Several years ago, I injured my left knee while in rehearsal for a show. My costume included platform boots (think Herman Munster) and when I went to do a turn, my body went, but my foot didn't. Ouchie! I was still able to go on, so I didn't go to the doctor or anything.
Yeah, I probably should have.
In the past, oh, two years or so, my knee has been reminding me that I should have done that. Now that I'm practicing shiatsu on a nearly daily basis, it's REALLY complaining. So, I finally made an appointment to see the doctor about it. I have a feeling that I may kneed surgery. (See what I did there?) I'm hoping I can put that off for a while so I can finish school, but the pain has been so bad, I don't know if that's going to be possible. Also, my knee cracks (and by "cracks" I mean THUDS) repeatedly throughout my shiatsu sessions. It's kind of embarrassing. It doesn't hurt too much while it's happening, but afterwards, holy cow!
So, there's that.
On the other hand, I'm passing my classes (even Traditional Chinese Medicine, which I don't get at all) with flying colors. I was a little worried about my shiatsu practical, which doesn't happen until next week, but we did practice runs in class yesterday and I did much better than I thought I would. I do have a few things I need to remember, but over all, I feel ready.
Artistically, I've been working on another quilt top. Very basic, simple blocks, but I started with a set of fat quarters I picked up at JoAnn's. The colors are very Autumnal; burgundy, olive, gold, purple. I ran out of the fat quarters and went to Hancock's to find something that would coordinate. Don't you know I forgot to take a swatch! I decided to go with my gut and came home with four fabrics (including a solid burgundy and purple to break up all the busy-ness) that totally coordinated! I added those to the mix and decided that I still needed a bit more for the complete quilt top so I went back to JoAnn's to see if I could find any more of the original fat quarter set. I found two tucked in the back of a shelf and grabbed them both. I also found two fabrics that will work just in case I run out of the ones I have. I've taken a break from sewing while I've been studying for the mid-term exams, but I'm ready to get back to the sewing table. I'll post pix soon.
Oh, yeah! I made enough money on www.Spoonflower.com to purchase some samples of designs that have been laying in wait to be released. They are especially colorful and I'm pretty pleased with how they turned out. One of the best, newer options on Spoonflower is that you can order swatches on any type of fabric they have instead of just the plain quilter's cotton. I'm so happy they have that option now. Some of my designs simply look better on some of the other fabrics. I really like their performance knit. The colors come out so vibrant! (You know how I LOVE my colors to be vibrant!)
By the way, Optitz Outlet, mentioned in my last entry, has a website, www.opitzoutlet.com, and they're on facebook.
Showing posts with label JoAnn Fabric and Craft. Show all posts
Showing posts with label JoAnn Fabric and Craft. Show all posts
Friday, June 20, 2014
Sunday, March 23, 2014
Friday's Field Trip
March's Friday Field Trip was to JoAnn's Fabric and Crafts in Edina's YorkTown Mall. I was the only one to show up, but that's cool because part of the reason I'm doing the field trips is to force myself to get out of the house more often.
Here's my lesson sheet if you want to copy it. Fair warning, when I copy and pasted it into my blog, the formatting got all ferkachte. Meh. Echt.
Lining - Make sure you get some lining if your pattern calls for it. I personally prefer a light cotton or silk lining for just about everything. Synthetics (even the so-called cling-free kind) generate more static than natural fibers. There are some polyester linings that are called cling free - these won't cling to other fabrics but may stick to you. Hang free linings won't stick to you, but may stick to other fabrics.
Contrast fabrics - don't forget to get your contrasting fabric or overlays if your pattern requires.
Notions - Don't know why they're called notions other than it's a pretty good notion to have them to complete your project. These are things like zippers, elastics, buttons, of course thread. Be sure to use the recommended sizes and types for zippers and buttons. A longer zipper may be used, but it's not always easy to work with.
From top:
Here's my lesson sheet if you want to copy it. Fair warning, when I copy and pasted it into my blog, the formatting got all ferkachte. Meh. Echt.
JoAnn
Fabric and Craft Field Trip
February
22, 2014
Sewnday
Morning Musings – Toots Hodgdon
- v How do I find a pattern? - Finding patterns is pretty easy. It's a bit like going to the library and using the old Dewey Decimal System. Only not that organized. By that I mean, in the DDS books are given a number based on subject or author, patterns are given a number, but I'll be dipped if I can figure out a system.
- First, know what you're looking for. You can waste many an afternoon in the pattern books, so it's best to have a plan of attack before you head out. All of the patterns books are arranged pretty much the same.
- Beyond that, here are some other things to consider when pattern shopping:
- § Ability - all patterns will tell you their level of difficulty, usually broken down into Easy, Intermediate, Advanced and the occasional Professional. Only you know your level of expertise, so choose wisely.
- § Sizes - be sure you have accurate measurements of the person for whom you are sewing. I cannot stress this enough. Some patterns will include multiple sizes in one envelope. This rocks, you just have to make sure you have the right size range. It doesn't rock if your person is between sizes of two different envelopes. Go with the larger size. 'Tis always easier to take in than let out. Always. Don't forget that these pattern sizes are not going to correlate to your ready-to-wear sizes. Think of prom or bridal sizes. They're made to measure. Ready-to-wear sizes will fit a small range of measurements. Be prepared for your pattern size to be at least 2 numbers larger than what you get at Target or wherever. Beware of vintage patterns. The sizes are different. Always go by the measurements.
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| The flap is where you'll often find a measurement guide, also in metric for the rest of the world. |
From top:
Fabric suggestions - yep, the companies have designed these things with specific fabrics in mind. Not that you couldn't try it with something different, but in the design of the garment, weight, drape and stretch have been considered. It's best not to deviate too far from these suggestions.This next area shows how much fabric you need to buy for your project depending on the style (view) you're making and your size. I typically round up to the nearest half yard. You know, just in case.
Lining - Make sure you get some lining if your pattern calls for it. I personally prefer a light cotton or silk lining for just about everything. Synthetics (even the so-called cling-free kind) generate more static than natural fibers. There are some polyester linings that are called cling free - these won't cling to other fabrics but may stick to you. Hang free linings won't stick to you, but may stick to other fabrics.
Contrast fabrics - don't forget to get your contrasting fabric or overlays if your pattern requires.
Notions - Don't know why they're called notions other than it's a pretty good notion to have them to complete your project. These are things like zippers, elastics, buttons, of course thread. Be sure to use the recommended sizes and types for zippers and buttons. A longer zipper may be used, but it's not always easy to work with.
From top:
It’s how much?! - Yeah, patterns can be spendy. I personally belong to the BMV.com (Butterick/McCall's/Vogue) club and purchase most of my patterns when they're having a sale. Fabric stores will often have sale on patterns, too. Never pay full price for a pattern unless you have an emergency prom dress to make or something like that. I've also found patterns at thrift stores for less than a dollar. Sometimes you get stuck with only a portion of the pattern, but often they've never even been used.
Ability level
The DDS code - this is how you will find your pattern in the drawers.
Project descriptions by view.
Size combinations of what is in the envelope. Make sure you've got the right one.
- § What if I need more than one size? - If you need to make more than one size of the same thing, the easiest thing to do (rather than getting separate patterns - $$$) is to purchase some inexpensive muslin or gridded interfacing. Trace the patterns onto that for each one you need. Believe me, it's more cost effective than buying a bunch of patterns and cutting each size separately.
- How to read Fabric Bolt Labels
- § Size - most fabrics come in one of two widths, 45" and 60" for fashion fabric. Nearly all home decorator fabric is 60". Though you may or may not actually get that full width. The narrower fabrics may be anywhere from 40" to 45" and the wider fabrics can actually be anywhere from 54" to 60" wide for example, the above bolt label shows 057 IN (57") for the width. If you have your doubts, measure the width before you purchase. Few things are as sad as finding a fabulous fabric, getting the amount required and discovering you could really use an additional 1/8 or even 1/4 of your fabric. Also, if it's a print, measure the print area. The print may not run selvedge to selvedge (edge to edge). I've seen prints which leave up to a total of 5 inches unprinted. That's rare, but it can happen.
- § Content - Your bolt end label will tell you what the fiber content is for the fabric. Well, it should. I've seen bolt labels which read, for example: 70% polyester, 30% unknown. That's always fun. The unknown fiber will probably be another kind of synthetic if the main fiber is and most likely will be another natural fiber if the main one is. Not always the case, to be sure, but often. You can always do a burn test to figure out what fibers you've got, if you're so inclined. The above is 100% polyester.
- § Cleaning method - This is important! No, really! Think about how you care for the clothes you've already got. Are you very particular about how they're washed? Does it bother you to have to go to the dry cleaner? The bolt label will tell you how your fabric should be cared for. If it does not, but you see an alpha-numeric code (such as "D2") on the label, you can ask your person at the cutting table to look up the code for you. They should have a reference book somewhere back there that will crack the code and tell you how to wash your fabric. Don't let them tell you they don't have such a thing. They do. Oh, yes. They do.
- § Handy clues - Bolts of fabric are wound with anywhere from 10 to 15 yards per bolt. Sometimes someone will have handwritten on the end "9.5" or "9 1/2" which means the original bolt had that amount wound on it. This is often the end piece and the quality may not be consistent. Check for printing alignment. The above bolt was wound with 8 yards and it's listed on the left side. Being that it's printed and not handwritten, you shouldn't have to worry about the print.
- Occasionally you may find a brightly colored blank sticker on the end. This means that there are more than one piece wrapped on the bolt. This may mean there's a seam going across it somewhere or that there are separate pieces on the bolt. Sometimes employees will consolidate bolts and will write on the end that there's more than one piece.
- You can guesstimate how much fabric is left on the bolt board (not a tube, mind, the flat cardboards) by counting the number of layers on the fold are on one side of the board. Every two layers is approximately one yard. This can come in handy when there doesn't look like enough on the bolt.
- Which thread is the right thread for my project?
- § Seam/construction thread - Cotton or poly/cotton all-purpose. Use the 100% cotton for 100% natural fibers and the blend for synthetics and blends. This will prevent any weird shrinkage issues.
- § Quilting thread
- ¨ Hand - a bit heavier, since you won't have the double thread over and under your quilt layers.
- ¨ Machine - typically very much like 100% cotton all-purpose (I've used all-purpose for quilting in a pinch)
- § Machine Embroidery thread - usually rayon. You do not want to use this for construction sewing. It's not made for that and your seams will not be sturdy. It's made to be pretty.
- § Serger thread - Comes on cones. You can find it in either 100% cotton or in a blend to suit your needs. Most of the time you're serging knit fabrics and a lot of those are blends anymore.
- § Specialty threads - Button thread - stronger and thicker than regular thread and should be used for buttons that get heavy duty use, like on a winter coat.
- Denim thread - is made for heavier fabrics, ie denim, duck or canvas. It doesn't come in as many colors as your all-purpose variety.
- Upholstery thread - this stuff is very heavy and made for - you guessed it - upholstering furniture. You can also use it for buttons on cushions which get a lot of wear and tear.
- Tools, tools, tools!
- § I need a wha’? - There are so many tools out these days to help make the sewing process easier and faster. I'll probably end up doing a piece just on tools alone. You don't need them all.
- § Machines
- ¨ Sewing - know what you plan on sewing. Don't get more machine than you need.
- ¨ Serging - I love my serger, I really do. It's awesome for working with knits. I just wish they'd find a way to make them easier to thread and clean.
- ¨ Specialty - these can be anything from embroidery machines to long arm quilters.
- § Cut the stuff
- ¨ Blades and self-healing mats - I don't know how quilters did it before Olfa and the other blade brands came out with rotary blades and self-healing mats. Well, I do actually, and it sucked. No lie. I don't envy anyone who made quilts before these miracles came out.
- ¨ Pinker - this is the one with the ziggy-zaggy blades. They're excellent for cutting fabrics that fray easily.
- ¨ Shears - your basic cutters. I like spring-loaded ones.
- ¨ Small scissors - I have a couple pairs of small scissors, including kid's blunt point for plane rides and one for tiny detail cutting.
- § Needles - You can get universal needles for both hand sewing and machine sewing. Having a set of each is great for any sewing you might need to do, at least for a start.
- § Feet - For your sewing machine. The piece that comes down and helps to hold your fabric as it's fed through the machine is called a foot. Beyond your basic foot that came with your machine, you should have a zipper foot and a blind hem foot is a nice thing to have. Often the zipper foot comes with your machine. A button hole foot can be helpful, too. It helps you to make buttons holes in uniform sizes.
- § Marking tools - I have a blue pencil and a white pencil that can be washed out. I've found that's all I need. I used to have sheets of colored wax paper and the little pizza cutter-like tracing tool, but I've found that having the two pencils is just as effective and takes up less room. Tailor's chalk is handy for, well, tailoring and making larger marks.
- § Measuring tools - I have about a hundred cloth measuring tapes. Not really, but it seems like it. I have on upstairs, one by my ironing board, one in my travel kit, one by my machine... I have a few templates for cutting shapes for quilts, too, but you can go really crazy with those things. You can get a template for every shape you can imagine. Just go to the quilting department of your local sewing shop and you'll see what I mean. I've found that I really only need a couple of rulers and I do like my hexagons and easy Dresden templates.
- What are remnants and fat quarters, and what can I make with them?
- Remnants are pieces of fabric one yard or less. Usually they are offered at a discount.
- Fat Quarters are pieces that equal a quarter yard but are 20" x 18" instead of 9" x 40". They are almost always 100% cotton and are typically found in the quilter's department.
- § Gifts - rems and FQs are just the right size for making small gifts, bags, pillows, potholders, water and wine bottle covers, soft body dolls. The possibilities are limited only by your imagination.
- § Repairs - they are also great to have on hand for repairs. Rather than paying the price for a hunk off the bolt, check the remnant bin for a suitable fabric to patch a garment. I also prefer this to pre-made iron-on patches. By the way, the smallest amount that sellers can cut for purchase is 1/8 yard or 4.5 inches. Depending on the fabric, you may find a rem for less than you would pay for that 1/8 yard.
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I hope this helps you get ready for your next trip to the fabric store.
Friday, March 7, 2014
March's Friday Field Trip
Okay, since the weather was really crummy last month, this month's field trip will be to where we were supposed to have gone in February - JoAnn's Fabrics and Crafts in Edina. Please refer to the February Field Trip page for links and more information. Because I hate repeating myself. Plus, I'm totally lazy today.
I actually have some little worksheets for everyone to follow along with what I plan on talking about while we're there, so it'd be really awesome if someone showed up. It's not required, of course, but it'd be fun. 5 or 6 "students" is probably enough.
Unless we have one of our Minnesota March Winter Storms, I plan on keeping this on the schedule. Which is Friday, March 21st, 10:00 am. Come on, flowerpots! You know you wanna...
I actually have some little worksheets for everyone to follow along with what I plan on talking about while we're there, so it'd be really awesome if someone showed up. It's not required, of course, but it'd be fun. 5 or 6 "students" is probably enough.
Unless we have one of our Minnesota March Winter Storms, I plan on keeping this on the schedule. Which is Friday, March 21st, 10:00 am. Come on, flowerpots! You know you wanna...
Thursday, February 20, 2014
Thrifty Thursday (Finally!)
I hate to post this, because, sadly, one of my favorite places to get fabric is going out of business. It was in the same neighborhood as my credit union, so it was a handy location (a little too handy, really). They always had good deals, unusual fabrics and probably the best collection of batiks this side of S.R. Harris (which will be one of our future field trips, BTW). Yes, Mill End Textiles is slowly liquidating their stock and boy, howdy! The deals are amazing!
If one of your neighborhood fabric meccas is going out of business, run, walk, drag your butt out in the cold blast of winter or hot steam of summer to get there! In the last three months while Mill End has been liquidating, I've hit the store about 5 times. I've purchased approximately $500.00 worth of fabric for about $175. I got thread at cost, cord and decorator trim for pennies and, in possibly the greatest tool coup ever, an Olfa compass rotary cutter for under $6. I went to a Jo Ann's immediately after to price the same cutter - $32.99!
What?! Yeah.
Of course, you run the risk of not getting enough of something and going back for more only to discover it's gone. That did happen to me. I eventually found the print I wanted in a different color combination that was just as cool as the one I had originally purchased, so I got that in enough for a dress. Yes, yes I did. Naturally I got stuff I don't NEED (like the thing-y to make fabric roses) but it was something I would only buy on ridiculous sale. Besides that, I'm hoping to use it in a segment for the blog, so it was worth it. I've been going through my fabrics at a rapid pace and felt the need to reward myself for a job well done. Granted, I'm only filling up the space I just emptied, but haven't we all done that at some point? (Please say yes. Please.)
Your assignment: Look around town, in the Sunday paper, on the net for places in your area closing up shop. Even if you've never been there before, check them out. You never know what treasures you'll find! Also, don't forget Field Trip Friday tomorrow at the Edina Jo Ann's at 10 am. If you plan on joining me, shoot me an email - totallytoots10@gmail.com!
If one of your neighborhood fabric meccas is going out of business, run, walk, drag your butt out in the cold blast of winter or hot steam of summer to get there! In the last three months while Mill End has been liquidating, I've hit the store about 5 times. I've purchased approximately $500.00 worth of fabric for about $175. I got thread at cost, cord and decorator trim for pennies and, in possibly the greatest tool coup ever, an Olfa compass rotary cutter for under $6. I went to a Jo Ann's immediately after to price the same cutter - $32.99!
What?! Yeah.
Of course, you run the risk of not getting enough of something and going back for more only to discover it's gone. That did happen to me. I eventually found the print I wanted in a different color combination that was just as cool as the one I had originally purchased, so I got that in enough for a dress. Yes, yes I did. Naturally I got stuff I don't NEED (like the thing-y to make fabric roses) but it was something I would only buy on ridiculous sale. Besides that, I'm hoping to use it in a segment for the blog, so it was worth it. I've been going through my fabrics at a rapid pace and felt the need to reward myself for a job well done. Granted, I'm only filling up the space I just emptied, but haven't we all done that at some point? (Please say yes. Please.)
Your assignment: Look around town, in the Sunday paper, on the net for places in your area closing up shop. Even if you've never been there before, check them out. You never know what treasures you'll find! Also, don't forget Field Trip Friday tomorrow at the Edina Jo Ann's at 10 am. If you plan on joining me, shoot me an email - totallytoots10@gmail.com!
Monday, February 17, 2014
Snowy day ramblings...
I'm writing this on President's Day and we're getting more snow. Occasionally, the wind will blow enough to send a flurry off of the roof and obscure my view of the neighborhood. I'm rather glad to not have to be out in this stuff.
The cabin fever, however, is starting to get to me. I know I have plenty of projects to work on, but I'm missing getting out in the world. Fortunately, I've been working on a show ("I Love you, You're Perfect, Now Change!") which opened last weekend, but it's a very limited run and I only have two more performances left. I also have to wait 5 more days for those final performances.
Performing is actually my first love. When I wasn't well over the last year, I stopped performing because a) I didn't know when I'd have a spasm and b) what if I couldn't perform anymore? Besides that, I had already planned on trying my hand at a design career. When that looked as though it was really not going to happen, I became ill. Enter the dreaded mis-diagnosed nervous breakdown.
Everybody's got their something, goes the song (Nikka Costa, in case you're unfamiliar), and into my 40s I still feel like I don't know what that something is. If it's what I think it is, why in the world does it have to be something that is so difficult to break into and actually get paid for doing? I love performing and creating, but I fear selling out.
I have a friend who does art on commission. The person says, "I want something that looks like this." She makes it. Now that something can be anything from custom wedding invitations to a portrait of a baby, a Mad Hatter's Hat or a company logo. I think to myself, "I could never do that. I don't want to be beholden to someone else's ideas." But I fear my own ideas are unworthy.
This of course is just one of many ways that I hold myself back from doing what I love. Yet I still think, as I'm working on my own ideas, that no one will like what I have to offer, even though there's plenty of evidence to the contrary. This isn't just my artwork, this applies to my stage work as well. For example, I've auditioned multiple times for a certain professional company and have yet to be hired. In the back of my mind, way deep in the recesses, there's a teensy weensy voice that tries to remind me that most times it's all what the director has in mind before auditions even happen. That voice is always drowned out by the one that says, "You suck. Why do you bother?"
The thing is, I don't suck. So, why don't these people who are casting realize this? I go into auditions prepared, looking good, and... terrified. They must sense this fear. Like horses, they can smell it. I've tried for years to fix this and cover it up. It hasn't always worked, that's for sure. In fact, there was a time when I lived in New York when I developed agoraphobia and couldn't leave to house on my own. I'd get just so far down the street and I'd have to turn back. Eventually I quit going anywhere alone and would manage to convince my friends that hanging out at my place was a great idea (they seemed to buy into this, too, so I must've been doing something right).
To this day, I won't leave the house unless it's either necessary or I feel the odds are with me. Sadly, if it turns out the odds were agin me, I stay home again for long periods of time. This winter has not helped the situation. The cold weather wreaks havoc on my fibromyalgia and since Minnesota has been below zero for the majority of winter this year, it has been quite easy to give in to those old voices in my head.
I actually made a New Year's Resolution to get dressed every day. For most of last year while I was dealing with my illness, I lived in my pajamas. Heck, I'm writing this in my pjs right now (it's before noon, so I'm safe).
Nope. I just guilted myself into getting dressed.
Anyway, it must be true that you are what you wear, at least to a certain extent. I mean, I practically dressed like a character I was auditioning for and still didn't get it, and I did really well at the audition, but directors have a vision for a show. Sometimes you fit that vision, other times, you don't. It's the hardest lesson for an actor to learn.
However, when I take the time to change from pj pants to jeans, put on some socks, run a comb through my hair and wash my face, I feel a bit freer, a bit more ready to face the world if I must. Even if I'm not dressed to the hilt, at least I'm not in my pjs. I always thought it would be great to spend my days not needing to get dressed, lounging in my jammies. It's not that great. Oh, maybe once in a while, when you're feeling sick enough to stay in bed, sure. By all means, stay in your jammies. But I have to say, even though most times it's just jeans and a t-shirt, getting dressed every day has been a major mood lifter. Isn't it funny how something so mundane can make such a difference? I get dressed and go down to my shop to work, I'll go to the store rather than call my husband and ask if he can pick something up. There still aren't a whole lot of places I must go in a week, and once the show is done on Saturday, I'll be back to just going to the store, the credit union and taking the boys to school in the morning, but at least I'm dressed.
This is one reason why I've decided to do the Friday Field Trips, to help me get out of the house more often, give me a reason to get up, get dressed and do something in the world. So, since this Friday is the first field trip, I hope you'll consider joining me, if you're in the area. I'd love that. I will be at JoAnn's in Edina at 10 am. Please email me to let me know you're coming so I can expect you. totallytoots10@gmail.com
The cabin fever, however, is starting to get to me. I know I have plenty of projects to work on, but I'm missing getting out in the world. Fortunately, I've been working on a show ("I Love you, You're Perfect, Now Change!") which opened last weekend, but it's a very limited run and I only have two more performances left. I also have to wait 5 more days for those final performances.
Performing is actually my first love. When I wasn't well over the last year, I stopped performing because a) I didn't know when I'd have a spasm and b) what if I couldn't perform anymore? Besides that, I had already planned on trying my hand at a design career. When that looked as though it was really not going to happen, I became ill. Enter the dreaded mis-diagnosed nervous breakdown.
Everybody's got their something, goes the song (Nikka Costa, in case you're unfamiliar), and into my 40s I still feel like I don't know what that something is. If it's what I think it is, why in the world does it have to be something that is so difficult to break into and actually get paid for doing? I love performing and creating, but I fear selling out.
I have a friend who does art on commission. The person says, "I want something that looks like this." She makes it. Now that something can be anything from custom wedding invitations to a portrait of a baby, a Mad Hatter's Hat or a company logo. I think to myself, "I could never do that. I don't want to be beholden to someone else's ideas." But I fear my own ideas are unworthy.
This of course is just one of many ways that I hold myself back from doing what I love. Yet I still think, as I'm working on my own ideas, that no one will like what I have to offer, even though there's plenty of evidence to the contrary. This isn't just my artwork, this applies to my stage work as well. For example, I've auditioned multiple times for a certain professional company and have yet to be hired. In the back of my mind, way deep in the recesses, there's a teensy weensy voice that tries to remind me that most times it's all what the director has in mind before auditions even happen. That voice is always drowned out by the one that says, "You suck. Why do you bother?"
The thing is, I don't suck. So, why don't these people who are casting realize this? I go into auditions prepared, looking good, and... terrified. They must sense this fear. Like horses, they can smell it. I've tried for years to fix this and cover it up. It hasn't always worked, that's for sure. In fact, there was a time when I lived in New York when I developed agoraphobia and couldn't leave to house on my own. I'd get just so far down the street and I'd have to turn back. Eventually I quit going anywhere alone and would manage to convince my friends that hanging out at my place was a great idea (they seemed to buy into this, too, so I must've been doing something right).
To this day, I won't leave the house unless it's either necessary or I feel the odds are with me. Sadly, if it turns out the odds were agin me, I stay home again for long periods of time. This winter has not helped the situation. The cold weather wreaks havoc on my fibromyalgia and since Minnesota has been below zero for the majority of winter this year, it has been quite easy to give in to those old voices in my head.
I actually made a New Year's Resolution to get dressed every day. For most of last year while I was dealing with my illness, I lived in my pajamas. Heck, I'm writing this in my pjs right now (it's before noon, so I'm safe).
Nope. I just guilted myself into getting dressed.
Anyway, it must be true that you are what you wear, at least to a certain extent. I mean, I practically dressed like a character I was auditioning for and still didn't get it, and I did really well at the audition, but directors have a vision for a show. Sometimes you fit that vision, other times, you don't. It's the hardest lesson for an actor to learn.
However, when I take the time to change from pj pants to jeans, put on some socks, run a comb through my hair and wash my face, I feel a bit freer, a bit more ready to face the world if I must. Even if I'm not dressed to the hilt, at least I'm not in my pjs. I always thought it would be great to spend my days not needing to get dressed, lounging in my jammies. It's not that great. Oh, maybe once in a while, when you're feeling sick enough to stay in bed, sure. By all means, stay in your jammies. But I have to say, even though most times it's just jeans and a t-shirt, getting dressed every day has been a major mood lifter. Isn't it funny how something so mundane can make such a difference? I get dressed and go down to my shop to work, I'll go to the store rather than call my husband and ask if he can pick something up. There still aren't a whole lot of places I must go in a week, and once the show is done on Saturday, I'll be back to just going to the store, the credit union and taking the boys to school in the morning, but at least I'm dressed.
This is one reason why I've decided to do the Friday Field Trips, to help me get out of the house more often, give me a reason to get up, get dressed and do something in the world. So, since this Friday is the first field trip, I hope you'll consider joining me, if you're in the area. I'd love that. I will be at JoAnn's in Edina at 10 am. Please email me to let me know you're coming so I can expect you. totallytoots10@gmail.com
Sunday, February 16, 2014
Trying New Things
I don't know about you, but I have ADHD. I have several projects going at once. My husband thinks that silly, but he's able to focus on one thing at a time better than I. For me, boredom sets in rather quickly and I simply must do something else for at least a few minutes.
A couple of weeks ago I saw a project to make fabric cards for Valentine's day. It required a notion called Timtex, a stiff interfacing used for lining purses and other craft projects. JoAnn's carries a similar product called Peltex. It's a branding thing. Anyway, I decided to purchase some. I doubted I would actually make the Valentines, but wanted to use it somehow.
Now, you can get it where it's fusible on both sides, but I didn't get that kind. Mine's fusible on one side. So it sat in my shop for a while, me staring at it wondering what the heck I was going to do with it. I swear it was staring back at me.
I had some quilt scraps left over from a batik quilt I made for our old babysitter when she graduated and went off to college. I stitched some of those together. None of them were the same size. Not something I could put together in another big piece. Then it hit me! Fuse them to the Peltex! So I did that with as many as I could get onto the 1/2 yard I bought.
Neat!
Now what?
Muslin! Stitch muslin to the back sides. I got a hunk of it and pressed it. I cut pieces to fit all the little patches. Then I started wondering if I should paint the muslins. I got out some acrylic inks and found a stack of dried baby wipes I had set aside to use... somehow. I'll explain later. The upshot of it is, I started playing with the inks and writing quotes on the back sides of these "cards". I also stitched some 1/8 inch ribbon onto one edge so that they may be hung, either side out, on the wall or from your keychain or whatever.
Okay, the baby wipes thing: If you've read my previous entries, you may be aware that I'm a big fan of the protection of orangutans. All animals, really, but orangs are my favorite. I've even played one on stage. Anyway, the harvesting of palm oil has become a real problem for their survival and that of many other species. Palm oil use is insidious. Some companies use responsibly harvested palm oil, most however, do not. Rain forests and peat marshes which are home to the orangutans and many other vital species are being destroyed in order to create palm plantations.
Palm oil is not necessarily harmful on it's own, but get too much of it (like anything) and it can be detrimental to your health. It's in nearly every packaged snack food you can name (from Oreos to Twizzlers to granola bars) it's in things which need to be spread, (margarine, peanut butter, Nutella), it's in the cleansing products we use on our face, body and hair. It's even in baby wipes. I used them to remove make-up quickly and easily after a show. I have two sons and you know I used wipes on their li'l behinds. But I couldn't fathom having them touch my face when I found out about the palm oil (listed as stearate in most body and hair products).
I'm also not for just throwing stuff out in a lump, either. So, I decided to repurpose the wipes. I laid them out on my worktable and let them dry. They have an interesting texture. I figured I should be able to use them somehow in my art. They take the acrylic ink very well, too, as I discovered.
I then spent several minutes dyeing baby wipes with the ink. I still don't know for what I'll use them, but at least I now know I can.
Your assignment: look around your home for things you can repurpose into your art. Those card stock pieces in the tights you bought for your little girl? Book marks, template material, ribbon organizers. Spice jars? Glitter catchers. Pasta jars? Button organizers. Get out of the comfort zone and look at things from new angles.
A couple of weeks ago I saw a project to make fabric cards for Valentine's day. It required a notion called Timtex, a stiff interfacing used for lining purses and other craft projects. JoAnn's carries a similar product called Peltex. It's a branding thing. Anyway, I decided to purchase some. I doubted I would actually make the Valentines, but wanted to use it somehow.
Now, you can get it where it's fusible on both sides, but I didn't get that kind. Mine's fusible on one side. So it sat in my shop for a while, me staring at it wondering what the heck I was going to do with it. I swear it was staring back at me.
I had some quilt scraps left over from a batik quilt I made for our old babysitter when she graduated and went off to college. I stitched some of those together. None of them were the same size. Not something I could put together in another big piece. Then it hit me! Fuse them to the Peltex! So I did that with as many as I could get onto the 1/2 yard I bought.
Neat!
Now what?
Muslin! Stitch muslin to the back sides. I got a hunk of it and pressed it. I cut pieces to fit all the little patches. Then I started wondering if I should paint the muslins. I got out some acrylic inks and found a stack of dried baby wipes I had set aside to use... somehow. I'll explain later. The upshot of it is, I started playing with the inks and writing quotes on the back sides of these "cards". I also stitched some 1/8 inch ribbon onto one edge so that they may be hung, either side out, on the wall or from your keychain or whatever.
 |
| This one uses a repurposed baby wipe. |
 |
| Muslin backing. Sometimes I forget to edit my photos. Echt. |
 |
| The batik sides. One could make Christmas ornaments this way... |
Okay, the baby wipes thing: If you've read my previous entries, you may be aware that I'm a big fan of the protection of orangutans. All animals, really, but orangs are my favorite. I've even played one on stage. Anyway, the harvesting of palm oil has become a real problem for their survival and that of many other species. Palm oil use is insidious. Some companies use responsibly harvested palm oil, most however, do not. Rain forests and peat marshes which are home to the orangutans and many other vital species are being destroyed in order to create palm plantations.
Palm oil is not necessarily harmful on it's own, but get too much of it (like anything) and it can be detrimental to your health. It's in nearly every packaged snack food you can name (from Oreos to Twizzlers to granola bars) it's in things which need to be spread, (margarine, peanut butter, Nutella), it's in the cleansing products we use on our face, body and hair. It's even in baby wipes. I used them to remove make-up quickly and easily after a show. I have two sons and you know I used wipes on their li'l behinds. But I couldn't fathom having them touch my face when I found out about the palm oil (listed as stearate in most body and hair products).
I'm also not for just throwing stuff out in a lump, either. So, I decided to repurpose the wipes. I laid them out on my worktable and let them dry. They have an interesting texture. I figured I should be able to use them somehow in my art. They take the acrylic ink very well, too, as I discovered.
I then spent several minutes dyeing baby wipes with the ink. I still don't know for what I'll use them, but at least I now know I can.
 |
| Abstract rose study |
 |
| Detail of the green stripes. I'm thinking snake skins and dragons... |
Your assignment: look around your home for things you can repurpose into your art. Those card stock pieces in the tights you bought for your little girl? Book marks, template material, ribbon organizers. Spice jars? Glitter catchers. Pasta jars? Button organizers. Get out of the comfort zone and look at things from new angles.
Friday, February 7, 2014
February Field Trip Scheduled
Our February 21st Field trip Friday is going to be to the JoAnn Fabric and Craft store in Edina. It's in the Yorktown Mall at 3411 Hazelton (between York and France Avenues).
I'm working on a syllabus of sorts, but some of the topics I plan on covering are as follows:
Finding the right pattern for you
How to read those bolt labels
Which thread is right for your project?
Handy Tools! What do I really need?
What the heck can I make with a remnant?
We'll meet at JoAnn's at 10 am just inside the entry. Plan on being there about an hour. I can manage 5 or 6 "students" to keep things within the time frame. I'll be there regardless, but please email me at totallytoots10@gmail.com if you're interested in joining me and if you have any topics you'd like me to address. I have bright auburn hair and fuchsia/red glasses, you can't miss me.
Bring a way to take notes and any questions you may have. If you're working on a project and you're stuck, I'll be more than happy to see if I can help you with it, so bring that along.
I'm working on a syllabus of sorts, but some of the topics I plan on covering are as follows:
Finding the right pattern for you
How to read those bolt labels
Which thread is right for your project?
Handy Tools! What do I really need?
What the heck can I make with a remnant?
We'll meet at JoAnn's at 10 am just inside the entry. Plan on being there about an hour. I can manage 5 or 6 "students" to keep things within the time frame. I'll be there regardless, but please email me at totallytoots10@gmail.com if you're interested in joining me and if you have any topics you'd like me to address. I have bright auburn hair and fuchsia/red glasses, you can't miss me.
Bring a way to take notes and any questions you may have. If you're working on a project and you're stuck, I'll be more than happy to see if I can help you with it, so bring that along.
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