It Runs In The Family

I've been trying to tidy up my sewing room lately. It's been a huge mess - which I can function in - but it's also the first room you see when entering my house.

Last year I got an Ikea drawer unit but I wasn't making good use of it because everything I put in rolled around. I measure and got my Dad to make me two sets of dividers for my threads - one is for quilting and specialty thread, and the other for general all purpose thread. I love the results.

Quilty and specialty thread

all purpose thread

 The spools won't roll around anymore and I can get them out of the plastic storage unit in my dining room.

I also got my Dad to build me a ruler holder

 this should help keep them all in one place.

My Dad is talented - he can fix anything and build almost anything. I was lucky as a kid and lucky as an adult - I just have to think something up and he can get it made.
Both my grandmothers sewed - my maternal grandmother grew up in a Mennonite home and some of her crafty makes include some traditional items like leaf mats and some quilts. She only did that type of activity in the winter - during the summer she was too busy on the farm. I don't think she considered herself very crafty but I think she was. My paternal grandmother sewed, knit, crocheted, cooked - everything. She sewed anything and everything - I learned from her. She did it all the time - she always had something on the go and didn't stop until she lost her eyesight. My Mom says I got my talent from her but I think I got it from both grandmothers.

Getting Organized

I am not the most organized person in the world. Other people think I am, but I don't really think so. I have a lot of clutter around me all the time and that makes me feel disorganized.

One of the things I want to do while on sabbatical is finish up some WIPs and organize my house/life.

So, this week, my first week off, I made a list of the things I wanted to do when I'm off

This list has sewing/quilting WIPs, knitting WIPs, and house WIPs. The sewing/quilting list is the longest by far. (And I thought of some more once I finished this list).

Then I organized the list into a spreadsheet so that I could break the tasks into smaller bits and schedule them into months/times according to priority. Here's what I came up with

The blog is flipping this image for some reason so you'll have to flip your head

This list is still pretty daunting, so I folded it to post so it feels more manageable and I'm more likely to get some things on it accomplished

This one is flipping too - anyone know why?

Next week, I'll start working on the projects in more depth.

The end of last week I finished a little knitting project. It's a drop stitch cowl that I picked up at Main Street Yarns. My lighting isn't great in these picts so bare with me

I'm pleased with it, and have only caught it in my coat zipper once.

As for sewing this week, I've cut out a couple of bras and need to get them sewn. I was on the hunt for a wooden ball to press curved pieces and I found one on Tues, so now I can get sewing.

I finished knitting my french press slippers. They don't look like much now, but they'll look great once they are finished. I need to sew them together then felt them in the washing machine (which I'll do at the house of a male friend who makes nothing - should be interesting). These slippers are meant to be my "take alongs" to wear when I'm away from home. I'll let you know how they turn out.

Spring Break

It's March break around here - a whole week of no school. I don't know who is more excited - teachers or kids!

For the last 6 years I have gone away on March break - to the southern US - which I've loved. The trip didn't work out for me this year (too many house repairs on the horizon). And I'm actually glad to be staying around because I have things I want to do around the house (and my bum is happy for not having a 20 hour car ride).

On Sat I tried a new knitting shop and picked up these yummies

this is a much better red than it looks in this picture - it will make red and white mitts for me

this will make these slippers for me

this will make light weight mittens for me

On the sewing front, I've been working on my drapes. I really don't like sewing drapes - they are so cumbersome. I'll do them for myself to save money though. The front and lining are together for each panel and one side has the front and back attached

here is one side; a blurry puddle on the sewing machine table

I also need to clean and tidy my sewing room. Here are my before picts

this one is in progress. I got a bunch of these green boxes from ikea, which fit perfectly lengthwise.

Tomorrow I'm going on a shop hop here, with a male friend who doesn't sew or knit or do anything very creative. And he's not always patient. We'll see how it goes.