Yesterday, I woke up completely energized. I cleaned the house - thoroughly - baseboards and all, vacuumed and dusted, moved the furniture around, washed all the wood, and did the laundry. I'm not sure why since I'd been putting it off for a while except that I got my first dose of the vaccine on Monday. A friend told me that she'd had the same reaction, as if a weight had been lifted and she could now take on the world. I didn't think I was so stressed by the pandemic but obviously it was weighing on me more than I knew. I am glad to have done my part to contribute to finding the end of this tunnel.
Cleaning always involves looking at the stairs. The only disappointing decision I made with the renovations is the carpet. I chose it for the pattern and because it's commercial grade thinking that would make it wear better. It was installed in January and this is how it looked in March... and I live alone... and don't wear shoes in the house. The carpet company says it's dirt and to get it professionally cleaned. Hmm... right... even if... every two months! All I can say is don't put that in an office building.
After getting several quotes on replacing it with the same flooring in the rest of the house, or wooden treads, or different carpet, I decided on cleaning it and covering it with a carpet runner. When I researched a runner, the price was still going to be way up there so I decided to buy upholstery fabric and make my own that could be removed and washed if necessary. Luckily...
... Fabricland had a sale last week. Paisley is my favourite design and this one is 60" wide, has the same cream background as the carpet, contains colours I have throughout the house, and was on sale for $6.00 per meter. Seven meters for $42.00 makes a two sided runner. The quote for the same flooring was $4,500.00. I do like those savings.
After getting several quotes on replacing it with the same flooring in the rest of the house, or wooden treads, or different carpet, I decided on cleaning it and covering it with a carpet runner. When I researched a runner, the price was still going to be way up there so I decided to buy upholstery fabric and make my own that could be removed and washed if necessary. Luckily...
... Fabricland had a sale last week. Paisley is my favourite design and this one is 60" wide, has the same cream background as the carpet, contains colours I have throughout the house, and was on sale for $6.00 per meter. Seven meters for $42.00 makes a two sided runner. The quote for the same flooring was $4,500.00. I do like those savings.
Before cleaning, I extended the fabric across the floor, folded it in half, and pinned along the selvage. Next, I'll press the fold and then decided how to stitch it together because I don't want the layers to slide. I am planning to paint the hand rail turquoise so I may use a light turquoise binding to finish the edges. We are so lucky to sew and to be able to look at DIY alternatives.
One of this spring's big trends is a button-up cardigan like the one above right from Banana Republic. In my ongoing effort to knit down my stash, I used a recycled silk/wool blend to start knitting a similar sweater this weekend. That made me think of....
... the sweater knits in my stash. I'd like to sew them down as well. Above, the orange cardigan is Burda 6120, view A. With a few changes, namely a button band, it will look on-trend, which is sort of irrelevant since I wear this kind of cardigan all the time but nicely coincidental.
Last month when I cleared out a lot of my surface design supplies, it left available shelf space in that closet. I'd like to sew down my sweater knit and my coating fabrics and put the remainder in there freeing up more room in this closet for less bulky fabrics.
Last month when I cleared out a lot of my surface design supplies, it left available shelf space in that closet. I'd like to sew down my sweater knit and my coating fabrics and put the remainder in there freeing up more room in this closet for less bulky fabrics.
The pendant made a slight bit of progress. I spent a lot of time debating how to add the stone to the center and - for now - I'm eliminating it and plan to cut a piece of metal for the inside, see how that looks, and decide on how it will be embellished and fit into the theme. The stone may return; it may get replaced. I'm not sure.
In the last post, I said that after Covid I wanted to get out of the house more and thought I'd do that with a part time position. I do want to get out more and I've re-evaluated how. I have had an impossible dream for a really long time and I know if I don't at least try to make it work, I will regret that down the line.
The term impossible dream comes from Barbara Sher's work and she talked about identifying the dream and the top three obstacles preventing you from obtaining the dream and then asking for help to move around those obstacles. My impossible dream is a working studio, outside the house, in a truly co-operative environment as in we all get along and we support and encourage the success of each other. The obstacles are money, space, and a group of artists that truly get along.
There is a local business woman who owns a flower shop that I truly respect. She is open minded, supportive and encouraging, honest and pragmatic. Along with flowers, she sells locally made art in her shop. After the Mother's Day rush, she has agreed to meet with me and brainstorm possibilities and I'm really looking forward to that.
When I wrote May 1st in my journal, my first thought was that we were a third of the way through the year and I hadn't done anything yet. But that's not true. Just in April, I started working with a coach. I made a permanent decision about surface design and a permanent decision about writing, teaching, and retreats. I started working with jewelry again. I decided to get a part time position and then re-evaluated that decision and reversed it. And I decided to pursue the impossible dream and contacted someone to help me get started. THIS IS HUGE. This is not nothing.
I was watching a YouTube video the other day made by a young man named David Walsh. In it, he says good lives take a lot of maintenance. Yes. So true.
What are you working on?
Talk soon - Myrna
Grateful - vaccines
In the last post, I said that after Covid I wanted to get out of the house more and thought I'd do that with a part time position. I do want to get out more and I've re-evaluated how. I have had an impossible dream for a really long time and I know if I don't at least try to make it work, I will regret that down the line.
The term impossible dream comes from Barbara Sher's work and she talked about identifying the dream and the top three obstacles preventing you from obtaining the dream and then asking for help to move around those obstacles. My impossible dream is a working studio, outside the house, in a truly co-operative environment as in we all get along and we support and encourage the success of each other. The obstacles are money, space, and a group of artists that truly get along.
There is a local business woman who owns a flower shop that I truly respect. She is open minded, supportive and encouraging, honest and pragmatic. Along with flowers, she sells locally made art in her shop. After the Mother's Day rush, she has agreed to meet with me and brainstorm possibilities and I'm really looking forward to that.
When I wrote May 1st in my journal, my first thought was that we were a third of the way through the year and I hadn't done anything yet. But that's not true. Just in April, I started working with a coach. I made a permanent decision about surface design and a permanent decision about writing, teaching, and retreats. I started working with jewelry again. I decided to get a part time position and then re-evaluated that decision and reversed it. And I decided to pursue the impossible dream and contacted someone to help me get started. THIS IS HUGE. This is not nothing.
I was watching a YouTube video the other day made by a young man named David Walsh. In it, he says good lives take a lot of maintenance. Yes. So true.
What are you working on?
Talk soon - Myrna
Grateful - vaccines
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