Aging And The F Words

My daughter and son-in-law are on their way over. It's a long drive. Eight to ten hours depending on how many stops you make. They're coming after work and can't meander as much as I do when going their way. I'm quite excited to see them. About a month ago...

... my daughter offered to make my birthday dinner. Since then she's been reading cookbooks and taste testing recipes and it sounds like we all have a gourmet treat in store for Saturday night. Everyone will be home for dinner on Saturday and then back again on...

... Sunday morning - my actual birthday - for crepes with fruit and whip cream and other goodies. The next time I post, I'll be fifty. As much as I've enjoyed the forties and the whole I'm forty and I'm not doing that and you can't make me thing, fifty holds a special appeal. From what I can tell, it's the decade where a woman is the freest - and hopefully the healthiest - to explore her own interests. I've been thinking a lot about aging and...

... the F words. Fabulous. Flirty. Feminine. Fun. They all sound good to me. Fifty will be the decade of me - not in a selfish way but in a self care way.  I'm excited.

I was determined not to post today until I had something sewing to say. After reshaping the neckline, it and the armholes were finished with self made bias and two rows of top stitching and except for the hem, the linen dress - wearable muslin - is complete. As soon as someone helps me to mark the hemline, I'll do that and it'll be finished for Sunday.

Next week, I'll start on the real birthday dress. I bought a knit lining for cheap in the bargain center today as well as some velvet piping at 75% off. Gotta love that.

This is the view from my sewing machine on a grey, cloudy day. As you can see, it's still quite bright. This studio is going to work out wonderfully. It's feeling very much like home after only a few days. YEAH.

Talk soon - Myrna

Grateful - a positive anticipation of turning fifty

Making Pretty

Last night was knitting. I didn't go. I stayed home to sew because if asked to chose between sewing and knitting, sewing will win almost every time plus I'd spent the day making pretty in the studio and more than I wanted to knit, I wanted to spend time in my space. It didn't happen.

I spent two hours putting up a light. To thank Howard for trading spaces with me, I bought him a chandelier. He loves them - the gaudier the better. Me? Not so much. This one looked clean and simple in the store. In our bedroom, it's more ornate but not so over the top that I want to take it back.

See that circle of white? When I touched up the ceiling after the old fixture was taken down, I grabbed the wrong paint and used semi-gloss bought for the trim and not matte bought for the ceiling. That's the story of this move. What can go wrong, goes wrong. I'm not sure what the lesson is but I'm getting plenty of practice with patience and letting go - opportunities to be my best me which is...

... along the lines of the book I'm reading - Face It: Looking And Feeling Great Matters At Any Age by Vivian Diller. Here's the blurb...

Let's face it: everyone's getting older. But millions of women, raised to believe that success and happiness are based on their intelligence and accomplishments, face an unexpected challenge: the physical realities of aging. If looks are not supposed to matter, why do so many women panic as their appearance changes? Their dilemma stems from two opposing societal views of beauty which lead to two different approaches to aging. Should women simply grow old naturally since their looks don''t define them, or should they fight the signs of aging since beauty and youth are their currency and power? This Beauty Paradox leaves many women feeling stuck. Face It, by Vivian Diller, Ph.D., is a psychological guide to help women deal with the emotions brought on by their changing appearances. As a model turned psychotherapist, Diller has had the opportunity to examine the world of beauty from two very different vantage points. This unique perspective helped her develop a six-step program that begins with recognizing "uh-oh" moments that reveal the reality of changing looks, and goes on to identify the masks used to cover deeper issues and define the role beauty plays in a woman''s life, and ends with bidding adieu to old definitions of beauty, so women can enjoy their appearance--at any age!

A friend told me about the book while we were discussing a line of make-up I was considering. The total regime was four hundred dollars and involved many bottles. I've been there done that and have evolved to a smaller, shorter, routine with a quality cleanser, moisturizer, and foundation. I didn't want to trade my two minute regimen for a twenty minute one. If asked to chose between spending my time, money, and energy on fighting aging or embracing creativity, creativity wins almost every time. One of the things I love about the way I've aged is...

... an - IMHO - improved perspective. While my looks matter, they aren't my total identity. Years ago, maybe yes. Now, I approach new products and activities with the question can I sustain this? Yesterday, I was talking to a woman who has lost 142 pounds through a change in diet and exercise. When I asked her, she said she runs 1 1/2 hours a day and longer on the weekends. According to her, she can maintain that.

At one time, I'd have looked at those lost pounds, bought new running shoes, and hit the streets. Now I think really? I'd much rather go for a short but consistent walk every day, grab a new book on the other kind of fit - and fashion - and chose a yummy piece of fabric and head down to my studio to sew. I've one life to live and I chose not to spend it pursuing the perfect face and body nor lamenting what can't be changed. And that's a change from the younger me.

A song I was listening to yesterday went she ain't pretty, she just looks that way. In the morning, while I'm putting on my make-up and fluffing up my hair, it's not that I don't want to look good. I do. I'm quite vain but in a looking as good as I can reasonably look kind of way rather than a looking younger than my daughter kind of way because I'm more focused on being here in this moment and living this one life. I'd rather have an eccentric and interesting personality than perfect packaging.

I can dress up, make-up, and look pretty AND... I can read and have stimulating conversations. I can learn. I can listen. I can support and encourage and be involved with my friends and family. I can sew and knit and be creative in a way that challenges me. I can be interested and interesting in life. I can walk and remain flexible. I can't prevent wrinkles and cellulite and sagging b--bs. I can buy a good bra!

A few weeks ago, I picked up this canvas for my studio. It's a reminder to exist in my own life. When I get to the line DREAM big, it makes me stop to think. As I approach fifty, what does that mean to me now? In my twenties, when I started my business, the talk was all about follow your bliss and the money will follow. For many of us, that didn't happen in a discouraging, demoralizing way that made us wonder if we hadn't worked hard enough or if we weren't good enough.

In Malcolm Gladwell's book The Outliers he talks about that exact thing - that you may have worked hard and be amazing at what you do but the stars didn't align at the moment you needed them to align. It was a reassuring thought to read when after investing twenty years in my career, developing my work to an admirable point, and having it established in numerous high end galleries, the economy went for a bust and virtually no one is buying art never mind high end, alternative, abstract, contemporary art made from fabric.

Malcolm's book helped me to move on - on to enjoying my creativity in a way that's focused on what do I want to learn and do and create as opposed to what do they want to buy. There are realities to life that you can't get around no matter how blissed out you are. If you can't sing. You can't sing. If there's no money, there's no money. I'm glad I'm old enough to know that now and to stop fighting the same old battle and start having more fun.

My feet might be flat and pudgy with hairy toes that need waxing and calluses on the sides but isn't that polish pretty? YEAH!

Talk soon - Myrna

Grateful - the upside of aging

Empty Spaces And Good Lighting

Incredibly productive would be good words to describe yesterday. Not in a sewing way, in a finally getting all those nit picky little details organized way. Details like the junk drawer and the tupperware and the shoe shelf and "stuff" that makes a home function more smoothly. I finally felt like I actually live here. This is good.

The last time I showed you a picture of my fabric closet, there were fifteen boxes where the piles of fabric are now. Without eliminating any fabric - simply by taking it out of the box and putting it on the shelves - I have more room. YEAH! You can't see behind the right hand door but there's room for more stacks there and empty spaces to be filled. This is perfect especially as I'd been wondering where I'd put the fabric from my upcoming trip and now I have space. It's a given that I'll come home with more fabric since fabric and jewelry are my favourite souveniers.

The boxes on the top row hold interfacing, lining, and lingerie fabrics. It'll be much easier to keep those pieces in the boxes. The boxes on the bottom are full of assorted things like fabric scraps and pieces to be recycled. I'll sort through them some time soon and make sure it's stuff I want to keep and if so, make them more visible.

While I was sorting fabric, Howard put up the new lights in my studio. In the image below, there are two 150v bulbs and in the image above, there are two fluorescent fixtures with four full spectrum bulbs.  Good lighting - as in both the fixture and the type and quality of light bulb - makes a tremendous difference.

When we were selling our previous house, our realtor suggested changing all the light bulbs so everything would be fresh and new. To economize - since we wouldn't be staying to use them - we bought no-name bulbs from a hardware store. They were dimmer than the bulbs we'd removed so we changed them back. At the store, Phillips and GE seem to be the best although lighting stores carry even better bulbs. They're expensive but they last longer and the light is brighter and that matters to me. I'm preserving my eye sight as much as possible.

Today, I have a lot of errands and tonight is knitting. I doubt I'll have any time to sew but hopefully since everything is ready. The dress is waiting for binding around the neck and armholes and then hemming and it's done.

Talk soon - Myrna

Grateful - electricity and quality lighting. I can't imagine sewing by candlelight.

The New New Studio

The dress is coming along beautifully. I've made changes. Of course. The pattern - Vogue 8743 - as drafted begins flaring outward at the waist which means there's a LOT of fabric at the hip point. On me, there was 42" extra inches equalling a ton of not so flattering ease. I pinned the seams smooth from the waist to the hip and began the flare at hip level so it drapes nicely. I'm really pleased with how it's developing and... more on that later... because...

... I have a new new studio. On Saturday, once the dress was far enough along that I knew it was going to work out, I finally had enough energy and will to start arranging the studio. After an hour of pushing things around - using those amazing EZ Movers shown on TV - I ended up in tears on the couch wanting my old studio back. It can't be done. Instead, I've traded spaces with my husband. I no longer have that amazing view of the valley and that's okay because I now have the type of private, defined space that I function best in.

This studio is not my smallest ever but it is smaller than my previous one at 10' 8" x 14' 3" with double glass doors into the hallway. There is no window but there is a view from my sewing machine down the hall, across the family room, and out those windows. This space reminds me of a studio I had about ten years ago. My last studio is my all time favourite. The ten year old one would be second on the list. Hopefully this new space measures up favourably once I get sewing.

I'm still sorting out the details and putting things away but the main furniture is in place. The work island is on the far wall set at an slight angle to allow for storage behind and to soften the squareness of the room. The pattern cabinet is tucked in the far corner again spaced enough from the corner to allow for storage beside. The design wall will be mounted to the right with the button shelf below.

The computer desk is on the wall at left when you enter. It's the same set-up as in my previous studio and more desk than I need now that I'm not in business - however - it's already paid for and functions well so why not. The art fabrics that sat in a basket on the floor for the past six weeks are now stored in the glass fronted cabinet. Finally.

It's been a long time since my sewing machine faced a wall. What saves this from being too harsh is the view I mentioned earlier. The double doors are at right of my machine and the hallway just outside is five feet wide. The doors will almost always be open. The serger is sitting on the guest desk and is easily moved when I have company over to sew. I'll try this configuration for now and see how it goes. If I find that I need more storage, overhead cupboards can be mounted above the desks. For now, I'm working on decreasing my stash to fit the available storage space. Almost everything has found a home. We need to put up the full spectrum fluorescent fixtures and after that I'm at the "making pretty" stage.

One of the things that had me so upset with the previous designation of space was the lack of a family room where more than two people could watch a movie or be together. Our daughter and son-in-law arrive on Thursday night and it was bothering me that we couldn't do anything together with the way things were. This way, the TV, bookshelves, games cupboard, and couches are in the space that I previously occupied and....

... Howard is set up at the other end of the room with space for both his desk and working counter, his and the boy's computers, the overhead cabinets, and his instruments with plenty of space to move around and the couches and TV nearby. Once all the "stuff" is put away, it'll be a lot neater and nicer. Right now, he has boxes stacked there ready to deal with.

The blue wall still needs to be painted and unfortunately my space is painted Howard's color and his space is painted my color but that's okay. It can be changed eventually if things work out. I may do that while the guys are off on their annual trip in July. We'll see. For now, I'm tired of painting. I just want to sew. And maybe buy a fan.

The space I'm in now was super insulated for sound and - IMHO - is a touch over done  making it quite warm. Other than that, it's all mine and wonderful and I have the world's best husband. When I approached him with the idea of trading spaces, he said the most important thing was for me to be happy. Earlier that same day, while I was working on the dress, my son said ... you're sewing - yeah - all's right with the world again! Too fun!

Talk soon - Myrna

Grateful - a more defined, comfortable, me, kind of studio space

Dark Denim Rich Wrinkles

You may be rather incredulous - as I was - when digging through the stash yesterday - that the thought popped into my mind that I didn't have enough fabric. Of course, what I really meant was that I didn't have enough fabric in suitable lengths for the dress I wanted to sew. LOL - an excuse to shop as soon as there's some available space.

For the prototype, I chose linen in a dark denim color. It seemed like a great choice since it softens with wear and any slight fitting issues - like my high back hip - weren't going to be a problem. I tore off both selvages before cutting out the dress because the edge was soft and pretty and might make a good accent on some kind of creative wearable project. I kept all the linen scraps for the same reason. Linen is fabulous pieced with attention to seams and details and top stitching.

Are you aware of the sewing guides at EmmaOneSock.com? They're written by the late Shannon Gifford and are a fabulous resource for learning about different fabric types. Of linen, Shannon writes: Don’t be put off by the wrinkles in linen. For many years, linen wrinkles were a status symbol; one expert calls them “rich wrinkles”! These creases were and are an indicator of the genuine linen article.

Yesterday, I traced and altered the pattern, cut out the fabric, and basted the garment with the seam allowances out to allow for easier fitting. The front opening and the shoulder seam are pin basted to allow me to get in and out and to allow for minor adjustments to the bust point although they weren't needed. The bodice fits wonderfully.

The skirt not so much. At the hips things get too full and baggy. Most likely I could go down a size or two even. I'll measure the difference between sizes, pin it out, and try that before I cut anything off but I'd rather the fabric skimmed my hips and flowed than that there was way too much which is what's happening now. 

Thanks for the feedback on the pattern choices. Even though it was the popular choice, the wrap dress had the least built in fitting options so I decided to try it another time. Instead, I chose Vogue 8743 - without the box pleat at the front - because of the princess seams. The more seams the easier fitting is and considering time is short that seemed like a good idea. I'll finish this first version this weekend and will know if I want to make the "real" thing after that. If I do, I've picked a lace with a very slight stretch.

Another reason I chose this pattern was because of the length and flow. It's interesting what we all consider dress-up. Although a sheath dress can look lovely on a lot of people, with my figure type I've always gravitated to flowing dresses and because I have a lot of varicose veins I'm most comfortable in longer dresses if I can't wear heavier tights or dark pantyhose.

At the wedding we went to last weekend, one of the women was wearing a light, drapey dress similar to Vogue 8743 which she had also worn to her daughter's graduation last year. Both times, the dress  immediately caught my eye. It is soft and feminine with a bit of a flapper feel even though styles are vastly different. I'm moving in that direction.

Talk soon - Myrna

Grateful - a project to work on and give focus as I learn how to move in this new studio

Reading The Reviews

In just over three weeks, I'm leaving for my trip to Oregon and the workshop with Marcy Tilton and Diane Ericson. I'm going with Caroline. a friend I've known since I was sixteen. We're both turning fifty this spring and this trip is our joint celebration. So is a dress up dinner in Portland following the workshop (restaurant suggestions welcome). I need a dress. Yesterday, I spent a considerable amount of time reading the reviews at PatternReview.com. What a FABULOUS resource. Now I just have to decide which pattern to sew.

Vogue 8379 - has 111 reviews almost all of which are Highly Recommend. It's also my husband's first choice. It's the only pattern shown in this posting that does NOT have cup sizing. From what I've read, that shouldn't be an issue although it calls for a moderate stretch knit and that might be.

Vogue 8724 - has nine reviews and is mostly rated easy and great for beginners. I like it and yet have huge reservations about the shape of the skirt which - for now - most likely translates to something along the lines of try it for summer but not for your special dress. I was thinking...

... of adding the skirt from Vogue 8632 instead. This pattern has three reviews, two of which are not positive. I imagine I could work it out but I'm on a deadline. The first weekend in June my daughter and son-in-law are coming for a few days, leaving their puppy for the week, and coming back the following weekend. The Thursday following Caroline arrives and bright and early Friday morning we leave. Fiddling and perhaps fiddling with a puppy does not sound like a good idea. SO... probably another try it for summer possibility although I only wanted the skirt and the problems were with the bodice.

Vogue 8765 is too new to have any reviews. I'm drawn to the flared view of this pattern but may need to change the sleeves or at the very least add shoulder pads to give them some shape although it's a higher dolman so it may work. I tried a t-shirt on a few weeks ago that was a higher dolman and it looked good but dolman sleeves don't typically do me any favours and this is my turning fifty dress. I want to feel fabulous. It's also a quick sew so I may just give it a try and make two dresses because since I really like that view.

Vogue 8743 - has one not so positive review that sounds more like the person chose the wrong size and made too many adaptations before trying the pattern rather than that the pattern is at fault. This style is my one of my all time favourites. I find it swishy fenimine in the right fabric. In the wrong fabric, it has the potential to be too little girl. If I try this one, it'll be the longer length and I'll V the neckline and add sleeves. If you look at the Vogue site, it's sewn in a firm fabric that looks way too boxy. IMHO it needs a drapey fabric.

B5745 - is similar BUT... it definitely needs to be de-sweetened and lengthened or I'd look like a kid playing dress-up. The denim blue version would be great for summer in this the year of the dress.

Which one do you think is best?

While you're deciding, I'm off to check the stash and see what I have that's suitable and go from there. LOL - you never know, the fabric could be the deciding factor.

Talk soon - Myrna

Grateful - choices

Seeing Daylight

As I went to put on my jeans last week, I noticed I was seeing daylight. Holding the crotch up to the light, there was a visible line from the center outward threatening to become a tear at any minute. Shopping for jeans is - IMHO - darn near as bad as shopping for a bathing suit. At least I wear the latter infrequently. Jeans are a weekly event. Other than trouser style, pants are not my best look so finding a pair that somewhat flatters takes a lot of effort.

Yesterday - at breakfast with my friend - I noticed she was wearing a new pair of black jeans. She'd bought them at Reitman's although not at the store in town. I looked anyway and although they didn't have those jeans, they did have some on sale for $19.99 less an additional 30% that fit me quite well. I bought two pairs, slightly different shades of denim, the same style. That'll tide me over until life in the studio is functioning more smoothly and I have time to sew jeans.

They also had a pair of rayon pants somewhat reminiscent of Vogue 1307 above or Vogue 8584 below. They were made from a rayon blend, fell straight from the hips to a slight gather at the hemline, and had a flattering trouser-ish affect on the behind and thighs. Unfortunately...

... they were also sewn incorrectly. The left side seemed to be a size bigger than the right. When I pointed it out to the sale clerk, she said you're right, it especially shows in the back. Every pair in that size was the same so they must have come from the same day of sewing in the shop. Another friend who used to do that kind of work told me that if they made a mistake and sewed the wrong parts together, it didn't get corrected.

Since that discussion, I've had a few times like yesterday when I've noticed an error. It always makes me wonder if those clothes actually sell and if those of us who sew and are more aware of these things are the only ones to notice. Either way, those pants looked quite good on me so I'll dig through my stash and see which fabric would work and when Vogue 1307 finally arrives from the sale before the last BMV sale, I can sew them up. 

Talk soon - Myrna

Grateful - two members of our family are having medical tests this week. Both are rather yucky and not fun. Even so, we're thankful that tests like these are possible and for the answers they provide.

Palette Cleansing Project

There have been three main topics of conversation so far this year and I'm tired of them all. Our house has sold and we've moved. Dealing with my health was stressful and it's done. The renovations are mostly complete with a few things left to do and I'm ignoring them. Enough is enough. It's time to move on to something different. We'll be living here for a while and those things will settle out eventually.

In the interest of minimizing what needs to be stored, I'm making an effort to use what I have. This denim fabric is in that less than flattering Mom shade of blue jean. I had intended to over-dye and stamp and embellish it into a fabric suitable for creative wearables except that when faced with whether to store it or not, it suddenly seemed the perfect fabric for new cushion covers for the front porch chairs.

I've covered cushions for these chairs before so the pattern had already been developed and pretested making cushions the perfect palette cleansing project to move me from not sewing at all to sewing more creatively. We hope.

When we had the couches recovered, I saved the original foam and had it trimmed to shape. It's 4" thick which is over double the thickness of the previous cushions. The jury is still out as to whether that's a good idea or not BUT... it certainly saved me both the cost of new foam and the storage space for these pieces. There are two more cut and ready for the wicker chairs on the back porch.

Along with the foam, I rescued the zippers from the couch cushions as well but the fabric was trashed. If it hadn't frayed and pilled so badly, we'd have kept the couches a few more years. Oh well.

The denim was stretch. In retrospect, that's not a good idea for cushions. Even though I took a larger seam allowance in an effort to work with the stretch factor, the top stitching bagged out the fabric further. It drives me crazy so these covers are not going to last long HOWEVER....

... for now... the cushions are covered, the chairs are comfy, and we can curl up with our books and enjoy the sunshine... when it arrives. Good and enough. I'll recover the cushions again when I have more time. Right now, I'm deciding what to use for the back porch cushions. Maybe I'll recycle a quilt.

Talk soon - Myrna

Grateful - that I've learned to think outside the box, see beyond the obvious, and re-purpose what's useful.

Before And After Kitchen

The living room, dining room, and kitchen are one open area. Originally, there was a pony wall dividing the kitchen. It was slightly taller than counter height and drastically ruined the flow and possibilities of both the kitchen and the dining room.

When we looked at the house, one of the first things I said to Howard was those would have to go referring to the open cabinets in the kitchen. He said he knew that the minute he saw them. Set back into the corner behind the sink they were already difficult for me to reach plus the shelves were fixed meaning that I couldn't adjust them and couldn't even reach the second one. They were also cantilevered with the middle and top shelves set further back. NOT working.

I expected a positive change but I'm surprised by how much of a difference the new cabinets make. They create more of a focal point in the corner of the kitchen and detract from the fridge which was getting way too much attention previously. If I had designed the kitchen, I'd have placed the fridge far left reversing its position with the built in pantry you can see in the first picture BUT... LOL... nobody asked me.

Two people came to install the cabinets. One had been on the job four days and the guy in charge had been on the job one month. Apparently this company is getting busier. They need to teach their employees a few things.

One of my friends asked why I'm always home when the workmen are here, why I don't go out. Well... you learn interesting things if you stay home like how the cabinet people were micky mousing the new rolling drawers in the pantry. They drilled twelve unneeded holes and would have created fixed shelving when I'd clearly stated I would be moving it around depending on what I put where. Earlier, the flooring person hacked away at the carpet on the top stair with a dull knife and created runs in a Berber carpet which may as well be called a knit. He then glued the fluff in place and walked away. I would bet he never expected me to come up the stairs right at that time and notice. Today, the carpet and some issues with the flooring are being fixed. Sometime "soon" the rolling drawers will be done properly and they'll bring the correct handles for the cabinet doors.

The young man's arrogant attitude when I said that wouldn't do with the rolling shelves was really quite interesting. Apparently to avoid him having to come back I should have put up with poor workmenship and incorrrect parts. Okay - you pay the bill. He was also extremely condescending when he told me I'd need a screwdriver to move the shelves as if somehow that was a feat beyond most people. He has some life learning coming up. I've had some already. I've learned not to pay the bill until the job is completed to my satisfaction. It's good learning and one of the reasons that I do not deal with that big box store that requires you to pay in full up front. NOT a good idea.

Spaces in our home are coming together. Although our back porch is not as wonderful as our previous porch and it's still too cold to sit out there for any length of time, it's lovely place to be with that incredible view of the valley. Right now, there's a considerable amount of traffic on the road below us. We're hoping that once the housing construction is completed further up the hill and alternative routes to that area have been created that there will be less traffic. At least there won't be work trucks. Next week, I'll think about plants for those pots.

Talk soon - Myrna

Grateful - calming cabinets

Linen Pants

My brain appears to be missing in action. Throughout the day I think of things to write about on the blog and then, when I sit down to type, they're gone. I'm pretty sure it's overload and nothing to worry about. Things will calm down eventually.

Last week, I read Quiet: The Power Of Introverts In A World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain. Although it surprises a lot of people, I've known for years that I'm introverted and it appears that I'm becoming more so over time.  If you're introverted - or know someone who is - or think you might be - the book is a fabulous read, a huge ah ha. We live in a world designed for extroverts and yet studies show that the majority of problem solving and innovation comes from introverts. I find that interesting. It may mean changing some of the ways we work that we once viewed as progress.

Two of the blogs I read are written by women who have vowed not to buy ready-to-wear for a year and are instead sewing. In terms of better financial management, that wouldn't work for me as I spend far more on fabric than I do on clothing. In other ways, it's a fabulous creative push - limits of any kind always are.

In contrast, I rarely buy ready-to-wear. Most clothing is not designed for bottom heavy triangles with small waists so when I can find something that fits, flatters, and is affordable, I'm all for that. Yesterday, Costco had Calvin Klein linen pants with a front fly and drawstring waist for $19.99 a pair. YES!

The final upstairs project was changing the open shelves in the corner of the kitchen to cabinets with glass doors. It was interesting to read in Quiet that things like open shelving and introverts are not a good mix. LOL - I knew that but it's another confirmation. The cabinet people are here now. Once they're done, I can give the kitchen a final clean and organize it and after that, it's all fine tuning and making pretty. I am SO looking forward to that.

Talk soon - Myrna

Grateful - sunshine on a stressful day

Progress Has Been Made

At 3:10 on Monday afternoon, the last workmen walked out the door and I collapsed on the couch. A few hours later, we started moving furniture into place and even though there are some repairs to do and one project left to finish upstairs, we are now living in a real house with real furniture in real positions where we can really function. This is good.

I can point and shoot but a photographer I am not and there seems to be a skill to room photography just as there is to fashion photography - a skill I don't have since the pictures never convey the same feeling the actual room does but they do give you an idea. I'm standing in the kitchen to take the image above. The one below...

... is taken through the doorway to the left of the living room photo. We've never lived in a home where our bedroom is so visible - especially from the entry way. I arranged the furniture to one side on an angle so that...

... we had both a reading area and some privacy. In our last house, the furniture had only one position and it was square to the wall. Angles are fun for a change.

The downstairs is nowhere near ready. Howard got back from Guatemala late Sunday night and has started setting up his office but after two weeks of working down there he needed to move slow. Half the garage is still full of boxes. Once we sort those out, I can figure out where to put the larger things from my studio that need storing. SO... there's still work to do BUT... progress has been made.

Today - if the sun keeps shining - I'm going for a drive to Salmon Arm about 1 1/2 hours away. If the sun disappears before I'm ready to go, I'll wait until Friday because I'm going mostly for the drive. To have a break. I'll visit my favourite dress shop and look for outdoor fabric to recover our chair cushions but it's no big deal if I can't find it. I'm mostly meandering.

Talk soon - Myrna

Grateful - livable living space

See It To Sew It

Good

Better

Best

I had hoped everything would be finished by Friday afternoon and it didn't happen. The trim still isn't on upstairs. They're coming back Monday to do that. I'm both thrilled and not so however - on a positive note - the downstairs - and especially my closet - is finished. All the work that someone else needs to do is done and we are home alone in that space. YEAH

There are five shelves. The top row is interfacing, lining, and lingerie fabrics. The next three down are fashion fabric. The last shelf is five boxes of potential, mostly wearable art and wearable art garments that I intend to refashion in some way. On the bottom is art supplies, the case for my sewing machine, my laptop, a box of table paper for tracing patterns, and "stuff" like that.

For now, everything is in a box on a shelf only - on these particular shelves as opposed to my previous ones - it's not the best way to exhibit the fabric. Once the rest of my house is settled, I'll figure out how to make it more visible. I need to see it to sew it plus taking the fabric out of the boxes may free up more space which would be fabulous because my allowable fabric level just shrunk. This is my total sum of storage and...

... while almost everything - more than I expected - fit into the closet, I still have several piles of things to deal with including my art fabrics. These were on the shelves that I gave away. I don't want the shelves back but I do need a system for organizing and displaying the fabric especially as I've been thinking about creating a new textile art piece for the dining room.

On a different note, my question in yesterday's posting - With the increase of interest in handcrafts and the number of women especially who are returning to sewing and knitting and other art forms, do you think there will be a correlating increase in the awareness of what it takes to create those works of art and will the artists start being paid something closer to what they're worth? - was meant generically and not specifically. 

At one time, one of a kind was revered and now what people buy seems to be all about fads, trends, and labels. While I wonder if that will eventually change, for me, the time of attempting to make a living from what I create is past. One of the gifts of potential cancer has been clarification. I want simply to enjoy the process of creating and if I produce enough that I need to do something with it, a gallery - as my friend Barb says - is fabulous extra storage.

Talk soon - Myrna

Grateful - a real, live, functioning, holds stuff, with doors that close, closet

Something Closer To What They're Worth

Exactly as I expected, the finishing carpenters completed the trim downstairs and then went upstairs saying that they'd do the shelves after that. As they were leaving yesterday, I explained that I was waiting for the shelves so I could start putting my stuff away and they responded like that was rocket science information and will now do the shelves first thing this morning before finishing the trim. YEAH!

While sitting around wasting time in the middle of progress, I was reading the May 2012 issue of Traditional Home. These handmade Turkish felt slippers are listed at $45.00 a pair. Considering all the levels of input, that didn't seem nearly enough to me. While it's possible they are being mass produced in some way in order to advertise them in this nature, the stitching is obviously hand done and someone somewhere is getting paid a minor amount for considerable work.

This red snakeskin and leather clutch by Misela is $665.00. I found that interesting in a that's mass produced and my bags are handmade and so my bags should be worth at least that much kind of way but from a personal perspective - on my budget - I find that an astonishing price for an occasional clutch.

Love the colors of this Graf & Lantz tote. Not so much the price - $229.00. In terms of structure, level of difficulty, and details, there's not much there as gorgeous as those felt and leather colors are.

This Prada Pyramide bag in saffiano leather (which I have no idea if that's special or not) is $3,999.00 - a price that is more than I paid for my new appliances. My mind cannot grasp a purse being worth more than a fridge, stove, washer, dryer, and microwave combined. Maybe I have cheap taste but those appliances are going to be washing and drying and keeping and cooking for years. The purse? Maybe. More likely out of style next season.

These napkin rings by Kim Seybert look like oversized barrettes to me. They're $120.00 for four. The placemat on top with the embellished edges - $424.00 for four. Those are prices I wouldn't pay especially for setting a plate of spaghetti on top of but they do make me wonder....

... with the increase of interest in handcrafts and the number of women especially who are returning to sewing and knitting and other art forms, do you think there will be a correlating increase in the awareness of what it takes to create those works of art and will the artists start being paid something closer to what they're worth?

Talk soon - Myrna

Grateful - two hours, reading my book, alone, in a clean restaurant, with yummy food and helpful staff who kept placing another drink at my elbow. YES YES! A reprieve.