Reconsidering my Stash

I have been up and down the stairs so many times, carrying yet another box of stuff, I am rethinking the stash. Each time I approach the stairs, I check to see if it is clear, I count the stairs, and then say a prayer that I made it safely. Tables are stacked high, the boxes on the floor come up to the same level, the books cover the window seat up to 20 inches deep, the bookcases are now nearly empty, I am exhausted.
New carpet is going into the wardrobes as well, so we are taking out the shelves and drawers, so the carpet goes underneath rather than up to the edges of everything. So the clothes are moved into the office and studio areas.
So after it is all carpeted tomorrow, I get to reverse the process! I don’t want to take anything back up those stairs that I don’t want to keep or that doesn’t have a designated place.
There is an awful lot that hasn’t been touched in the last year.
The fabric stash and all the related items stays. The beads and jewelry bits stay. The books, will have to get weeded out, rubber stamping magazines are going somewhere. Dolls are mostly packed up but I’d still like to display some of the old creations, and when ever I put all of it away, somehow, I am always inspired to start a new one. Knitting, that stash has been growing by leaps and bounds with all the related bits, so I should get realistic, I really only knit socks, scarves, dishcloths, fingerless mitts and the odd sweater that doesn’t fit as well as it should.
Maybe the stash should be approached by not buying but that doesn’t appeal, maybe if new stuff comes into the house I should get rid of something else to make space.
Some decisions need to be made, I somehow that that it is unlikely to happen any time soon.

Fabric Postcards

Months back, I had friends over and we painted bits of fabric, dryer sheets and nappy liners.

The green one was finally used along with some Angelina film, it was covered in polyester chiffon and I went around the flowers and tacked it down around the edge with green rayon thread. There it sat for a couple of months not looking quite right.
Then I found a paper serviette with green ferns, so I packed it up while on vacation and took it home. I tore the serviette in to piece and had to unpick the previous stitching around the edge. I was more comfortable starting with the hand stitching.
My background was 13″ by 9″ and I was able to get 4 postcards when I was finished. So then I stitched everything down, I really need to practice with the freeform embroidery and added dark brown rayon around the edge. In reality it is much more vibrant with a spring like green.

The biggest delight, Canada posted delivered it in one day!

new carpet

We are getting a new carpet upstairs in the bedrooms. the hall and the staircases. The install is slated for next Thursday. Although we are paying for them to move the furniture, the book cases still have to be emptied, so I have a lot of packing up to do. I probably won’t post a picture, it is a very plain golden berber.

Another lovely carpet that makes my heart sing: Outside in the courtyard.

I just want to smile when I see leaves in all the pretty colours this time of year, perhaps it is because the sky is so gray.

Six piece Autumn Capsule Wardrobe

This is a little more detail on the six new pieces for my wardrobe. It is not cohesive by itself  but will be a great set of add ons to an existing wardrobe.

I like having a lot of co-ordinates to choose from when I go on a trip and I like it even more if most of the pieces can do double duty. These are the pieces that I cut out before my trip in September  and it was sewn up while staying with friends and in hotel rooms.

The Bathing Suit, Divine Drape, #1344, with fabric from Lucy’s fabrics a few years ago. It was my first internet purchase and I got two yards.  So I have a good piece left over but have no plans to use the rest of it yet. It has been a number of years since I have made a suit and this a first for this pattern, I added an inch in length. I swear I had to rip out every seam before I got it right. I made the bottom a bit smaller for the flat bum and I should have added extra for a full bust. It would be a little better with a bit more coverage on the sides of the bodice. The cowl neck piece takes quite a bit extra yardage. I always travel with a brown line skirt so I wanted a bathing suit that would do double duty as a top.

Jalie Cross over top,#2449,  of 100% poly from Toronto. It is the second time with this pattern,  The top gapes when I sit, I must slouch or collapse or something. So I took out 1/2 in above the bust line. It was better than the first top I made. So after wearing the top a couple of times, I took the front bands off and shortened them by One and one-half inches. It fits better now but I think the back neck also needs to be stabilized. It looks incredibly low cut in this photo but not in real life.

Kwik Sew,#3338, paisley patterned  lace, slightly larger than last time. I but nylon trimed elastic around the neck, fairly comfortable to wear. It is not a knit.  This is from the same store in Toronto.

Superstitions

Old family superstitions are hard to forget, they reside in the memory until suddenly it seem appropriate. My one grandmother had a number of them and they covered a variety of subjects. If you were unfolding a sheet to make a bed and if there was a diamond shape in the folds—-you would hear of an upcoming wedding, Each piece of dropped silverware also had meant something.(I can’t remember the details, something to do with visitors, I think.)

But the saying”things happen in Three’s” oh my, that can apply to anything and everything. It seems to me mostly bad, illness, death, and often broken dishes! So when I got that stinger in my foot and then twisted the ankle  on the same foot, I thought this had better stop at two incidents. It was healing nicely. We were nicely settled in  Saskatoon, visiting, and now it was time to get out the sewing stuff.

Long story short–I missed the bottom stair, I was watching the hand rail because I had a large rubbermaid container in my hands, the railing was shorter on the side that I was watching. My toes rolled under my foot—so lots of ice, massage, and keeping my foot elevated. I am able to walk, I am quite nervous about uneven surfaces, so will probably need some physio at a later date. It sure didn’t do my previous injury an favors.

So now I am back at the physio, trying to make my ankle more stable. The physio says that kind of fall often results in a broken bone, but I was lucky.

New books

Thanks to my blog friends for sending words of sympathy on the passing of my mother.

I bought a few books while away on vacation.

A metalworking book for my jewelry, I have a lot of tools  and some pieces of metal and unfinished pieces that just need a bit more work. I took a course at night school and got to use all the big power tools and tanks of gas, this was a few years ago and I was a little out of my element.  I still wear the brass cuff bracelet. Some students in the class were newbies like me, but several had been coming for years and making some really nice rings and necklaces. One woman was doing several pieces for a one woman show, it was based on the different areas of the world where she had lived.  She was very inspiring as was the teacher.

The next book on altering photographs appeals to me as well, back in the day when one got the film developed and reprints, the hoarder in me just couldn’t throw them out. Now if I can find them, I know I moved them, maybe I can have a little fun with various other media to do something with them. I know one can do all this on the computer but I am not ready to go there yet.

The last book by David Coffin, on trousers. It is a great reference book with lots of ideas. I have had his shirt book for years and refer to it often.  He does state that to get a pair of pants that fit, you should just draft your own pattern, rather than making alterations to a ready made pattern.  That statement alone stopped me in my tracks.

Home from vacation

This post has been challenging to write. I had several  posts written about my vacation, just awaiting photos to be added when I finally had a good internet connection. It is a major pain working on a new laptop, when I am used to my keyboard.  I just like sitting at my desk.

I am going to attempt some photo mosaics of my trip. So hopefully, fields of crops, windmills, lakes and rivers, and  Some funky stuff will appear someday.

I have also been fighting a cold and dizzy spells but feel better today.

I managed to make 2 blouses for me, knits,  1 bathing suit( I felt too ill to actually go in a pool at the hotels coming home) and I have also started both the skirt and the pants.  I finally put thread in the machine this week, so just tidying up a few ends.

While we were away, my mother passed away just 2 days shy of her 94th birthday. She was in a coma, when I made it home, she was bright and talkative the day before her stroke. I had sent the blouse I had made her while we were away. She liked the colour and fabric.

So while I am home from vacation, I am still adjusting to a home life without my mom.

TRAVELLING EAST

We have had good weather to travel, sunny, and warm. We arrived the first night in Salmon Arm, the most surprising thing the first day was the state of the forests. For a long distance on the Coqulhalla highway, it was apparent that the pine beetle had done a lot of damage. So many of the trees are dead or dying, it was the worst that I have ever seen. It makes me feel sad, the only way to get rid of the pine beetle is cold temperatures of -40 for a few weeks. It hasnn’t been that cold in the interior for a number of years.

The second day we drove on to Banff and arrived at suppertime and stayed with relatives in town. I was able to cut out my mom’s blouse. In the morning we had stopped at Three Valley Gap, and looked at the museum. The mountains are spectactular and it was a great drive. It doesn’t matter where we go there is road construction everywhere. The roads will be great eventually and another section will be torn up.

The next day we met up with family for lunch at a pub. The soup was delicious cream of chicken with corn and peas. We travelled on to Hanna for the night. I was able to sew on my mom’s blouse.

Sunday, we drove on to Saskatoon to stay with other relatives, we will be here for a few days and we haven’t made many plans yet. On Monday, we visited with various cousins.

Have machine will travel

I am nearly all packed up to get away on Thursday  morning.

Besides all the usual stuff required to travel, clothes, meds, toiletries, maps and directions, I have most of my craft  stuff packed.

So far, 3 different types of sock yarn.

A 6 piece Autumn collection sewalong wardrobe, it is all cut out. each piece is in a separate bag with thread, instructions and necessary trims. On Sunday and Monday, I cut out one skirt, linen/rayon fabric, drawstring pants out of the same fabric. Three tops, one lace with a printed design, just a plain t shirt style and I tea dyed some ruffled trim to match.  One knit top, light weight for the Vogue square neck cowl, and one poly knit with the Jalie cross-over V neck. I also cut out a new to me bathing suit pattern, Divine Drape by Stretch and Sew.  Most of the patterns, I have used before so I tweaked them a bit for a better fit.  I have never felt this energetic before so I was surprised that I could get it done. I sure don’t like cutting out fabric  in hotel rooms but sewing is a different story.  I just have to pack up the sewing supplies now but I am nearly done.

Oh, I did buy some more fabric today, I’d like to make a blouse for my mother for her 94th birthday, I am thinking of changing up her pattern a bit. We’ll be staying with friends, so hopefully I can get it cut out and put together in record time.

The back of the SUV is packed, with a cedar chest and a bunch of boxes being delivered back  to Toronto.

I think nearly all the fabric has been photographed over the last couple of years. I’ll try to post as I travel.

Award time.

(I’ve been trying to post the award picture but it is beyond me today) It is really pretty.

Stephanie from Rowanberry studio has given me the Splash award.  I am inspired to make a doll to match the award.. I was to pass it on to fellow bloggers. Who have blogs which allure, bewitch, bemuse, impress or inspire:

Here is my list of blogs I look  forward to reading:

Trish, Second Cherry, lives in France, is English and has interesting comments on a number of subjects.

Materfamilias, writes on clothing style , travel and life in the Gulf Islands.

Liana, a knitter, an excellent sewer and lover of fashion.

Shannon,  sews a variety of clothing and writes about nail varnish once a week.

Cidell, sews, travels and is a Burda WOF fan.

Maggie, stitcher and educator in the UK, innovative techniques, Workshop on the Web. travels and documents her inspirations.

Ruth,  lives in Whistler, dyes yarn, designs knitting and jewelry, wonderful photos of the area and a new dog.

Andrea, from the UK, has her finger on the latest designs, fashions and knitting.

These bloggers get to pass the award on to bloggers whose blogs

allure, bewitch, bemuse, impress or inspire: