I might have too many odds and ends in my stash, but a little organization will go a long way towards making it all more manageable. Wish me luck!
My sewing supplies are always one step away from chaos and disorganization. I've been telling myself for years that it's time to sort it all out. Well, I'm finally taking a small step in that direction. The fabric and craft store near me had a sale on photo storage boxes in colors and prints that I love. I like the photo boxes because they are sturdy, stackable, and don't fracture like plastic. And they have a spot to put in a label. So I picked up a few (okay, ten). Some of the boxes will be for current projects, including one to carry around the house and work on when I have a moment. The rest will be for ribbon and bias tape and fabric and felt bits and, and, and...
I might have too many odds and ends in my stash, but a little organization will go a long way towards making it all more manageable. Wish me luck!
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I wasn't really planning to put up a tree this year, or any decorations at all for that matter. It's hard enough to keep Goen from pulling ornaments off our story vine. So I wasn't thrilled about the idea of getting a tree and finding a place to put it, somewhere that was out of the way but where we could still enjoy it. Our house is set up in order to maximize toddler-approved space, and a tree was not in the plans. But then a package arrived in the mail from my dear, sweet mother. Inside the brown cardboard box was a neat wool pom pom garland and a couple ornaments. Of course, then I had to find a way to make a tree happen so I could have a place to put them and admire them. There are so many cool, non-traditional, small-space tree ideas out there (this one is my favorite), but we have nowhere to put it that is out of toddler hands. Then I came up with a brilliant idea, one involving the oak tree that fell into our backyard (and is still resting on the eaves of our place and the one next door). I cut off a bunch of small, leafy branches, trimmed them, and bundled them together. A visit to the bushes outside our complex resulted in several bundles of red berries. Then I had my husband bring home a vase from his classroom. I also grabbed the brown packing paper that had been in the box my mom sent. Although I have never taken a flower arranging class before, I think I did a pretty good job of putting it all together. This little "tree" now sits on our dining table where we can enjoy it for the rest of the year. And I even had a little gift for Goen to put under it. Do you have any toddler-friendly, out-of-the-way tree ideas that work for you? How do you handle keeping small hands out of the gifts under your tree? “The present moment is filled with joy and happiness. If you are attentive, you will see it.”
― Thích Nhất Hạnh, Peace Is Every Step: The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life A Friday ritual adopted from SouleMama. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you’re inspired to do the same, leave a link to your ‘moment’ in the comments for all to find and see. "Wait... What?" Those were my thoughts exactly after I walked into the kitchen and looked out the window. My first thought was that the rain had watered the bush in the backyard and it had grown a whole bunch without me even noticing. After doing a double take, however, I realized that there was a tree in our backyard. The tree that used to grow out of the hillside (which you can see in one of the pictures in this post) is now taking up most of our back deck. The roots are still in the ground, so hopefully the hill will remain in place with the next storms that come our way (one is raging even as I speak). Having a tree in our yard makes it difficult to spend time out there, and definitely not with Goen. I'm hoping they come cut the tree out soon. Besides, I have my eye on keeping some of the wood for a project idea I have. Which reminds me. Does anybody know how to cure wood to prepare it for carving? Any print or online resources that you have found helpful? I'm a complete novice, so something basic would be great.
Whirrrrr whirrrr chucka whir chucka chucka chucka... Eeek!
Don't worry. It's nothing big. Just a tangle in the threads on the underside of my fabric (and me getting upset about it). It's always a problem for me when I start sewing too close to the edge and I don't hold the needle and bobbin threads taut. But it made me realize that I have been sewing so long now that I can recognize the sounds my sewing machine makes and what they mean. Here's another one: Whichicka chicka whichicka chicka whichicka chicka That's when I forget to oil my machine and the metal parts are rubbing and knocking together. And then this one: Bzzzzzuuuh bzzzzzuuh bzzzzzzuuuuuh whirrrrr That one means I have a foot pedal that is not sensitive enough and makes sounds like a car engine turning over without starting. And there you have it. The sounds of sewing. There are more, I'm sure, but these are the ones that are most common for me. Have you learned about the different sounds your machine makes when you sew? What do they sound like? Oh, and that's a sneak peak of my BlueBird Park quilt (which I found a tutorial for here). I found a couple more fabric patterns that I think will fit with my color palette. I still need a few more, though. And the blue tape there? That is the only reason my stitching lines are so straight. I totally recommend trying it. Any projects you've made progress on lately? I'd love to see. Such a short weekend, but so much to mention here. Our trip got off to a great start. Goen slept almost the whole 2 1/2-hour drive. When we arrived, we found out that they upgraded our room to a king bed on the third floor because our ground floor room had flooded from the rain the day before. Easy drive, big bed, nice view. Perfect!
Saturday breakfast was the usual continental-style and the only seating was outside where the seagulls waited for the slightest chance to pounce. Scuba divers, sailboats, and surfers dotted the ocean, which we could see from almost everywhere we went. I was amazed at the blueness of the ocean and the whiteness of the sand. The conference center at Asilomar is in the middle of a state park so most of the grounds are part of a rehabilitation effort and, therefore, off limits. While David attended lectures in the morning, I walked around the grounds with Goen. We found deer, secret sitting rooms, meandering pathways, and a boardwalk that led to the sandy shore. We met back up for lunch and ate at a little burger shack near the beach. The hoped-for after-lunch nap was not forthcoming, though, so I walked, carrying Goen, to a fabric store nearby (Can you believe it? What luck!). Despite all the beautiful material, I couldn't find anything that fit with my current project list. I did, however, walk away with a yard of chalkboard fabric that I bought on sale for $5. I'm sure you will see that in a post soon. As they say, all good things must come to an end. Saturday night after dinner we noticed that Goen had a rash that appeared that day. We decided to leave for home rather than risk things getting worse (as they so easily can with young children). It's gotten better since we returned home so it was probably just a reaction to the laundry detergent used on the sheets. I was sad to miss out on another day there, but glad that we could be so flexible. Even though our visit was short, it was sweet and packed full of beautiful scenery, delicious food, and my little family. We are driving to Monterey today for the weekend. David is attending a Mathematics teaching conference with most of the Math department at the school. Since David is the only male, he got a hotel room all to himself. Well, he would have gotten a room all to himself, if he were going alone. We thought it would be a great opportunity for a little weekending, so Goen and I are going, too. David will be busy during most of the time we are in Monterey, but it will still be a nice change of scenery. Speaking of which, I checked out the website for the conference location and all I can say is "Wow!" It looks so beautiful. It's a large cabin-style building by the ocean with lots of space to walk around. As long as the weather is nice, I should have plenty of pictures to share with you when we get back. There is still so much to get ready before we head out, but I've already got my ram packed with everything else so I can keep working on him during the drive and on naps. He's coming along nicely. Starting to look more like a sheep and less like a wet dog. He's eating up yarn so fast I had to pick up another skein last night before we left for Monterey. Oh, David is calling me from downstairs. Time to finish packing and head out.
“The present moment is filled with joy and happiness. If you are attentive, you will see it.”
― Thích Nhất Hạnh, Peace Is Every Step: The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life A Friday ritual adopted from SouleMama. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you’re inspired to do the same, leave a link to your ‘moment’ in the comments for all to find and see. |
Carley Biblin
Hi. My name is Carley. I love to sew, craft, and create. As a Jane-of all-crafts so to speak, I enjoy sewing, writing, cooking, drawing, photographing. But the constant thread (if you'll excuse the pun) throughout my weeks is needle arts. Archives
January 2017
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