Being that it is New Years Eve -- and New Years, in some countries -- I thought I'd look back and look forward a bit here. This has been a trying year. Lots of medical crap to figure out, and lots of emotional...err, stuff to sort through. I've mended bridges between friends and myself, and have truly begun down a path of figuring out what is really important to me. I've severed ties with people who are no good for me or my health, and tightened attachments to people who help me soar. When the whole story is considered, this has been a wonderful year, as many of them are in retrospect. This being said, I think my main goal for the coming year to keep this state of mind during the year. To hold on to the tiny moments that make the year worthwhile when looking back on it.
I just found this article (link opens in new window) and a couple of key points really struck home with me. As the title of my entry suggests, number 18 really hit home. For as long as I can remember, the past has plagued me. As has my anger toward people from my past for things done and said. I have already begun working toward letting this anger go. I believe my work for 2012 is to continue releasing this and to live an anger-free existence. Not free of feelings of anger and frustration about the present, but free...
Let's see here. I wrote the rest of this post here this morning while apparently the interwebs were behaving terribly, and the remainder of my post was lost. I was a good ending, too. C'est la vie. It happens. Guess this sort of just plays into my whole theme for the New Year, doesn't it? And if I can't let this go...wow, am I in for a terrible year! Haha!
It's about an hour from the "Ball Drop", which I won't be watching, because we do not have cable -- because I'm not allowed to watch commercials (they make me mad). So, for all of you reading this tonight, have a wonderful end to 2011! And for those who will not be reading this until tomorrow or the next day, I hope your ending to 2011 was as epic or relaxed as you wanted it to be.
Happy New Years!
~j.b.
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Order Up!
So, my order from Knitpicks.com finally came in. You know, after weeks of waiting. Okay, so I only waited a couple days. They ship surprisingly fast, even for this time of year. I just opened it tonight, and I am in love with the yarn. And the needles, even though they are a tad bit more bendy -- I know, not actually a word -- than I'm used to. But, I usually use metal, so...yeah.
Oh! I found these beauties today. I think I might just spend a tiny bit too much time online these days. Ah well, sometimes recovering from a busy holiday of shopping and visiting requires some sitting as well as some more shopping. Haha!
Don't you judge me.
Anyway, these are the creme de la creme of amazing-ness when it comes to knitting needles. According to reviews, at least. I'm not wealthy enough to afford these at this time. I will though, mark my words. I'm a dpn fiend, and these look like heaven. They even have this wonderful option of creating your own wish-list so people can purchase what you'd like from them. They are tricksy that way. And I love them.
I have also spent the day reading the TECHknitting blog. This woman is a genius! I totally want to pick her brain. Or eat her brain...you know, as in zombies. BRAAAAAAAINS...ahem.
What was I saying?
So, I guess that was my day. Drooling over beautiful yarn-type stuff, and reading about yarny things. Not too bad of a way to while away the hours, if I do say so myself. I also made some ice cream batter. Can't wait to try that out! I'll post pictures, promise.
Happy Thursday, my lovelies,
~j.b.
Monday, December 26, 2011
I'm not much for listing or even really commenting on gifts I've received for X-mas. No particular reason, I just don't see the purpose. I'm not five any longer. This being said, I received a few gifts yesterday that are really special. This first one is a necklace and ring from my parents.
Not the best picture, but they're fire opal. Which I've never even seen before. They were made locally where my parents live and are beautiful on. I don't know if my parents have ever purchased me jewelery, and it meant the world to me. My dad was just as excited as my mom about it. Plus 5,000 points for the parents!
I also received a necklace from my Sister-in-Law. I don't actually have a picture of it, but it is beautiful. It's from her shop on Etsy. She's away -- visiting us -- currently, but check back and love her jewelery. I know I do. <3
This last gift is also wonderful! It's from Jamie over at...well, the blog seems to have vanished, I'll edit back in when I can find it again. I've known her for 20 years, and this was a super sweet gift, considering we don't usually do presents.
Okay, found her. Good grief, can you say panic? For no reason what-so-ever?
Anyway, this is by-far the prettiest book, let alone food-type book I've ever seen. Plus, it was wrapped in fabric -- does she know me, or what? AND there's this inside:
Sooooo pretty. She does some book-binding for fun, and decided to do something magical to mine. I love it. Soooo much. Plus, the book itself is really awesome. Talks about various ingredients and why certain ones work well with others. Scientifically! It's very cool.
It was actually a very kitchen themed X-mas, too. Gave Jon a book on cheese making and a set of cheese knives. And the two of us even recieved an ice cream maker! We're very excited. Found this recipe for Brown Butter ice cream. I think it will be our first experiment.
Alright, that's about it for now. I hope everyone had a wonderful X-mas with their loved-ones, or without...either way. Now, it's time to recover from the last month of crazy. Nap time.
Merry, Happy Everything,
~j.b.
I also received a necklace from my Sister-in-Law. I don't actually have a picture of it, but it is beautiful. It's from her shop on Etsy. She's away -- visiting us -- currently, but check back and love her jewelery. I know I do. <3
This last gift is also wonderful! It's from Jamie over at...well, the blog seems to have vanished, I'll edit back in when I can find it again. I've known her for 20 years, and this was a super sweet gift, considering we don't usually do presents.
Okay, found her. Good grief, can you say panic? For no reason what-so-ever?
Anyway, this is by-far the prettiest book, let alone food-type book I've ever seen. Plus, it was wrapped in fabric -- does she know me, or what? AND there's this inside:
It was actually a very kitchen themed X-mas, too. Gave Jon a book on cheese making and a set of cheese knives. And the two of us even recieved an ice cream maker! We're very excited. Found this recipe for Brown Butter ice cream. I think it will be our first experiment.
Alright, that's about it for now. I hope everyone had a wonderful X-mas with their loved-ones, or without...either way. Now, it's time to recover from the last month of crazy. Nap time.
Merry, Happy Everything,
~j.b.
Friday, December 23, 2011
Big foot...
I can't tell you how frustrated I am currently. Not only have I not published a blog post in what feels like weeks, I don't even have anything non-bloggy to show for my absence.
With X-mas hurdling very quickly in our direction, I have been swamped with present wrapping and migraine fighting (Yes, I'm aware these are not technically holiday related). Plus, I've been helping out my mom who has been fighting the flu for the past week and a half. We are unfortunately not going to be able to do X-mas dinner at my parents' house this year. Fortunately, we have two huge lasagnas we can bring over to the in-laws for dinner and catch up with family there. Not the same, but still fun.
I have been doing a bit of knitting the past week or so. Started a pair of socks for Jon, and discovered that the yarn that was sold as a sock-weight is actually more of a light-fingering weight, and does not work well as sock fabric. So, I ordered this:
from knitpicks a couple days ago. I've never ordered from them, before. I genuinely believe in supporting my LYS's, so ordering online for yarn was not the easiest decision for me. I look at it this way, though. I have only so much energy. Period. And once it's gone, it can take me quite a long time to regain it. With all the X-mas shopping I've been doing, and the prep and the migraines!!! Well, I just don't have time to run down to my LYS to buy a skien of yarn. However much I may really really want to. So, I ordered it. Yes, they undercut the local shops. Tremendously. And no, I don't like that. I also don't like having Fibromyalgia and chronic daily migraines. So, let's not get too picky here, okay?
I also found some lovelies for myself.
The color name is Guava and it's a wool/silk blend that looks amazing. The only issue is that I do not currently own a swift or ball winder. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that these will be under someone's tree for me.
And last, but not least, I found this:
It's name is Sasquach. And no, this was not the inspiration for the title of this post. I'll get to that in a minute. lol.
So, These lovelies and a couple pair of 2mm DPN's will be arriving around the 29th of December. I personally can not wait until I get this box. Yarn, arriving in the mail. What a concept! I could get used to this! What's that noise? It's my bank account crying.
Now for the whole purpose of this post. I started my sock, last night, actually. And I have managed to get quite a few rows done. I was just over at my MIL's house a couple hours ago and she mentioned that it looked awfully small and she didn't think it would fit me. I came home, slipped it onto a long cabled circular and found this:
I, apparently have gigantic feet. Who knew?
Happy Frogging,
~j.b.
With X-mas hurdling very quickly in our direction, I have been swamped with present wrapping and migraine fighting (Yes, I'm aware these are not technically holiday related). Plus, I've been helping out my mom who has been fighting the flu for the past week and a half. We are unfortunately not going to be able to do X-mas dinner at my parents' house this year. Fortunately, we have two huge lasagnas we can bring over to the in-laws for dinner and catch up with family there. Not the same, but still fun.
I have been doing a bit of knitting the past week or so. Started a pair of socks for Jon, and discovered that the yarn that was sold as a sock-weight is actually more of a light-fingering weight, and does not work well as sock fabric. So, I ordered this:
from knitpicks a couple days ago. I've never ordered from them, before. I genuinely believe in supporting my LYS's, so ordering online for yarn was not the easiest decision for me. I look at it this way, though. I have only so much energy. Period. And once it's gone, it can take me quite a long time to regain it. With all the X-mas shopping I've been doing, and the prep and the migraines!!! Well, I just don't have time to run down to my LYS to buy a skien of yarn. However much I may really really want to. So, I ordered it. Yes, they undercut the local shops. Tremendously. And no, I don't like that. I also don't like having Fibromyalgia and chronic daily migraines. So, let's not get too picky here, okay?
I also found some lovelies for myself.
And last, but not least, I found this:
So, These lovelies and a couple pair of 2mm DPN's will be arriving around the 29th of December. I personally can not wait until I get this box. Yarn, arriving in the mail. What a concept! I could get used to this! What's that noise? It's my bank account crying.
Now for the whole purpose of this post. I started my sock, last night, actually. And I have managed to get quite a few rows done. I was just over at my MIL's house a couple hours ago and she mentioned that it looked awfully small and she didn't think it would fit me. I came home, slipped it onto a long cabled circular and found this:
Happy Frogging,
~j.b.
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Day...what day is it, again?
I know, I know. I'm behind, yet again. So, here is my list for the past couple of days, plus a photo of my current progress on Mabel. Thanks for understanding my laxness - is that a word?
* understanding and very supportive people in my life.
* being able to help my mom learn how to crochet amigurumi christmas light-bulb ornaments. I'll post some pics when we get a few finished.
* people who not only take care of what they say they will, but also make things better than they needed to.
* being able to get my fuzzy-fix. I miss my kitty so very much. Can't wait until we can take her hone with is again.
Alright, now here is Mabel.
Sunday, December 11, 2011
A day behind.
Good grief, I seem to be seriously lagging on my Gratitude list for the past day or so. I'm behind a day, so tonight I will combine last night's list with the list for tonight. That way, come tomorrow night, I'll be back on track. Guess I've had a busy weekend. It happens.
Today has been a wonderfully relaxing Sunday for Jon and I. We spent some time this morning sitting at our respective computers reading and surfing. Me on Pinterest and Jon on...well, where ever it is he goes when he's online. More than likely, Reddit. Although, I have to admit, I do spend time there, too. They have knitting, crochet and sewing sub-reddits that are tons of fun. You get to see other peoples' projects and visit new and fun blogs. So...there's that.
We didn't actually leave the house until around noon. At that time, we met some friends for Pho in Santa Clara. I haven't had it in a long time, and it was YUMMY! I really need a recipe for it. I have heard it takes all day to make. Which is perfectly okay me. Because it's totally worth it for delicious soup.
After lunch, we headed out for a little shopping. We looked for a gift for Jon's brother and sister, then headed over to R.E.I. to look for some winter-type clothes for Jon and I. I came out with a pair of pants and a cute knit skirt. Jon found nothing. That's the problem with being 6'6". Things are either long enough in the arms and huge in the torso. Or they fit in the torso but they're super short in the arms. So, I think we're just going to need to start doing our shopping for him online. Does anyone have any suggestions of where to shop for super tall, slim men? Anyone? Please?
So, even though our shopping adventure didn't pan out completely, we still had a nice time. The day in total, was a huge success. We relaxed. It was needed. Now we feel ready to tackle this up-coming week. I have lots of presents to wrap, and a house to decorate -- not mine though, my mom's. And Jon will be busy at work, as always.
Now, on to my list:
* Having my mom over here for most of the day yesterday. It was nice spending the day with her. We even got into my sewing room for a while and did some crafting. Until I needed a nap, anyway!
* Actually being able to nap yesterday afternoon. Sleeping during the day has become nearly impossible for me lately. I'll doze, a tiny bit, but very rarely will I actually sleep. It can be quite frustrating.
* Dinner with my parents last night. It was fun. My mom and I had crab -- of course! -- and the men had steaks. Jon doesn't care for sea-food -- which is nearly a deal breaker -- and my dad is allergic to shellfish. So, all the more crab for mom and me! Yay!
* A wonderfully relaxing Sunday with my husband. We should make this a mandatory way of spending at least one day every weekend.
* A wonderfully patient brother-in-law. Thank you so much for understanding my silliness with the password! Totally figures I finally got it.
Alright...that's it 'til tomorrow night.
Happy, Relaxing Sunday,
~j.b.
Today has been a wonderfully relaxing Sunday for Jon and I. We spent some time this morning sitting at our respective computers reading and surfing. Me on Pinterest and Jon on...well, where ever it is he goes when he's online. More than likely, Reddit. Although, I have to admit, I do spend time there, too. They have knitting, crochet and sewing sub-reddits that are tons of fun. You get to see other peoples' projects and visit new and fun blogs. So...there's that.
We didn't actually leave the house until around noon. At that time, we met some friends for Pho in Santa Clara. I haven't had it in a long time, and it was YUMMY! I really need a recipe for it. I have heard it takes all day to make. Which is perfectly okay me. Because it's totally worth it for delicious soup.
After lunch, we headed out for a little shopping. We looked for a gift for Jon's brother and sister, then headed over to R.E.I. to look for some winter-type clothes for Jon and I. I came out with a pair of pants and a cute knit skirt. Jon found nothing. That's the problem with being 6'6". Things are either long enough in the arms and huge in the torso. Or they fit in the torso but they're super short in the arms. So, I think we're just going to need to start doing our shopping for him online. Does anyone have any suggestions of where to shop for super tall, slim men? Anyone? Please?
So, even though our shopping adventure didn't pan out completely, we still had a nice time. The day in total, was a huge success. We relaxed. It was needed. Now we feel ready to tackle this up-coming week. I have lots of presents to wrap, and a house to decorate -- not mine though, my mom's. And Jon will be busy at work, as always.
Now, on to my list:
* Having my mom over here for most of the day yesterday. It was nice spending the day with her. We even got into my sewing room for a while and did some crafting. Until I needed a nap, anyway!
* Actually being able to nap yesterday afternoon. Sleeping during the day has become nearly impossible for me lately. I'll doze, a tiny bit, but very rarely will I actually sleep. It can be quite frustrating.
* Dinner with my parents last night. It was fun. My mom and I had crab -- of course! -- and the men had steaks. Jon doesn't care for sea-food -- which is nearly a deal breaker -- and my dad is allergic to shellfish. So, all the more crab for mom and me! Yay!
* A wonderfully relaxing Sunday with my husband. We should make this a mandatory way of spending at least one day every weekend.
* A wonderfully patient brother-in-law. Thank you so much for understanding my silliness with the password! Totally figures I finally got it.
Alright...that's it 'til tomorrow night.
Happy, Relaxing Sunday,
~j.b.
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Holiday Dress-up and Day five.
I know. I didn't write last night. We got home super late -- for me -- and I had a bit of a migraine, and just wasn't up to it. So, I figured I'd post this afternoon and tonight.
Dressing up was so much fun. I got my make-up and hair perfect, and the dress looked stunning, if I do say so myself. Jon even dressed in slacks and a nice shirt. And allowed my mom to take a picture of the two of us. Jon hates his pictures taken. I am a ham. I have always loved my picture taken. Figures I'd marry someone who doesn't. The most current photograph we have of ourselves in our house is from my cousin's wedding over six years ago! We don't even have our own wedding pictures hung up anywhere.
Anyway...here's the photo my mom took:
I know you can't see the dress too well. Maybe I can get a photo of the dress by itself today and post it tonight. Photographing an all black dress is rather difficult at best, and it was dark last night. I am really happy though with the way the photo turned out, and we had an absolutely wonderful time last night. I even received the most amazing compliment. I was told I looked like a movie-star! By this woman who was so beautifully dressed she looked like a movie-star, herself!
All in all, it was a wonderful evening. Met lots of really nice people, and now I finally know who Jon's co-workers are, so I can picture them when he talks about work.
Okay, on to my list from yesterday:
* I was grateful my mom came home with me to help me get ready last night. She helped me curl the back of my hair, because I couldn't quite reach it. It ended up looking perfect in the back because of her help.
* My doctor appointment -- for which I was very nervous -- turned out wonderfully. I got what I needed from the Dr. and it wasn't a horribly emotional visit.
* My dad, for driving my mom and I to the appointment. I couldn't have done it without him.
* Finally getting help with my migraines. I feel as though I can breathe again. Now, just to wait for the Botox appointment to really get these taken care of.
Okay, I feel good having done this. I will post again tonight with tonight's list. Thank you all for understanding the delay!
Happy Saturday,
~j.b.
Dressing up was so much fun. I got my make-up and hair perfect, and the dress looked stunning, if I do say so myself. Jon even dressed in slacks and a nice shirt. And allowed my mom to take a picture of the two of us. Jon hates his pictures taken. I am a ham. I have always loved my picture taken. Figures I'd marry someone who doesn't. The most current photograph we have of ourselves in our house is from my cousin's wedding over six years ago! We don't even have our own wedding pictures hung up anywhere.
Anyway...here's the photo my mom took:
 | ||
| the lovely couple dressed up... |
All in all, it was a wonderful evening. Met lots of really nice people, and now I finally know who Jon's co-workers are, so I can picture them when he talks about work.
Okay, on to my list from yesterday:
* I was grateful my mom came home with me to help me get ready last night. She helped me curl the back of my hair, because I couldn't quite reach it. It ended up looking perfect in the back because of her help.
* My doctor appointment -- for which I was very nervous -- turned out wonderfully. I got what I needed from the Dr. and it wasn't a horribly emotional visit.
* My dad, for driving my mom and I to the appointment. I couldn't have done it without him.
* Finally getting help with my migraines. I feel as though I can breathe again. Now, just to wait for the Botox appointment to really get these taken care of.
Okay, I feel good having done this. I will post again tonight with tonight's list. Thank you all for understanding the delay!
Happy Saturday,
~j.b.
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Day five...with pretty nails.
I am typing this tonight while diligently trying not to ruin my freshly painted manicure.
Tomorrow night is Jon's company's X-mas party. So, I decided to actually paint my finger nails. I was going to go with super bright X-mas(y) Red. Turns out, though, that I neglected to bring it with me, and the only Red my mom has is very shimmery. Plus, it's more of a magenta, not the true blue Red I love. This being the case, I went with super classic French-tipped. Fortunately, I'm also going for a super classic look with my dress and jewelery tomorrow night, as well. Unfortunately, I already have to redo three out of five nails on my right hand. Which is funny, because I'm left handed. How, you might be asking, did I manage to mangle three fingers already? To this I have no answer other than, "sigh." It's because I'm a huge klutz, and I managed to forget I just painted my nails within moments of finishing them. As in, while I'm cleaning up from having just painted them. Can I please blame the fibro for this memory lapse? Please? Good.
The dress I'll be wearing -- because I silently heard you wondering what it looks like -- is actually my mom's. She bought it from Nordstrom three or four years ago for a wedding we went to in The City. (FYI: I've been informed that I may no longer refer to San Francisco as either "San Fran" or "Frisco". Apparently only tourists do this, and it's anti-Northern Californian to do so)
Anyway...back to the dress. It's absolutely stunning. 100% black. Very low cut neck line, that wraps ever-so-slightly at the under-bust area. A slim black patent leather belt cinches a tiny bit above my natural waist, and a chemical pleated stretch chiffon skirt hits just below my knee. IT has elbow length stretch chiffon sleeves, and is also beautifully lined. In other words...YUM. I have coveted this dress since she purchased it, and the fact that I now get to wear it for an evening out with my husband makes my head spin.
The dress has a decidedly '50's look to it. And for jewelery, I have opted to keep to this scheme and wear my grandmother's pearls. They were falling apart and we had the expertly re-strung and knotted as I wanted to wear them for my wedding. They are a double stranded, and fall just under the hollow of my throat. Sort of a gorgeous champagne color to them that goes beautifully with black. I will also be wearing a pearl bracelet and faux-pearl post earrings.
For make-up I have decided on a light smoky eye -- something rather subtle -- and a dark red lip. I have this amazing Red from M.A.C. called Doubonette (not positive of the spelling). It's the perfect rich berry red with out a hint of orange or pink to be seen. And having been trained as a make-up artist since...well, birth, I suspect, I know how to apply it so it should stay put most of the evening without feathering into my nose and chin. A lovely sight, you know?
I willattempt to force my husband into taking at least one good picture of the two of us tomorrow night before we leave so I may post it here. That way you can see us in all our dressed-up-glory. It happens so very rarely, both of us being dressed up at the same time, that I absolutely must capture it for our eventual children to see. Otherwise they might live their entire lives believing we go out in our jeans and t-shirts. Which is sadly true enough.
Wow, I believe I am quite excited about dressing up and going out tomorrow night. It's been a while since we've been out together, let alone out while dressed up all glamorous-like. Jon will even be wearing a shirt thatmight will need ironing. I personally can't wait to see him all dressed up. It's always fun pretending we're an elegant couple going to a fancy party. I think we'll have a fun evening. I will post all about it tomorrow night after we get home. Promise.
Whew! What a wall of text that was! I hope most of you made it far enough to finally read my gratitude list tonight. If you did, thank you for putting up with my rambling. If you didn't, well...you're not reading this anyway, so I have nothing to say to you! Hehehe...just kidding.
What I am grateful for tonight:
* Finding the perfect dress in my mom's closet. Not only is it exactly what I had pictured in my head for tomorrow night, it's allowed me to not go shopping and wipe myself out before the party.
* Sitting up with my mom while I painted my nails at the kitchen table. It reminded me of when I was a little girl/teenager, and we would stay up late and paint our nails and chat. I must say, the chatting part is much more fun today than it ever used to be!
* Knowing my dad is going to be able to get me to my Dr. appointment tomorrow afternoon. It's a huge weight off my shoulders not having to figure out how I was going to get there. Come mid to late afternoon, I am usually too tired to drive anywhere for a few hours.
* Being able to find the knitting needles I need to make my friend's blanket. Finally found them on Amazon.com and purchased them. Now I just have to wait to get them before I start knitting...and knitting...and knitting!
Wow, today was actually harder than I thought it would be. It was rough day, pain-wise. And while I definitely came through it just fine, it was taxing and I am tired. Hopefully I will sleep well tonight and wake feeling somewhat refreshed come morning. Here's hoping, at least!
Sleep well, my lovelies
~j.b.
 | |||||
| Home-done French-tip! |
The dress I'll be wearing -- because I silently heard you wondering what it looks like -- is actually my mom's. She bought it from Nordstrom three or four years ago for a wedding we went to in The City. (FYI: I've been informed that I may no longer refer to San Francisco as either "San Fran" or "Frisco". Apparently only tourists do this, and it's anti-Northern Californian to do so)
Anyway...back to the dress. It's absolutely stunning. 100% black. Very low cut neck line, that wraps ever-so-slightly at the under-bust area. A slim black patent leather belt cinches a tiny bit above my natural waist, and a chemical pleated stretch chiffon skirt hits just below my knee. IT has elbow length stretch chiffon sleeves, and is also beautifully lined. In other words...YUM. I have coveted this dress since she purchased it, and the fact that I now get to wear it for an evening out with my husband makes my head spin.
The dress has a decidedly '50's look to it. And for jewelery, I have opted to keep to this scheme and wear my grandmother's pearls. They were falling apart and we had the expertly re-strung and knotted as I wanted to wear them for my wedding. They are a double stranded, and fall just under the hollow of my throat. Sort of a gorgeous champagne color to them that goes beautifully with black. I will also be wearing a pearl bracelet and faux-pearl post earrings.
For make-up I have decided on a light smoky eye -- something rather subtle -- and a dark red lip. I have this amazing Red from M.A.C. called Doubonette (not positive of the spelling). It's the perfect rich berry red with out a hint of orange or pink to be seen. And having been trained as a make-up artist since...well, birth, I suspect, I know how to apply it so it should stay put most of the evening without feathering into my nose and chin. A lovely sight, you know?
I will
Wow, I believe I am quite excited about dressing up and going out tomorrow night. It's been a while since we've been out together, let alone out while dressed up all glamorous-like. Jon will even be wearing a shirt that
Whew! What a wall of text that was! I hope most of you made it far enough to finally read my gratitude list tonight. If you did, thank you for putting up with my rambling. If you didn't, well...you're not reading this anyway, so I have nothing to say to you! Hehehe...just kidding.
What I am grateful for tonight:
* Finding the perfect dress in my mom's closet. Not only is it exactly what I had pictured in my head for tomorrow night, it's allowed me to not go shopping and wipe myself out before the party.
* Sitting up with my mom while I painted my nails at the kitchen table. It reminded me of when I was a little girl/teenager, and we would stay up late and paint our nails and chat. I must say, the chatting part is much more fun today than it ever used to be!
* Knowing my dad is going to be able to get me to my Dr. appointment tomorrow afternoon. It's a huge weight off my shoulders not having to figure out how I was going to get there. Come mid to late afternoon, I am usually too tired to drive anywhere for a few hours.
* Being able to find the knitting needles I need to make my friend's blanket. Finally found them on Amazon.com and purchased them. Now I just have to wait to get them before I start knitting...and knitting...and knitting!
Wow, today was actually harder than I thought it would be. It was rough day, pain-wise. And while I definitely came through it just fine, it was taxing and I am tired. Hopefully I will sleep well tonight and wake feeling somewhat refreshed come morning. Here's hoping, at least!
Sleep well, my lovelies
~j.b.
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Day four...alive and well.
Well now, I've actually managed to write two days in a row, this time. And this time it's only just about 10pm as opposed to nearly 1am! What a nice change. Now, if only I can get to sleep at a more reasonable hour than 2:30am "tonight".
With X-mas looming ever closer, I believe I've made a huge blunder by opting to start yet another project. I honestly have no intention of finishing it before or even near X-mas. It will be a gift though. I have decided to make this blanket for a friend of my mom's and mine. I actually even bought non-snobby yarn to make it from, so it's washer/dryer friendly, as this woman has a 14 year old son and a new dog. I showed her Mable this afternoon, and she loved her, so I decided she needed her own lovely. What shall I name this new creation? Any suggestions? The lines are now open!
I managed to even work a little on Mable today. But only did about 1/2 a green stripe. It all adds up, though, right? Yup.
On to gracefulness:
* The warm kitty curled up in my lap right now as I type. She's nearly 13 years old, and named after my favorite Chinese dish. Mushu. Jon calls her "The Shmoo". Which I love. She's very vocal when she wants something and likes to sleep in bowls. No, seriously. I have a picture somewhere of her sleeping in a tiny ceramic bowl. She herself only weighs about five pounds soaking wet. Which I recommend never doing to a cat. They get snarly. Hehehehe...
* People who call back when they say they do and try and make the situation better than it was. Let's just hope Friday gets here when it's supposed to!
* Talking with my husband tonight. While I am currently staying at my parents' house for a couple days, it is so very nice hearing his sweet voice every night. I love this man so very much. <3
* ...and last, not least; Knowing I inspired my dearest friend to start keeping a blog of her crafting (mis)adventures. I've known this lady way more years than I haven't, and I miss her very, very much now that she lives in a far-away place. I really ought to go and visit her; She visited me over the summer, and it was wonderful!
Alright, I believe this is it for the night. The mere fact that I have been able to do this four (three) nights in a row...well, it just means a lot to me. While today was emotionally very difficult and tumultuous, I have managed to pull through and am quite calm and relaxed this evening. And that to me, is the perfect day.
Happy Crafting!
~j.b.
p.s. I even managed to work about 12 rows into the Fibonacci Scarf for Jon. There are now two sections of dark stripes. Only 2,394 to go. Or, you know, lots.
With X-mas looming ever closer, I believe I've made a huge blunder by opting to start yet another project. I honestly have no intention of finishing it before or even near X-mas. It will be a gift though. I have decided to make this blanket for a friend of my mom's and mine. I actually even bought non-snobby yarn to make it from, so it's washer/dryer friendly, as this woman has a 14 year old son and a new dog. I showed her Mable this afternoon, and she loved her, so I decided she needed her own lovely. What shall I name this new creation? Any suggestions? The lines are now open!
I managed to even work a little on Mable today. But only did about 1/2 a green stripe. It all adds up, though, right? Yup.
On to gracefulness:
 |
| "The Shmoo" |
* The warm kitty curled up in my lap right now as I type. She's nearly 13 years old, and named after my favorite Chinese dish. Mushu. Jon calls her "The Shmoo". Which I love. She's very vocal when she wants something and likes to sleep in bowls. No, seriously. I have a picture somewhere of her sleeping in a tiny ceramic bowl. She herself only weighs about five pounds soaking wet. Which I recommend never doing to a cat. They get snarly. Hehehehe...
* People who call back when they say they do and try and make the situation better than it was. Let's just hope Friday gets here when it's supposed to!
* Talking with my husband tonight. While I am currently staying at my parents' house for a couple days, it is so very nice hearing his sweet voice every night. I love this man so very much. <3
* ...and last, not least; Knowing I inspired my dearest friend to start keeping a blog of her crafting (mis)adventures. I've known this lady way more years than I haven't, and I miss her very, very much now that she lives in a far-away place. I really ought to go and visit her; She visited me over the summer, and it was wonderful!
Alright, I believe this is it for the night. The mere fact that I have been able to do this four (three) nights in a row...well, it just means a lot to me. While today was emotionally very difficult and tumultuous, I have managed to pull through and am quite calm and relaxed this evening. And that to me, is the perfect day.
Happy Crafting!
~j.b.
p.s. I even managed to work about 12 rows into the Fibonacci Scarf for Jon. There are now two sections of dark stripes. Only 2,394 to go. Or, you know, lots.
Day...2&3
Well, it looks as though I ended up missing nearly two days, doesn't it? While I am not happy about it, I actually do have a very good reason. I had a migraine all day Monday, and woke up with it again Tuesday. While I get migraines nearly every day anyway, going to bed and waking up with the same one...well, let's just say it tends to put a cramp in any plans I may or may not have had. So, my list is delayed, but not missing.
Although I had a migraine for over twenty-four hours, I've actually had a couple rather nice days. On Monday, I went over to my friend HF's house for the afternoon. We made lunch -- yum! -- had a yarn swap (more yarn for the granny-stripe awesomeness! -- and sat and crocheted for what seemed like not nearly enough time, but was in fact quite a few hours. It was relaxing and wonderful, even with the migraine. We discussed everything from color choices to child-rearing. Definitely a successful day, if I do say so myself. And, I went home to a clean house. How amazingly wonderful is that?
So, waking up this morning with the visitor in my head, I decided I needed some pampering. Therefore, I went to the most logical place to receive such; My mom's house. She's very understanding about the migraines, and knows I've been getting my fair share of them for the past 7 years, so she takes very good care of her only daughter. We made tea and sat and crocheted and hand-sewed for a couple hours. I also took a nap -- well, attempted to. I'm not very good at napping currently. Or sleeping in general, actually.
I've managed to make some more progress on The Granny-Stripe Blanket. I think she needs a name. What do you think? I like Mable. It's a good strong Grandma-like name. Alright then, my blanket's name is Mable. Good.
I am happy to introduce,
My goodness, those colors are bright. I have become so used to seeing them day in and day out, that I don't realize how bright they actually are. Love them, though. Bright colors are wonderful.
Oh! I also worked on:
These are the beginning of crocheted mini X-mas lights. I will be adding a little bit of charcoal to the top, and stringing them on green chained yarn. They will either go on my tree -- if I ever get one -- or on a wall at home. Maybe above the fire place. As long as we don't light them on fire, right?
So, there is my crafting for the day. I still need to work on my Tree skirt. I'll try and post about it this week. And my star and felt garland for the tree, as well. I will also try and post about those this week. We'll see.
Okay, on to my gratitude list...I think I'll just combine yesterday and today into one uber list.
* Good friends who craft. I had a wonderful time spending the afternoon with HF. She is an absolute delight. Great company and wonderful conversation. Thank you thank you thank you. Oh, and thank you for the yarn!! :D
* Nice hot showers. It helps to relax me, and get my mind off my head. Hehe...or, just the migraine. I may have taken quite a few showers in the past two days.
* Moms. Mine, specifically, though I'm sure all of yours' are amazing, too.
* Tea. I've had more cups of tea in the last two days than I think I could count; I don't have enough fingers.
* Once again, Grandma-crocheted blankets. Being curled up in one just seems to make everything seem a little bit better.
* A husband who doesn't request I cook every night. Because there are some nights when a shower and an early bed time is very much what I need.
This about covers it for the last two days. Yes, they were painful. And I came through them, ready to face another new day. That is what counts, in the long run. Bring it on!
Peaceful dreams,
~j.b.
Although I had a migraine for over twenty-four hours, I've actually had a couple rather nice days. On Monday, I went over to my friend HF's house for the afternoon. We made lunch -- yum! -- had a yarn swap (more yarn for the granny-stripe awesomeness! -- and sat and crocheted for what seemed like not nearly enough time, but was in fact quite a few hours. It was relaxing and wonderful, even with the migraine. We discussed everything from color choices to child-rearing. Definitely a successful day, if I do say so myself. And, I went home to a clean house. How amazingly wonderful is that?
So, waking up this morning with the visitor in my head, I decided I needed some pampering. Therefore, I went to the most logical place to receive such; My mom's house. She's very understanding about the migraines, and knows I've been getting my fair share of them for the past 7 years, so she takes very good care of her only daughter. We made tea and sat and crocheted and hand-sewed for a couple hours. I also took a nap -- well, attempted to. I'm not very good at napping currently. Or sleeping in general, actually.
I've managed to make some more progress on The Granny-Stripe Blanket. I think she needs a name. What do you think? I like Mable. It's a good strong Grandma-like name. Alright then, my blanket's name is Mable. Good.
I am happy to introduce,
 |
| Mable, in all her glory... |
My goodness, those colors are bright. I have become so used to seeing them day in and day out, that I don't realize how bright they actually are. Love them, though. Bright colors are wonderful.
Oh! I also worked on:
 |
| Not a very clear picture...sorry! |
These are the beginning of crocheted mini X-mas lights. I will be adding a little bit of charcoal to the top, and stringing them on green chained yarn. They will either go on my tree -- if I ever get one -- or on a wall at home. Maybe above the fire place. As long as we don't light them on fire, right?
So, there is my crafting for the day. I still need to work on my Tree skirt. I'll try and post about it this week. And my star and felt garland for the tree, as well. I will also try and post about those this week. We'll see.
Okay, on to my gratitude list...I think I'll just combine yesterday and today into one uber list.
* Good friends who craft. I had a wonderful time spending the afternoon with HF. She is an absolute delight. Great company and wonderful conversation. Thank you thank you thank you. Oh, and thank you for the yarn!! :D
* Nice hot showers. It helps to relax me, and get my mind off my head. Hehe...or, just the migraine. I may have taken quite a few showers in the past two days.
* Moms. Mine, specifically, though I'm sure all of yours' are amazing, too.
* Tea. I've had more cups of tea in the last two days than I think I could count; I don't have enough fingers.
* Once again, Grandma-crocheted blankets. Being curled up in one just seems to make everything seem a little bit better.
* A husband who doesn't request I cook every night. Because there are some nights when a shower and an early bed time is very much what I need.
This about covers it for the last two days. Yes, they were painful. And I came through them, ready to face another new day. That is what counts, in the long run. Bring it on!
Peaceful dreams,
~j.b.
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Day one...
I would like to start by saying, I almost completely forgot to write tonight. And I realized I needed to write in the evening because in the morning, I am not sure what I'll be grateful for come evening. So, I was lying in bed when I remembered. Fortunately, I am a bit of an insomniac, so getting back up was not difficult. The Fibro really effects my sleeping patterns. But, that's a different story, for another time.
I would like to address the changes to my blog, as well. Fortunately, not too many people were reading it, so not too many people will suddenly not be able to find it. I guess this is a good thing, right? The new web-address is as follows. Please update your "follower" status, if you please.
www.livelovegrace.blogspot.com
Now, you're probably asking, "why such a huge change"? I don't have a simple answer to that question. Mainly, it's because I am a complicated person. I do not allow any one single thing to define me as a woman, be it sewing, knitting, or even fibromyalgia. So, having a blog that specifically focused on only one aspect of my life...well, it just didn't seem honest to who I really am.
I read/follow quite a few blogs. Yes, most of them are crafty-types. But the ones that really catch my attention are written by people who share bits and pieces of themselves with their readers. Honesty is so important to me. I've always said, "My life is an open book," so why wouldn't it be here? I want to live what I believe. And honesty is what I believe. Whole-heartedly.
This being said, on to my gratitude list; Day one...
* I am grateful for a nice relaxing Sunday, at home with Jon and my blankets.
* I love that it's finally crab season, and I finally was able to purchase myself a 1.5 lb crab to eat all. by. myself. It was yummy!
* I am soooo happy I remembered to write tonight, even though I was ready for bed. The reminder was...well, let's just call it divine intervention.
* I am very grateful I have someone to spend some time with tomorrow while my cleaning crew -- which I am more than grateful for -- comes over to clean my house. Can't wait to see you, HF!! Be prepared for lots and lots of yarn!!
I believe this about covers it for today. I know there are going to be days when I have a difficult time coming up with things I am grateful for. Fortunately, today was not one of them.
Have a wonderful night; Sweet dreams,
~j.b.
I would like to address the changes to my blog, as well. Fortunately, not too many people were reading it, so not too many people will suddenly not be able to find it. I guess this is a good thing, right? The new web-address is as follows. Please update your "follower" status, if you please.
www.livelovegrace.blogspot.com
Now, you're probably asking, "why such a huge change"? I don't have a simple answer to that question. Mainly, it's because I am a complicated person. I do not allow any one single thing to define me as a woman, be it sewing, knitting, or even fibromyalgia. So, having a blog that specifically focused on only one aspect of my life...well, it just didn't seem honest to who I really am.
I read/follow quite a few blogs. Yes, most of them are crafty-types. But the ones that really catch my attention are written by people who share bits and pieces of themselves with their readers. Honesty is so important to me. I've always said, "My life is an open book," so why wouldn't it be here? I want to live what I believe. And honesty is what I believe. Whole-heartedly.
This being said, on to my gratitude list; Day one...
* I am grateful for a nice relaxing Sunday, at home with Jon and my blankets.
* I love that it's finally crab season, and I finally was able to purchase myself a 1.5 lb crab to eat all. by. myself. It was yummy!
* I am soooo happy I remembered to write tonight, even though I was ready for bed. The reminder was...well, let's just call it divine intervention.
* I am very grateful I have someone to spend some time with tomorrow while my cleaning crew -- which I am more than grateful for -- comes over to clean my house. Can't wait to see you, HF!! Be prepared for lots and lots of yarn!!
I believe this about covers it for today. I know there are going to be days when I have a difficult time coming up with things I am grateful for. Fortunately, today was not one of them.
Have a wonderful night; Sweet dreams,
~j.b.
Saturday, December 3, 2011
thirty days of grace...
I know, two blog posts published in one day. I must be on a roll.
I just found a blog. And it set an idea in motion. Bear with me while I explain the thinking behind this one.
My life -- as many are -- is crazy-hard right now. It has been for the last 7 years. Yes, there have beengood amazing times. Marrying the love of my life, for one...patching my long-term relationship with my best friend of 20 years...Mending the much torn relationship with my mom -- love you so much, mom. And there have been heart-aches and breaks along the way. Many of which, I just do not talk about for fear of completely breaking down in front of other people. And they may -- at this point, at least -- make me a little too vulnerable to mention here. Plus, I honestly choose to focus on the positive. So...
For the next 30 days -- until the 3rd of January -- I will publish one post a day which focuses on the positive aspects of my life. This will not be easy for me. This will be a huge stretch. I am not practiced at keeping commitments I make to myself. Something "better" always comes up. And by "better" I actually mean pain and fatigue. And with this in mind -- and I will be "tested" -- I am going to keep this commitment to myself, and you. Every day. And on those days where I just do not feel up to doing this...I will still manage to.
My mom always said, as I was growing up, that "I can do this miserably or gracefully". Taking this into consideration as an adult, I can either take life, and all it's hardships and wonders miserably or gracefully. I choose grace.
* Today, I am grateful for...
* Our first fire in our fire-place, even though we smoked out our upstairs and set off the smoke-detector. Hell, at least we know it works now.
* Going on a nice long walk with Jon. It was bright and sunny and crisp outside. A true late fall day. It reminded me of living with my grandmother when I was 18. That was a long time ago.
* Being able to work on my granny-stripe blanket today, until I noticed a tiny little paper cut exactly where I hold the yarn in my right hand! (I am left-handed, by the way)
one more...
* Curling up in the afghan my grandmother (different one) made for my parents nearly 40 years ago when they were first married. My mom gave it to me last week, and it is a lovely gift.
Alright...I think this is a good start. I will "see" you tomorrow. Possibly in the morning, but definitely tomorrow.
A Graceful Saturday-night to all,
~j.b.
I just found a blog. And it set an idea in motion. Bear with me while I explain the thinking behind this one.
My life -- as many are -- is crazy-hard right now. It has been for the last 7 years. Yes, there have been
For the next 30 days -- until the 3rd of January -- I will publish one post a day which focuses on the positive aspects of my life. This will not be easy for me. This will be a huge stretch. I am not practiced at keeping commitments I make to myself. Something "better" always comes up. And by "better" I actually mean pain and fatigue. And with this in mind -- and I will be "tested" -- I am going to keep this commitment to myself, and you. Every day. And on those days where I just do not feel up to doing this...I will still manage to.
My mom always said, as I was growing up, that "I can do this miserably or gracefully". Taking this into consideration as an adult, I can either take life, and all it's hardships and wonders miserably or gracefully. I choose grace.
* Today, I am grateful for...
* Our first fire in our fire-place, even though we smoked out our upstairs and set off the smoke-detector. Hell, at least we know it works now.
* Going on a nice long walk with Jon. It was bright and sunny and crisp outside. A true late fall day. It reminded me of living with my grandmother when I was 18. That was a long time ago.
* Being able to work on my granny-stripe blanket today, until I noticed a tiny little paper cut exactly where I hold the yarn in my right hand! (I am left-handed, by the way)
one more...
* Curling up in the afghan my grandmother (different one) made for my parents nearly 40 years ago when they were first married. My mom gave it to me last week, and it is a lovely gift.
Alright...I think this is a good start. I will "see" you tomorrow. Possibly in the morning, but definitely tomorrow.
A Graceful Saturday-night to all,
~j.b.
New (project) Beginnings...
I've done it again...I've started yet another project. This one, though is a long term project. It's a blanket. A granny-stripe blanket, to be specific. I went to Michaels -- I know, almost sacrilege to those who shop in LYS's -- yesterday and bought 11 skeins of acrylic -- don't I have a post where I yell about this?? -- yarn. Yes, I still hate acrylic fiber. Yes, I still am a total snob when it comes to natural fabric and yarn. But no, my bank account is not ever-flowing, and I needed this to be cheap-ish. I honestly didn't want to spend $300 dollars on a blanket that will have food spilled on it, and in the (distant) future, various baby-fluids on it as well. I want a blanket I can (easily) throw into the washer and dryer, and one large enough for the Husband and I to both curl up under and read or watch a movie.
It gets cold -- for California -- here in the winter, and while we do have a fire-place and a heater, I really wanted a large comfy blanket. So. Without further ado, I give you:
The very beginning of my new (very) long-term project. I have 1.5 stripes completed. And I have 9 more colors to add. I am not yet sure how many stripes I will eventually add to this, but I think it will at least take me this winter to finish. Which is great, because A) I need a "brainless" project to work on when the "fibro-fog" becomes so bad I can't think in knit-speak, and B) As it gets colder, and the blanket becomes larger, I will be more than happy to curl up under my WIP.
I am using this pattern from Attic24. By the way, I absolutely love this lady's blog. She is a true crochet-artist. And she adores color. And the love of color is always a winner in my book. I think I'd live in rainbows everyday if it wouldn't possibly blind my Husband and friends. Anyway, go read Attic24 (link will open in new window) and leave some love for her.
Alright. Now that there is a huge wall of text here for you -- which no one has probably even read *sob* -- I will say good-bye. I have a long-term project to keep me busy.
happy Saturday,
~j.b.
It gets cold -- for California -- here in the winter, and while we do have a fire-place and a heater, I really wanted a large comfy blanket. So. Without further ado, I give you:
I am using this pattern from Attic24. By the way, I absolutely love this lady's blog. She is a true crochet-artist. And she adores color. And the love of color is always a winner in my book. I think I'd live in rainbows everyday if it wouldn't possibly blind my Husband and friends. Anyway, go read Attic24 (link will open in new window) and leave some love for her.
Alright. Now that there is a huge wall of text here for you -- which no one has probably even read *sob* -- I will say good-bye. I have a long-term project to keep me busy.
happy Saturday,
~j.b.
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
X-mas Elves...
My goodness, it's been forever since I've written. Sorry about that, but I've been going through some pretty hefty health issues the past few months. And I plan to be honest about that. Because not only do I want to write a blog about my fiber addiction, I want to write about my health issues, as well. And if people have an issue with that, well...they don't have to read my blog then, do they? No one is forcing anyone to read this. And, if someone is forcing you...Shame on them. Hehe..
So, about three months ago, I was finally diagnosed with Fibromyalgia. Which, by the way, I just had to add to my dictionary. Just thought I'd share. It's been a long road. I started showing symptoms over seven years ago. But the doctors had no idea what was wrong until I started showing very Fibro-specific symptoms about four/five months ago. It's still took three doctors to finally get a diagnosis, though.
I won't say it's been easy. Even though with finally figuring out what's going on, the honeymoon period lasted about a month. I've been dealing with denial, anger, depression, and every other emotion in the book. I may have finally hit on acceptance, though. I am finally able to look at the future with some semblance of hope and not only despair. It's a good feeling.
My husband has been a wonderful support. As has my mom -- who also happens to have Fibro and Lupus -- and my dad. So has my mother-in-law. She's been a huge support these last few months. I think, though, what has gotten me through the most has been my unfailing addiction to all things fiber-related. While I haven't finished much recently, my knitting and sewing have both kept me somewhat sane through all this. Even just being able to start a new project as helped on days where the pain is horrible. Fiber is an amazing therapy. It has truly given me new insight into why crafts are so important in peoples' lives. So, in this way -- and really only this way right now -- I am grateful for my experience with this condition.
Alright, enough of the serious. It's time to get down to the fun! I am currently -- finally!! -- working on a Fibonacci Scarf for my husband. I found this pattern -- it's a freebe -- on Ravelry -- you may have to register to view the link I posted -- over a year ago, purchased the yarn, and started it. I hated the way it was turning out. My stripes were horrible. They jogged all over the place. And I didn't really like the idea of knitting it in the round. A) It used a ton of yarn, and B) My husband doesn't really need a reversible scarf, does he? No.
So, about three or four days ago, I frogged the original project and started over. I don't know that I'll have time to finish it before X-mas this year, but I'm going to try. I started with six rows of 3x2 ribbing. Then, when it's a length I am happy with (husband is 6'6", so long is a good thing) I am going to pick up the stitches on both sides of the scarf and add in a 3x2 ribbing going horizontally. I was going to knit that in as I went, but I didn't want the ribbing running vertically. I think horizontal ribbing will look fantastically better. Here it is, thus far:
The little dark line -- the one you can barely see -- is the first of the stripes in the dark color. I'll knit 34 rows of the light, then add two dark stripes, and so on. The other end of the scarf will be mostly dark, with some light stripes. It's a really nerdy, really fun scarf. In fact, right before I found this pattern, the husband and I had just been talking about Fibonacci number sequences. So, I thought the timing was great, and I just had to make it.
I'll try and finish it before X-mas, and I'll post some pics as I work on it. Hope everyone of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving -- I certainly did. What projects are you trying desperately to finish before X-mas? Want to share pictures??
Happy Tuesday,
~j.b.
So, about three months ago, I was finally diagnosed with Fibromyalgia. Which, by the way, I just had to add to my dictionary. Just thought I'd share. It's been a long road. I started showing symptoms over seven years ago. But the doctors had no idea what was wrong until I started showing very Fibro-specific symptoms about four/five months ago. It's still took three doctors to finally get a diagnosis, though.
I won't say it's been easy. Even though with finally figuring out what's going on, the honeymoon period lasted about a month. I've been dealing with denial, anger, depression, and every other emotion in the book. I may have finally hit on acceptance, though. I am finally able to look at the future with some semblance of hope and not only despair. It's a good feeling.
My husband has been a wonderful support. As has my mom -- who also happens to have Fibro and Lupus -- and my dad. So has my mother-in-law. She's been a huge support these last few months. I think, though, what has gotten me through the most has been my unfailing addiction to all things fiber-related. While I haven't finished much recently, my knitting and sewing have both kept me somewhat sane through all this. Even just being able to start a new project as helped on days where the pain is horrible. Fiber is an amazing therapy. It has truly given me new insight into why crafts are so important in peoples' lives. So, in this way -- and really only this way right now -- I am grateful for my experience with this condition.
Alright, enough of the serious. It's time to get down to the fun! I am currently -- finally!! -- working on a Fibonacci Scarf for my husband. I found this pattern -- it's a freebe -- on Ravelry -- you may have to register to view the link I posted -- over a year ago, purchased the yarn, and started it. I hated the way it was turning out. My stripes were horrible. They jogged all over the place. And I didn't really like the idea of knitting it in the round. A) It used a ton of yarn, and B) My husband doesn't really need a reversible scarf, does he? No.
So, about three or four days ago, I frogged the original project and started over. I don't know that I'll have time to finish it before X-mas this year, but I'm going to try. I started with six rows of 3x2 ribbing. Then, when it's a length I am happy with (husband is 6'6", so long is a good thing) I am going to pick up the stitches on both sides of the scarf and add in a 3x2 ribbing going horizontally. I was going to knit that in as I went, but I didn't want the ribbing running vertically. I think horizontal ribbing will look fantastically better. Here it is, thus far:
The little dark line -- the one you can barely see -- is the first of the stripes in the dark color. I'll knit 34 rows of the light, then add two dark stripes, and so on. The other end of the scarf will be mostly dark, with some light stripes. It's a really nerdy, really fun scarf. In fact, right before I found this pattern, the husband and I had just been talking about Fibonacci number sequences. So, I thought the timing was great, and I just had to make it.
I'll try and finish it before X-mas, and I'll post some pics as I work on it. Hope everyone of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving -- I certainly did. What projects are you trying desperately to finish before X-mas? Want to share pictures??
Happy Tuesday,
~j.b.
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Interweb Zombies and other scary things.
I just realized that I have been spending an inordinate amount of time on a specific web site and have *completely* failed to talk about my love for said web site. Pintrest is my new love. I spend *way* too much time on this site on a daily basis, hunting and gathering ideas for...life in general. And as it happens, I've even *made* some of the things I've found while hunting there. These are unfortunately languishing in a "project" bag at the moment, waiting for the binding to be hand-sewn. Even though I *love* hand-sewing, it's a shame I can't come up with a way for it to sew itself. I'll try and post some pics of my "works-in-progress" later this week. When I wrench my brain back from the interweb zombies who seems to have eaten it.
Monday, August 1, 2011
Heat settings are HOT!
So, when a sewing teacher -- or a mom -- says to ALWAYS check your heat settings on your iron, it's possibly a good idea to pay attention! Especially when combining fabric types in the same project. I now understand why it's NOT a good idea to mix both natural AND synthetics in the same tiny little silly project. This only just stands to support my previous statements of me being a fiber SNOB!
I'm all about the natural fibers/fabrics for pretty much EVERY project. I even support the use of silk organza for interfacing for garments, because who wants to use FAKE when natural feels SO much better? This being said, I got bit by the "oooo, shiny" bug today. I was making this little tiny cutie, and picked out some great pieces of fabrics. Some corduroy -- which by the way sheds like crazy -- and a couple cute little 100% cotton prints. And just as I was about to walk away from the stash, it struck! This pretty little cotton shimmer. Light grey-blue in color. Innocent, for all intents and purposes, except for the fact that it's not REAL! It contains the dreaded POLYESTER fibers. The little ones. The tiny little fibers that make it so pretty to look at...
Turn it into THIS:
when a silly fiber-nerd of a sewer uses COTTON setting on the iron to press the tiny little 1/4 inch seams!
Sadly, I had four seams to rip. And I had to clean my iron...again. Today. And sadly, the "oooo, shiny" actually won. I DID end up using it in this:
It's there, right in the middle, mocking me with it's shininess. BUT, the little bag is adorable. Although imperfect. I DID make a promise to myself to NOT point out all the flaws I see. So, there you go my lovelies. My NEWEST finished object. Oh! And this:
Albeit, upside down in this picture. Not sure how to fix that. But, it IS done. And I can fit the Nook in it WITH the book cover on it, as well. So, ultra protected. Which is good, because I've already dropped it. Twice. Meh.
Please don't expect close-ups. I'm not happy with the finished project too much. Those silly inside corners. I'll have to have a re-do at some point in the future. The very FAR future, when I can look at felt and inside corners without wanting to tear out my own eyelashes. Hehehe...just kidding, mostly.
Have a happy week, my dearies
~j.b.
I'm all about the natural fibers/fabrics for pretty much EVERY project. I even support the use of silk organza for interfacing for garments, because who wants to use FAKE when natural feels SO much better? This being said, I got bit by the "oooo, shiny" bug today. I was making this little tiny cutie, and picked out some great pieces of fabrics. Some corduroy -- which by the way sheds like crazy -- and a couple cute little 100% cotton prints. And just as I was about to walk away from the stash, it struck! This pretty little cotton shimmer. Light grey-blue in color. Innocent, for all intents and purposes, except for the fact that it's not REAL! It contains the dreaded POLYESTER fibers. The little ones. The tiny little fibers that make it so pretty to look at...
Turn it into THIS:
when a silly fiber-nerd of a sewer uses COTTON setting on the iron to press the tiny little 1/4 inch seams!
Sadly, I had four seams to rip. And I had to clean my iron...again. Today. And sadly, the "oooo, shiny" actually won. I DID end up using it in this:
It's there, right in the middle, mocking me with it's shininess. BUT, the little bag is adorable. Although imperfect. I DID make a promise to myself to NOT point out all the flaws I see. So, there you go my lovelies. My NEWEST finished object. Oh! And this:
Albeit, upside down in this picture. Not sure how to fix that. But, it IS done. And I can fit the Nook in it WITH the book cover on it, as well. So, ultra protected. Which is good, because I've already dropped it. Twice. Meh.
Please don't expect close-ups. I'm not happy with the finished project too much. Those silly inside corners. I'll have to have a re-do at some point in the future. The very FAR future, when I can look at felt and inside corners without wanting to tear out my own eyelashes. Hehehe...just kidding, mostly.
Have a happy week, my dearies
~j.b.
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Crafty sewing
While I haven't been spending *any* time lately sewing clothing, I *have* been working on some more crafting type projects. I found a wonderful tutorial on quilted place mats about a month ago, and have been making some recently. They're super fun and make up rather quickly. Plus, come with a lesson on how to miter corners on non-bias binding for quilts -- I am sure it would also work for bias. Which for some unknown reason I've never known how to do. Now, to perfect the *inside* corner miter. Any suggestions?? This blog has *tons* of really cute tutorials. I want to work through most of them at some point. You know, in all those *extra* hours in the day!
I have also been creating a sleeve for my new electronic toy. I purchased a Nook Color from my brother-in-law a couple days ago. Basically, I am using it purely for knitting patterns and YouTube videos for knitting instruction. So, I decided it needed a sleeve out of fabric. I might at some point knit one, as well. Versatility is the spice of life. Or something to that effect, I guess. I just like color. And fiber. Gee, you think?
I actually found another tutorial online for a felt patch-work type sleeve for an iPad. I have *no* idea where I found it, though. Which is sad, because my mom wanted a link to it, so she could make one for her impending Kindle -- which she *may* be getting for x-mas – it's a very poorly kept secret. But, alas and alack, no link. If I come across it, I'll post it in a future entry. Maybe.
Me being me, I've changed around the process from what I remember reading in the missing blog post. Once I finish it -- and figure out the concave miter -- I'll post some pics of it. I unfortunately have *zero* pictures of the work in progress thus far. Mostly because I am terrible at remembering to do so. But, finished photos will do, I'm assuming.
As far as knitting projects go, I spent a lovely day at my LYS in a class with Cat Bordhi learning a new way to knit sock heels. This class was inspirational beyond words. Plus, she made us get out and walk around the block after lunch. I *love* bossy teachers. It's the kind of teacher *I* want to be when I grow up. *If* I ever grow up. I'm kinda planning on not doing that, actually.
Happy Sunday, my lovelies!
~j.b.
I have also been creating a sleeve for my new electronic toy. I purchased a Nook Color from my brother-in-law a couple days ago. Basically, I am using it purely for knitting patterns and YouTube videos for knitting instruction. So, I decided it needed a sleeve out of fabric. I might at some point knit one, as well. Versatility is the spice of life. Or something to that effect, I guess. I just like color. And fiber. Gee, you think?
I actually found another tutorial online for a felt patch-work type sleeve for an iPad. I have *no* idea where I found it, though. Which is sad, because my mom wanted a link to it, so she could make one for her impending Kindle -- which she *may* be getting for x-mas – it's a very poorly kept secret. But, alas and alack, no link. If I come across it, I'll post it in a future entry. Maybe.
Me being me, I've changed around the process from what I remember reading in the missing blog post. Once I finish it -- and figure out the concave miter -- I'll post some pics of it. I unfortunately have *zero* pictures of the work in progress thus far. Mostly because I am terrible at remembering to do so. But, finished photos will do, I'm assuming.
As far as knitting projects go, I spent a lovely day at my LYS in a class with Cat Bordhi learning a new way to knit sock heels. This class was inspirational beyond words. Plus, she made us get out and walk around the block after lunch. I *love* bossy teachers. It's the kind of teacher *I* want to be when I grow up. *If* I ever grow up. I'm kinda planning on not doing that, actually.
Happy Sunday, my lovelies!
~j.b.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
procrastination can be therapy, too.
I just read something on-line -- of which I'll post a picture later -- that really resonated with me. It said -- I'm paraphrasing, here -- that which you waste your time doing, maybe you should just do.
And it hit me, like a ton of bricks; I waste my time writing, and knitting. Don't get me wrong, I *love* sewing. It is my first passion. My first great love. Creating something three dimensional and wearable from something essentially flat is a wonderful...well, to me, it's magical. Elemental, even. And it is something I will always want to do; something I will always love as I love nothing else.
This being said, I am drawn to knitting as I never was to sewing. While sewing is full of frustration and muttered threats -- mostly said in the wee hours of the morning as a deadline looms ever closer -- knitting is fluid, and relaxing and blatantly meditative. It makes me feel...it makes me *feel*. Period. When I finally allow myself to turn off the tv, the music and my voice, I sit there, needles ticking away at the yarn, creating something literally out of nothing, time seems to stand still. I seem to fall *out* of time itself and...truly feel. I feel what it's like to be me, to be female, to be *human*.
I believe creating is a vital human need. We are programmed at a cellular level to create; children are usually our creation of choice. I currently do not have children. But I create. When I knit a piece of fabric, be it large or minute, I feel as though I've essentially given birth, raised, then let fly a child of my own creation.
I am sitting here, in a coffee shop near my home, waiting for a friend to pick me up. I haven't seen her in three years. We are going to have a wonderful day. And all I can think about is the bagful of knitting draped over my chair. It is calling to me.
Knitting helps me cope. It rests my mind while allowing my fingers to dance. A few weeks ago, because of various situations, I was unable to knit -- or sew, for that matter -- for nearly three weeks. I literally became so intensely depressed I didn't know what to do. My life line had been severed. Literally. I eventually worked my way through, and was able to begin knitting again. And at this point, I have decided that *not* knitting is not acceptable. Ever. Period. It really is quite that simple. Sort of.
As far as my sewing goes, we'll see. I may or may not ever make money either teaching sewing or clogging about sewing or pod-casting about sewing. I *will* continue sewing. I may just not say too much about what I'm doing in that arena. I am not comfortable giving up sewing, if for no other reason than the amount of time and $$ I have spent on this endeavor over the past 5 or so years. We'll just have to see. I believe I may need to lower my expectations of my ability to produce.
Now, where's my yarn and my needles? I've had a great day, and I'm ready to relax and knit.
~ happy procrastinating, my lovelies <3
And it hit me, like a ton of bricks; I waste my time writing, and knitting. Don't get me wrong, I *love* sewing. It is my first passion. My first great love. Creating something three dimensional and wearable from something essentially flat is a wonderful...well, to me, it's magical. Elemental, even. And it is something I will always want to do; something I will always love as I love nothing else.
This being said, I am drawn to knitting as I never was to sewing. While sewing is full of frustration and muttered threats -- mostly said in the wee hours of the morning as a deadline looms ever closer -- knitting is fluid, and relaxing and blatantly meditative. It makes me feel...it makes me *feel*. Period. When I finally allow myself to turn off the tv, the music and my voice, I sit there, needles ticking away at the yarn, creating something literally out of nothing, time seems to stand still. I seem to fall *out* of time itself and...truly feel. I feel what it's like to be me, to be female, to be *human*.
I believe creating is a vital human need. We are programmed at a cellular level to create; children are usually our creation of choice. I currently do not have children. But I create. When I knit a piece of fabric, be it large or minute, I feel as though I've essentially given birth, raised, then let fly a child of my own creation.
I am sitting here, in a coffee shop near my home, waiting for a friend to pick me up. I haven't seen her in three years. We are going to have a wonderful day. And all I can think about is the bagful of knitting draped over my chair. It is calling to me.
Knitting helps me cope. It rests my mind while allowing my fingers to dance. A few weeks ago, because of various situations, I was unable to knit -- or sew, for that matter -- for nearly three weeks. I literally became so intensely depressed I didn't know what to do. My life line had been severed. Literally. I eventually worked my way through, and was able to begin knitting again. And at this point, I have decided that *not* knitting is not acceptable. Ever. Period. It really is quite that simple. Sort of.
As far as my sewing goes, we'll see. I may or may not ever make money either teaching sewing or clogging about sewing or pod-casting about sewing. I *will* continue sewing. I may just not say too much about what I'm doing in that arena. I am not comfortable giving up sewing, if for no other reason than the amount of time and $$ I have spent on this endeavor over the past 5 or so years. We'll just have to see. I believe I may need to lower my expectations of my ability to produce.
Now, where's my yarn and my needles? I've had a great day, and I'm ready to relax and knit.
~ happy procrastinating, my lovelies <3
Thursday, June 23, 2011
I've been sewing!!!
After a particularly awful day of appointments, on Monday, a friend and I rewarded ourselves with a trip to Hart's Fabric. And while they are not a wonderful place to work – yes, I've worked there – they are an amazing (!) place to visit shop. And shop I did. I'll show pics of the fabrics/patterns I bought further in this entry.
And the reason for my shopping spree: my anniversary is in September – year number FIVE!! -- and for the past couple of years,husband and I have been trying to plan a trip up north into Oregon and Washington to visit friends and family. We've failed. Every year. Mostly because of husband not being able to get time off work right after summer. Well, with a new job imminent for him -- keeping fingers crossed (edit: he just received the job offer!) – he may actually be able to get the time off this fall, and we are starting to plan our much-delayed road trip.
Because it will be up North and the weather is if-y in the dead of summer, I decided to plan and sew a nice new fall wardrobe for colder weather. So, it will probably end up being my winter wardrobe at home. Plus, possibly a fancy-ish 'out-fit' for Holiday parties and such. I decided I am going to need stuff that packs easily, and is rather versatile design-wise. So, for the first time in my life – adult, or otherwise – I am actually planning a wardrobe. And really making some decisions based on not just “what-I-like” but based in “what-will-work” for my life-style and fashion sense. What a concept! It only took me 10 years of sewing for myself to figure this out!
This will also figure perfectly into my goal of branching out from quilting cottons for garments this year. I have been talking about this for a number of months now, so it's time to jump in. Not that there is anything wrong with quilting cottons. I just believe for garments they tend to lead to a very “home-sewn” look. They do not drape well, and to me, can seem rather juvenile at times. And I'm ready to up the quality of my sewing skills, and the quality of the finished garments.
I will also be making my husband two shirts and attempting to draft and sew him a Pea-Coat, as an anniversary present and for the trip. See, my husband is 6'6" tall. He is also very lanky and slim. He has, what I lovingly refer to as Monkey Arms -- and he will heretofore be referred to as Monkey Boy. So, trying to find a coat to fit this man is nearly impossible! Either they fit in the arms, and are *WAY* to big in the torso, or they fit in the torso, but the arms are 3/4 length sleeves. Which, by the way, is not really an attractive look on men. Therefore, a custom coat. Which I've never really done. So, yeah...I'm a tad bit apprehensive about this challenge. But there's pretty much no one else I'd rather sew for. I have already begun the muslin for the shirt and have also already taken down his measurements for the sloper I will need for the coat. I have a pattern for the shirts, thank goodness! I have never actually attempted making a “dress-shirt” of any sort, so this is proving quite challenging.
I particularly don't like raw edges in my garments – I think they look weird and become messy when washed – so I am having issues with the instructions for this shirt at the moment. The inside of the pocket has raw edges. And I do not like this at all. So, I am trying to figure out a way to eliminate them completely. This attempt has resulted in three failed pockets. It is not looking good for getting these done in time. Do RTW (ready to wear) garments have raw edges in their pockets as well? I am honestly not sure. I'll have to do some research in my husbands closet.
Okay, now it's picture time. This first one is the coat pattern I'll be working on for myself for our fall trip up North.
I will be making the pink version on the envelope. And while the picture doesn't really do this fabric justice, it truly is gorgeous, and quite soft. I don't have a lining picked out yet, because I can't quite figure out if I want to go super subtle or something shockingly bright and pretty inside. I also don't want to necessarily spend more on the lining than I spent on the outer fabric. Which I bought for a sweet $16.99/yard. It may seem a bit pricey to some, but it's a great (!) quality fabric, 100% wool, and imported. So, I splurged.
All the lining fabric I've been finding, though is nearly $30/yard. Which is completely ridiculous! There is also the slight issue that I will NOT use acetate lining – or anything else of artificial content –for anything! (insert link to first post). Plus, I LOVE the idea of a super pretty – and surprising – lining on the inside of a coat/jacket. Especially if the outer fabric is somewhat subdued, as this one is. I was going to make this out of this fabric (insert link to pic of plaid fabric), but I decided that this one just doesn't work with what I generally wear. It's a gorgeous fabric, it's just not really me as far as a jacket goes. So, I think I'll make a bag or two out of it, instead.
Alright, that's it for now. Back to the work at hand. :)
~happy sewing, everyone!
I will be making the pink version on the envelope. And while the picture doesn't really do this fabric justice, it truly is gorgeous, and quite soft. I don't have a lining picked out yet, because I can't quite figure out if I want to go super subtle or something shockingly bright and pretty inside. I also don't want to necessarily spend more on the lining than I spent on the outer fabric. Which I bought for a sweet $16.99/yard. It may seem a bit pricey to some, but it's a great (!) quality fabric, 100% wool, and imported. So, I splurged.
All the lining fabric I've been finding, though is nearly $30/yard. Which is completely ridiculous! There is also the slight issue that I will NOT use acetate lining – or anything else of artificial content –for anything! (insert link to first post). Plus, I LOVE the idea of a super pretty – and surprising – lining on the inside of a coat/jacket. Especially if the outer fabric is somewhat subdued, as this one is. I was going to make this out of this fabric (insert link to pic of plaid fabric), but I decided that this one just doesn't work with what I generally wear. It's a gorgeous fabric, it's just not really me as far as a jacket goes. So, I think I'll make a bag or two out of it, instead.
Alright, that's it for now. Back to the work at hand. :)
~happy sewing, everyone!
Monday, June 20, 2011
... and in related news!
My sewing room -- I tried calling it a 'studio' but it just doesn't work for me -- is pretty much finished being re-created, and I am *loving* it so very much. Pictures to come...next post perhaps? I am not in there nearly as often as I'd like to be, and there are still a few things I need to organize -- like my pattern stash! -- but every time I even walk by the room, I'm drawn to it. It even smells good -- kinda like scorched ironing board cover (oops!). Although I believe scorching is just a bit of a right of passage for new ironing board covers. And this one is 'kinda' new, in terms of amount of usage. And I LOVE it.
So, I need to organize my pattern stash. I really really do. See, I've recently lost quite a few inches (read: dropped three pants sizes) and I have a LOT of patterns that just do not have the smaller sizes in them (10, 12, 14). I refuse to throw them away, though. That just seems extremely wasteful to me. It would be much better to find a new home for them. Soooo, to this end, I believe I will be having a sale. Most of these patterns are larger sizes (16+), and some have been cut in to at this point. But I do *not* enjoy grading patterns at all, so there's no chance I'll do this.
Over the next fewdays weeks, I will be taking pictures of my 'soon-to-be-homeless' patterns, and placing said images on my blog. Any suggestions about pricing? I have an Etsy shoppe, but most of these patterns are *not* vintage in any sense of this mis-used word. So, I'll have to do it this way. And I would rather burn my entire fabric stash in a fire than use eBay. Sorry, bad memories and all.
Like I've said, some of these patterns have been cut into, so those I may just give-away at this point. Some are also possibly discontinued at this point, as well. We'll see. I might be able to get a couple yards of fabric for some of them. Which, by the way, would suit me just fine. I'll even do a trade! Patterns for fabric, anyone??
Alright, need to go starting taking pictures. Check back in the next few weeks for patterns-for-sale-pictures!
~j.b.
So, I need to organize my pattern stash. I really really do. See, I've recently lost quite a few inches (read: dropped three pants sizes) and I have a LOT of patterns that just do not have the smaller sizes in them (10, 12, 14). I refuse to throw them away, though. That just seems extremely wasteful to me. It would be much better to find a new home for them. Soooo, to this end, I believe I will be having a sale. Most of these patterns are larger sizes (16+), and some have been cut in to at this point. But I do *not* enjoy grading patterns at all, so there's no chance I'll do this.
Over the next few
Like I've said, some of these patterns have been cut into, so those I may just give-away at this point. Some are also possibly discontinued at this point, as well. We'll see. I might be able to get a couple yards of fabric for some of them. Which, by the way, would suit me just fine. I'll even do a trade! Patterns for fabric, anyone??
Alright, need to go starting taking pictures. Check back in the next few weeks for patterns-for-sale-pictures!
~j.b.
Rigorously Honest ... most days
Whew! What a month. Good, bad, or indifferent, life can certainly run away with me sometimes. I don't necessarily believe this is a good thing all the time, though. And again, good, bad, or indifferent, things may get some closure today. At least I'm hoping so.
Wanted to say 'Thank You' to my lovely followers who commented on my last post. Every bit of advice is much appreciated. And I agree completely with the sentiment of 'Rigorously Honest as Necessary' when it comes to...well, life in general. So, to this end, I believe a few personal details for those who don't *actually* know me, and for those who do, you lovelies already most likely know what's going on in my life, anyway. So, there you go. Expect a sewing related post later this morning, or this afternoon. Thank you for your patience, my lovelies...
~j.b.
Wanted to say 'Thank You' to my lovely followers who commented on my last post. Every bit of advice is much appreciated. And I agree completely with the sentiment of 'Rigorously Honest as Necessary' when it comes to...well, life in general. So, to this end, I believe a few personal details for those who don't *actually* know me, and for those who do, you lovelies already most likely know what's going on in my life, anyway. So, there you go. Expect a sewing related post later this morning, or this afternoon. Thank you for your patience, my lovelies...
~j.b.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Questions for the followers...
I believe this is when we in blog-land need to begin to decide exactly *how* much personal information really gets to be shared with readers. Granted, I only have three followers -- is it okay that I celebrate this?? I am just not sure how comfortable I am 1) Sharing lots of personal information and 2) Not being honest about my life in terms of my creativity goes. Shall we put it to a vote, maybe? All three of you chime on in? That of course requires you to *magically* know I've finally have a new post AND comment on said new post. We'll give a shot, and I'll write more when I've figured this query out. Hopefully it won't take *quite* so long this time!
~happy sewing!
p.s. I actually have a sew date today, and will hopefully actually have something sewing related to post later today or tomorrow. Yay!
~happy sewing!
p.s. I actually have a sew date today, and will hopefully actually have something sewing related to post later today or tomorrow. Yay!
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Third Time's a Charm, right?
Starting a new blog entry, when the "new-ness" has officially worn off -- shocking that it only took until the second entry, right -- is not easy. I have an abundance of IDEAS, though very little idea of where to start with them.
It's been a rough winter...oh hell, it's been a rough YEAR, creatively for me. I have accomplished very little during the past 9 or 10 months in so far as my "fiber-addiction" is concerned. Life sort of got in the way. It happens. A lot. At this point, I am needing a re-do. We have recently moved, and I basically have a clean slate for my sewing studio. And because of this, it has sat in boxes for almost a month. Having a clean slate can be incredibly over-whelming, to say the least.
I guess I wanted to wait to begin unpacking and setting up until I had the PERFECT concept of what I wanted in there. I am not very good at RE-designing a room once it is in place and has all the furniture set up. Spacial "puzzles" are NOT a strong-suit of mine, at all. I like emptiness first, then I go for it. I believe that is why I enjoy beginning a new garment/project, as opposed to altering one that is already more or less complete. I love the IDEA of altered-couture, but in practice, I can not see passed what is already there. Call it a design-feature, not a flaw. I am working on it.
Last night, my husband and I went to Ikea for possibly the 5,000th time since the move. Why is it that when we get there, we become stupid and forget the entire purpose for going there? It really is an overwhelming place. Plus, the distinct lack of windows through most of it is not reassuring; we both end up grouchy and somewhat claustrophobic within roughly two minutes of leaving the "lobby".
Last night was good, though. I feel like we really accomplished a lot, and not just infuriating each other to the point of divorce, either. We finally -- third time IS a charm -- got our bed frame, and a few other things for the bedroom. And I finally settled on a big portion of what I needed/wanted for my sewing studio. Oddly enough, it was a desk we were considering for his office. Turns out, I was "suggesting" it so much, because I really liked it and why not just get it for my space? So, we did. Well, almost. They were out of the actual "desk" part. Figures. Guess we're going back...again.
So, today is Sunday. It's cloudy, nearly raining -- it's May, right?? -- and I think we're going to be "building" furniture all day. We even managed to purchase a bottle of Guerrilla Glue last night. I'm convinced it isn't enough, but we'll see. I want to get the shelf part of my desk built today because I am going to need help with that -- it's HUGE. Plus, Tuesday my lovely assistant (aka, Joan the Professional Organizer) comes over to help me, and I want to prove to her that I haven't been sitting on my behind for the past three weeks, when in reality, that's exactly what I've been doing! Another design-feature?? We'll see.
Hopefully by the end of this month, I will have a "brand-new" creative space to begin creating in. It's been a long time since I've fondled fabric, and I have PLANS. Ideas, one could say. Now, where do I START??
happy Sunday,
~j.b.
It's been a rough winter...oh hell, it's been a rough YEAR, creatively for me. I have accomplished very little during the past 9 or 10 months in so far as my "fiber-addiction" is concerned. Life sort of got in the way. It happens. A lot. At this point, I am needing a re-do. We have recently moved, and I basically have a clean slate for my sewing studio. And because of this, it has sat in boxes for almost a month. Having a clean slate can be incredibly over-whelming, to say the least.
I guess I wanted to wait to begin unpacking and setting up until I had the PERFECT concept of what I wanted in there. I am not very good at RE-designing a room once it is in place and has all the furniture set up. Spacial "puzzles" are NOT a strong-suit of mine, at all. I like emptiness first, then I go for it. I believe that is why I enjoy beginning a new garment/project, as opposed to altering one that is already more or less complete. I love the IDEA of altered-couture, but in practice, I can not see passed what is already there. Call it a design-feature, not a flaw. I am working on it.
Last night, my husband and I went to Ikea for possibly the 5,000th time since the move. Why is it that when we get there, we become stupid and forget the entire purpose for going there? It really is an overwhelming place. Plus, the distinct lack of windows through most of it is not reassuring; we both end up grouchy and somewhat claustrophobic within roughly two minutes of leaving the "lobby".
Last night was good, though. I feel like we really accomplished a lot, and not just infuriating each other to the point of divorce, either. We finally -- third time IS a charm -- got our bed frame, and a few other things for the bedroom. And I finally settled on a big portion of what I needed/wanted for my sewing studio. Oddly enough, it was a desk we were considering for his office. Turns out, I was "suggesting" it so much, because I really liked it and why not just get it for my space? So, we did. Well, almost. They were out of the actual "desk" part. Figures. Guess we're going back...again.
So, today is Sunday. It's cloudy, nearly raining -- it's May, right?? -- and I think we're going to be "building" furniture all day. We even managed to purchase a bottle of Guerrilla Glue last night. I'm convinced it isn't enough, but we'll see. I want to get the shelf part of my desk built today because I am going to need help with that -- it's HUGE. Plus, Tuesday my lovely assistant (aka, Joan the Professional Organizer) comes over to help me, and I want to prove to her that I haven't been sitting on my behind for the past three weeks, when in reality, that's exactly what I've been doing! Another design-feature?? We'll see.
Hopefully by the end of this month, I will have a "brand-new" creative space to begin creating in. It's been a long time since I've fondled fabric, and I have PLANS. Ideas, one could say. Now, where do I START??
happy Sunday,
~j.b.
Friday, May 13, 2011
Time and Time Again
Once again, I begin. This time, it is with a purpose in mind. And hopefully much more discipline involved. I have a plan.
I have just moved. As in, last weekend. And during the process of packing, moving, and recovering from said move, I have discovered, I truly have a problem. More like an addiction, really. To be perfectly honest, I have more fabric than I have ANY idea what to do with! It's crazy how much fabric one (one!!!) person can accumulate in a period of two point five years. And this is even AFTER I have used some of said fabric in projects, AND donated a great big bunch of it.
Now, faced with the prospect of RE-organizing this mass of fiber I have some decisions to make. And make them I must. First, I have to figure out WHAT I will be keeping, and what will be discarded -- either donated or given to like-minded friends/family. After that icky, time-consuming task is finished, I must then figure out how I am going to STORE whatever fabric is left. And on that note, I need to completely reorg my entire sewing room, too. Because while it worked for quite a while, with this new place, I plan on teaching, and it was not set up well for personal sewing AND teaching sewing. Which means, I need to scrap my current set up -- hardware-wise -- and attack the room with a fresh set of eyes -- and a Professional Organizer named Joan.
To start, I will be using this here blog-thing as a way of documenting my progress of re-org-ing my sewing studio/teaching space, AND to begin talking about my next major project, which sort of combines a bunch of things I've loved throughout my life. I'll begin by saying this: I am truly a Fiber Nerd. I LOVE fiber. When I go shopping -- whether it be for fabric to make things, or clothing which is already constructed -- I touch EVERYTHING! I can't help but run my hands over garments in a store, just to see what they're made from. If I like them, I continue touching, usually with a smile on my face. If they're icky synthetics, more times than not, I scowl. Or proclaim, embarrassingly loud that the shirt/pants/dress/etc sucks! And then proceed to NOT touch said fabric any longer.
So, not only am I a fiber NERD, I am a self proclaimed fiber SNOB! And I am also quite proud of this. It has taken YEARS of experience and practice to become THIS disgusted by polyester chiffon. If I can't stand to touch the fabric on the bolt for three seconds, there is NO way I am going to spend HOURS of my time and energy TOUCHING the fabric to create a garment, only to them WEAR said garment un-told number of hours a day/week/month/year.
So, in oder to spread my nerdy-ness and more importantly, snoby-ness around the globe -- or at least to my friends -- I plan on creating a data-base of sorts to define fabric content, care, and creations. Think of it as a Wiki, after a fashion. It will be searchable, cross-referenced, and will include plenty of photos of beautiful fabrics as well. Eventually I would love to be able to have users request swatches from me, to have lovely little bits of fabric at THEIR finger-tips while ordering online, or shopping in good 'ol brick-and-mortar shops.
So, this is the plan. One of them, at the very least. It's now been three weeks since the move, and I still have a sewing room that looks as though a class 9 hurricane blew through on some errand of destruction. So, although no visible progress has actually been made, I have quite a few plans in the, er, planning stage. Possibly the next post will even involve pictures! What a concept. We'll see. Later for now,
~j.b. fiber nerd, extaordinaire
I have just moved. As in, last weekend. And during the process of packing, moving, and recovering from said move, I have discovered, I truly have a problem. More like an addiction, really. To be perfectly honest, I have more fabric than I have ANY idea what to do with! It's crazy how much fabric one (one!!!) person can accumulate in a period of two point five years. And this is even AFTER I have used some of said fabric in projects, AND donated a great big bunch of it.
Now, faced with the prospect of RE-organizing this mass of fiber I have some decisions to make. And make them I must. First, I have to figure out WHAT I will be keeping, and what will be discarded -- either donated or given to like-minded friends/family. After that icky, time-consuming task is finished, I must then figure out how I am going to STORE whatever fabric is left. And on that note, I need to completely reorg my entire sewing room, too. Because while it worked for quite a while, with this new place, I plan on teaching, and it was not set up well for personal sewing AND teaching sewing. Which means, I need to scrap my current set up -- hardware-wise -- and attack the room with a fresh set of eyes -- and a Professional Organizer named Joan.
To start, I will be using this here blog-thing as a way of documenting my progress of re-org-ing my sewing studio/teaching space, AND to begin talking about my next major project, which sort of combines a bunch of things I've loved throughout my life. I'll begin by saying this: I am truly a Fiber Nerd. I LOVE fiber. When I go shopping -- whether it be for fabric to make things, or clothing which is already constructed -- I touch EVERYTHING! I can't help but run my hands over garments in a store, just to see what they're made from. If I like them, I continue touching, usually with a smile on my face. If they're icky synthetics, more times than not, I scowl. Or proclaim, embarrassingly loud that the shirt/pants/dress/etc sucks! And then proceed to NOT touch said fabric any longer.
So, not only am I a fiber NERD, I am a self proclaimed fiber SNOB! And I am also quite proud of this. It has taken YEARS of experience and practice to become THIS disgusted by polyester chiffon. If I can't stand to touch the fabric on the bolt for three seconds, there is NO way I am going to spend HOURS of my time and energy TOUCHING the fabric to create a garment, only to them WEAR said garment un-told number of hours a day/week/month/year.
So, in oder to spread my nerdy-ness and more importantly, snoby-ness around the globe -- or at least to my friends -- I plan on creating a data-base of sorts to define fabric content, care, and creations. Think of it as a Wiki, after a fashion. It will be searchable, cross-referenced, and will include plenty of photos of beautiful fabrics as well. Eventually I would love to be able to have users request swatches from me, to have lovely little bits of fabric at THEIR finger-tips while ordering online, or shopping in good 'ol brick-and-mortar shops.
So, this is the plan. One of them, at the very least. It's now been three weeks since the move, and I still have a sewing room that looks as though a class 9 hurricane blew through on some errand of destruction. So, although no visible progress has actually been made, I have quite a few plans in the, er, planning stage. Possibly the next post will even involve pictures! What a concept. We'll see. Later for now,
~j.b. fiber nerd, extaordinaire
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