A Little Yarn On The Side

This week I had Wednesday off instead of my usual Friday because the piano people at the main store were attending training, so I filled in for them on Thursday and Friday, as well as filling in for the audio person on Thursday and the guitar guy both days.  It was like a music pop quiz.  We were so short-staffed that I didn't get to leave for lunch, which was a bit disappointing because..... I was going to go look at a new sewing/embroidery machine My faithful Jeeves is having problems again.  First it was not being able to tell the difference between needing a new thread color and having an empty thread or bobbin, but that was workable.  Now it's stopping repeatedly during a design saying he's out of thread when he clearly isn't.  This is all fixable (probably), but my embroidery software can't run on a computer system newer than Windows XP.  Microsoft, of course, hasn't supported XP for years, but personally, I've never found Microsoft's "...

So Theo has figured out what Fridays mean and when they occur, because he's with me as soon as I wake up.  And we certainly did a lot.  We hooped some embroidery, furred up a table runner, and spent a lot of time trying to figure out which thing to lay on to be MOST in the way.  The poor cat--he was up and down on to this piece of fabric, then that one, but I have discovered that 3 projects is the optimum number to make sure that I have access to at least ONE at any given time.  So, I finished two new ornaments, got the rest cut out, and then plopped them in the sink to remove the stabilizer.  (Theo doesn't care much for that part).  I also got a table runner finished yesterday,  and prepped a second that I just finished up this morning, and got this ready for hemming: It's a simple table runner on a woven poly-cotton blend that ravels like crazy, but I bought this fabric at least 2 years ago with this exact project in mind, but had n...

Andy is away this weekend, so I had my first Finishing Friday to myself since I don't know when, and the first real "alone" time since I went back to work.  And I made the most of it.  I finished the felted hat, for 400 yards--which is a BIG boost for my knitting totals this year.  Then I dug out this:  Which is over 5 yards of terry cloth someone once gave me when she decided she was never going to get around to using it.  I'm passing it along to a friend who has a new grandbaby and a new sewing/embroidery machine.  With such limited time now that I'm back to work, I had to admit that I wasn't going to ever use it either.  But I am certainly counting it as yards of fabric used or out of stash for the year, so that was an exciting boost--especially as it frees up a very noticeable chunk of space in my sewing room closet.  VISIBLE PROGRESS!  And I haven't bought anything new to fill it!.  After a bit of rest, I buckled down and fi...

It's the last day of March and I am still at 45 yards....because I started my new job on Tuesday! This has been the wildest thing.  My hip has gotten better, and I had started looking through jobs trying to decide what I could do that would work with my hip.  My background is outside sales and fundraising, which are both long hours and a lot of stress, and I don't think I'd be able to do that.  And not being able to sit for long periods of time rules out many things.  I had just been wondering about retail, when I saw an ad for a music store.  Did I mention that I have 4 guitars, a piano, a keyboard, and a trumpet?  So, it was just 2 weeks ago from tomorrow that I emailed my resume, had 2 interviews last week, and started Tuesday.  There is a lot to learn, and today will be my third day, and I still can't believe someone is going to pay me to talk to people about music all day.  If I could work yarn or fabric into this scenario, I might not even...

The pants are finished except for adding the elastic, which puts me over 45 yards so far for the year, and as my friend, Gaidig, pointed out, I didn't start trying to reach 200 yards until February, so being a little short this quarter is okay. The jacket is just down to attaching the sleeves and the narrow hem around the entire edge of the jacket, so it could still happen as well.  The tank top is pretty simple, and I've attached the facing (which I'd be showing you except black on black on black looks like pretty much nothing) for the neckline, but it's going a bit slower.  But I'll either get one more thing done by the end of the month or have two early projects finished next month. And without solving the question of whether my records are wrong, or if there is also a 6-yard piece of this fabric lurking somewhere in the sewing room.  Let's call it a secondary goal to know what's actually IN my fabric stash, shall we? Yesterday was Me Made Monday, an...

Thursday I did indeed finish the skirt! And for one brief, shining moment, I thought I had found a "freebie."  Last year I finished these pants,  up to the point where they would get elastic for the waist.  Since I was putting elastic in the waistband of the skirt, I put some in the pants as well, and was hoping to get to count the yardage for the pants--but I found I'd already done so.  However, I get to count it as a finished project, though as my goal for the year is 50 finished projects and I'm now at 26 with 3/4 of the year left to go, that's less exciting.  Oh well.  I do have a new skirt and a new pair of pants.  With--or in spite of--Theo's help,  I got the lining for the tank top cut out, sewed the darts and the shoulder seams,  and I am happy to say that I figured out this was not going to work at this point, rather than after sewing the pieces together at the neckline.  This is usually the sort of thing that I do...

I'm trying to always plan a bit ahead with my sewing--leaving something pinned and ready to sew for the next day, having a next project lined up--that sort of thing.  It helps keep my mind off buying MORE fabric, and it's actually really helping with getting more done.  So this morning when I came into the sewing room with my coffee, I could finish another seam while waiting for the computer to boot up.  Maybe I really CAN get to 200 yards this year.  If I can reach 50 yards by the end of the month, I'll be on track.  Sitting too long anywhere makes my hip hurt, so I had to take a break from the sewing machine after attaching 4 of the godets, and Calisto and I decided to talk about the next project.  Theo has obviously been coaching her on her "helping" techniques.  I think this fabric is a black peachskin I bought to make the green outfit in this pattern: I've used this pattern quite a bit--having made all the pieces in a green and black p...

When I tried out the fabric stiffener, I prepped 4 fabrics.  Of course, what I'm dying to do is to use the stiffener on the butterfly fabric, but I don't know how long this stuff lasts, so  this morning I am going to use up the coral fabric I've already stiffened.  There are 7 yards of this stuff, six of which will be used for this skirt: I've made this pattern before--the long version--and I really like the skirt, though in all fairness I seem to not be the sort of person who can wear "maxi" skirts.  I don't know how other people cope, but instead of looking elegant in a flowing full-length skirt, I'm the clumsy dope who is always tripping over the skirt.  So I've shortened the pattern pieces by 4 inches.  Usually, it's nice to make patterns that I've used before, because I've worked out all the details and know what to expect.  I put the pieces in a file folder with the edges stapled shut, then write any appropriate notes on t...

Last night I finished up the buttonholes on Andy's belated shirt, and today added the buttons.  I've been hurting more this weekend, so I've been mostly on the heating pad, but with a little help from muscle relaxers today, I've been able to be up and about.  They're maybe not exactly great for one's sewing, since the first thing I did was to attach the pocket flap with the Velcro side UP but things got a bit better as I went along and the pants are now done and the whole thing is in the washing machine as I write this.  The whole thing used up 4 yards from the stash, so I'm just under 36 yards of fabric for the year.  To get to 200 yards, I should be at 50 yards by the end of the month, so I'm laying out one of the other fabrics treated with stiffener, and my helper and I are cutting out another tunic--this time in a bit nicer fabric.  To be honest, I love this fabric, and I did debate whether a tunic was good enough for it, but I've n...

I didn't sew at all yesterday, but I did remember it was Me Made Monday, so I wore one of my favorite sweaters  in an effort to remind myself that there are often about 10 days in the entire year when cotton sweaters actually fit the temperature because the catalogs are coming.  There is no bigger pain than trying to splice cotton or weave in cotton ends, but every spring those bright colors of cotton trying to suck me in with their promises of bright colors at 12-year-old models frolicking on the beach.  Thank heavens, there is cotton fabric.  Theo has rediscovered the joys of sewing, and has become quite a determined sidekick, which has slowed down progress--as if I needed any help with that. The pants I'm making have a drawstring, which I usually don't actually make as turning long, skinny tubes of fabric inside out ranks just after frogging mohair on my list of Activities to Make One Drink, but thanks to Nancy Zieman, I  now own a set of these: ...