I've been arranging and measuring furniture to determine which pieces go with us and where they'll fit in the townhouse. That's not always easy to do so I'm glad we have three weeks to decide once we get possession. I have a lot of experience moving and can usually trust my instincts. The problem is when I want to take a piece and my instincts are telling me it won't work. Most likely, it won't work.
Right now the in excellent condition eight foot couch in our living room doesn't seem to fit where I want it to go and the two badly need recovering five foot love seats in the family room would work perfect in the new living room. I've already researched purchasing replacements only I want a color like purple, fuchsia, or lime green and the stores carry black, brown, cream, light blue, grey, and for the really adventurous... red. NOT. I'll research recovering the pieces next but will wait to decide.
Yesterday, I shortened the V8699 tunic using the lines on the pattern for the shorter length. I marked the line with chalk and then - after serging along the line to cut off the excess - pinned and stitched a 1 1/4" hem. Even though it's only a pj-shirt, this length is more functional and flattering.
Re-assessing how I divided the sizes, the 14/22 hip split creates drag lines and wrinkles along the side that look as if there isn't enough hip or bust ease when there is. Next time, I'll use my more typical 16/20 divide at the hip and see what happens.
The top felt a bit big through the chest and when I tried it on the second time, I noticed that the shoulders were also slightly too wide so I pinned a 1/4" tuck at center front and center back. That improved the fit significantly, especially in the back. For next time, I've graded down each princess seam 1/4" from waist to shoulder.
I spent about an hour adding 8" of length to the pattern for a nightshirt and then turning the pieces this way and that on the remnants to see if I could fit them in. The extra length created more width because the pieces are A-line, which meant they wouldn't fit. I gave up. I'll make something else with those remnants later but for now, they're folded and back in the cupboard. Luckily, the second set of remnants doesn't have the piling problems of the first. They're worth rescuing.
The purse frames arrived a week or so ago and yesterday I attempted to glue the frame to the P12-2 purse using E6000, a glue I'd read about in my research. The applicator is not shaped in any way to help you apply the glue directly into the channel, which means it gets everywhere, and it's a mess to clean up, and stinky because you use acetone. That's a mark against it in my books. AND...
... the glue oozed onto the fabric and after an hour of wondering if it was going to dry clear and invisible, I pulled the purse out of the frame figuring I could glue it back in but it'd be hard to get it out later if I didn't like how it dried. Good thing. This morning, the glue is clearly visible. These are high end, labour intensive bags with pretty price tags. They can't have oozed glue anywhere. To fix it, I'll need to cut down the top of the purse and restitch it and then figure out how to either use the glue neatly or try another brand. Glue - take two. Perhaps I should try it on a scrap first! You'd think I'd have learned that lesson YEARS ago. Apparently not.
One lesson I have learned is to be brave. Yesterday, while I was journaling at Starbucks, I observed another woman also journal writing. She was wearing a GORGEOUS wrap that draped in all sorts of criss-crossing directions. On my way out the door, I interrupted asking her about the wrap and she happily demonstrated how it works. It's a long circle from her neck to the floor that can be wrapped around the body in numerous directions.
While we were discussing the wrap, she mentioned that if I know how to knit it would be an easy project which started a discussion about knitting and then she noticed that I was reading The Artist's Way and asked about that which led to another discussion because we're both on our fourth time through. We talked for quite a while and eventually booked a coffee date for next Thursday to talk some more. I'm very much looking forward to it. We appeared to have a lot in common. What fun.
Talk soon - Myrna
Grateful - a surgery date, March 6th
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Personal Growth - Yesterday's questions in The Artist's Way were about your beliefs and feelings around money. This is the fourth time I've done this study and my answers were measurably different, dare I say more mature. People often tell you in difficult situations that you are strong, you'll get through this, that God will not give you more than you can handle. I always find it interesting when sayings like that are applied in one way but not another. What if you apply that to money? I've come to believe that if we are not faithful with the little, God will not give us a lot, that I need to show that I respect and am grateful for and am using wisely the money He has given me... and that I'm generous... no matter the amount. Until I can use the little wisely, why would He give me more?
Wow, your life is sure exciting and stressful all at once!
ReplyDeleteSorry you have surgery on March 6th. I hope it's the good kind where they take out the offending flesh, sew you up, test it & find out it's fine, and that you can move on with life including your big move.
Do let us know about your surgery with what you're comfortable sharing.