Those who live outside of Arizona, especially the Phoenix area, may not be able to appreciate this, but it is so COOL to be able to say BRRRRRR........
And there is even a play on words in there! Yeah!
Finally, the heat left, the nights cooled off, we got some rain, and when I went outside in jeans, tank top and sandals, it was actually kind of cold! It's cold enough to be able to wear clothes! hehehe Well, yes, we always do wear clothes, but oh, how nice to be able to put on anything I want and not roast! Sweaters, jackets, long-sleeves, even stockings - all of those things that just hang ignored in the closet, or in the drawers, finally I get to wear them!
We're having a really nice day here! It's kind of chilly!
Monday, November 7, 2011
Saturday, November 5, 2011
And it worked!
Construction was pretty simple - a 3" wide band of buckrum, the length needed for the desired circumference. I folded it in half lengthwise, then wired both edges with millinery wire. Covered it with a strip of brocade, with the raw edges just floating loose inside. The brocade was machine stitched onto the band. The gold fabric I pinned and fitted to the band, so that it is smooth on the top and sides, with some tucks across the bottom, to form the little bit of snood-like bagging. There is one row of pearls stitched in place right against the gold, and another will be added on the front edge.
I started this around 7:30 last night, and finished hand-stitching the one row of pearls around 11pm. That time period did include a trip to the fabric store to get the brocade. I'm very happy with how it turned out, and am going to experiment with some variations, now that I have some ideas about how to proceed, 
These pictures aren't great, but then, I did have to do the point-the-camera-at-yourself trick.
Friday, November 4, 2011
Headdress on the fly - need an Italian option in a hurry!
A while back, I found a sweater in a resale shop. I'd never wear it, but immediately I saw possibilities for re-purposing it with the foremost option being some sort of head-covering - cauls perhaps.
Now I'm making a fast decision on the first item to cut from it, something that will pass for Italian Renaissance, more or less. And I need to slap it together this evening because I'm going to wear it tomorrow. With my hair and lack of hair-handling skills, the simpler the better.
Ideas that I've found and like, include these:
The Elizabethan "Cloth of Gold" Escoffion pattern from Lynn McMasters, seen here:
http://www.lynnmcmasters.com/index.html
Well, you'll have to click on Patterns, and scroll down to find the pattern, probably 2/3 of the way down.
Eleanora of Toledo, c. 1562 by Bronzino.
The snood-like garment worn by Eleanora of Toledo.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/crimsongriffin/3496487711/
This is a reproduction based on images as discussed on the page linked above.
Katherine B's intriguing headdress, discussed on her Flickr pages.
The fabric is a mix of a golden-yellow yarn - cotton or acrylic - I've no clue, together with a fine metallic (mylar probably) thread. It reflects light somewhat and sometimes seems to sparkle.
Regrettably, I'm just no good at arranging images in blogspot/blogger, so this is about the best I ever manage.
Another closeup of the fabric.
Holding a single layer of the sweater fabric up, facing towards a window to try to show the little bit of open-work in the makeup of the fabric.
Now I'm making a fast decision on the first item to cut from it, something that will pass for Italian Renaissance, more or less. And I need to slap it together this evening because I'm going to wear it tomorrow. With my hair and lack of hair-handling skills, the simpler the better.
Ideas that I've found and like, include these:
The Elizabethan "Cloth of Gold" Escoffion pattern from Lynn McMasters, seen here:
http://www.lynnmcmasters.com/index.html
Well, you'll have to click on Patterns, and scroll down to find the pattern, probably 2/3 of the way down.
Eleanora of Toledo, c. 1562 by Bronzino.
The snood-like garment worn by Eleanora of Toledo.
This is a reproduction based on images as discussed on the page linked above.
Katherine B's intriguing headdress, discussed on her Flickr pages.
La donna gravida by Raphael, 1505-1506
Another snood-like piece.
Embroidered caul.
These are pictures of the sweater, but it was not easy to photograph, so they're not very good.
Regrettably, I'm just no good at arranging images in blogspot/blogger, so this is about the best I ever manage.
Overall view of one side of sweater.
Trying to get even closer.
Another view with the window in the backgroune. The light section on the left is the space between my thumb and fingers behind the fabric.
With as much fabric as the sweater has, I can probably do 2-3 pieces.
1. A snood-like piece - smaller than the "Rosie the Riveter" pieces of the 20th C., maybe with a band as seen in the La donna gravida image, above.
2. A smaller piece, sized like the Eleanora of Toledo headdress, but less open-work than hers since I'd be starting with this knit fabric.
3. A piece like Katherine B's, above.
4. A caul style, similar to the embroidered caul, above.
There might be a bit too much similarity between some of these 4 options, but I've got the fabric with which to play, so why not try them all.
Pattern-wise, I think that I have Margo's Elizabethan Wardrobe Accessories, and there is a caul shown in that collection. I'm considering buying Lynn McMaster's Gold Escoffian pattern. I have some buckram Juliet caps that I could manipulate, not to mention plenty of buckram, crinoline and wire.
I've crocheted snoods before, but have not cut one from fabric, so I'll have to figure out what the best size and shape for the flat pattern would be.
Ok, I've talked myself through my options, right here on my blog again! Sure helps to talk through my blog instead of talking to the walls!
Sunday, October 30, 2011
A garb-ish sort of day...
No progress on the purple gown today. Life sort of got in the way. Had to get a new microwave this morning. The old one worked ok, but the interior was just worn out.
And instead of sewing garb this afternoon, I guess you could say that I went shopping for garb. Mistress Amy Marie MacCormack was cleaning out her garb closet, and I was lucky to be able to wear several pieces. I'm so very excited! Cool new garb to wear! There's a purple velvet Italian, a pink jacquard linen Italian, a green linen Italian and a blue linen Flemish (Van der Weyden), all finished and ready to wear. I will need to come up with a chemise or two, beyond what I already have as none are appropriate for Italians. And I'll be making a set of sleeves or two. Beyond that, it's just my hair and my footwear, so these are outfits that I will be able to use and enjoy!
I think that I have figured out how to finish the purple gown, and how to cut it better for the next one, but I'll have to work on it some more, before I can really tell much about it here. Still, it's been quite the productive weekend. Yeah!
And instead of sewing garb this afternoon, I guess you could say that I went shopping for garb. Mistress Amy Marie MacCormack was cleaning out her garb closet, and I was lucky to be able to wear several pieces. I'm so very excited! Cool new garb to wear! There's a purple velvet Italian, a pink jacquard linen Italian, a green linen Italian and a blue linen Flemish (Van der Weyden), all finished and ready to wear. I will need to come up with a chemise or two, beyond what I already have as none are appropriate for Italians. And I'll be making a set of sleeves or two. Beyond that, it's just my hair and my footwear, so these are outfits that I will be able to use and enjoy!
I think that I have figured out how to finish the purple gown, and how to cut it better for the next one, but I'll have to work on it some more, before I can really tell much about it here. Still, it's been quite the productive weekend. Yeah!
Saturday, October 29, 2011
88 Eyelets...
nope, these won't be hand-sewn; not given that I want to wear this gown in just 2 weeks! It's really only 44 actual, finished lacing holes up the back of the gown, but I'm going over each one twice, hence the #88. Even by machine, and having to line up carefully for the second pass on each eyelet, this is going to take a while.
Yup, I'm back, again. Didn't mean to let a month get away from me, but shucks, every time I wake up it's Friday morning again, and I'm due in class to lecture for 2.75 hours. That's how fast the weeks seem to by flying by!
And I'm back to working on garb. Over the last few days, working at the dining room table while everyone else is gone, I've cut several new pieces. The eyelets are the back lacing of a gown that will be somewhat like a cotehardie, and appropriate to wear under a sideless surcote. I'm doing my test-run of the much altered pattern, Simplicity 8725, in a regular fabric, a dark purple/plum, rayon/linen blend. I know that doing a muslin is a good idea with any new pattern, especially with my fitting issues, but I just don't want to put in the extra time right now.
As for modifying that pattern, it's partly for fitting me, and partly making it a much more accurate pattern for the purpose. It will also use fabric more efficiently. I had some ideas about how to change it from ready comments of several other people who have worked with it.
I cut the bodice portion pretty much as is, tapering out from my bodice size on the pattern, to the largest size in the hip area. I did not cut the flare at the side seams as the pattern was drafted. At the hip area, where it angled out for the flare, I just cut it straight down to the hem, so it's actually a lot like the patterns that one sees on sites like Robin Netherton's, a rectangle-based garment. It hasn't been so carefully fitted through the bust, as it would be if I'd followed Robin's directions, but it's a start, and it's one that I can do without someone to pin me into the muslin.
I'm adding the fullness through wedges added at the side seams and CF/CB. I'm not sure how full it will be when finished.
I've also cut 2 chemises from the La Fleur de Lyse Medevial Romanesque pattern. I'd cut the gown for the 1150 lady last winter, and was pretty happy with how it turned out, but with its V-neck, it really does need a chemise to look right, so I haven't worn it much. I also cut outer gown/tunic for the 1060 Lady in a teal/turquoise linen. It will have the wide sleeve and so will need an undergown as well as the chemise, so I may have one more piece to cut there.
I've cut sideless surcotes in several fabrics: a woven-in-striped home dec fabric in dark plum, a dark brown velveteen, and a red woolen. I'd like to cut one or two more, but can't decide on fabrics and need to finish gowns for those 3 anyway. I am thinking of one parti-colored though.
And I cut several hoods too! I wanted to experiment with the hood patterns that I've found on-line. I drafted up patterns from Mistress Tangwystle's and Cynthia Virtue's diagrams, both from Cynthia's hoods article. I also drafted up a pattern from one of I.Marc Carlson's diagrams. Since I'm using up leftover bits of wool from other garments, I cut two in grey, two in navy and one in brown. I have a couple of other patterns to try too, one from a Big 4 company, and one from DL designs, and plenty of the brown for those, as well as some luscious red, so I'll have hoods to wear and hoods for family or to sell.
Enough cutting, at least until I know how things are fitting. Then I can see what I need to go with the new pieces, and what fits well enough to be worth cutting again.
I've been thinking about getting some of the other patterns in the La Fleur de Lyse line, and maybe a couple from Reconstructing History. But it's not like buying patterns at JoAnn's for $.99 or $1.99. These make a much bigger dent in the budget. Once I see how the altered S8725 works, then I can figure out if I really need the RH cotehardie pattern or not. If not, then why bother? Then I could maybe get the Florentine patterns from RH and start another era in my costuming.
Not sure I need the men's pattern, but I'm curious.
Again, just curious. 
Could use this one for the stockings.
If my alterations to S8725 work out ok, then I may not need this one. 
I'm going to try using the pattern from S8725 for a chemise to go under the gown. Again, if it works, then I may not need this, but I'm curious. I might order this one anyway.
La Fleur de Lyse has accessories too, so I'll probably have to decide between that one and this one.
These last two go together and I like the look. Once I'm caught up on my planned medieval stuff, I'd like to try these. Of course, I'm also mapping out plans for some Tudor stuff from Margo Anderson's Tudor Lady's Wardrobe. Don't think that I'm going to run out of sewing for a while...and I'm not even considering all of the mundane cutting and sewing waiting for me! Ouch!
Ok, I think I'm rambling badly, and not getting any photos in here either, so I guess I should get back to the sewing room.
Yup, I'm back, again. Didn't mean to let a month get away from me, but shucks, every time I wake up it's Friday morning again, and I'm due in class to lecture for 2.75 hours. That's how fast the weeks seem to by flying by!
And I'm back to working on garb. Over the last few days, working at the dining room table while everyone else is gone, I've cut several new pieces. The eyelets are the back lacing of a gown that will be somewhat like a cotehardie, and appropriate to wear under a sideless surcote. I'm doing my test-run of the much altered pattern, Simplicity 8725, in a regular fabric, a dark purple/plum, rayon/linen blend. I know that doing a muslin is a good idea with any new pattern, especially with my fitting issues, but I just don't want to put in the extra time right now.
I cut the bodice portion pretty much as is, tapering out from my bodice size on the pattern, to the largest size in the hip area. I did not cut the flare at the side seams as the pattern was drafted. At the hip area, where it angled out for the flare, I just cut it straight down to the hem, so it's actually a lot like the patterns that one sees on sites like Robin Netherton's, a rectangle-based garment. It hasn't been so carefully fitted through the bust, as it would be if I'd followed Robin's directions, but it's a start, and it's one that I can do without someone to pin me into the muslin.
I'm adding the fullness through wedges added at the side seams and CF/CB. I'm not sure how full it will be when finished.
I've also cut 2 chemises from the La Fleur de Lyse Medevial Romanesque pattern. I'd cut the gown for the 1150 lady last winter, and was pretty happy with how it turned out, but with its V-neck, it really does need a chemise to look right, so I haven't worn it much. I also cut outer gown/tunic for the 1060 Lady in a teal/turquoise linen. It will have the wide sleeve and so will need an undergown as well as the chemise, so I may have one more piece to cut there.
I've cut sideless surcotes in several fabrics: a woven-in-striped home dec fabric in dark plum, a dark brown velveteen, and a red woolen. I'd like to cut one or two more, but can't decide on fabrics and need to finish gowns for those 3 anyway. I am thinking of one parti-colored though.
And I cut several hoods too! I wanted to experiment with the hood patterns that I've found on-line. I drafted up patterns from Mistress Tangwystle's and Cynthia Virtue's diagrams, both from Cynthia's hoods article. I also drafted up a pattern from one of I.Marc Carlson's diagrams. Since I'm using up leftover bits of wool from other garments, I cut two in grey, two in navy and one in brown. I have a couple of other patterns to try too, one from a Big 4 company, and one from DL designs, and plenty of the brown for those, as well as some luscious red, so I'll have hoods to wear and hoods for family or to sell.
Enough cutting, at least until I know how things are fitting. Then I can see what I need to go with the new pieces, and what fits well enough to be worth cutting again.
I've been thinking about getting some of the other patterns in the La Fleur de Lyse line, and maybe a couple from Reconstructing History. But it's not like buying patterns at JoAnn's for $.99 or $1.99. These make a much bigger dent in the budget. Once I see how the altered S8725 works, then I can figure out if I really need the RH cotehardie pattern or not. If not, then why bother? Then I could maybe get the Florentine patterns from RH and start another era in my costuming.
Not sure I need the men's pattern, but I'm curious. 
Have this one, and once I figured out how it worked, I really do like it. Truly, it's a lot like any of the rectangle-based gowns that you can find online, but it's worth while for the information that comes with the pattern.
Again, just curious.Could use this one for the stockings. If my alterations to S8725 work out ok, then I may not need this one. I'm going to try using the pattern from S8725 for a chemise to go under the gown. Again, if it works, then I may not need this, but I'm curious. I might order this one anyway.
La Fleur de Lyse has accessories too, so I'll probably have to decide between that one and this one.
These last two go together and I like the look. Once I'm caught up on my planned medieval stuff, I'd like to try these. Of course, I'm also mapping out plans for some Tudor stuff from Margo Anderson's Tudor Lady's Wardrobe. Don't think that I'm going to run out of sewing for a while...and I'm not even considering all of the mundane cutting and sewing waiting for me! Ouch!
Ok, I think I'm rambling badly, and not getting any photos in here either, so I guess I should get back to the sewing room.
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
It rained! It really, ....
really rained! I don't know the totals, and there wasn't much by way of hard rain, but it kept going long enough to make the world feel different this morning! Yeah RAIN!
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
When it rains, it pours....
Unless you live in central Arizona, in which case rain may simply mean the sky spitting on your windshield. We're hoping for more than that this afternoon, but we're not holding our breath.
When it comes to this blog, well, see the post title, above. A drought of posts, and then two or three in a day.
Over the weekend, the bug to finish old projects bit, but in a different direction from the quilt. Back when my youngest was in elementary school, probably about 3rd grade, I'd found the fabrics for my bedroom. The main bed cover got finished a while back (see older posts) but nothing more than that. As the picture from the pattern showed, this project was to include the bed cover, window treatments, bed skirt, table cover and a lot of pillows.
As part of getting ready to re-enter the full-time workforce, I have been getting my closet and dressing area cleaned up. That is an ugly story in itself, but for now...the dressing table. When we first bought this house, I was determined to use the previous owner's color schemes as much as possible, so that I could avoid painting for as many years as possible. The master bedroom was a decent shade of strong peach, so I coped. I had added some seafoam green and mauve, through prints that contained all three colors and was fine with that. But those pieces: comforter, dressing table skirt got old and rather worn, so I let them go away. That left me with pretty much nothing but odds and ends. We haven't had a decent window treatment in years, and my dressing table has been completely naked! Oh-no!
I had hoped that once the main bedcover was finished, the rest would follow right along, but that has not been the case. Just too many other things going on, I guess. But during the big clean-up, I decided that I'd have enough of the bare wood table top under glass, and the naked iron hairpin legs. The table top is semi-kidney-bean-shaped, much like one that I had as a child. I snuck the glass out from under all of the stuff and headed for the studio. I'm about 1/2 way through assembling the skirt - no pattern, just the top plus some rectangles to gather in for the sides. It will have 4 full widths of fabric in the skirt portion. Three are seamed together and cover the side fronts, sides and back. The 4th panel will be hemmed and separate from the others, filling in the center front, but making for easy access to the storage beneath the table - a 3-drawer unit from which I am constantly pulling hair accessories and such.
Probably an hour or so of pinning the gathered panels to the top and adjusting the gathers all around, before it all gets sewn together, and that seam finished. Then a hem and it will be done.
I really have to wonder sometimes, why do I wait so long to tackle these things when they turn out to take so little time to get done?
Pictures will follow, ASAP!
When it comes to this blog, well, see the post title, above. A drought of posts, and then two or three in a day.
Over the weekend, the bug to finish old projects bit, but in a different direction from the quilt. Back when my youngest was in elementary school, probably about 3rd grade, I'd found the fabrics for my bedroom. The main bed cover got finished a while back (see older posts) but nothing more than that. As the picture from the pattern showed, this project was to include the bed cover, window treatments, bed skirt, table cover and a lot of pillows.
As part of getting ready to re-enter the full-time workforce, I have been getting my closet and dressing area cleaned up. That is an ugly story in itself, but for now...the dressing table. When we first bought this house, I was determined to use the previous owner's color schemes as much as possible, so that I could avoid painting for as many years as possible. The master bedroom was a decent shade of strong peach, so I coped. I had added some seafoam green and mauve, through prints that contained all three colors and was fine with that. But those pieces: comforter, dressing table skirt got old and rather worn, so I let them go away. That left me with pretty much nothing but odds and ends. We haven't had a decent window treatment in years, and my dressing table has been completely naked! Oh-no!
I had hoped that once the main bedcover was finished, the rest would follow right along, but that has not been the case. Just too many other things going on, I guess. But during the big clean-up, I decided that I'd have enough of the bare wood table top under glass, and the naked iron hairpin legs. The table top is semi-kidney-bean-shaped, much like one that I had as a child. I snuck the glass out from under all of the stuff and headed for the studio. I'm about 1/2 way through assembling the skirt - no pattern, just the top plus some rectangles to gather in for the sides. It will have 4 full widths of fabric in the skirt portion. Three are seamed together and cover the side fronts, sides and back. The 4th panel will be hemmed and separate from the others, filling in the center front, but making for easy access to the storage beneath the table - a 3-drawer unit from which I am constantly pulling hair accessories and such.
Probably an hour or so of pinning the gathered panels to the top and adjusting the gathers all around, before it all gets sewn together, and that seam finished. Then a hem and it will be done.
I really have to wonder sometimes, why do I wait so long to tackle these things when they turn out to take so little time to get done?
Pictures will follow, ASAP!
The next long, dry spell...but it ended in a big way!
Well, summer is not my strong suit, and my blog is sure evidence of that! Between not working, and being home with kids all day, every day, I don't cope well. I get frustrated and cranky and so very unproductive.
I should NOT ALLOW summer to do that to me! It is up to me, yet I just have not found my way to a healthy, productive summer attitude. I guess the positive thing is that I'll get to try again next year! Of course, the boys are getting older fast, so in another summer or two, summers won't bother me so much.
The other BIG fix for my summer problem would be for me to be working full-time, year 'round, and that's on the agenda. We've just gotten to a point where me being off all summer is not good for the budget. Since the boys are old enough, it's time for Mom to re-enter the full-time workforce.
Sadly, I do live in an area where there's not much that I can do in my field, and with my BFA in Fashion Design. I'm going to have to rely on the office skills that I've developed or kept honed during the 17 years that I've been teaching and making costumes, to snag myself an office job and a hopefully decent paycheck.
Well, that's a long ways off from the intent of my blog in general, or the post that I thought I was going to write!
I did finish a REALLY OLD PROJECT! We're talking about something that I started in California, between '87 and '91. Hehehehehe.
I had signed up for a quilt-making class, my first ever. I was young, well, not exactly 'young' but much younger than I am now, and young enough to think that everything that I knew would be enough to cover every situation! Silly me!
I knew about fabric grain and tearing fabric as part of getting fabric on grain. When the instructor (poor woman) said no, no tearing of the fabric to get an accurate grainline on each piece, Idiot Me got all upset at the idea of ignoring the grainline and left the class! I sure have had some moronic moments in my past!
I had spent about $125 on the fabrics for this quilt...to sort of match the master bedroom in the house that we owned in CA. I didn't finish the class, and we left CA. There isn't a color in those fabrics that goes anywhere in my house here!
But once we got settle in here, sometime around 93-96, I decided that I'd better do something with that fabric. I'd fallen in love with the Quillow concept, and with Eleanor Burns' Trip-Around-The-World, in her Quilt-in-a-Day series. I had gotten through some other fabric-piecing class, in the years between the grainline issue, and the moment that I got back to this fabric, so I was actually ready. I had enough fabric to easily cut strips for 3 quillow-sized, Trip/World tops and that's what I did. Got them all cut, the strips joined, re-cut into pieced strips, and assembled into 3 quilt tops.
Then I got distracted by babies and teaching and life, and just had to let them sit for a while. But it wasn't too long. I was ready to finish them as quillows, but with the couple of years that had passed, my perspective had changed. I laid two of the tops on the floor together and had an A-HA moment! By removing just one row from one top, I could join the two, and get what I call my DOUBLE TRIP AROUND THE WORLD quilt...which is probably about a queen size! And it's GORGEOUS!
I loved it so much that I got it assembled fast, then found someone to quilt it professionally, a husband-wife time with a business called Turkey Tracks. She was reasonable and she certainly did a nice job on it. I didn't want to pay her to hand stitch the binding, so I got it back from her.....and there it sat for possibly 10 years! All it needed was the binding!
Well, heck...last winter I knew I had to get it finished, so one weekend afternoon, I bit the bullet and took it to the machine with some plain old, wide, double-fold bias, the packaged stuff. Got it sewn on to the right side and wanted to do the rest by hand. Took it up to my bedroom, along with thread, needles & scissors, and set myself up to work on it in bits and pieces, where I had a good TV and movie access, so I could get it done. Had 3 sides finished before the weather just got too warm to bother. All summer it's been sitting there waiting for the 4 side to get done....TODAY.
The weather isn't all that much cooler, some but not like it was when last I touched the silly thing. But I worked on it last night, until someone came in and turned out the overhead lighting...guess he didn't want to sleep with the lights on. Figured if I didn't want a repeat of that tonight, then I should grab some time this afternoon and go for it. Took two episodes of SMARTER THAN A 5th GRADER, plus 2/3 of an episode of Dr. Oz, including time to take notes from his nutrition section.
IT IS DONE!!!! YIPPEE!!!!!
It doesn't go with any of my color schemes, but it's done. Now I'm debating whether to list it on Etsy, or store it until one of my boys is ready for it, like say after he's married. Hmmmm....
Well, it's hard to photograph around here, without getting background stuff, but there you have it - a finished, Double Trip-Around-The-World quilt, only 20+ years in the making.
Now what I'm I going to do with that third piece? hehehe
I should NOT ALLOW summer to do that to me! It is up to me, yet I just have not found my way to a healthy, productive summer attitude. I guess the positive thing is that I'll get to try again next year! Of course, the boys are getting older fast, so in another summer or two, summers won't bother me so much.
The other BIG fix for my summer problem would be for me to be working full-time, year 'round, and that's on the agenda. We've just gotten to a point where me being off all summer is not good for the budget. Since the boys are old enough, it's time for Mom to re-enter the full-time workforce.
Sadly, I do live in an area where there's not much that I can do in my field, and with my BFA in Fashion Design. I'm going to have to rely on the office skills that I've developed or kept honed during the 17 years that I've been teaching and making costumes, to snag myself an office job and a hopefully decent paycheck.
Well, that's a long ways off from the intent of my blog in general, or the post that I thought I was going to write!
I did finish a REALLY OLD PROJECT! We're talking about something that I started in California, between '87 and '91. Hehehehehe.
I had signed up for a quilt-making class, my first ever. I was young, well, not exactly 'young' but much younger than I am now, and young enough to think that everything that I knew would be enough to cover every situation! Silly me!
I knew about fabric grain and tearing fabric as part of getting fabric on grain. When the instructor (poor woman) said no, no tearing of the fabric to get an accurate grainline on each piece, Idiot Me got all upset at the idea of ignoring the grainline and left the class! I sure have had some moronic moments in my past!
I had spent about $125 on the fabrics for this quilt...to sort of match the master bedroom in the house that we owned in CA. I didn't finish the class, and we left CA. There isn't a color in those fabrics that goes anywhere in my house here!
But once we got settle in here, sometime around 93-96, I decided that I'd better do something with that fabric. I'd fallen in love with the Quillow concept, and with Eleanor Burns' Trip-Around-The-World, in her Quilt-in-a-Day series. I had gotten through some other fabric-piecing class, in the years between the grainline issue, and the moment that I got back to this fabric, so I was actually ready. I had enough fabric to easily cut strips for 3 quillow-sized, Trip/World tops and that's what I did. Got them all cut, the strips joined, re-cut into pieced strips, and assembled into 3 quilt tops.
Then I got distracted by babies and teaching and life, and just had to let them sit for a while. But it wasn't too long. I was ready to finish them as quillows, but with the couple of years that had passed, my perspective had changed. I laid two of the tops on the floor together and had an A-HA moment! By removing just one row from one top, I could join the two, and get what I call my DOUBLE TRIP AROUND THE WORLD quilt...which is probably about a queen size! And it's GORGEOUS!
I loved it so much that I got it assembled fast, then found someone to quilt it professionally, a husband-wife time with a business called Turkey Tracks. She was reasonable and she certainly did a nice job on it. I didn't want to pay her to hand stitch the binding, so I got it back from her.....and there it sat for possibly 10 years! All it needed was the binding!
Well, heck...last winter I knew I had to get it finished, so one weekend afternoon, I bit the bullet and took it to the machine with some plain old, wide, double-fold bias, the packaged stuff. Got it sewn on to the right side and wanted to do the rest by hand. Took it up to my bedroom, along with thread, needles & scissors, and set myself up to work on it in bits and pieces, where I had a good TV and movie access, so I could get it done. Had 3 sides finished before the weather just got too warm to bother. All summer it's been sitting there waiting for the 4 side to get done....TODAY.
The weather isn't all that much cooler, some but not like it was when last I touched the silly thing. But I worked on it last night, until someone came in and turned out the overhead lighting...guess he didn't want to sleep with the lights on. Figured if I didn't want a repeat of that tonight, then I should grab some time this afternoon and go for it. Took two episodes of SMARTER THAN A 5th GRADER, plus 2/3 of an episode of Dr. Oz, including time to take notes from his nutrition section.
IT IS DONE!!!! YIPPEE!!!!!
It doesn't go with any of my color schemes, but it's done. Now I'm debating whether to list it on Etsy, or store it until one of my boys is ready for it, like say after he's married. Hmmmm....
Now what I'm I going to do with that third piece? hehehe
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Garb-ish stuff...
Cleaning up the studio a bit more. Trying to get the notebooks full of garb articles into some sort of useful order. The Garb Planning & Inventory notebook is starting to look pretty good, as I've gotten quite a bit done this last year.
Wow, about 1 1/3 years since I started building garb for Highlands War last year. I do have quite a few pieces now, though I'm still struggling to get complete outfits put together. Accessories seem to be my downfall. I started logging my garb pieces on my A&S 50 Challenge page, on this blog. In just over a year, I've made 46 pieces - ok, so some aren't quite finished, but I'm definitely going to meet the deadline for the Challenge! If I finish my outfit for Middle East Feast (Labor Day weekend), I'll probably have my 50.
Some of what's on my list isn't all that spectacular, so I think I'll keep going on the Challenge, after the 50 are done, and see how many pieces I really have at the end. Then I can count the 50 best for the Challenge and do a blog post with pictures of all. That would be fun.
Ok, time to go back to the notebooks and piles of papers.
Wow, about 1 1/3 years since I started building garb for Highlands War last year. I do have quite a few pieces now, though I'm still struggling to get complete outfits put together. Accessories seem to be my downfall. I started logging my garb pieces on my A&S 50 Challenge page, on this blog. In just over a year, I've made 46 pieces - ok, so some aren't quite finished, but I'm definitely going to meet the deadline for the Challenge! If I finish my outfit for Middle East Feast (Labor Day weekend), I'll probably have my 50.
Some of what's on my list isn't all that spectacular, so I think I'll keep going on the Challenge, after the 50 are done, and see how many pieces I really have at the end. Then I can count the 50 best for the Challenge and do a blog post with pictures of all. That would be fun.
Ok, time to go back to the notebooks and piles of papers.
Saturday, July 23, 2011
And as for the great stash reduction...
...phase one is complete. Approximately 144 pieces of fabric found new homes amongst my fellow SCA'ers, and in a children's theater costume shop. Thank heavens for costume shops! Fabrics that had me wondering how insane I had gone to have bought them in the first place - no problem - they'll fill some need or other and look great on stage.
Can't help but feel that I still need to cull almost as many pieces again, but it's harder now. The pieces now gone were pieces that either I actually disliked, or pieces that I sort of liked but knew would not be sewing until a lot of other pieces had been used first. What's left is ALL stuff that I do like and can envision wearing eventually. I guess the dilemma is to decide which pieces are likely to be the last ones that I want to sew, even though I like them all. That's not easy. So much depends on the inspirations of the moment.
Oh well. I still feel that a fabric stash is a marvelous source of inspiration in its own right, and a therapeutic tool that calms and relaxes when too much else is stressful and hectic. I can stare at my stash and see new combinations amongst fabrics that have been there for a long time. Re-arranging the folded pieces, every now and then, seems to re-charge the stash potential and bring to my mind new possibilities.
Will I miss any of the pieces that are gone...NOPE. Many I've already forgotten and am not likely to recall. Maybe I'll go visit a few of them when they're on stage, during a show. Otherwise, I'm moving forward and those fabrics are definitely behind me.
Can't help but feel that I still need to cull almost as many pieces again, but it's harder now. The pieces now gone were pieces that either I actually disliked, or pieces that I sort of liked but knew would not be sewing until a lot of other pieces had been used first. What's left is ALL stuff that I do like and can envision wearing eventually. I guess the dilemma is to decide which pieces are likely to be the last ones that I want to sew, even though I like them all. That's not easy. So much depends on the inspirations of the moment.
Oh well. I still feel that a fabric stash is a marvelous source of inspiration in its own right, and a therapeutic tool that calms and relaxes when too much else is stressful and hectic. I can stare at my stash and see new combinations amongst fabrics that have been there for a long time. Re-arranging the folded pieces, every now and then, seems to re-charge the stash potential and bring to my mind new possibilities.
Will I miss any of the pieces that are gone...NOPE. Many I've already forgotten and am not likely to recall. Maybe I'll go visit a few of them when they're on stage, during a show. Otherwise, I'm moving forward and those fabrics are definitely behind me.
Have camera...will shoot! (LONG)
Yes, finally have a working camera once more. Gave up on finding the old battery charger and ordered a new one. Of course, that just about guarantees that the old one WILL now show up!
And so, I can catch up on photographing garb to show, good, bad or otherwise. I'll also be posting pictures of some past projects, as well as some things that are going to be leaving my studio in search of new homes. My camera and I will be busy this week!
For now, my most current project - a Persian coat in the works. I'm debating how to finish it and thinking that a partial lining - facings really - in a blue/green silk will be the way to go.
No, the pictures don't do justice to the shape of the coat, but I'll figure out a better way to photograph garb eventually. Here is the full length of the coat. The two shots below show the lining/facing fabric stuck into the front. I feel that the contrast lining/facings are necessary as the printed fabric is white on the back and not attractive at all. The facings will be on the front, around the neck, and around the hem, with the hem facings deep enough that the white won't be noticeable in most wearing situations. Sleeves will get hem facings too.
The fabric that I used for this coat was on a sale table, quite cheap, and I was using it to test the pattern for this coat. I got in a bit of trouble over that as some people felt that it was too nice to use for pattern testing! The pattern turned out so well though, thanks to Lady Adelicia, that I can absolutely finish it! Even though I was cutting without regards for pattern matching, I ended up with some surprising matches!
Back side of fabric
Recently completed is the corset that I started at Costume College 2010. A bit less than two weeks ago, I was looking for some hand-stitching with which to wind down for the day. There were no projects ready for hand work, at least none that I felt like working on. It was probably 9 in the evening when I walked over to the drawer where the unfinished corset was waiting. It needed all of about 4 rows of boning channel stitching before I could machine stitch the bias to the edges and have it ready for the hand-stitching to finish the bias on the inside. I gave it about an hour that evening, and finished it by lunchtime the next day, after 11 1/2 months of avoiding it!
Within 2-3 days after that, I got an e-mail from Marcia, my carpool partner and roommate from CoCo last year. She wanted to know if I would be interested in buying a CoCo membership, as her roommate had cancelled just 2 weeks before CoCo is happening. I had decided months ago that I would not be going this year - budget issues - but when this happened, how could I resist! So, just 2 weeks before CoCo this year, my project from last year got finished! Good timing.
The corset fits me better than my dressform. The dress form is smaller than me, so the bust area is gaping, and the foam is not compressible, so the waist can't be laced in any smaller. Still, it doesn't look too bad on her and it does fit me. That's the importing thing - it fits me. I can fit other people, but I can't fit myself, so getting this fitted in a class setting was a necessity.
I was so excited about getting the corset finished that I immediately cut another one from remnants saved just for this purpose. The fabric was just a synthetic brocade from JoAnn's. But the pattern was so pretty, I loved it in spite of the polyester content. I had originally bought it to line a coat from a Donna Karan pattern, the coat that has been in the works for about 20 years! hehehe
It's a cocoon-type coat, with dolman sleeves. The sleeves were originally cut so low in the underarm that it just made me look even shorter and dumpier than normal, so I scooped the underarm/side seams upwards some. Once I did that, I like the coat well enough to want to finish it, but did not like the way the interior was looking. The fabric is 'ribbon' fabric, with 1/8 ribbon woven to form loops on the surface. The pattern did not call for a lining, but the inside looked so bad that I knew I had to add a lining. The pink brocade was my choice - a perfect match for the ribbon fabric and such a wonderful pattern.
The coat is still awaiting a last bit of finishing - hand-tacking the sleeve hems, and coming up with a really wonderful closure. Then I just have to wait for the weather in which to wear it.
And so, I can catch up on photographing garb to show, good, bad or otherwise. I'll also be posting pictures of some past projects, as well as some things that are going to be leaving my studio in search of new homes. My camera and I will be busy this week!
For now, my most current project - a Persian coat in the works. I'm debating how to finish it and thinking that a partial lining - facings really - in a blue/green silk will be the way to go.
No, the pictures don't do justice to the shape of the coat, but I'll figure out a better way to photograph garb eventually. Here is the full length of the coat. The two shots below show the lining/facing fabric stuck into the front. I feel that the contrast lining/facings are necessary as the printed fabric is white on the back and not attractive at all. The facings will be on the front, around the neck, and around the hem, with the hem facings deep enough that the white won't be noticeable in most wearing situations. Sleeves will get hem facings too.
The fabric that I used for this coat was on a sale table, quite cheap, and I was using it to test the pattern for this coat. I got in a bit of trouble over that as some people felt that it was too nice to use for pattern testing! The pattern turned out so well though, thanks to Lady Adelicia, that I can absolutely finish it! Even though I was cutting without regards for pattern matching, I ended up with some surprising matches!
Once this coat is done, I'll be cutting the fabric that I considered to be the 'good' fabric for this project. It's a home dec fabric - more upholstery than drapery, so a bit heavy and warm for Arizona, but I'm sure that I'll get some opportunities to wear it, like in January maybe!
Back side of fabricRecently completed is the corset that I started at Costume College 2010. A bit less than two weeks ago, I was looking for some hand-stitching with which to wind down for the day. There were no projects ready for hand work, at least none that I felt like working on. It was probably 9 in the evening when I walked over to the drawer where the unfinished corset was waiting. It needed all of about 4 rows of boning channel stitching before I could machine stitch the bias to the edges and have it ready for the hand-stitching to finish the bias on the inside. I gave it about an hour that evening, and finished it by lunchtime the next day, after 11 1/2 months of avoiding it!
Within 2-3 days after that, I got an e-mail from Marcia, my carpool partner and roommate from CoCo last year. She wanted to know if I would be interested in buying a CoCo membership, as her roommate had cancelled just 2 weeks before CoCo is happening. I had decided months ago that I would not be going this year - budget issues - but when this happened, how could I resist! So, just 2 weeks before CoCo this year, my project from last year got finished! Good timing.
The corset fits me better than my dressform. The dress form is smaller than me, so the bust area is gaping, and the foam is not compressible, so the waist can't be laced in any smaller. Still, it doesn't look too bad on her and it does fit me. That's the importing thing - it fits me. I can fit other people, but I can't fit myself, so getting this fitted in a class setting was a necessity.
I was so excited about getting the corset finished that I immediately cut another one from remnants saved just for this purpose. The fabric was just a synthetic brocade from JoAnn's. But the pattern was so pretty, I loved it in spite of the polyester content. I had originally bought it to line a coat from a Donna Karan pattern, the coat that has been in the works for about 20 years! hehehe
It's a cocoon-type coat, with dolman sleeves. The sleeves were originally cut so low in the underarm that it just made me look even shorter and dumpier than normal, so I scooped the underarm/side seams upwards some. Once I did that, I like the coat well enough to want to finish it, but did not like the way the interior was looking. The fabric is 'ribbon' fabric, with 1/8 ribbon woven to form loops on the surface. The pattern did not call for a lining, but the inside looked so bad that I knew I had to add a lining. The pink brocade was my choice - a perfect match for the ribbon fabric and such a wonderful pattern.
The coat is still awaiting a last bit of finishing - hand-tacking the sleeve hems, and coming up with a really wonderful closure. Then I just have to wait for the weather in which to wear it.
The rest of the fabric from the lining will make a scruptious corset, lined in a cotton-candy pink faille that I found in my stash. There won't be much left in the way of scraps!
Hmmm...Coco Chanel lined jackets in fabric to match the blouses for the suits. So a corset to match the lining of the coat - following in some impressive footsteps, hehe.
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Progress, slow, painful but progress...and some big leaps too...
Well, maybe the painful part is an exaggeration, but yes, things have been slow. Finally however, some things are coming together.
I should have a replacement battery charger and a new battery for the good digital camera, so I'm going to be able to start taking pictures again, lots of pictures! Then I can share the things I've been making, and the plans for future projects. I can also get pictures of things that I'm going to be putting on E-bay, so that my studio can have some open space and room to maneuver! Yippee!
Which leads to today's big project, though that requires going backwards just a little bit first. A few weeks ago, I decided to really cull the pattern collection, with the intention of inviting a vintage pattern dealer to look through the discards and then selling the rest on line. Right now, there are two grocery bags (plastic) full of pattern envelopes - no content - just envelopes. Not sure how many, but those will be going to that dealer, or online very soon. I'll probably cull a few more patterns before I'm done. The pattern collection has truly gotten absurd and it's time to reduce it in a major way.
Well, if I can do that with patterns, I can probably do it in other areas too. I'd read an e-mail on one of the sewing groups, about a woman who'd found a major load of stress gone after she donated a majority of her fabric collection. It felt as if I might actually be at that point, ready for that kind of a change too. So, week before last, I pulled 200 +/- books from my studio library. It almost seemed as though I hadn't pulled any...the shelves were so overflowing. Those are going to go away either via e-bay or more likely, via a used book dealer who will come to the house and pick them all up, or so I hope.
TODAY...I looked at the fabric and felt something give way...and set the goal of pulling 100 pieces of fabric that I no longer love, and sending them on to new homes. I've got 76 pulled and bagged, 24 to go, and that will have been so very easy. Unfortunately, I don't think I've pulled enough. If I can get through all of it, I can probably double the number of pieces, the number of bags.
Yes I'm using numbers like 100, 76, 200...I am truly a fabriholic, a sewing supply addict. It's time for a change. When one walks into one's studio or sewing room, and feels nothing but the stress of pending projects hanging over one's head, maybe there's something wrong. Maybe it's time for a change. Maybe I do not need to be a fabric pack rat, or a pattern collector. Maybe I don't need hundreds of books to which I seldom refer, either in my own sewing, or in my teaching and class preps. I want to walk into my studio and see enough fabric to give me inspiration, but not so much that there is no chance of my ever using even a portion of it in my lifetime. I want to have enough space to work comfortably, even when I've got multiple projects going on all at once.
And today was productive in other ways too. Actually, 2 nights ago I was looking for some handwork to do while watching a little TV before bed. I didn't find anything ready for handwork that suited my mood. However, my mood must have been a little strange because I ended up pulling a project from a year ago, diving in and getting ready to GET IT FINISHED! I'd taken a Victorian corset class at CoCo last year. It should have been finished that same day, but I just did not quite get there. It needed about 6 more rows of stitching for the bone channels, the boning inserted, and the binding put on. I just had not been in the mood to deal with it for most of the 11 months since CoCo. I don't know if I just didn't care about it, or if I really thought that I didn't know how to finish. At any rate, I sat down at the machine, buzzed in those channels, inserted the boning, machine-stitched the edge of the bias to the edges of the coutil, and started folding and pinning the bias for the hand-stitching on the inside. With the help of a few episodes of Charmed, finally available on Netflix Instant View, I got the bias all stitched in place and it is finished! YEAH! Why did I wait so long?
That project being done really did fire me up to get back into the studio and get sewing, which is why I was out there today, in place to have the lightbulb moments that led to the Great Fabric Reduction! I also cut out a new corset, using scraps from an old project - the lining fabric from my ribbon fabric Donna Karan coat, a project that goes back at least 17-18 years, and STILL needs a fastener! The lining fabric was a Joann's brocade. Yes, sadly, it's a poly, but those brocades did/do come in some really pretty patterns and colors and this one went so well with the ribbon fabric for the coat. I had just enough left to cut the corset. While weeding out fabrics, I stumbled across a perfect fabric for the lining for the corset too!
I've also set aside the fabrics for the next two corsets - one in a blue-on-blue jacquard, and one in a faux tooled leather. Getting that corset from CoCo finished, really got me fired up, even though it wasn't my first finished corset!
Yup, as soon as the battery charger gets here, I'll get set up and start taking lots of pictures. I'm ready to start enjoying my studio and my fabrics and projects again, and I'm ready to share the fun!
I should have a replacement battery charger and a new battery for the good digital camera, so I'm going to be able to start taking pictures again, lots of pictures! Then I can share the things I've been making, and the plans for future projects. I can also get pictures of things that I'm going to be putting on E-bay, so that my studio can have some open space and room to maneuver! Yippee!
Which leads to today's big project, though that requires going backwards just a little bit first. A few weeks ago, I decided to really cull the pattern collection, with the intention of inviting a vintage pattern dealer to look through the discards and then selling the rest on line. Right now, there are two grocery bags (plastic) full of pattern envelopes - no content - just envelopes. Not sure how many, but those will be going to that dealer, or online very soon. I'll probably cull a few more patterns before I'm done. The pattern collection has truly gotten absurd and it's time to reduce it in a major way.
Well, if I can do that with patterns, I can probably do it in other areas too. I'd read an e-mail on one of the sewing groups, about a woman who'd found a major load of stress gone after she donated a majority of her fabric collection. It felt as if I might actually be at that point, ready for that kind of a change too. So, week before last, I pulled 200 +/- books from my studio library. It almost seemed as though I hadn't pulled any...the shelves were so overflowing. Those are going to go away either via e-bay or more likely, via a used book dealer who will come to the house and pick them all up, or so I hope.
TODAY...I looked at the fabric and felt something give way...and set the goal of pulling 100 pieces of fabric that I no longer love, and sending them on to new homes. I've got 76 pulled and bagged, 24 to go, and that will have been so very easy. Unfortunately, I don't think I've pulled enough. If I can get through all of it, I can probably double the number of pieces, the number of bags.
Yes I'm using numbers like 100, 76, 200...I am truly a fabriholic, a sewing supply addict. It's time for a change. When one walks into one's studio or sewing room, and feels nothing but the stress of pending projects hanging over one's head, maybe there's something wrong. Maybe it's time for a change. Maybe I do not need to be a fabric pack rat, or a pattern collector. Maybe I don't need hundreds of books to which I seldom refer, either in my own sewing, or in my teaching and class preps. I want to walk into my studio and see enough fabric to give me inspiration, but not so much that there is no chance of my ever using even a portion of it in my lifetime. I want to have enough space to work comfortably, even when I've got multiple projects going on all at once.
And today was productive in other ways too. Actually, 2 nights ago I was looking for some handwork to do while watching a little TV before bed. I didn't find anything ready for handwork that suited my mood. However, my mood must have been a little strange because I ended up pulling a project from a year ago, diving in and getting ready to GET IT FINISHED! I'd taken a Victorian corset class at CoCo last year. It should have been finished that same day, but I just did not quite get there. It needed about 6 more rows of stitching for the bone channels, the boning inserted, and the binding put on. I just had not been in the mood to deal with it for most of the 11 months since CoCo. I don't know if I just didn't care about it, or if I really thought that I didn't know how to finish. At any rate, I sat down at the machine, buzzed in those channels, inserted the boning, machine-stitched the edge of the bias to the edges of the coutil, and started folding and pinning the bias for the hand-stitching on the inside. With the help of a few episodes of Charmed, finally available on Netflix Instant View, I got the bias all stitched in place and it is finished! YEAH! Why did I wait so long?
That project being done really did fire me up to get back into the studio and get sewing, which is why I was out there today, in place to have the lightbulb moments that led to the Great Fabric Reduction! I also cut out a new corset, using scraps from an old project - the lining fabric from my ribbon fabric Donna Karan coat, a project that goes back at least 17-18 years, and STILL needs a fastener! The lining fabric was a Joann's brocade. Yes, sadly, it's a poly, but those brocades did/do come in some really pretty patterns and colors and this one went so well with the ribbon fabric for the coat. I had just enough left to cut the corset. While weeding out fabrics, I stumbled across a perfect fabric for the lining for the corset too!
I've also set aside the fabrics for the next two corsets - one in a blue-on-blue jacquard, and one in a faux tooled leather. Getting that corset from CoCo finished, really got me fired up, even though it wasn't my first finished corset!
Yup, as soon as the battery charger gets here, I'll get set up and start taking lots of pictures. I'm ready to start enjoying my studio and my fabrics and projects again, and I'm ready to share the fun!
Monday, June 27, 2011
Oh my....
I finally forced myself to take a serious look at the book collection. This is just the books in my studio, not anything from the rest of the house! It's scary. The shelves have been over-flowing for a long, long time. Too many times, I've managed to acquire duplicates. My interests have changed, yet books have not moved on when they no longer suited my activities. It's time for a change!
Getting rid of books is not easy, if one is not willing to drop them at the local thrift store. I can't do that, not with this many books, many of which are brand new, unread and still, really wonderful!
Listing them in e-bay is a pain in the neck. Likewise for Etsy. For now, I'm just listing them on a page on this blog, in a table format with prices. It will be interesting to see if any of them move! In a couple of months, I'll look at going back to the e-bay store arrangement, if necessary.
I just really want my shelves to be neat and orderly again, or at least to have room for all that I need them to hold. Once the books are under control, next will probably be the sewing patterns. I think I've reached my breaking point, being tired of being overwhelmed every time I set foot in my studio. Time to say enough already. This has got to end!
Getting rid of books is not easy, if one is not willing to drop them at the local thrift store. I can't do that, not with this many books, many of which are brand new, unread and still, really wonderful!
Listing them in e-bay is a pain in the neck. Likewise for Etsy. For now, I'm just listing them on a page on this blog, in a table format with prices. It will be interesting to see if any of them move! In a couple of months, I'll look at going back to the e-bay store arrangement, if necessary.
I just really want my shelves to be neat and orderly again, or at least to have room for all that I need them to hold. Once the books are under control, next will probably be the sewing patterns. I think I've reached my breaking point, being tired of being overwhelmed every time I set foot in my studio. Time to say enough already. This has got to end!
Sunday, June 19, 2011
And so it continues!
Down again this morning. No, I don't want this blog to be about my weight-loss trials and tribulations, but I'm feeling to good not to share this here. I really did pass the 2nd of the 'zero' numbers and it looks like it will stick - I won't be going back and forth across it for a few days at all. Yeah!
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Stepping stones
I've been using very small stepping stones to keep myself on track with the whole diet thing. Some days are better than others. My goals are based on numbers ending in zeros and number that are in increments of 10 from where I started. So my first goal was to get from a number ending in four to a number ending in 0; second was to get from that number ending in zero, to the first lower number ending in four. Does that make sense in writing? I don't know. I just know that it works in the everyday world. It's nice having small goals, so I'm not so over-focused on the big goal. That can get discouraging.
Anyway, this morning, after a few days of living as if I'd never even heard the word diet, I figured I'd better step on the scale. I had crossed the first zero number several weeks back, and had snuck up on the first of the 'four' numbers just a few days ago. To my surprise, this morning, the scale told me that I've crossed the second of the zero numbers, so I'm down 15 pounds! Yeah Me!
I should say that I am trying to do this deliberately slowly. I know that I lost the 60 pounds way too fast back in 2002, and never did complete the maintenance portion of the program. This time, I'm working in bits of maintenance as I go. The plan is to lose for a month - 5-8 pounds - then just maintain for a month. It may take a full year this time, instead of 6 months, to lose 60 pounds, but I feel much better about this. In 2.5 months I've lost 15 pounds. That is a wonderfully sensible 6 pounds per month, with built in maintenance and a really strong sense of being able to see this through to completion. I haven't had that at any time in the previous 3-4 years. I can do this and it feels really good.
The only downside to all of this, just happens to also be an upside. I'm going to end up needing smaller garb! Luckily, much of the period stuff is rather neutral in sizing, so it will see me through quite a few pounds. I'm a little leary of sewing anything really fitted for a while, like say a Tudor kirtle, but there are other things that I can work on while I head towards my healthier future.
Anyway, this morning, after a few days of living as if I'd never even heard the word diet, I figured I'd better step on the scale. I had crossed the first zero number several weeks back, and had snuck up on the first of the 'four' numbers just a few days ago. To my surprise, this morning, the scale told me that I've crossed the second of the zero numbers, so I'm down 15 pounds! Yeah Me!
I should say that I am trying to do this deliberately slowly. I know that I lost the 60 pounds way too fast back in 2002, and never did complete the maintenance portion of the program. This time, I'm working in bits of maintenance as I go. The plan is to lose for a month - 5-8 pounds - then just maintain for a month. It may take a full year this time, instead of 6 months, to lose 60 pounds, but I feel much better about this. In 2.5 months I've lost 15 pounds. That is a wonderfully sensible 6 pounds per month, with built in maintenance and a really strong sense of being able to see this through to completion. I haven't had that at any time in the previous 3-4 years. I can do this and it feels really good.
The only downside to all of this, just happens to also be an upside. I'm going to end up needing smaller garb! Luckily, much of the period stuff is rather neutral in sizing, so it will see me through quite a few pounds. I'm a little leary of sewing anything really fitted for a while, like say a Tudor kirtle, but there are other things that I can work on while I head towards my healthier future.
Friday, June 17, 2011
Photos...well a couple anyway...
I'd hoped to have more photos by now, but the camera crisis continues, and I haven't had time to borrow a digital with an actual working flash, so for now it's tent pics.
On the Sunday before our intended Wednesday departure for Highlands War, I finally came to understand what my son intended when he told me he wanted to build his own tent - maybe something like a tee-pee. He had figured out, like I had, that modern dome tents are just not that comfortable. This has to be especially true when it is his 6' plus self getting in and out of a very low-to-the-ground, one-man tent. He wanted something more comfortable!
I spent the rest of Sunday (or so it seemed) researching medieval tent options. I showed him pictures of Saxon getelds, a type of wedge tent. They're pretty simple to build and easy to put up, at least for the two of us.
Monday morning, I visited my only local option for canvas-in-a-hurry, Phoenix Tent & Awning. The untreated cotton canvas was much more affordable than Sunforger, the ideal option. I went with the untreated canvas, since this was all an experiment. Next time, if there is such, I'll go with the good stuff, and I'll order it on-line, ahead of time. I calculated 11 yards, rounded up to 12, took the extra yard that was left for 13 yards.
I layed out this monstrous chunk of fabric on the living room floor and started measuring and marking. Gee, I was short about 2 yards. Oops. Miscalculated. Back to Phx Tent & Awning, then back home to finish cutting. I started sewing late Monday afternoon, and only had to sew the hem and attach the tent stake loops on Tuesday morning. The fabric part was finished.
We arrived at Highlands War with the canvas, a 6' 2x4, and 2-8' long poles plus some hardware to join the sections. I figured that the poles needed to be shortened one foot, and figured on doing that at the campsite, but of course forgot the saw. As it turned out, the poles needed to be shortened 2 feet, and the tent is not as tall as I had intended it to be.
The instructions that I had followed were from this site: http://www.ydalir.co.uk/crafts/tent/pattern.htm. While the instructions were reasonably simple and clear, the information on yardage required was rather vague, as they themselves pointed out.
Now I know a little better how to measure, so I could definitely see making another one someday, enough taller that the poles could be 7 or 8 feet and there'd still be plenty of spread to make for nice interior space for the camper and all his stuff. I can even see fixing the first one, just by removing the stake loops, adding a 1-2 foot extension all around, in sections to match the original, and reattaching the loops. A bit of work yes, but it would enhance the usability of the tent in both head-room and floor space, so probably worth it!
Barely visible in the background is the tent that I build back in Jan.-Feb., a carport cover that gave me fits and almost killed a sewing machine. Yes, it really made it to an event and I really did use it! However, it has some problems. In addition to the roof being totally NOT waterproof, the walls are too long around the frame, and tall enough that I need to get taller poles. If I can raise the walls up a little higher, I'll be able to stake them more tightly and still get nice slope for better wind and water resistance and floor space. I also need to pleat out some of the excess around the frame, either top to bottom or just as pleats at the top. If I leave them at the top, but make them near the corners, they'll help with the corner shaping.
I also need to replace the ties, at the top of the walls, with something easier to fasten and unfasten. I saw people using ball bungees on shade pavilions and could try those, but would have to install a lot of grommets, the large ones that my setter won't do. Lots of time with the hammer that way. Urgh. I'm still thinking about this one. Another suggestion was toggles and loops, so I have options to consider.
I've built some additional garb, but am still not able to take indoor pictures, so maybe one of these days...
I spent the rest of Sunday (or so it seemed) researching medieval tent options. I showed him pictures of Saxon getelds, a type of wedge tent. They're pretty simple to build and easy to put up, at least for the two of us.
Monday morning, I visited my only local option for canvas-in-a-hurry, Phoenix Tent & Awning. The untreated cotton canvas was much more affordable than Sunforger, the ideal option. I went with the untreated canvas, since this was all an experiment. Next time, if there is such, I'll go with the good stuff, and I'll order it on-line, ahead of time. I calculated 11 yards, rounded up to 12, took the extra yard that was left for 13 yards.
I layed out this monstrous chunk of fabric on the living room floor and started measuring and marking. Gee, I was short about 2 yards. Oops. Miscalculated. Back to Phx Tent & Awning, then back home to finish cutting. I started sewing late Monday afternoon, and only had to sew the hem and attach the tent stake loops on Tuesday morning. The fabric part was finished.
We arrived at Highlands War with the canvas, a 6' 2x4, and 2-8' long poles plus some hardware to join the sections. I figured that the poles needed to be shortened one foot, and figured on doing that at the campsite, but of course forgot the saw. As it turned out, the poles needed to be shortened 2 feet, and the tent is not as tall as I had intended it to be.
The instructions that I had followed were from this site: http://www.ydalir.co.uk/crafts/tent/pattern.htm. While the instructions were reasonably simple and clear, the information on yardage required was rather vague, as they themselves pointed out.
Now I know a little better how to measure, so I could definitely see making another one someday, enough taller that the poles could be 7 or 8 feet and there'd still be plenty of spread to make for nice interior space for the camper and all his stuff. I can even see fixing the first one, just by removing the stake loops, adding a 1-2 foot extension all around, in sections to match the original, and reattaching the loops. A bit of work yes, but it would enhance the usability of the tent in both head-room and floor space, so probably worth it!
Barely visible in the background is the tent that I build back in Jan.-Feb., a carport cover that gave me fits and almost killed a sewing machine. Yes, it really made it to an event and I really did use it! However, it has some problems. In addition to the roof being totally NOT waterproof, the walls are too long around the frame, and tall enough that I need to get taller poles. If I can raise the walls up a little higher, I'll be able to stake them more tightly and still get nice slope for better wind and water resistance and floor space. I also need to pleat out some of the excess around the frame, either top to bottom or just as pleats at the top. If I leave them at the top, but make them near the corners, they'll help with the corner shaping.
I also need to replace the ties, at the top of the walls, with something easier to fasten and unfasten. I saw people using ball bungees on shade pavilions and could try those, but would have to install a lot of grommets, the large ones that my setter won't do. Lots of time with the hammer that way. Urgh. I'm still thinking about this one. Another suggestion was toggles and loops, so I have options to consider.
I've built some additional garb, but am still not able to take indoor pictures, so maybe one of these days...
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
And it's done!
Yup, Chris' new tent is finished! I'm pretty much blown away and he is just thrilled. He's going to enjoy, so very much, having a tent in which he can stand up and maybe even walk around a little bit!
I knew the wedge-type tent would be much easier than what I did in January/February, back when I swore I'd NEVER make another tent, but this was just delightfully easy, even if 15 yards of canvas is a lot to have in one's lap, all at once. I could maybe even see doing one like this again someday, if a need arose. It was just cool. Hmmm....maybe in a striped fabric - something with really wide strips!
Back to packing for Highlands War. Pictures of all tents and garb and everything from the last few months of sewing to follow!
I knew the wedge-type tent would be much easier than what I did in January/February, back when I swore I'd NEVER make another tent, but this was just delightfully easy, even if 15 yards of canvas is a lot to have in one's lap, all at once. I could maybe even see doing one like this again someday, if a need arose. It was just cool. Hmmm....maybe in a striped fabric - something with really wide strips!
Back to packing for Highlands War. Pictures of all tents and garb and everything from the last few months of sewing to follow!
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Oh, no way!
I'm going to take a stab at another tent, last minute, right before Highlands War. Yup.
Chris had indicated that he'd like to have a plain, simple tent; even that he'd like to make it - something along the lines of a tee-pee. I had him look at a few pictures in the Panther Primitives catalog and he seemed to like the Anglo-Saxon geteld best of everything that he saw. Of all of the wedge-type tents, it does seem to be the simplest. An hour or so browsing Google results gave me diagrams and patterns for variations on the idea. I'm going to Phoenix Tent & Awning early Monday morning to buy the canvas. Hoping to cut it out and get it mostly sewn that same day.
We'll need Tuesday for last minute details and for emptying and loading my van. We're due at Mormon Lake on Wednesday, as early as we can manage, to help set up the site for Highlands War.
We might even have both of our new tents!
Yeah! I hope.
Chris had indicated that he'd like to have a plain, simple tent; even that he'd like to make it - something along the lines of a tee-pee. I had him look at a few pictures in the Panther Primitives catalog and he seemed to like the Anglo-Saxon geteld best of everything that he saw. Of all of the wedge-type tents, it does seem to be the simplest. An hour or so browsing Google results gave me diagrams and patterns for variations on the idea. I'm going to Phoenix Tent & Awning early Monday morning to buy the canvas. Hoping to cut it out and get it mostly sewn that same day.
We'll need Tuesday for last minute details and for emptying and loading my van. We're due at Mormon Lake on Wednesday, as early as we can manage, to help set up the site for Highlands War.
We might even have both of our new tents!
Yeah! I hope.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Well darn...
It seems that old habits have snuck back up on me! I haven't posted in almost 2 months? Wow...
Well, the end of the semester was a bit hectic as always, but mostly, I've just been hung up by the fact that I really want to get more pictures up here and both cameras are out of commission. I may have to borrow one somewhere, for a day or two, so I can photograph everything all at once and post a whole bunch!
Meanwhile, getting ready to teach my first SCA class, an embellishment technique. I'll be teaching it at Kingdom A&S Collegium this weekend, and then at Highlands War next weekend. Nothing like diving in head first!
I'm determined to have garb suitable for the warm weather that can show up at Highlands, so I'm working on some Greco/Roman stuff, all in very light, cotton gauzes. Chitos, peplos, and some wraps to provide a bit more modesty than what the gauze would give otherwise. Considering doing some as fully lined, double layers of the gauze, as I have plenty with which to work. I know, this is a bit early for our period, but I love the look of the chitons and peplos and I'm sure that they will be very comfortable. Just have to decide on what will be beneath them, for a little extra comfort, as well as for that modesty issue. I should probably looking more at building Roman tunics and stolas, which have much in common with the Greek styles, but I just love the look of the chiton with the should seam pinned together.
Oddly, for these too-early-for-our-period garments, the thing that got me all fired up was an image too LATE for our period - a late pre-raphaellite image:
While the painting is definitely far, far after our period, I have to believe that this artist, John William Godward, must have seen some original art from the Greco/Roman era, statues especially. This may not be period, but it looks pretty good, and should be easy enough to back it up with some really period sources. It will still be too early for SCA, BUT...I'll be comfortable!
Image source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f7/Godward_La_Pensierosa_1913.jpg
Well, the end of the semester was a bit hectic as always, but mostly, I've just been hung up by the fact that I really want to get more pictures up here and both cameras are out of commission. I may have to borrow one somewhere, for a day or two, so I can photograph everything all at once and post a whole bunch!
Meanwhile, getting ready to teach my first SCA class, an embellishment technique. I'll be teaching it at Kingdom A&S Collegium this weekend, and then at Highlands War next weekend. Nothing like diving in head first!
I'm determined to have garb suitable for the warm weather that can show up at Highlands, so I'm working on some Greco/Roman stuff, all in very light, cotton gauzes. Chitos, peplos, and some wraps to provide a bit more modesty than what the gauze would give otherwise. Considering doing some as fully lined, double layers of the gauze, as I have plenty with which to work. I know, this is a bit early for our period, but I love the look of the chitons and peplos and I'm sure that they will be very comfortable. Just have to decide on what will be beneath them, for a little extra comfort, as well as for that modesty issue. I should probably looking more at building Roman tunics and stolas, which have much in common with the Greek styles, but I just love the look of the chiton with the should seam pinned together.
Oddly, for these too-early-for-our-period garments, the thing that got me all fired up was an image too LATE for our period - a late pre-raphaellite image:
Image source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f7/Godward_La_Pensierosa_1913.jpg
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Plateaus....
...should not happen so early in a weight-loss program! Somehow, after that fast 5 pounds, I got stuck for a few days, and even saw the scale trying to go up instead of down. Needless to say, that was not an encouraging moment in my new attempt to get healthier and slimmer.
I suspect that there was some physical adjustment taking place. As of this morning, I'm right where I was at the moment of that previous post, down 5 pounds, which is just fine. That's 5 pounds in less than 2 weeks. As long as I don't stall out completely, going slow is great. I have always felt that the weight loss came too easy last time, 9 years ago. I lost those 60 pounds in barely 6 months, was hardly ever hungry, was not exercising, did not work for the results and was not able to hold on to them. If I have to work a little harder for them this time, I'm not upset or worried. The longer it takes me to get the 60 pounds back off, the better the odds of my keeping them off this time!
So, time for breakfast and logging my meals and making slow but steady progress towards the healthier me that I know is lurking inside, waiting to wear all of the wonderful clothes hanging in the closet.
I suspect that there was some physical adjustment taking place. As of this morning, I'm right where I was at the moment of that previous post, down 5 pounds, which is just fine. That's 5 pounds in less than 2 weeks. As long as I don't stall out completely, going slow is great. I have always felt that the weight loss came too easy last time, 9 years ago. I lost those 60 pounds in barely 6 months, was hardly ever hungry, was not exercising, did not work for the results and was not able to hold on to them. If I have to work a little harder for them this time, I'm not upset or worried. The longer it takes me to get the 60 pounds back off, the better the odds of my keeping them off this time!
So, time for breakfast and logging my meals and making slow but steady progress towards the healthier me that I know is lurking inside, waiting to wear all of the wonderful clothes hanging in the closet.
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Well, Merry Christmas to me...
... a few weeks early...and then some. I probably need to NOT count my chickens before they're hatched, but...
I have managed to stay on my all-by-myself version of LA Weightloss for a full week.
I have lost 5 pounds in the first week, which I know would be too much except that for the first week, that's kind of normal.
I've managed to stay with the program even when just frantic to eat something, not hungry, just munchy!
The on-line food diary does not exactly provide the same kind of feedback that the LA Weightloss counselors used to, but it seems to be enough to at least let me get my nutrient intake balanced and correct. Moral support is another matter, but for now I think I can cope.
I've crossed the first of the '0' barriers or milestones or whatever one might call those #s that end in '0'. The next one won't come so fast but that's ok. A quick accomplishment in the earliest phase can really help and really feel good.
So, I'm off and running. Yeah me!
I have managed to stay on my all-by-myself version of LA Weightloss for a full week.
I have lost 5 pounds in the first week, which I know would be too much except that for the first week, that's kind of normal.
I've managed to stay with the program even when just frantic to eat something, not hungry, just munchy!
The on-line food diary does not exactly provide the same kind of feedback that the LA Weightloss counselors used to, but it seems to be enough to at least let me get my nutrient intake balanced and correct. Moral support is another matter, but for now I think I can cope.
I've crossed the first of the '0' barriers or milestones or whatever one might call those #s that end in '0'. The next one won't come so fast but that's ok. A quick accomplishment in the earliest phase can really help and really feel good.
So, I'm off and running. Yeah me!
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Long overdue pics - well, just a few for now
Back before Estrella War, I got pretty fired up on the garb building process. Lots of new pieces were in the works. Some got finished, some are still waiting.
Due to a small camera crisis, I haven't been able to do pictures of much of anything, finished or not, but I do have this one this morning.
This was my test-run of the pattern from Threads Magazine, Issue #56. The fabric is the faux suede/sherpa from Joann's. The finished hat is in wool, with a very nice faux fur band, and I'll have pictures of it as soon as the camera issue resolves.
The pattern worked great. I'd tried a pattern from the Web, and was looking at other pattern options - none of which felt right. This one is perfect with very little effort. And the mock-up turned out to be a great sleeping cap for a couple of chilly nights at War.
Due to a small camera crisis, I haven't been able to do pictures of much of anything, finished or not, but I do have this one this morning.
This was my test-run of the pattern from Threads Magazine, Issue #56. The fabric is the faux suede/sherpa from Joann's. The finished hat is in wool, with a very nice faux fur band, and I'll have pictures of it as soon as the camera issue resolves.
The pattern worked great. I'd tried a pattern from the Web, and was looking at other pattern options - none of which felt right. This one is perfect with very little effort. And the mock-up turned out to be a great sleeping cap for a couple of chilly nights at War.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
I want my wardrobe back!
This last weekend, I was debating the need to finally give up and let go of my smaller wardrobe - smaller in garment sizing, not in content. It's all of the wonderful stuff that I found when I lost 60 pounds back in 2002, and found out that shopping ready-to-wear could be fun and could actually work for me! I haven't been able to wear much of any of it since the 2008-2009 school year, when I finally gained back the last 20 pounds of that 60. The first 40 pounds had fought their way back on between 2002 and 2008, but the last 20 came fast and furious during a year of trying to do too much.
I just could not bring myself to go into that walk-in closet and start pulling things out, bagging things up. There are so many pieces in that closet that feel so good ON ME! So I decided to try one more time, falling back on everything that I learned on the old LA Weightloss program. I don't have any of the old food journals left, and decided to see what I could find online. Besides some cute forms that I do actually like, I found My Food Diary. It's not free, but it's a lot less than what I was spending on LA Weightloss protein bars, you know, the ones that are really candy bars? I'm on a 7-day free trial, but so far, I really, really like it!
My Food Diary does have space for a user to record notes and thoughts as well as food consumption, exercise, weight and measurements, etc. I started to compose a note detailing my start-up and first couple of days' progress. As I typed, I realized that part of my success, this time around, is going to come from not keeping this to myself. I was successful with LA Weightloss, largely because of the 3x-week weigh-ins and the support of the counselors. I don't have them anymore, so I'm going to be my own support, by sharing this here, and maybe on Facebook too. So here's what I typed in my first note on My Food Diary.
I started on Sunday, and had a really bad day, almost frantic in my need to eat things that I did NOT NEED! I was at exactly the same weight I've been for the last 3 years, so nothing had changed there. I can keep that weight without starving myself, and I was not actually going up any. But once I made the decision to try one more time, the intense self-sabotage set in! My inner child just does not like being deprived and her definition of deprived is truly warped and depraved!
Monday morning I was up .5 pound, but had a really good day overall, and did not go far outside of reasonable, either by LA Weightloss standards, or by the feedback of the My Food Diary. I am using the two together, the portion specifications from LAW and the feedback here for salt, etc. If I have to do this without the support of the LAW counselors and the thrice-weekly weigh-ins, then this is the best I've been able to figure out to keep from doing this totally alone. Granted, doing it with a computer program on a web-site is not exactly the same as it was 9 years ago, but this actually feels good. I can do this.
Tuesday morning I was back down the .5 pound plus some. Yeah!
This morning I had totally undone the damage of Sunday, and had begun the downhill run, 2.5 pounds down. That's how I remember things from the LAW year...always a steady stream of positive results, starting with the 10 pound loss in the first week and averaging 4 pounds per week, including those 10, for many weeks of the 6 months that it took for me to reach my goal. Every time I've tried since then, I've felt slapped in the face by the minuscule bits of progress that I've made, probably from not being as careful as I should have, from being self-indulgent and self-pitying.
This time, I've got to focus on learning to accept the small bits of progress. I think that I did not keep the weight off before largely because I lost it too fast, too easy. I'll probably have to work at it more this time, but that should be a good thing, providing more motivation to not regain it again. If it takes me 9 months instead of 6 to reach my goal this time, that's actually really good. It means that I can have a beer or a small ice cream once in a while and don't have to feel sorry for myself because I'm so deprived! Yeah, right.
I will probably have to get a lot more serious about exercise this time around, but I'm going to see how much I can accomplish just by paying attention to what I'm doing in the house. I remember walking a baby in the middle of the night (night terrors!). I'd put him in the stroller and walk from the living room, through the dining room, through the kitchen, through the front hallway and back into the living room - the joys of having a 'round-n-round' floor plan! It was something like 247 steps around the circuit. No reason what so ever that I can't do that again now, not to comfort a crying infant, but to protect my health and my future. And I can go up-and-down on the stairs a few extra times too. Have the stairs, might as well take advantage of them. In truth a home, and the maintenance thereof, can offer a lot in the way of self-improvement opportunities.
Well, MyFoodDiary.com or no, I'm still doing this largely on my own. To fix that, I'm going to share with the world through my blog. I may do so through Facebook as well. If I know that other people are aware and maybe even watching, maybe that will help with my motivation.
And of course, there's that smaller wardrobe, hanging there, taking up a whole lot of space. I had a hell of a wardrobe and I want it BACK!
I just could not bring myself to go into that walk-in closet and start pulling things out, bagging things up. There are so many pieces in that closet that feel so good ON ME! So I decided to try one more time, falling back on everything that I learned on the old LA Weightloss program. I don't have any of the old food journals left, and decided to see what I could find online. Besides some cute forms that I do actually like, I found My Food Diary. It's not free, but it's a lot less than what I was spending on LA Weightloss protein bars, you know, the ones that are really candy bars? I'm on a 7-day free trial, but so far, I really, really like it!
My Food Diary does have space for a user to record notes and thoughts as well as food consumption, exercise, weight and measurements, etc. I started to compose a note detailing my start-up and first couple of days' progress. As I typed, I realized that part of my success, this time around, is going to come from not keeping this to myself. I was successful with LA Weightloss, largely because of the 3x-week weigh-ins and the support of the counselors. I don't have them anymore, so I'm going to be my own support, by sharing this here, and maybe on Facebook too. So here's what I typed in my first note on My Food Diary.
I started on Sunday, and had a really bad day, almost frantic in my need to eat things that I did NOT NEED! I was at exactly the same weight I've been for the last 3 years, so nothing had changed there. I can keep that weight without starving myself, and I was not actually going up any. But once I made the decision to try one more time, the intense self-sabotage set in! My inner child just does not like being deprived and her definition of deprived is truly warped and depraved!
Monday morning I was up .5 pound, but had a really good day overall, and did not go far outside of reasonable, either by LA Weightloss standards, or by the feedback of the My Food Diary. I am using the two together, the portion specifications from LAW and the feedback here for salt, etc. If I have to do this without the support of the LAW counselors and the thrice-weekly weigh-ins, then this is the best I've been able to figure out to keep from doing this totally alone. Granted, doing it with a computer program on a web-site is not exactly the same as it was 9 years ago, but this actually feels good. I can do this.
Tuesday morning I was back down the .5 pound plus some. Yeah!
This morning I had totally undone the damage of Sunday, and had begun the downhill run, 2.5 pounds down. That's how I remember things from the LAW year...always a steady stream of positive results, starting with the 10 pound loss in the first week and averaging 4 pounds per week, including those 10, for many weeks of the 6 months that it took for me to reach my goal. Every time I've tried since then, I've felt slapped in the face by the minuscule bits of progress that I've made, probably from not being as careful as I should have, from being self-indulgent and self-pitying.
This time, I've got to focus on learning to accept the small bits of progress. I think that I did not keep the weight off before largely because I lost it too fast, too easy. I'll probably have to work at it more this time, but that should be a good thing, providing more motivation to not regain it again. If it takes me 9 months instead of 6 to reach my goal this time, that's actually really good. It means that I can have a beer or a small ice cream once in a while and don't have to feel sorry for myself because I'm so deprived! Yeah, right.
I will probably have to get a lot more serious about exercise this time around, but I'm going to see how much I can accomplish just by paying attention to what I'm doing in the house. I remember walking a baby in the middle of the night (night terrors!). I'd put him in the stroller and walk from the living room, through the dining room, through the kitchen, through the front hallway and back into the living room - the joys of having a 'round-n-round' floor plan! It was something like 247 steps around the circuit. No reason what so ever that I can't do that again now, not to comfort a crying infant, but to protect my health and my future. And I can go up-and-down on the stairs a few extra times too. Have the stairs, might as well take advantage of them. In truth a home, and the maintenance thereof, can offer a lot in the way of self-improvement opportunities.
Well, MyFoodDiary.com or no, I'm still doing this largely on my own. To fix that, I'm going to share with the world through my blog. I may do so through Facebook as well. If I know that other people are aware and maybe even watching, maybe that will help with my motivation.
And of course, there's that smaller wardrobe, hanging there, taking up a whole lot of space. I had a hell of a wardrobe and I want it BACK!
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
creativity....I think I used to have some...
but I sure don’t know where it went! Some days it feels like there’s a brick wall between me and my creativity and I don’t know how to tear the wall down. I know that having a seriously over-filled studio contributes to the problem. It’s really stifling to have too much stuff waiting to be transformed into something else. And too much time in the non-creative rut of the daily routine can leave one feeling as though one has no creativity at all and should not even bother looking for it.
I'm hoping that having my studio clean enough to be able to work will get me on the path to making and creating again. It's still over-crowded, but the cutting table is clear, the projects in progress are sorted and ready, and maybe, just maybe that royal blue bog coat with the assorted blue brocade appliques is finally going to get some attention.
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