her. She already cooks once a week for my friend who says the meals are excellent and big enough for left overs and - bonus - she's used to dealing with allergies because her son has quite a few. I'm hoping that the food accompanied by the recipe will teach me how to put things together. I'll know what it tastes like and can work from there.

As strange as this sounds, if she cooks for us at the price she cooks for my friend, it'll be cheaper than the number of times we go out each week which is way too often especially as I have to eat the same food with no flavour at a ridiculous price. This seemed like a way to get back to cooking and for dealing with my allergies. I'm excited. I hope it works out.

A cook and a housekeeper might sound expensive. Even so, it's something we need to do right now because if you continue to do what you've always done, you'll continue to get what you've always got. Increasing tension wasn't something we wanted more of, nor a big blow up. The price is worth it although it'll end up being much less than most car loans and since we don't have one of those, excellent.

I think getting help is a relief to Howard as well and will take the pressure off of him to do work around here after long hours at his job. Right now, he's working seven days, three weeks in a row. He asked me to hire someone to wash the windows inside and out and we're thinking of getting someone in to clear the garden although - LOL - he said quite firmly they are NOT to touch his grass. He's a golf course green grass fanatic and finds it relaxing to mow the lawn. Okay. Whatever works - VBG.

I didn't need to tell you about this and I didn't do it to brag. I did it to say that if you're overwhelmed and the thought of a two bedroom apartment all your own is starting to look increasingly good, you're not alone and there are other solutions.

SO... sewing... I didn't do any. The studio is clean. I'm ready for the next project and have no idea what it is. I'm working this afternoon, knitting tonight, working tomorrow afternoon, have Thursday off, and am working all day Friday as well as all day Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, and Friday next week due to the move. That sounds like no time to sew but hopefully, I can pick a project tonight and work at it bit by bit.

Talk soon - Myrna

Grateful - solutions to tough questions

Fabric - Strategically Pinned

Saturday, getting ready for work, I put on my new t-shirt, did my hair and make-up, and promptly took it off. Whatever it is that is couched between the rows of ruffles is incredibly ITCHY even with a camisole underneath. If I had worn it to work, I'd have been in danger of ripping it off and wrapping myself up in fabric, strategically pinned. I'm not sure that's the dress code they have in mind - LOL.

Carolyn wrote: .... I'm very happy if you find my blog inspiring, but I certainly don't intend to be overwhelming! You're probably right that I have too many clothes! but the truth is that I really do love sewing and just can't help myself but to be sewing something regularly, coupled with that I have problems throwing stuff out. ........ Reading through your thoughts, you seem torn between being a minimalist and wanting to get to the really creative things. Maybe it is this dichotomy that is paralysing you?

Thanks for posting a comment Carolyn. I don't actually think you have too many clothes. I think you have a wonderful collection of clothes that show a wide range of creativity. It appears as if your sizing and shape has stayed relatively the same for a very long time. If that was true for me, I'd have a MUCH larger collection as I've loved to sew forever. Thirty years ago, I weighed under 100 pounds. Twenty years ago, I weighed barely over 100 pounds. Ten years ago, I weighed significantly over 100 pounds. Last year, I weighed less than I do now. It's a frustration in terms of developing any kind of core - year to year - wardrobe.

My words last week somehow managed to hit a cord while being misinterpreted at the same time. At the risk of sounding defensive, it's not that I'm sitting in my studio crying my eyes out because I'm overwhelmed, paralyzed, and intimidated. I'm also highly inspired. On numerous blogs, I see gorgeous photography and abundant garments and fabulous accessories and a little part of me is jumping up and down screaming me too! That's me too to everything including the inspiration and sense of style. Admitting that out loud was meant to reassure and to keep company with others who might feel that way. It's just natural while it might appear somewhat envious.

While I'm amazed by the number of dresses she owns, reading Carolyn's blog - Diary of a Sewing Fanatic - with the many variations of her T & T pattern thoroughly illustrated why I should spend time developing T & T patterns. Because of her inspiration, I've done that with a t-shirt and a skirt pattern and even with my fluctuating size, I can adapt those patterns and keep on keeping on. I'm working on a T & T pant and dress patterns. Sometimes, I don't talk about those journeys because I know that my fanaticism with fit can be both inspiring and intimidating to other sewists.... and boring in too much detail.

You're right about the dichotomy between minimalist and an extensive wardrobe. I've talked about that in other postings. It is a contradictory pull that creates both confusion and fascination. I'm not sure there's a definitive answer as I've never reached the point of having to make one because I've never managed to acquire an extensive enough wardrobe where I'd have to address the question more fully.




Carolyn wrote - ... may I suggest that you purchase a few more of the basics and sew the creative stuff. That's what I do and I'm much more satisfied with my sewing that way.

I would love to. On Friday, I went to Costco to see if they had any of the t-shirts that fit me not half bad. They did. This year's version is longer which is quite nice. Unfortunately, it's also narrower. The medium fit nicely through the shoulders and and clung to every bump and curve over my stomach and hips. The large fit my hips and hung off my shoulders. Because I'm petite through the upper chest, the underarm is already an 1" too low. This usually prevents me from buying tank tops. They're exposingly low. In the case of these t-shirts, with the extra shoulder width, I look frumpy and fat. I alternate between wanting to take the time to go from store to store trying on all the t-shirts and thinking why bother, just sew them. I've had years of this frustration and sometimes I do find something that fits but more often I don't and then all that time is wasted. And that's just with t-shirts.

My body changes three sizes between the shoulder and hips plus I'm petite through the armhole and the hip depth meaning that every garment is disproportionate and I like things that fit well. Some knits work. Most wovens don't. Finding RTW clothes that fit is a HUGE struggle. I know that's one of the reasons my wardrobe was reduced to jeans and a black t-shirt for most of the twenty years I wasn't sewing fashions. Between fluctuating sizes and impossible purchases, that was the safe route and then became the rut.




This morning, I linked through to Rags Against The Machine where the author wrote - While I like to think that my dress in some manner reflected the received values of feminism, it has also reflected a variety of other influences and more often than not, our truest sense of style cannot be reflected for lack of funds, for lack of occasion to wear it, for lack of awareness. Our clothing choices are never absolutely dictated by our values, but tend to be an intersection of many factors in our lives.

How true. You can't find it. You can't afford it. You don't fit it. You haven't time to sew it. Where would you wear it? Does it suit my current lifestyle? Is it really me? It's me but...?

Many, many times I don't purchase and wear the clothing I'd like to because I can't afford it or because I can't rationalize the price. There's a fabulous combination shop downtown owned by a mother and daughter. The mother's side is home decor. The daughter's side is jewelry and accessories. The other day, there were gorgeous lace tights ($45.00), button up shoes ($500.00), a necklace ($275.00), and a fuchsia purse with a lime green lining ($62.00). Only the purse had a possibility of being bought and yet that's too much for me to pay for a purse with no inner pockets even though the colour is very me although.... it still niggles and it may happen. It would mean more purses within the purse to divide my things which seems sort of silly and would be a lot of work every time I wanted to change over. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't bother which would mean the purse just sat there... a waste.




Accessories - and particularly necklaces - are one way that I express myself. When I saw this one above, I knew right away that it was perfect to go with the ruffled fabric from Fabricana. The fabric was inexpensive. The necklace was not. Sometimes, you see something and it clicks and you just know it's right. The purse only sort of clicks. It's not quite right so I'm not making that investment. This necklace clicked immediately. I bought it. I'll wear it over and over for years because "it's so Myrna" as my friend said.

This necklace was less expensive only because it was on sale 50% off when I visited my favourite dress shop in Nanaimo in February. It has a lovely weighted feel. I've worn it quite a few times since and know that it too will be a lifetime piece.

Today, I absolutely must go grocery shopping. It occurred to me that I have not done a thorough grocery shop since I bought my new car in early January. I've been so busy with adjusting to my job that I haven't had time. We've been making do and picking up and now one of us needs to go only Howard is even busier than me over the next few weeks and the boys don't do this kind of shopping. It's my turn. And then, I'd like to clean my studio and think about what next.

Talk soon - Myrna

Grateful - grocery stores with selection and safe(r) foods

Squeezed Tight

Yesterday's posting had a record number of readers and a record number of comments. It seemed to touch a cord. THANK YOU for your thoughts and for sharing blogs in my age range. Surprisingly, I already knew about almost all of these so perhaps I'm more connected than I thought.

By connected I mean connected as in reading these blogs not connected as in I know these people. That's a strange aspect of the Internet. Blog postings only show one portion of a person's life, only what they're willing to share. It's not a complete picture. A close friend used to read my blog and base her actions on what I wrote thinking that if I was upbeat and happy in the blog posting, there was nothing else going on that I might need to talk about or if I said I was going to do X and Y that day, that I didn't have time for coffee even though she'd said she'd phone. I had to ask her to stop reading. It was creating all kinds of issues.

My first blog was to stay in contact with my textile art students. My second blog was to continue writing and sharing each day while changing the topic to fashion sewing. In the hierarchy of activities that I enjoy, writing comes before sewing, reading, and knitting. Perhaps that's why I'm able to find time each week to write. It's not because I have way more time than most people. It's that writing is something for me. Thinking of what I could write about makes me more aware. I like that.

I'd originally hoped that blogging would lead to friendships around fashion sewing and in a very few instances it has but distance makes it difficult to connect on any real level plus, I'm biased from having been hurt quite badly by two Internet friendships gone wrong. I've been learning to settle for blogging as a predominately one way exchange. That's not my nature. I really enjoy people. I especially enjoy enabling them to their best.

Moira's comment - ... b) I find the "style" aspect of blogging intimidating and (sometimes and in some bloggers only) irritatingly narcissistic. - is something I've worried about. In talking about my life and fashion sewing, I want the intent and context to be sharing and caring and not oh how wonderful am I. That would be an easy line to cross.




One of the conversations we had when I was teaching textile art was around how vulnerable is the artist. My students worried that in sharing their feelings through their work they would be baring their souls to the audience. In response, I would show them this piece - Squeezed Tight - and ask them to tell me what they thought it was about. I'd get responses everywhere from water to prisons. Not one student ever came up with the right answer, which is that wonderful feeling you get when your children come up behind you, wrap their arms around you, and squeeze tight.

What that conversation illustrates is that we view life through our own paradigms. Our past experiences and whatever we are currently dealing with in our life at the moment heavily influence what we are reading or viewing, which means that we can completely take out of context what the author is writing.

sdBev wrote - ... but your post was heart wrenching. I think you're feeling the approach of a certain birthday.

I found this reaction really interesting. Reading over the paragraph that I wrote about Carolyn, I couldn't find anything heart wrenching about it, just facts. She does have a tremendous amount of clothing. She does take amazing photographs. She is very confident in front of the camera. She does have an extensive selection of accessories. I do find it both intimidating and inspirational. That's just truth for me and I'm sure for other people reading blogs. My only intent was to say I bet we have this in common because it's "normal".

Birthdays will come whether you want them or not. I've never had a problem with my age or telling people my age. It's only a number. More important to me is what I do with my life, taking time to celebrate, and being sure to use milestones as opportunities to evaluate and redirect where necessary. There has been a lot of grieving in my life over various things in the past three years. It's tiring. I want to be done with that.

Turning fifty (in 2012) is not turning five. It is in the last half of life, not the first half. Not that it will happen to me but deafness, blindness, and dementia run in my family along with other heart and stroke issues. When I think about ages 50-60, I realize these could be the freest years of my life, after the primary child raising years, and before the possibly not so healthy years.

I am excited about that possibility. It's time for me to bloom and grow in new ways. I'm not at all tolerant of issues that stand in my way, which does create some tension that will need to be dealt with. I had a chat about that last night at dinner - with the men in my life. In particular, I explained that I am not an unpaid maid and I won't be making your life easy at the expense of mine. I bet a lot of women can relate to that.

LOL - back to sewing. Apparently the way to deal with the guilt of the fabric stack on the counter is to sew it up. This is another piece that I bought while on holiday - at Dress Sew. It's quite atypical for me. The background is a mottled yellow/pink hand dyed look embellished with tiny rows of ruffles and fuzzy thread. The ruffles are two inches apart with the fuzzy thread in the middle.

Along each selvage, there was a wide unembellished section. Because the fabric has four way stretch, I was able to trim this off and use it for the neck binding.




I serge the binding on right sides together, turn it to the wrong side, and stitch it in place. Typically, I use a double needle to do that placing the left needle in the ditch and the right one on the binding. Due to the move, Fabricland is out of double needles so I resorted to a narrow zigzag. The prefect matching thread is a dusty pink. That lets me know for sure that this top is atypical. I'm not a dusty anything kind of girl.

The serger was threaded with black. I tried a sample to see if changing the thread was necessary. The black showed through so I used white instead. The serging cuts the seam allowance to an even width and provides a sturdy edge to turn over so even though it's not seen, it adds wonderful advantages to the neck line.

Lorrie wrote - While a number of younger women are sewing beautifully, there are many whose techniques are not up to the standard that someone who has years of experience wants and expects.

Sampling is such an important part of learning and of getting the look. I see this with fashion sewing and I saw it with textile art. So many people are in such a hurry that they don't take the few minutes needed to create a sample, test their idea, and figure out what to do. In the end, sampling builds technique, skills, quality workmanship, and creative ideas. It's so worth it.

Here's the t-shirt so far. The base is my T & T pattern which started life way long ago as New Look 6735. I just need to stitch the side seams and then press and stitch the hems in place. I'll do that today and wear it to work tomorrow although I'm not sure what with. I'll need to look through my wardrobe to find an appropriate lower garment... or maybe I'll sew one - VBG.

Talk soon - Myrna

Grateful - warm morning sunshine

Seventeen & Spider Lace

4:19 - the time I woke up. 5:53 - the time I gave up and got out of bed. So frustrating. Of course, it's completely and totally my own fault. I ate pizza last night. Not the gluten free - dairy free - taste free - variety but the real, honest to God, pick it up at the pizza parlor, kind with a whole wheat shell and stringy cheese. Along with a gazillion other, you really shouldn't be eating this, reactions, gluten keeps me awake. You'd think I'd learn. I haven't. Two years and three months later, I still have huge moments of great rebellion that I then pay for. I'm not sure this grief over the loss of food will ever end.




I did not lovingly explore the back of each pattern in my rather extensive stash. I did however sort out seventeen discards, not all dolman sleeves. Some were shapeless. Some were raglan sleeved. Some were dowdy. Some were I'm never going to sew that, ever, never, in a million years. Seventeen came out. Five went in. I'm not sure I'm winning - LOL.




Do you not ask me why this spider lace has been tantalizing me for the last several weeks. I have no answer other than it just has. I finally gave up and bought it yesterday. One meter for $2.84 as it was in the heavily discounted Halloween section. Unlike the rest of the printed organzas, it has a soft, crochet-like feel. I don't even like spiders and yet I'm terribly tickled by the idea of spider inserts on a t-shirt. I know it will take people a few minutes to realize that I have spiders on my shoulders and then there will be a reaction. Perhaps it will sit in my stash and never come to pass but for some reason, it tantalized. Do you have a fabric like that?

As you know, I read a list of blogs every morning. I am amazed by how quickly some people have taught themselves to sew - really well - in a year or less. I am amazed by the creativity and the inspiration that I find not only with their sewing but with their refashions. Although I see a lot of crafty things that don't appeal to me at all, I also see a lot of really rather wonderful interpretations. I love that sewing is having a resurgence.

Lately, I've been disappointed by the realization that most of the women - not all, but most - whose blogs I follow are much younger than myself. While I admire their ability, I can't always relate to the styles or topics. Has sewing become a young woman's activity? Do those of us who are older lack interest or time or... ? Am I reading the wrong blogs? What is your favourite blog where the author is in the 45-60 age range?

Are you both inspired by and overwhelmed by some blogs? Every day on Handmade by Carolyn, she posts an outfit, almost always completely "me made", illustrated with beautiful photography and fabulous accessories. Carolyn seems to have a large selection of clothing. I love all the details she shares and I feel boring in comparison.

Perhaps lack of selection is my problem. I'm more a minimalist and when you have few clothes and wear them more often, not only can you get bored with them, they wear out sooner and usually at the same time. I've been looking at my closet noting the basics that need to be replaced and that list is so long that I wonder if I'll ever get to the really creative things and if I did what would they look like? Sometimes the list is so long it's paralyzing. Does that happen to you? How do you deal with it?

I hope this hasn't come across as whining - again. That wasn't my intent. Just some thoughts I've been thinking about these past few weeks. I'd be curious to see if I have company.

Talk soon - Myrna

Grateful - payday

Knitting At Turtle Speed

Tuesday night is knitting. I didn't go last night for the second week in a row. Last week, I was too tired after work. Last night, I went out for dinner with my husband instead. Both times, I wasn't feeling up to being locked in the mall for three hours. Because it's closed to the public, we must arrive before closing and are let out by security. We have to exit as a group. Sometimes, I just want to stay for a little bit and not the whole time.

Most of the members been together for a long time - in excess of fifteen years. They're friendly and yet, after almost two years, I still feel like an outsider. I'm still the newest member. Perhaps if I went on any of the retreats I would get to know them better only I'd prefer to spend my money on sewing retreats and my allergies create all kinds of food issues that are no fun. So I don't go. Oh well - VBG.




The KnitPicks magazine came in the mail yesterday. They have pages like these above of yummy colors. It's so seducing. Makes me want to acquire the entire rainbow. I do NOT need more yarn. I knit at turtle speed. I started my current project in January and I'm almost finished the back... which is knit in a basic 4 x 4 rib... and should have taken just a few days. Slow.

When I first returned to knitting, I was far more enthusiastic. Things got finished faster. Now, I rarely knit at home. It's not that I don't enjoy it. I do. It's that I'd rather sew or read before knitting. In my hierarchy of activities, it's not very near the top.




The return to knitting was after creating textile art which is so spontaneous and free form that dutifully following the pattern didn't appeal to me. I bought a lot of stitch dictionaries and did some design work of my own. At the time, there wasn't a "comprehensive guide to handknits" and I thought about writing the book myself even though it seemed like an amateur would be writing a designer workbook. I wasn't sure I had the credibility even though I completely understood what was needed and how to present it. I went as far as writing the outline.

Just before Christmas, I saw Shirley Paden's book Knitwear Design Workshop. My daughter and son-in-law bought it for me as a gift. This is the book I would have written. Shirley has the credibility. It's quite fascinating. Many of the concepts are similar to getting good fit with sewing and there are echoes of concepts from sewing books like Helen Joseph-Armstrong's Patternmaking For Fashion Design. Perhaps, at some point, I'll use the information for even more than good fit. Right now, the pages are fun to explore and interesting to think through only - as I said - I'm knitting at turtle speed.

THANK YOU to everyone who commented on yesterday's posting. A few responses:

Charmion - slip covers would be a temporary fix and IMHO not worth investing in, not only because I really dislike the look of slip covers but because the proportions of the furniture would remain the same and so the ability to NOT move the room around would remain the same. It's the sameness more than anything that is difficult. I LOVE moving the furniture around. It's a quick change.

Diane - I totally understand what you mean about missing being free. It's not about loving or not loving your family. It's about constantly putting others first in the decision making process and the imbalance of reciprocity.

Carrie - I do think you're right that so many things can be traced back to lack of control or the inability to enact the solution whether that's because it requires someone else to behave differently or requires money you don't have to spend on what you'd really love to spend it on. Being wise means constant compromising. Sometimes, that's just not what we feel like doing.




I'm working five hours this afternoon, noon until just before closing. I've been getting this shift quite often lately and it's typically the clean-up shift. If the store is getting busier in this last two weeks before moving as I'm expecting it will, then there could be a lot of clean-up to do. That's good. I prefer to be busy. It's already almost 9:00 so I don't have a lot of time before leaving for work.

Unless I feel like sewing tonight, not much is likely to happen although it would be nice. I've been debating a clean-out of my pattern stash. I know for sure that anything dolman sleeve needs to go. I'd also like to actually look at all my patterns again and revisit the line drawings on the back to get a better idea of what I have.

Earlier, I saw this OOP Vogue 2683 pattern on Kayy's blog. I liked the skirt on the left and immediately looked up the pattern and then didn't bother hitting purchase. That's an easy skirt to draft and to add to an existing tank top. Why spend that money? Besides, somewhere in my stash, I'm pretty sure I have something very similar. Refocusing on what I already have might be a good idea instead of being seduced by new - as with all that yummy Knit Picks yarn. It'll be more self respecting and satisfying. Do you know what I mean?

Talk soon - Myrna

Grateful - the hidden secrets of existing stashes

Good Old Fashioned Retail Therapy

Last week, I finished reading Why We Get Fat And What To Do About It by Gary Taubes. It's an interesting read. In the end, the solution was a high protein, low carb - extremely low carb - approach with a focus on what we call healthy carbs as opposed to processed carbs. I found myself wondering...

...if I follow this diet will I be healthier? Healthier than what? How healthy was I going to be? If I follow this diet will I live longer? Longer than what? How long was I going to live? If I follow this diet will I weigh less? Less than what? How much was I going to weigh? So much of life is a balancing act.

There are no definitive answers to these questions so I find myself thinking yes, based on what I know, I'm willing to accept that a low carb approach could be a healthy choice however, I'm not willing to live on salad and a piece of meat so that I'll live longer and be thinner than two unknown numbers. Perhaps, I'd rather give a few years and ten pounds to fuller taste and more living in the now. Do you know what I mean?




In a few months, I'm turning forty-nine and yet I've found myself thinking about turning fifty a lot lately. I try to imagine what life will be like at fifty, what I want it to be like, and whether that will be possible. I'm having trouble imagining.

When I turned forty, life bloomed shiny bright, filled with potential. As I approach fifty, life has dulled as if I'm in a tremendous rut with edges so high I can't see over the sides to find my way out. It's as if the practical approach necessary to life - the balancing of spending with earning, wants with needs - and the putting of others first, as mothers and wives do, has drained the light. I know some of this feeling has to do with the ending of my career and the closing of my business with what was a practical, bottom line, decision. Working at Fabricland does not substitute for that type of creativity.

In a few months, I will have been married for thirty years. I've been a parent for twenty-five. I've been the wife of a husband with compromised health for fifteen. My youngest son graduates in June. He's very uncertain what he wants to do and there is much tension as he struggles with that decision. When he talks about taking a year off, about having no plan, it sends me into a panic. I wonder when will it be my turn. Pragmatism is wearing thin. Is this typical mother?




Yesterday, I went shopping, indulging in some good old fashioned retail therapy. I bought a dozen of these lime green glasses, which were relatively, though not exorbitantly, expensive. We didn't need them. We already had more than enough glasses. I wanted them. I bought them and moved others out to put these on the shelf. How pretty they are. One of my sons will need those other glasses when they move out. I'll save them.




My living room is driving me crazy. It's huge and yet because of the size and proportions of my furniture, I can't move it around. The same furniture has been sitting in the same position for seven years now along with the same nick nacks on the same surfaces looking exactly the same. Not only is that enough to make me scream...

... we have a check couch and a floral chair, very country feeling from a completely different era of me. They no longer match who I am. If you understand what I mean by that statement, isn't it a strange feeling - that your house doesn't seem to reflect the real you any more?

Part of me wants to drive as quickly as possible to the nearest furniture store and buy a room full of unique and intriguing furniture. The practical part of me knows that isn't financially possible and couldn't be for a really long time. The in a rut part wonders when and if ever and how will I deal with never? In light of the tragedies in the world, this seems so self centered and inconsequential and yet it's a real and drowning feeling that has to be dealt with. I bought a new throw for the couch. It's a tiny stop gap.




A scary thing for me is how disinclined I am to sew. It's temporary - or at least previous experiences with disinclination lead me to believe it will be temporary. Yesterday, I tried on a whole bunch of high end, heavily discounted, clothing at a store downtown and walked away from it all for one flaw or another because I could do better myself. I just don't feel like it right now.

This stack of fabric on my counter is my from trip in February. It's sitting there because there's no room in the closet for it. I don't feel good about that. I feel somewhat guilty and like I need to give the closet a good clean. Doesn't that word just make you cringe - clean.

Outside, the snow is melting, the grass is visible, there are signs of spring. I find myself thinking about the need to wash the windows, and put another coat of paint on the doors, and clear the garden, and plant the flower pots, and weed, and water, and maintain, and I'm not that thrilled with the idea of spring. When I talked to my friend yesterday, she was feeling the exact same way. Aren't the cycles of life interesting? Twenty years ago, we'd have been ecstatic at the potential and now we see only the work.

SO... now that I've dumped and whined... is this normal for this stage of life? Have you experienced it? What advice do you have?

Talk soon - Myrna

Grateful - ebb and flow

I Do Have Coffee

We're on two weeks of spring break. Since I'm not working today, I didn't set the alarm clock and slept until I woke up. With the time change, that wasn't as late as I would have liked it to be but still nice.

I finished the black t-shirt and wore the rose printed one to work on Friday night. It received lots of compliments. I'll shave a little bit more off of the bodice curve for next time. With wearing, the upper center front pouches out ever so slightly. The black was impossible to get a flattering and visible picture of so today's posting is pictureless...

... and short. It was another not so delightful weekend of raising a teenager which made going to work both difficult and a wonderful distraction. The store closes in two weeks. It's getting busier again as people come looking for amazing deals. Hopefully, we have them because there's an unbelievable amount of stock in there still. I can't imagine how much there was back in November when they stopped buying. The new store opens on April 14th. In-between, we'll be packing up, moving, unpacking, and receiving a whole new store. I've begun to think I should have applied in April not January - LOL.

Not sure what I'll do today. Cooking and cleaning aren't so appealing. Perhaps, the usual sewing. I had a breakfast date planned only my friend's daughter hurt her back so she's driving to Calgary instead to help her. I'd have loved to tag along only I'm working Wednesday and my daughter takes a class Tuesday nights so it didn't make sense for one night. Darn. I do have a coffee date planned for later this afternoon. Hopefully I'll have something more and more exciting to share tomorrow. Have a great day.

Talk soon - Myrna

Grateful - safety and reality checks

Again In Black

Success! At last! The fabric is one of the ones bought at Fabricana on my holiday. When I showed it to Caroline, she said it was "so you", an interesting comment since I thought it was quite different.




I edged the neck and sleeves in black to help separate the print from my skin somewhat. You've probably noticed that I rarely wear prints and that when I do, they're typically monochromatic. Otherwise, the print seems to take over and my face is lost, which is exactly what my daughter mentioned yesterday when we were discussing how horrible the pink leopard version looked on me although her take was more along the lines of leopard on a woman my age makes me look like I'm trying too hard - LOL.




The only adjustment I made to the draft was to take 1 1/4" off the bottom of the upper bodice at center front curving back into the existing seam line. The extra fabric created a pouch. The t-shirt turned out so well that I'm sewing it again in black.

Last year, I sewed a series of black t-shirts using the same fabric. Unfortunately, it faded quickly which was not only annoying but means that I need to sew some more. I've read several times on blogs that t-shirts are so cheap and so easy to buy that why bother sewing them. I've only ever found one brand at Costco that fits me half decent. Otherwise, my sewn ones are so significantly better that I'd rather sew them than buy them - even if making a bunch of black ones - again - is boring. Perhaps, if I intersperse them with colors, it could help.




On the 3rd, I ordered some more eye-glasses from Zenni Optical and they came yesterday. Such quick service. I wanted a whole bunch of the same frame for reading glasses so I could leave one pair at work and scatter the rest around my life and know instantly that those were for reading. I chose a turquoise frame and then bought a couple more pairs for distance vision. The ones above caught my eye because they looked like the right lime green on-line. In real life, it's more yellowish than I'd like and because the yellow is on the inside of the frame, it creates a glow around my eyes. I'm not sure how well that part looks however, since the colors match my new t-shirt so exactly, I'll wear them at least once... to work... today. We'll see what happens. What fun!

I'm working eight hours tonight - the closing shift - and then again on Sunday so it's a mostly work weekend. The black t-shirt is pinned ready to cut out. Hopefully I have time to sew it.

Talk soon - Myrna

Grateful - a successful project