Almost done!

Oh, sigh, hubby is doing such a terrific job with the hallway/bedroom hardwood flooring project.  He’s almost done!  Since hubby took these pics yesterday afternoon, he has done a second coat of paint on the walls.  The paint on the walls (see bottom photo) is called “white pine” but it is more of a nice, soft, light, creamy yellow color.  Hubby says it reminds him of eggnog.  Today hubby just needs to freshen up the trim by re-painting it white and then I think we’ll be ready to move our bed back into our bedroom later this evening.  I look forward to putting the house back together this weekend and hopefully doing some sewing!  Last night, I ordered some fabric from Hawthorne threads because of course Benjamin will need a dog bed for the bedroom now since the floors will be hard against his body.  He is so spoiled!  I ordered one yard of gingham in blue and one yard of gingham in green (I couldn’t make up my mind between the two, so now his bed can be reversible) from Sheri Berry’s Mod Tod fabric collection — coincidentally on sale, yay!

Keeping it Weird on Wednesday

Hubby & I don’t watch much t.v.  In fact, a couple of years ago, we completely disconnected our television service and now just watch a handful of shows for free using hulu.com and we have also found full-length episodes for free viewing on foodnetwork.com and pbs.org (and hubby is able to watch football on espn.com).  Anyway, one show I that I really enjoy watching is The Middle.  I think Sue Heck is awesome!  She is so nerdy that she is cool!  She has such a fun quirky personality, and oh how I can relate to her over enthusiasm about things!  If she was “real” I’d totally want to hang out with her in real life and be pals.

Trying to be Normal on Tuesday

Whew, trying to be normal is hard work, y’all.  But it is worth the effort, it’s nice having that feeling of hey, this is what normal people do, and look at me, I’m doing what normal people do!  Two things to report:

(1)  I’m making progress with my three-times in a row soapy hand washing — thankfully I do not wash my hands for no reason at all, only when the need arises to cleanse them.  I’ve made good progress over the past week or so and there have been many times when I’ve washed up just once with soap, just one time, like normal people!  Although, I admit I thought about back-pedaling when I saw this video on yahoo, but I will just go along with the “normal” belief that one-good thorough soapy hand-washing will suffice.

(sadly, I am having trouble getting the video to embed)

germiest-places-27920044.html

(2)  At the grocery store, I am weird.  I examine the produce for a long time before selecting a “near perfect” produce item to put into my shopping cart.  As if “near perfect” produce exists considering it travels a long way from farm to grocery store.  I am thankfully getting better.  On Saturday I probably made record time picking out apples to make applesauce with.  Really.  I probably only handled a few apples that didn’t make the cut before putting 4 in my buggy.  Hubby was impressed at the quickness I completed the task.  Admittedly, as we made our way to the dried fruit section, I was a little short of breath — which is more a symptom of anxiety than weirdness — which caused me to laugh really hard and I probably looked like a nut, but I did not steer that buggy back around, I just kept going.  And wait, there’s more normal-ness to report at the grocery store!  When I was selecting yogurt, I just picked one from the shelf, plunked it in the buggy, and rolled away.  I didn’t take the time to root for a “good one” from the back.  Seriously, people, I was amazed at me, just being all crazy (in a good way this time) carefree and picking up a yogurt and just putting it in the buggy without a thought.

Why I haven’t been sewing lately

Visual proof of why there hasn’t been any WIP photos of S2061!  When we first moved into our house, we (er, hubby) laid down hardwood in the living room.  And now, many years later, we’re finally laying down more hardwood flooring — the hallway and master bedroom.  LOTS of stuff has been shoved into the library/sewing room.  However, the inconvenience of not being able to sew and having the house a bit unorganized — our bed is in the middle of the living room!! — will all be worth it.  Hubby is nearly done with laying hardwood flooring down our hallway and is now continuing that into our bedroom.  It will be so nice, fresh and clean and pretty, and I have hopes that it will make my seasonal allergies a bit less severe since there won’t be any carpet for the allergy cooties to hang out in.

The cluttered library/sewing room.  There’s even clutter/furniture-that-doesn’t-belong-in-here not not pictured!  Technically yes, I could clear some things off my sewing desk and chair, but ugh, I don’t think I could fully enjoy my sewing experience with all that clutter around me!  The S2061 pants I cut out last weekend will simply have to wait to be turned into pants.  Thankfully I have my NEwVP January stitch-along to work on!  Perhaps you can spy my floss boxes, hoop, and WIP on the left hand corner of my desk?!

A concerned Benjamin looking into the bedroom.  He’s like me, he likes routine and same ol’ same ol’.  He’s being a good sport about it though, and I suppose I am too!  Although both he and I will be quite happy when the house is all put back to normal!

Keeping it Weird on Wednesday

Hi everyone, since I had Monday off, I got my days all mixed up and forgot to do a “normal” entry yesterday.  Oops!  But of course I have a weird entry for you!

So today on the Sew Mama Sew blog they have a survey.  I’m proud to say that I take really good care of my sewing machine who I’ve named Mary Jo.  I do the best that I can to take care of my sewing machine so all my sewing experiences will be wonderful!  I’m also a bit embarrassed to say that I also “talk” to my sewing machine.  *Every* time that I’m done sewing, I say, out loud (aloud?) mind you, “thanks, Mary Jo!”  And then, oh yes there is more, I pat her a couple of times on her “head” before putting my sewing machine cozy back on top.

Gasp! I’m going to follow the directions!

As some of y’all may or may not know, I often make (mostly minor)  changes to sewing patterns before I begin — such the pair of pants I recently finished where I altered the pattern to make a built-in waistband rather than a separate, attached one.  That being said, I picked up Simplicity 2061 at a recent 99 cents pattern sale and plan to make view D.  Today, after cutting out the tissue pattern, I started looking at the directions.  I kept scratching my head about it, thinking way too much, confusing myself, and then posting a looong novel-length rambling question on pattern review.  Just a little while ago, I slapped my forehead and figured it out!  It turns out that I simply cannot alter S2061 to have a built-in waistband due to the design of the pocket.  Gasp, I have to follow the directions!  This is something I don’t always do!  I admit that I’m a bit nervous because I haven’t ever sewn pants or skirts with a separate, attached waistband, but hey, that’s what instructions are for!  And this is a good thing really, it will be good to do and learn something new.  Fingers crossed, wish me luck!  Although since I’m a slow sewer, I’ll probably only cut out the pattern tomorrow and transfer markings.  I’ll have to wait until the weekend to have some long stretches of uninterrupted sewing time.

Keeping it Weird on Wednesday

Oh how I love a good 99 cents pattern sale — especially since my stitchy mojo is back!  I had such a terrific time making and wearing Simplicity 2224, that I figured another pair of pants is in order.  I have my eyes on S2061 (view D) and S2262 (view E).  I will park my car in the JoAnns parking lot (the sale begins this Sunday!) and speed walk (I’d run if I wouldn’t look like a complete nut!) to the store, open the door, take a split second to eye the best path to the back of the store, speed walk to the sewing pattern drawers, open the drawer, find my pattern, hug it to my chest, walk away.

The above scenario is reminiscent of when I was a little kid and would be going to the grocery store (or somewhere else) with my parents and I’d always ask from the back seat, is everyone else going to such-and-such place too?  So now, on the occasions when I’m excited about a pattern sale and have specific ones I want to buy, I have in my mind the notion that all the other people parking around me are going to JoAnns and they all want the same patterns I do.  Crazy, I know!

Trying to be Normal on Tuesday

Okay, second Tuesday of the New Year, and I’m trying people to be a bit more normal   Old weird (and admittedly sometimes irrational) habits are hard to break.  But I had another “living on the edge” moment a few days ago when I did my parchment paper trick and avoiding not only washing the baking sheet, but the cookie rack too!  There’s been a few other small things, I can’t recall them off the top of my head, but I do recall gleefully telling my hubby, look at me, I’m living on the edge!  He was very impressed!  Other than that, I’m just trying to think WWNPD?  (What Would Normal People Do?)  It helps.

Stitchy progress

I’ve been greatly enjoying this month’s New Embroidery with Vintage Patterns Stitch-Along.  I’m making progress!  I’m glad to have my stitchy mojo back!  It’s a bit embarrassing since I organize the monthly stitch-alongs, but last year, I only did just a few.  This year I want to do many more!  I’m excited to have some ideas for sewing and embroidery projects in my head — maybe I should jot them down!

 

This is how I transfer patterns — even iron-on ones:  I tip a clear plastic storage tub on its side, in this photo the opening is on the right, and stick a lamp underneath.  I tape the pattern to the fabric and place the fabric/pattern on top of the plastic storage tub.  Then I use my water soluble, fine tipped fabric pen and trace away.

 

My organized DMC floss:  I write the floss number on the front of the cardboard bobbin and the color name on the back.

 

Week 1 stitchy progress:  Please forgive the lack of brightness in this photo, I took it late last night and I think I forgot to turn on the flash.

 

 

Cha-cha-changes

So remember my giddiness from my random Keeping it Weird post on Tuesday?  That giddiness, dare I say euphoric high, I experienced by not bothering to wash the parchment paper lined baking sheet, was just too good a feeling.  I need another fix.  So since it’s a new year, I figured some changes might be in order.  I am proud of my weirdness, it makes me who I am, it’s why my hubby both loves me and gets exasperated with me at times.  So I figure this year, one of my resolutions is going to be to try to be more normal person, one who is more carefree, and maybe one who someday doesn’t wash their hands three times each time a hand washing is called for.  So, drumroll please, I will be introducing Trying to be Normal Tuesdays in which I will share what I hope will be some success stories of trying to be a normal person.

Keeping it Weird on Tuesday

So last night, I made some biscuits from scratch — quite tasty!  I lined the baking sheet with parchment paper as I usually do.  And when all was said and done, I just threw the parchment paper out, and gave the baking sheet a wipe with the dish towel, and just put the baking sheet away.  My hubby was impressed and said I was living on the edge!  I’m trying!  I felt a bit giddy and carefree that I didn’t even bother to wash the baking sheet.  I was living on the edge people!  Doing what normal people do!

However, that little bit of normalcy I gained last night flew straight out the window this morning when I  heard the tail-end of a news story on the radio (from a reputable radio station).  It seems that regular ol’ paper towels in public restrooms have lots of yucky bacteria on them, even bacteria that can cause food poisoning!  What?!  (And this is also surprising on another level as I thought those hot-air hand dryers were supposed to be bad!)  And the paper towels made from recycled materials are supposedly worse!  So it is no surprise that I immediately started to think, hmmmm, do they make travel size paper towels that I can tuck into my purse?  Or do I need to try to carry my own small hand towel?  And how does this affect me when I’m at work?  I’ve decided that the paper towels in our bathroom at work (the ladies and I share a private bathroom apart from the students) will be safe.  Thankfully, all of us are a little weird anyway, and are concerned with cleanliness and eradicating germs, but it would be showing  bit too much weirdness if I were to start bringing my own hand towels to work.  I’ll save that idea for when I’m out and about doing errands and happen to need access to a public restroom.

New year, new pants

Yay, It’s January 1, 2012 and I have my first completed project of the year… although I did spent quite a bit of time last week working on it.  I call last week my “sewing retreat” vacation with free room and board, LOL — gotta find a way to jazz up those stay-cations

But anyway, I’m really pleased with how the pants (Simplicity 2224) turned out.  Admittedly, as a few others online have mentioned, they are a tiny bit roomier in the pant leg than I would like, but they most definitely will happily be worn and I enjoyed every minute of the project.  I’m really pleased with the construction — I used french seams for everything but the crotch seam.  The only alternation I made to the pattern was in the waistband — I added 2″ to the top of each pattern piece so I could create a waistline casing for the elastic — as I wasn’t too keen on the design of the attached waistband which would not allow for proper neat seam finishing.  So, all that being said, I’m happy to have a new pair of pants to add to my wardrobe, and I’d consider making these pants again at some point, perhaps using some type of “exotic” fabric like poly suiting or some kind of linen-like fabric since I’ve only ever sewn with 100% cotton before.  I used a nice 97% cotton/3% lycra (or spandex) blend that I bought at JoAnns.  This pair of pants was a relatively inexpensive project since my shopping day coincided on a day where the fabric, elastic, and thread were all on sale for 50% off and I had a 20% total purchase coupon to use on top!

I also posted my first review on patternreview.com, you can see it here.

Please pardon that my shirt is a bit too short as it sorta throws off the proportions of the outfit.  And the first picture came out a bit blurry for some reason and I’m too lazy to put the pants back on for hubby to re-take the picture.