Hey there sewing friends, I hope you are all are currently warm and snug in your houses This week my family experienced a 2 day power outage that put quite the crimp in my plans for the week. There was a very bad ice storm that brought down power lines in record numbers. Our local electricity company reported that only Hurricane Sandy had more power outages. (Ironically we didn't lose power at all during Sandy.) After a day and a half I packed up my son and headed to my in-laws to warm up and have a decent meal....and maybe get a social media fix. I missed you internet!!!!
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Before I cut and ran there was plenty of time to make sewing plans, cut out fabric, and try to explain a power outage to a 3 year old. (His take - "Daddy break TV?") Here are a couple things "I discovered" while waiting for the zombies to show up.
- One way of getting back your sewing mojo is to not be able to sew at all. Thanks power company, you're doing God's work.
- Hooray for TNT patterns and stashed kid's prints. Cutting out a couple dresses and PJ's in fun prints will raise your core temp about 5 degrees. Fangy Clouds!
- Getting into the habit of prewashing all fabric as it enters the house is one of the best things I've learned. OK maybe flossing regularly was a better habit than prewashing, but this isn't a dental hygiene blog. Ewwwww.
- If an ice storm is forecasted then for the love of God print out all the PDF patterns. Don't decide to go to bed like a chump. Go liberate the printer from your husband's clutches instead, cause your future sanity depends on it.
- I can "use up" a brand new rotary cutting blade in a day. It died of sheer exhaustion with out ever getting to taste my blood. Muhaa haaa, even my frozen fingers are too fast.
- You can trace patterns and cut fabric by candle light, eye strain be damned. Also I need more candles and maybe a candelabra so I can be fancy. My spaghetti sauce jar holders are betraying my hick roots.
- Writing down blog posts on pieces of paper reveals how non logical my writing process is. I'm like the proverbial room full of monkey's just with better potty training. I is an edumacated student?
-Without distractions like stupid housework and fun social media, I'm super productive. Look Ma, I cut out 8 sewing projects! Now I just have to get my minions to start sewing. Froggie, put down that pan of brownies and get to work.
Wheeeee! Welcome back to the land of electricity! Those dang fanged clouds are soo cute - Ivy is a lucky girl! (I'm assuming they are for her?)
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad to be back in the modern age. You are correct that little miss Ivy is getting the fanged clouds.
ReplyDeleteMust. Have. Fanged. Clouds!!!!!!!!!!! Glad you've got your power back, and I know what you mean by "hick roots", LOL! I struggled to rein in mine when we moved to town, now it sounds like I'm going to need to bring them back out. ;-) And now I know why you weren't on Twitter for a couple of days, but look at how productive you were!! Can't wait to see all the stuff you cut out!
ReplyDeleteI cannot believe you have 8 projects cut out. That is INSANELY productive.
ReplyDeleteNo "Hygiene by Heather B"? Bummer. Happy sewing - your cut projects look so tidy!
ReplyDeleteOoh, sounds like you need a treadle! ;) Way to be so productive! Pretty sure I would've pulled the blankets over my head and stayed that way for two days.
ReplyDeleteyou must be one of those people gifted with endless energy! glad your power has been restored, i've been in that boat a few times... never fun!
ReplyDeleteLittle kid PJ's are the best! I'm gonna miss sewing them when everyone gets too big.
ReplyDeleteThe fanged clouds, why must they be from several years ago? I want more too. Most of the stuff I cut was for Des and my nieces and nephew. I'll probably be making up some boxes to send to sister and sister in law at the end of the month. :)
ReplyDeleteHalf of them are little kid projects, so smaller pieces make cutting easy. Though I did get another Jamie jeans muslin cut and that has too many pieces.
ReplyDeleteLOL, I was lucky to have a hair cut on one of those days, so at least I got my hair washed. Was super relieved to go to my in laws and get a proper shower though.
ReplyDeleteYeah treadle! I need to be prepared for the real zombie Apocalypse. So I tried to keep blankets on me but Des LOVES ripping off blankets and laughing evily.
ReplyDeleteMy energy levels are a lot better now because I'm eating better and exercising. Before though I was one of those people who is always tired. I do have a compulsion to be always doing something. That might be my source of productivity. :)
ReplyDeleteKids these days...
ReplyDeleteHilarious!!!! I have experienced this same thing and the word edumacated is used often around this house but now I know how to spell it! Thanks! You my friend are awesome. Just sayin.
ReplyDeleteLove your to do list for power outages. Very true. I was out for a couple of hours this week and took over the kitchen table. Even when the power came back on I pressed on with my cutting plans and got three tops cut out... I forgot to print the PDFs beforehand...
ReplyDeleteOh Lord, what a nightmare! You have shown the world just exactly how resourceful we SEWING GODDESSES really are, Heather! And I thank you, for this and your lovely scarf which arrived yesterday!
ReplyDeleteyeah!!!! I always prewash too and most of the time I print out pdf patterns as I buy them and put them in a project folder. I think I may need a few more candle holders as well, but then I would be set in a power outage to cut out a bunch of stuff. Maybe I should fake a power outage so I can be as productive as you were :-). Oh, and if the zombies some, hello rotary cutter! Slice that zombie up!!
ReplyDeleteI can tell you this: you are one productive woman! Our power outage over Christmas lasted four days and I did not a single task related to sewing. Not pattern cutting (and I had PDFs printed at hand), no fabric cutting (and I wash all my fabric before shelving it in the stash), not even reading about sewing or plotting blog posts. Nothing. You put me to shame, Heather, and while I'm sorry you had a power outage -because there is nothing worse than being forced to "camp" when one does not want to go camping in the middle of winter- I'm glad you found a way to get so much done. Woo-hoo!
ReplyDeleteThat is a very impressive list you managed to complete! I am especially overwhelmed by your organizational skills, those bagged projects are genius! Luckily you have a big stash to overcome power outages.
ReplyDeleteLOL, I can spell made up words! Not real ones though. You're pretty awesome yourself Margo. :)
ReplyDeleteI don't know about you but I had to stick to cutting out knits cause all my wovens needed ironing. Doh no power for irons. Let's have a PDF printing party today. Let the ink flow like water!
ReplyDeleteHooray, I'm so glad you like the scarf Maris. I'm going to give Desmond some credit for my productivity. He doesn't let you just sit around in blankets. :)
ReplyDeleteWoot! You're all ready for power outage or zombie Apocalypse. I found some nice folder envelopes when cleaning out a closet. Should copy your PDF planning strategy.
ReplyDeleteThank you Andrea. :) I just couldn't think of anyway else to fill my time. I'm gonna have to give you an internet hug because a 4 day power outage had to be a nightmare.
ReplyDeleteI'm gonna confess Wendy that I've never bagged projects before this. There were just too many cut project piles littered all over the room. However I might do this from now on. It really keeps things tidy and easy to see.
ReplyDeletehee hee, I'm glad your room full of monkeys is potty trained. Flying poop could be detrimental to fabric cutting ;)
ReplyDeleteI just need the monkeys to stay out of the booze. They try to set sleeves badly when they get drunk.
ReplyDeleteI cut knits too, didn't even think about the ironing thing but you are right about that. As soon as the power came back on I printed my PDFs. I got them all glued together this weekend so now I just need to trace my size. Once I saw the plantain's pieces I came up with a fun quirky idea for a top that I'm excited to try!
ReplyDeleteCould it be that those are rather small projects, or do you just store the cut fabric in there, without any patternpieces, zippers,... because my piles of cut projects are usually a lot better.
ReplyDeleteI might go looking for some decently sized ziplocks... Who knows, I might get organized one day - but probably not.
Most of them are small projects. I do have a pair of jeans for me in a zip lock bag. The pattern pieces were all removed which did reduce some bulk.
ReplyDeleteLOL! I laughed the whole way through this post just because of the way you word things! I think my favorite line was: "It died of sheer exhaustion with out ever getting to taste my blood." hehehe.
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