State of the Stash

So, some things are happening in the Anachronism household.
And that means boxing up EVERYTHING because shiny new jobs and big opportunities are on the horizon.  Our new house will mean a  bit of a different sewing room/studio configuration, and that's something to get excited about, but it's also something I have to be more intentional about.
My sewing space will be taking over half of our den- I think having the machine out where I can get to it and sew while enjoying family time is going to make a difference in my productivity.

It means I am re-doing my catalog, and streamlining.  
Stash totals are being completely re-counted, some UFOs are being abandoned.  Fabric isn't making it into the new system or into a box if it's not something I can see myself using.  A lot of polyester from days gone by is going away.

Now, I did the UFO list in the Spring, but I'm a little terrified about this update the fabric catalog, because that would be revealing how much fabric I bought(gulp) or forgot about(sheesh) in 2015/16 when I was working on the catalog to begin with.
But then I bought more fabric last week, and I remembered how much fabric I actually have used, and I decided maybe I should bite the bullet and maybe even give myself a little bit of encouragement- and an accurate place to begin from as I put my hands on every piece of fabric to put them in boxes and move them.

We've got 3 weeks till the truck comes, and I have projects to finish between now and then, and a good amount of house to pack up.  Wish me luck!

The Studio

I love the word studio... It is more inspiring to me than "sewing room" and generally makes my heart pretty ding-dang happy.

Our house is a parsonage, which means it has to be big enough to house a family of 4 or 5, but there are only 2 of us, and we have 4 bedrooms... Which means we each took a bedroom to be used for workspace.  Jon's functions as an office/library, and mine functions as a studio/guest room.  Over the year and a half we've lived in this space, I've had... oh... 3 different configurations with existing furniture that we already had?  And none of them were really working, so I didn't use the space.  For Christmas this year, my big gift was a studio refresh.
Ikea legs went onto custom-cut MDF, painted white and sealed, for a sewing table, and another long, beautiful surface was set up on top of bookshelves(expedit, again, thanks to IKEA) to be counter/cutting height.  Perfect for quilty endeavors, and for folding stash.

I have 2 closets, one holding WIPs, odds and ends, and Christmas decor; and the other holding quilting cottons, upholstery supplies, and notions- and both are getting overhauled and evaluated.

Built-in drawers still hold thread, batting, the notions that don't fit in my cute card catalog, and scrapbook/painting/craft supplies- which I do use on occasion.  And above, a bookshelf we made with scrap wood covers up a boxy mirror and holds all of my big cuts(above a yard) of woven fabrics- everything from quilty backings to apparel fabric.  Once upon a time, it was all sorted by weight, but as I am pushing the boundaries of that poor bookshelf, it's more by color.
Do y'all see why I need to sew my stash off this year?!

Another bookshelf holds knit fabric, office supplies, old photos in their boxes, and WIPs in the Clementine boxes.  There's a serger that needs some mechanical help sitting there too- it was a hand-me-down and I've got to find someone to help me get it up and running this year.
 The goal, by the end of the year, is that the only WIPs will be in the Clementine boxes- and to eliminate the big bin of them in the closet...  We shall see!

It's funny how spaces have the potential to get creative juices flowing in all kinds of different ways.  Hopefully this iteration of the studio will be good to me!

The Stash

Well, short of the stuff I've had since high school and just retrieved from my mom's attic, my stash is all counted up and cataloged.  It's a good feeling, even if the number is a little scary at... gulp... 317 yards.  Not counting Fat Quarters.  Or Scraps.  Or anything currently in progress.  But, I am happy to say there are some goals and plans, and I am officially sewing along this year as a Stashbuster.
In January, the goals were revolving around organizing stash and sewing space, and there were some great blogs written and posted about organizing.

So the other thing I am supposed to do for January is to make my goals and plans for the year.  I want to...

-Do the mending.  Simple things like buttons and hems have sat... and sat... and sat... in the WIP basket, and I want them to hang and be loved in the closet instead.  I want the mending basket to be empty when I switch clothes over for spring/summer, and again when I switch things back over for fall/winter.

-Keep the Progress in WIPs.  In the process of organizing my fabric and cataloging everything, I opened up a steamer trunk and a plastic tub... both of which contained half-started things.  Some of which were started in high school.  And I am proud to say I chucked 21 things, making them forever UFOs(UnFinished Objects) to get down to a manageable(ha!) 15 bags/pieces of clothing and 4 quilts... And I'm really good with the variety of these projects.  As I was tallying them up, I made a separate list of things that will take less than an hour.  I want to complete at least one of these a month, and finish 2 quilts this year.  

-Use yardage I have for a project, if at all possible.  If something old will work, why buy something new?

-Finish 3 things a month.  At least 1 WIP.  

So I, Rev. Sarah McBrown, promise to do my very best to meet these goals, and check in monthly as to my progress in these matters.

Oh! January finishes:
-mending a shirt
-a new wallet- will blog soon.
-cataloging the stash.  It took up a whole Saturday, and then some, so it counts.

The Queue: Revised

Looking at that long list of projects, I realized that I have about a million things in the Work-in-progress bin, and a lot of them are likely to be declared UFOs- unfinished, never-to-be-finished objects I need to up-cycle or let go.  But some of these things really are worthy things.

Part of what the Stashbusting Sew-Along, which I joined on Facebook, encourages is setting some yearly goals.  I think one of mine is to come to grips with the giant WIP bin, and be realistic about what I find there.

So, with that and my current life in mind, I present my Wardrobe Queue, to be placed back on its page, only a day late.

Wardrobe: Items that will work with at least 4 things I already have in my closet, which fill specific needs, and which fabric and pattern already exist for.  A mix of quick projects and things that will take a little longer.  Properly finishing seams as much as possible.

 Winter

Thurlow pants, by Sewaholic in Hunter Green They're cut, and in a color I've had on my pants wish list.  Everything is together for them.  Just gotta do it to it.
Charcoal dress and jacket.  I have fabric and lining, and even a relatively well-fitting pattern for a professional dress... I just need a simple jacket pattern to accompany it.
 Moji pants, by Seamwork in black. For those nights when I'm teaching or have meetings.
Already have fabric.  I know I will wear them. Without the drawstring but with the cuffs, I think.
Scout tee by Grainline, in red and(if I like it and if/once it fits well) in Liberty.  Heck, if the first one fits well, I'll make several!
Blue Moneta knit dress(Colette), or Mesa knit dress(Seamwork).  Will transition nicely to Spring, and work for some of the same situations the Moji pants will.
Pencil skirt trio in blue, red, and camel wool, all from the same vintage pattern; to be assembled assembly-line style where possible, which will require lots of hand marking.

Spring

Anna Graham's Envelope sleeve dress from her book, in red chambray
Thurlow shorts in twill
Tiny Pocket Tank by Grainline in several cuts of rayon I have waiting for this pattern, also sewn up assembly line style
Easter Wrap Dress in crazy rayon

Housekeeping

Hi all,

It's time for some housekeeping... which I realized and thought about while I was away from computers and sleeping a ton... Thanks flu.

But, now that I'm feeling better, I thought I'd drop y'all a line, and say that I'm alive, and will pass on more wedding dress updates this week.  I've gotten a couple things made since then, so I am going to try to write them up as well, and in the next few weeks I'm hoping you'll start to see some changes on the appearance side of things... I have buttons hanging out from forever ago, and I'm missing others, and there's this quilting thing I've been dabbling in, which I would like to post a bit about as well, so I am going to see if I can make a schedule and stick to it.  The creative juices are flowing! I can't wait to share more!

UFOs-no-more!

I am thinking that it’s closing in on time to talk about resolutions… I mean, the fervor of new years has passed, and it’s been a really good one so far, and my sewing mojo seems to be back in full force, and I have things to show as soon as I add buttons and hems and things.

And I have this stack of things that also just need buttons and hems and things.  Maybe a waistband and a lining here and there.  But really, there’s no reason for me not to encounter a closet re-vitalizing… not that I don’t have more than enough clothes.   But… you know, there ARE some old favorites would be good to have back in rotation.  And some dresses that would be great for church, or dancing, or both… It’s so exciting to think I could add all of these things to my wardrobe with little effort…

So why is it so hard to do it?

In the finishing of a top and a skirt, I am rarin’ to go on and sew more… Hopefully that’ll carry over to some more finished projects.  I'm gonna take a leaf out of Jenny's book and try to knock some of these things out.  

Hobbies, earn your keep!

Oy.

Y'all, I hate it when you look at costs.

How much do our hobbies cost us?  Now, before you click away because you don't wanna think about it, wait a second... Because I don't wanna talk about money, or personal finances...

I want to talk about space.  I want to talk about time.  I want to talk about effort, and what the cost of THOSE is.  Because many of us stash... I know I am guilty, and I am certainly dreading getting that counter with yards in and out up to date.
I live in a small city apartment, and that means the cost of storage is high.  And, while sewing does not have to use up much room, I am woefully lacking in the discipline required to do the thing where you buy the things for one project, finish it, and move onto the next one with very little left over and carried over to store- maybe a few basic notions and a scraps bin.
On the other hand, I'd really much rather have 5 bins of fabric and one bin of Christmas decor... Inspiration doesn't mean adorning my home for me, although I certainly love having my home feel like one.

I want to love this gift of creativity.  I want to grow into it, and for things to take shape out of those bins of supplies...  And I want to talk about it.

Lovely readers, if you still exist, I want you to hold me to embarking on a renewed relationship with my hobbies.  I want to show you silly cell phone pictures of earrings, tell you the stories of my creation, and share with you this part of my life.

Ira Glass says it best.

Something we all should know:

“Nobody tells this to people who are beginners, I wish someone told me. All of us who do creative work, we get into it because we have good taste. But there is this gap. For the first couple years you make stuff, it’s just not that good. It’s trying to be good, it has potential, but it’s not. But your taste, the thing that got you into the game, is still killer. And your taste is why your work disappoints you. A lot of people never get past this phase, they quit. Most people I know who do interesting, creative work went through years of this. We know our work doesn’t have this special thing that we want it to have. We all go through this. And if you are just starting out or you are still in this phase, you gotta know its normal and the most important thing you can do is do a lot of work. Put yourself on a deadline so that every week you will finish one story. It is only by going through a volume of work that you will close that gap, and your work will be as good as your ambitions. And I took longer to figure out how to do this than anyone I’ve ever met. It’s gonna take awhile. It’s normal to take awhile. You’ve just gotta fight your way through.” 
― Ira Glass 


Here's to fighting through it.  
One garment, one necklace, one recipe... one whatever at a time.  

Keeping my Sewing Resolution...

Oh yeah! I made a sewing resolution, and no far I am well on my way to keeping it... I decided I will make 3 things a month. The goal is to complete 3 things, mostly pre-determined, every month. I am allowed to get ahead if I finish one set of things, but I really hope not to get behind.With the whole SWAP thing and kind of knowing what the months of May and June will look like in the rest of my life, I have planned out my sewing from now to April with certainty and May and June with some definiteness, and even have a non-SWAP bonus for the months of January, February, March, and April... SO EXCITING.

There are pictures too.

January: We're starting out with the non-pictured turtleneck, then going to the skirt, then the dress, and the bonus makeup bag IS something I would really like to get to... I am customizing it as a belated Christmas present for a dear friend, and I want to have it ready before the end of January.

Progress reports right now... everything minus one set of bias is cut, and I am only missing brown thread for the dress. The bonus project is missing a zip and some contrast for bias... I can't bring myself to do it with hot pink, and can't decide on another color.

February:

The suit that started it all is on the docket for the plan for February, paired with a really simple

sweater refashion. I want to do both pieces together and already have some mojo and stam going, so this seemed reetty perfect. I have all notions and threads for both, and will need to come up with a pattern for the sweater, probably drafted, and a cutting layout for all those suit pieces.

The Bonus for February is where it gets a little rough...

I'm committed.

Men's Shirt Sew-Along over at Male Pattern Boldness for W's shirts that he is getting from Christmas. I just am not sure about doing my first button-down shirt without moral support, and seriously, who better to give it than this guy? He's awesome, comical, and very thorough with his instructions, so I will make a better shirt for his presence in the process, and the cameraderie is another aspect of it I can't pass up.

And dear readers, I may cheat, and start on February early... It's a lot, but I don't have class the last week in January, so I'll have time... January sewing's been pretty manageable thus far.

March:

On with the SWAP. It'll (hopefully) be starting to warm up, so the dresses, a modified Simplicity 3678 in the pink knit and already-started McCall 5801with a border print, will make their appearance. I knew when I got the fabric (blogged about here) it was destined to be a dress, probably for Easter 2009, and it WILL be for Easter 2011... MAN am I glad my size hasn't changed.

Rounding out the month will be a white woven top, possibly button-down, upcycled from a giant men's button-down.

The bonus will be some alterations I will have had in hand for some time by this point, but will see more wear in the spring and summer months. Oh, and these photos wouldn't be complete without my knees sneaking into at least one shot. There it is!

April:

SWAP crunch time. There will be 3 SWAP tops: green, turquoise, and another grey or a tan or a blue. The bonus, which I'd like for Easter, is a petticoat. No idea for patterns yet. It'll happen. But the petticoat pieces? Already cut. I'm hoping to do a thin little slip out of some tricot or lawn and then just attach the layers to one another, finishing the layers with white ribbon at the seams, and putting that right on the slip.

Edited in order to get pictures to behave. Please forgive me!

rainy days...and giveaways!

This, ladies and gentlemen, is my 100th blog post!

I guess I have come quite a way in the...oh...4 months I have been blogging... going from not knowing what to do about a lot of this, to taking it off. And I have to say, to those who read and comment and think of me as part of a sisterhood, many times y'all keep me typing away, because I know it's not to nobody. Every comment has meant tons, your words of encouragement or criticisms have helped me immensely!

So here's to you, and here's for you!

I know I have a long way to go, and my very first giveaway of my very own is one of those milestones! I am giving away handmade jewelry! One person will get a necklace and bracelet set, and one will receive a necklace. You may find other goodies in the prize, we will have to see! Small start, but these necklaces are a combination of glass beads, glass pearls, and cultured pearls. I know the winners will look lovely in them!

Kay, so here's the deal:
Anyone can enter.
One entry for commenting, that's it though.
Tell your friends!

Thanks for everything guys!

Another new thing... I am following in some footsteps and including a parting shot. For my first one, I am posting a picture of my sorority sisters right after they won Campus Sing last year! We screamed ourselves hoarse and were so happy for it to turn out as great as it did! They all had fun dancing, and we set a record for donations collected, collecting enough cans and money to make a grand total of 10,001 cans. It was amazing, and I can't help but be proud of the girls who danced, and of all of us for helping others to the tune of 10,000 cans of food!

What's that stuff on your forehead?

Warning: Religious post ahead. A tiny bit of ranting, and a lotta bit about me. Back to regularly unscheuled sewing blogging soon... with a pair of pants!

Ash Wednesday was yesterday, and this week I have heard many conversations that start with a phrase I have very mixed feelings about...

"What are you giving up?"

There are always those people who have, in my general experience, given up things that they love, only to complain about missing the thing they love for 40 very... long... days. And to me, that's not what it's about. Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent, a time in which we grow closer to God. If we give something up and then talk about it for 40 days, are we really growing closer to God? Are we really being the servants we should be?

Of course, now that it's out there, you all probably want to know if I am giving anything up. And I think part of my Lenten promise is a tough concept if you don't know me.
The simple part to expalin: I am taking on the task of writing a letter to God every day...Visual reminders of prayers that should happen more than they do are a good tool to make me think, and make me aware of how much I say the word "I" when I pray.
The complicated part: Get back to me. What I stood for, with a good dose of starch in my spine in earlier times, has come to not be as important in some ways. I lollygag instead of getting homework done. I linger on the computer, I go out when I should be working and am somewhat anti-social at times when maybe, I should go out. I mindlessly eat sweets and junk out of boredom when I should munch on celery or carrots or some other healthy snack.
So I am limiting myself to 90 minutes a day on the internet to spend between blogging and Facebook. I have carrots in my fridge, and I will try to eat them or just be concious of what goes in my mouth. I will have the patience I've never really had, but should try to have more. There are other parts to it, but I have bored you for long enough.

Revisiting the list...

I was not very successful, at all.... Here's my list from late November. Blue means done, green means I may not do it after all... I'll give you a reason.

Sewing:

Fix-its
-hem 4+ pairs of pants( Turns out they don't all need hems. Maybe 1. Wearing and washing for a month made a difference)
-do something w/ buttonholes on peacoat(TOO COLD to give up my warmest jacket. It'll go on the way back burner, and I will think about it come the thaw.)
-take in waists on 4+ pr pants, sew back pockets shut and cut out on some
-take in black cocktail dress(I decided to give it to Goodwill. Wasn't going to be flattering enough to bother.)

Making/Finishing
-red dress for formal in Jan.
-SWAP pieces (need to decide if I really have the time/resources to follow along...)
-sweater-knit dress(The sweater knit I wanted to make this out of is no longer available...)
-chocolate dress
-Hello Sailor pants
-chocolate cord skirt
-tan linen skirt... need to find fun way to dress it up, it's a plain jane thing right now... maybe some kickpleats in a contrast w/ matching contrast waistband?
-red pants
-tops for Swap? I have sketches and I'd draft patterns or find them... no clue yet.
-silvery-gold Dupioni dress for formal in April
-blue herringbone purse
-curtain fix(took em down. They'd block too much light no matter what.)
-draft pullover pattern
-messenger bag
-2 laundry bags for grads to fill with:
-fleece blankets(they got them for Christmas from Nana)
-a book about college
-notepad, envelopes, stamps
-smaller bags: tote for the girl, messenger for the boy

Pad and adjust dressform from Salvation Army... In really good shape just a bit small! Will be SO nice for hems and things...(The wheels still work so she won't need it as much as I thought.)

Scrapbooking:
-Order pictures for events this year
-organize paper stash-- figure that one out...
-Pages!
-update table of contents
-2-pg spread of childhood... need to see if pics to fill gaps exist! (started)
-Finish camp 05
-Finish Decathlon
-Finish Epworth 06
-Finish grad/prom 06
-camp 06
-last summer, look back
-Freshman year:
-Sorority fun times
-Friends and craziness, Rocky Horror
-Family
-Summer
-Nessie's wedding
-Sophomore Year
-Internship staff and fun times
-sorority fun times... family tree w/littles!
-Friends
-Tgiving/Christmas w/ family
-fun times
-Summer... first sermon!
-Junior Year
-Sorority fun times
-Friends
-Visit w.Grandma

Knitting:
Learn to purl


Yeah. No huge accomplishments... And I want to add stuff to the list!

I put my SWAP in italics, because it has evolved into the wardrobe for my trip to Turkey this summer... While some of those will still work, others are no longer practical... The nice warm thick fabrics can stay in the stash for a little longer. And I am making organizing a priority in all of this. No more not being able to access this stuff. Or not knowing what fabrics I have. I'll have to photograph the scrapbook stuff organized... Not gonna lie, I am definately a fan! I was able to take it with me to Michigan and scrapbook lots!

So before I conquer that list I'm gonna conquer this one:
-Catalog stash... No buying till I do!
-Help get Tartuffe up. Sew for the play as much as possible. MY stuff can wait, but we can't have naked actors!
-Finish table.
-Clean room. Keep it that way.

I'm back....

School started today... Classes are oficially in session, which means there are textbooks to be bought and a dress to sew... I am about to kick it into high gear. The red dress is for a formal that is in two weeks, and the last fitting of the muslin was one of my last nights at home. I am also excited to announce a pledge that says lots about the way the new year will go... With Wardrobe Refashion. I lurked for a while, and it's pretty cool...

I am making a 2-month pledge to not shop for new clothes... Which will mean some interesting up-cycle projects, hopefully.... I have already gone thrifting in Mom's closet, and in mine... Maybe this will mean some alterations will come off the list....

Oh well. Goals and more of the red dress to come soon. I am going to attempt to spend at least an hour every day on it, so as not to spend a horrendous amount of last-minute time on it.

Has it really been a month?

Really?

A month ago I decided to start this blog... and I think, because it was right before NaBloPoMo, I've succeeded in becoming something of a blogger. But I've only been at this for a month... I want to know what y'all think!

So, in the spirit of the Liberal Arts education I am recieving, and the peer critiques I write on papers, I want some suggestions...

Please comment on this post with one good thing and one bad thing... but the catch is, as my professors require me to offer a way to fix what's wrong, I'd like ideas from you to fix what's wrong.

NEW URL!!!

So I figured absofrigginlutely wasn't very friendly, and was very random.... and you can now find me at ...
http://www.anachronismsarah.blogspot.com

Which i guess you know if you are here. I don't know how this works and if you can still get here from absofrigginlutely... you can't. Oh boy. Good thing nobody really reads this yet.

I didn't think I'd do it.

... But I did.
I am starting a blog, simply to try to track thoughts and keep track of things in a new and different way. I don't know what it will be about or if I will really do it, but it could be fun. We'll see.
I think I might just be curious as to see what this thing looks like, and how it works out.