I’m a creeper

No, I’m not creepy. Well, unless you see me in the morning. And I’m not that kind of creeper… I creep blogs.

I admit it. I have a whole host of blogs that have not been added to my Blog Roll (is there anyone else out there who HATES that? I mean, can I change the name of that to like, my bloggies or something?) Anyways…there are SO many good blogs out there and it seems like every day I find new ones I love and bookmark. OK and to make it worse, my work computer has a bunch of different  blogs on it than my home computer.

These are some of my new favorites and in no particular order:

• Red Heads Craft More Fun <-the name rocks. Redheaded crafters are just special. But her craft is down to earth and she’s fun to read. And she plays with jute. Have I ever told you I can MAKE twine? Oh yeah, hidden talent.
• Can’t Stop Making Things I get this. I totally understand this statement, which makes it a fab blog title. I love love love the greenhouse cloche
• Crafts In Bloom This site is great and it’s one of those sites that keeps on giving. It’s like getting lost in a sea of crafty blogs
• Oops I Craft My Pants OK, I have to find where these crafters got their names… I mean, that’s precious. She is modge-podge terrific and has given me some great spin off ideas…pictures to come later. You know, when they are finished.
• Cookies and Cups Admittedly I just found this one and it’s NOT a craft blog. But it looks so goooooooood. I’m going to say that it’s just terrible we have a lot of snow and I have a lot of flour, sugar, and chocolate in my house. Pssst…I want her pirate cupcakes for my birthday. Hey- it’s 7 1/2 months away, you better be planning.

I hope you go check out these blogs. A lot of time and energy go into them and a lot of inspiration comes out of them. So what are you doing, get moving, and then get crafting (or making my birthday cupcakes).

Things besides sewing

Hey guess what!!! It’s supposed to snow again tomorrow. I’m fairly sure this is the world telling me I am the Snow Queen. Don’t worry, I’ll be humble and treat everyone with the respect I deserve. :)

So the sewing bit has been a little slow. Yes, I did sew three (ahem, sort of) bags this weekend and a wrist pin cushion, and there are more things I want to sew… but I’ve also been doing things like painting. Rooms. And then realizing the rooms are WAY too white. So now I have to go back and find a new color to paint because it’s just too white. Crazy, huh?

I’ve also been working on Mom’s birthday gift. I’m not gonna say what it is but it’s been fun. And challenging. And I hope I get it finished in time for her birthday.

I’ve also been taking some photos lately. Nothing crazy, just playing with some camera settings. But here is one I am particularly proud of  This a picture of my Grandma’s bell. I love it.

But I just wanted to show off some other things I’ve been doing besides sewing. Funny, none of those include school work, but…eh…it’ll get done.

This is my “I’ve not been eaten by the Abominable Snowman” Post

It snowed. A lot. So again, the Lulu house has been busy with…well… the usual things she keeps herself busy with when she can’t leave the house.

I’ve sewed two different totes and I admit, neither is finished. One I realized there is absolutely NO bias tape in my stash that matches (or is wide enough) and the other…well…I forgot to sew on the tag so I have to hand sew it… eh. I’m pleased with them both. The one needing bias tape I like to call “Not your Grandma’s Roses” and the other is a huge pre-embroidered brown tote with a yellow faux bois lining. Love it.

One thing I’ve noticed this winter is that when I’m stuck in the house, is things annoy me. So Mr. Lulu and I repainted the dining room. Here is a before and after shot.

It’s a big change. I’ve hung some photos that we’ve had in the house here and there but what I’m looking for are a few white tiles with a relief-type pattern. But the only ones I can find are $600  on Etsy. What I might end up doing is playing around with some black and white photos and hanging them. Something kinda like this:

I don’t know yet, though. There are a lot of good artists out there and I just can’t decide. If I can’t decide- then I wait!

Well, guess I’m gonna go paint some more. This is my “I’ve not been eaten by the Abominable Snowman” post… So I promise to post pictures of sewing (and even a new bag I created last night!) soon.

This post has absolutely nothing to do with sewing

Not so sewing related, but I’ve got the winter itchies. The winter itchies result in buying cans of paint and redoing this inside of my house. This past year led to lots of changes in the Lulu house and plans we thought would happen didn’t so now we go with plans c, d, e, and so on. Yes yes, the best laid plans…. whatever.

The dining room is almost finished what Mr. Lulu calls “blanched broccoli” or better known as Valspar’s Meadow Twilight.  I’d show you a picture but when you type in “Meadow Twilight” you get pictures of the Twilight Series, and frankly, I refuse to torture my readers. The curtains are made and ready to be hung when the walls are finished. A new centerpiece for the big wall has been ordered and ready to replace the wall of fire. Over all, the room will be more “us” and I’m really quite excited. Yesterday I bought a can of “ultra white” to paint our back room where the books are and the hall where the laundry closet and water heater is. I am frustrated with the flat paint on the walls. It’s a nice shade, but right now, it’s time for a little change.

My other frustration is with chairs. Yes, chairs. Right now in our living room, we have two hunter green, brocade wingbacks that are so uncomfortable. And uninviting. And just so not us. So I’m looking for new chairs. DO YOU KNOW HOW DIFFICULT IT IS TO FIND 2 CHAIRS THAT ARE NOT UGLY, STIFF, BEIGE, AND UNDER $1000!?!??! And apparently EVERY color out there for a chair falls under the category of “muted.” It’s an accent chair. Why do I want it muted? And DO NOT suggest A) recovering the ugly wingbacks because, no. or B) buying a chair shape I like and covering it (again, defeats the purpose). So really, I just want to find a nice chair (blue) that will flow with the rest of the house. I guess that’s too much to ask for.

After that, the list goes on to scraping and painting windows, ripping up carpet, laying hardwood, getting carpets stretched, more bookshelves… At some point, I’m sure it’s better to get RID of books. I just can’t stomach the thought… Landscaping, planting bushes, more flowers, ripping up a rose monster… The list grows- almost as fast as the rose monster

I actually look forward to the snow we are supposed to get, because I can’t stand being in my house when projects are not finished. It drives me batty. If I am stuck inside, I am guaranteed to finish my projects. If I’m at work, it’s torturing me that the projects aren’t being finished. The winter itchies have started and they won’t go away until the scratching is finished.

Time to Review- a happy customer

There is a new blog in town and she’s aiming at all of us service providers! Time to Review just started, but TOLB was the second review she did. I’ve made a couple tote bags and a matching make up bag for her and she was kind enough to post a review. Check it out, book mark her, and see what she reviews next.

I’m very pleased she uses her bags. It’s great to see them out in town!

Snow and Sew

It’s snowing. It has been snowing since about 8am (it’s now 10pm) and there’s enough snow that it’s actually inside my screened in porch.  The plows haven’t even been down the road and the wind is howling. It’s a really icky day.

So I’ve stayed inside and generally had a lovely day napping, blogging, and sewing. I’ve had a chance to work on a couple projects. The Chinese Take Out bag, Chinese left overs, and a medium sized green striped canvas tote. I love these bags. I have had so much fun putting them together. And don’t forget to check the Etsy site, they are for sale!

Buying a sewing machine is like buying a car…

When I first learned to drive, I drove what my parents gave me, so I ran around in my Cavalier (Carl the Coconut) or the Taurus (with the sunroof … sunroofs and umbrellas are fun :) But then, it was time to buy my first car. And I bought what I could afford on $17,000 salary. Yes, that was my first my job. I made $17,000 (OK, not true, first it was $10,000 until I got a promotion) and I bought a Ford Contour. My parents helped, and I’m eternally thankful, although I’m not sure what it was contoured for, except breaking down. My second car, bought with my husband, was a Nissan Sentra. We went on a snowy day and really got a “good deal.” Um, sorta- a computer needed replaced, the back window, the head gasket went, tires, leaked…and we found out that the “one owner” car had hit something large and rigid and caused a massive bend in the front frame. Oops. Funny, Carfax didn’t tell me that. So my newest car, a Toyota, was bought with lots of test driving, lots of research, and lots of deer telling me how much they liked it afterwards…

But anyways, onto how this relates to sewing. My first sewing machine was a gift from my Mother. It was a Brother. It did the job until my frequency of sewing picked up. So I bought a Singer Confidence. I bought a Singer mostly because of the name. I looked around, people seemed to like it, so I went for it. And regret it. Because if you’ve been reading TOLB, then you’d know it’s been less than a year, twice in the shop, and I’m already looking for a new one.

Pfaff Hobby

The first sewing machine I’ve looked at it is a Pfaff. I have a local Pfaff dealer and he’s offering me lots of promises of it never breaking down, a good solid machine, and the ability to trade up if I’d like. So I’m looking at a Pfaff Hobby.

It’s expensive. It’s not computerized. It is missing a lot of bells and whistles I like from my Singer but again, I have to remember that I’m not buying a cheap machine.

Viking Emerald

Yesterday I went to try out a Viking. I was looking at the Emerald series and when talking to the sewing machine man, he said that the Emerald series is actually made by Janome, another good brand but one I overlooked. So why should I buy a Viking Emerald when it is a Janome with the Viking name on it?

So I test drove the Janome DC2010. I actually really liked this machine. It’s computerized, it’s got a drop in bobbin (but not a self winding one), 50 stitches, lots of accessories, and a good service warranty. It was quiet. It was smooth sailing- or sewing, I guess.

Janome DC2010

I’ve also started looking at Berninas. Now all of this leaves me in quite a pickle. I want to buy a good sewing machine. I want to buy something that will last, that will be with me when I change my wardrobe and my home decor. I want something that will last…

But how do you find something that you can trust when 1) you are being talked to by a salesman who is intent on selling you something. 2) that you are actually getting a good deal. 3) that you are not being fleeced for fun. Am I buying a machine to support someone’s overpriced goods? Am I buying something that will break down? Will the Pfaff man tell me the truth? Can I trust the what the Viking guy said about the Janomes?

And this is how buying a sewing machine is like buying a car. Lots of money, immediate depreciation, and blindly trusting a product (that apparently is only good if made in Sweden?) See…I’m at a loss. In the mean time, at least I know I still have plenty of time to decide. And more to read, although, if onemore forum says “it’s really just what you want…” I’m going to scream…

Belly dance costume and grocery bag

So I tried to use WordPress on my Blackberry. I had no luck. I fought with just getting the stinkin’ application to download, but then after that, I couldn’t get it to post. So I’ve had this post sitting on my phone for about three days because, hey, did you know that whatever you save on your phone doesn’t cross over to what’s on an actual computer? Thanks, WordPress!

You’ll have to forgive me here, because I’m tired and irritated. It was a long day at work filled with incompetency, followed with a trip to Hancock Fabrics (Which was just painful. Who lets a woman who can’t use her right arm and is currently using her left to cut fabric???), and then when I sat down to do my homework, I realized (after 2 weeks) that I have the wrong book. It’s been one of those nights. And days apparently,  because this is the fourth time I’ve tried to post this.

OK, so here are pictures of the choli, the sari belt I started. The sari belt is a patchwork of sari material. It still isn’t finished but maybe today. I also made a new bag for my zills and my dance shoes, but it’s on the other computer and well, there are technical issues currently at the Bean Abode.

I also started to work on another pattern. This is a very similar bag to my Greenfeet grocery bag. This is made of a psychedelic almost flannel fabric I received for Christmas and lined with a brownish/ purple cotton. It also has a swivel hook with an attached small pouch for things like a bus pass or a grocery card.

So there you have it … what I’ve been sewing. And fighting with.

Today is supposed to be snow filled, so it’s a good thing I bought more fabric! I started cutting out patterns last night and will work on them today.

Fat Quarter Shop…how did I miss this?

I saw in a magazine (uh-oh, I forget which one!!) but anyways, I remembered I wanted to go to this store, Fat Quarter Shop. Why have I not been there sooner?

Immediately I bolted (get it? eh? ok, bad pun) over to the sale page, because, lets face it, I have a ton of fabric and should only buy it if I really really want it or if it’s a really really good deal. But what do you do if it’s fabric you can’t find anywhere AND it’s a good deal?

My answer to that question is spend money and buy fabric. My husband might not agree. However, he did agree that the man fabric was cool.  I haven’t seen fabric like this, especially at my usual haunts: Jo-Anns or Hancock Fabric.

This might be a must-purchase. I mean, men need man-bags!

But Fat Quarter Shop had plenty of fabric to drool over. As a matter of fact, I’m heading back there. I need to get my fabric fix before bed!

Shimmy Shimmy Shimmy!

I said I wasn’t going to take another belly dance class but, I did. That’s what happens when friends make agreements while drinking! So my friend and I signed up for another class taught by Veda Sereem. We dared ourselves to take intermediate rather than another beginners class.

So I needed new clothes. OK, I probably didn’t but I did. I sewed myself a new choli and started a new decorative belt made out of sari fabrics. I did take pictures, but they are on my phone. Which is downstairs. So they will have to wait.

But I love the way the choli turned out. I used a jersey knit, blue fabric. I HATE JERSEY KNITS. But you know what? The more I work with them, the less I hate them. OK, not true, but the more I begin to understand them. The stretch and pull but are oh so comfy (right, because they stretch and pull!) I’ll try and get the pictures up tonight.