mermaids

We have started using reusable shopping bags.  No, I did not make them.  Why would I when the grocery store sells them for $1 a piece?  Anyway, today I needed several plastic bags to separate some books.  Lo and behold, there were hardly any bags under the kitchen sink.  Those plastic bags come in handy once in a while.  Does it mean I’m not “green” if I occasionally “forget” my canvas bags just to replenish my supply of plastic bags?  Besides, what am I suppose to use to  line my wastebaskets? 

This green thing can be confusing at times.

It is time to finally admit that I am not a “stay at home” mom.  I work.  I have a job.  There, I said it.

The substitute teaching began as a “once in a while” thing.  A teacher was out for a few weeks due to surgery.  I agreed to cover her classes since the schedule could be arranged so I only worked half days.  The teacher never returned.  The school year ended and my name was on the sub list.

The plan was to work perhaps one or two days a week.  It would be a nice way to spend time in a classroom without the pressure of a full time job.  The extra money would be fun, too.  One or two days a week turned into three or four. 

The tipping point was the district’s decision to use a web based program for scheduling subs.  Previously, teachers had to call in requests for subs.  Requesting a particular sub was cumbersome, if not impossible.  With the new program, a teacher can see if her favorite sub is available and simply click on the sub’s name to request.  Suddenly, I was getting called every day.  Now I have teachers stopping me in the hall and requesting me weeks in advance. 

I have been in denial about my working status.  I have been trying to run the house as though I were still at home every day.  My volunteer activities have reduced only slightly.  I am operating under the premise of “Oh, I can do that tomorrow when I am not working.”  Tomorrow comes, I am working, and nothing gets done at home. 

As of Monday, I am already booked to work half of May.  It is time to adopt a new mind set.  I am a working mother.  At times, I am a working single mother thanks to Hubski’s travel schedule.  It is time reprioritize some things and rework my schedule.  I need operate under the assumption that I will be working every day.  The days that I don’t get called to work will be a bonus. 

This post is long overdue.  Sometimes, I have the attention span of a gnat.  I think about things I want write about, but when it is time to write, those thoughts fly right out of my head.  I am trying to get better about jotting things down when the thought strikes.  There is just too much bouncing around in my head at any given moment.  Geesh….there I go again…distracted from my original thought…

If you are looking for some great sewing podcasts, check out Lori’s at Sew Forth Now.  She covers a wide variety of sewing topics.  She has snagged interviews with some “sewing celebrities.”  Lori has a delightfully easy manner and conducts a great interview. 

Way back in the early days of Lori’s podcasts, she asked me to do an interview.  I am not a sewing celeb or expert on anything, but I did give Lori’s editing skills a workout.  :)  It was a little weird being interviewed over the phone.  The interviews I have done in the past have been in person where I can talk with my hands.  Not being able to use my hands or draw pictures is like asking me to lose fifty percent of my vocabulary.  Nonetheless, it was fun.  I think it gave Lori a chance to figure out the whole podcast thing.  We talked about organizing sewing stuff, one of my favorite topics.  Click here if you want to hear it. 

I generally play podcasts on my computer while I am tracing pr cutting out.  I can’t listen to them while I am sewing because the sewing machine drowns out some of the interview.  I definitely cannot listen to them while I driving because I get so caught in listening to the interview that I forget to pay attention to the road.  (The same is true of books on tape/CD.)  Fortunately, my commute to school is less than 3 miles, so I barely have time to listen to whole song much less a long narrative. 

If you pop over to Sew Forth Now, tell Lori “Hi” for me. 

What do I love more than as much as fabric?  Cute little containers to organize things….especially sewing things.  It has been a rough couple of weeks, but the organizing gods smiled down upon me.  A desperate run to Walmart was vastly improved when I stumbled across these little buckets in the Easter basket aisle.  It was pure kismet that I found them because I usually skip the Easter basket aisle.  They had these adorable little buckets in pink, blue, yellow, and green….nice shades, not your typically washed out Easter-y pastels.  At $1 a piece, I picked up 4 even though I only had an intended use for one.  I plan to pad the bottom of one and use it to hold my scissors.   This little find dramatically improved my mood.  I barely noticed all the screaming toddlers.  I always say, “A trip to Walmart isn’t complete without encountering at least one screaming toddler.” 

A few days later, the boys begged me to take them to IHOP for dinner.  The nearest IHOP is a long drive which was not particularly appealing after a very long day.  However, the thought of cooking dinner was even less appealing.  After we stuffed ourselves with pancakes, eggs, and bacon, the boys asked to stop by Target for some school supplies.  Not being one to ever stand between a child and his education, we go to Target despite my sincere desire to fall into a post-pancake coma.  Remembering my lucky find in Walmart, we strolled through the Easter basket aisles.  I literally squealed when I saw these little beauties.   They were with the little refillable eggs.  I am using them to store my sewing machine needles.  Each of my machines use a different type of needle.  (Hey, sewing machine manufacturers, could we have standardization among needles, please?!?!)  Next to each of my machines is a little Hello Kitty head filled with needle packets.  I thought they were very cute until C mentioned that it looks like someone decapitated a bunch of Hello Kitties and left the parts strewn around my sewing room.  Now I am fighting the urge to be creeped out by them. 

Last but not least, these quaint little tins are from my mad dash to DC.  Ikea is awesome for little treasures like this.  The little one holds binder clips.  The middle sized one hides my private stash of Sharpies.  The big one is currently empty, but I am sure it will soon find its purpose in life.  See how well the colors coordinate with Hello Kitty? 

On the Ottobre-English sewing list, we were discussing sewing room organization.  Mine is not totally organized since I changed room recently six months ago.  However, it has not stopped me from sewing.

This is the smallest bedroom in the house.  At first, I was a little discouraged by the size.  I quickly learned that a smaller sewing room meant accumulating less junk.  I also realized not everything has to be stored in the sewing room.  The large closet in the study downstairs is perfect for fabric and notions.  When starting a project, I go shopping in the closet for whatever supplies might be needed. 

This is the view from the doorway.  The walls are a soft pink.  New curtains are definitely needed, but I have yet to find what I want. Yes, I could make them, but home dec is insanely boring for me.  There has not been much time shopping.  The windows let in tons of light during the day. 

As you walk in, there is a double door closet immediately to the right.  Fabric, thread, Ottobre magazines, and interfacings are stored in the closet.  There is also other miscellaneous household stuff in there.  It is easy enough to move the ironing board out of the way to get full access to the closet.  The tank for the steam generator iron stays on the wire shelving because it tends get a bit warm.  I did not want to risk having the heat damage the wood cabinet.  That cabinet actually has no sewing stuff.  It is there because it really does not work anywhere else in the house.  It stores seasonal items, large platters, and gift wrap supplies.  Hubski and the boys put items to be mended on the wire shelves.  I get to them eventually.

In the plastic drawers under the cutting table, I store elastics, cutting/tracing tools, and other sewing tools.  The window sill is the perfect place to store a roll of STP.  The extra rolls are in the study’s closet.  The binders contain photocopies of my pattern inventory and my fabric swatch cards.  As I cut out, the scraps are tossed into the box under the cutting table.  When the box is full, I take donate it to the home ec teacher at school.  Yes, that is a Hello Kitty trash can peeking out. 

There is not much room between the sewing machine table and the cutting table, but it is enough for me.  The close quarters make it easy to grab things from either table as I work. The embroidery machine is tucked in the corner and is pulled out when it is needed.  I have thought about putting in a closet, but then I might forget to use it.  I definitely need shelves on this wall.  Hubski has offered to put them up, but finding the time is the problem.  The surge protectors are on top of the tables for easy access.  If a thunderstorm is expected, I can quickly unplug all of the machines.  Most of my fabric is in large tubs under the sewing tables.  There is also a two drawer file cabinet under there which houses my patterns. 

And in this corner….is my “office” area.  The “hutch” is just small shelving units that were on the floor in the boys’ playroom.  The magazine boxes need to be moved.  They are rather heavy and difficult to move easily.  I live in fear of dropping one of them on my computer monitor.  Only active files are kept on my desk.  Inactive files are kept in a storage area.  I want to recover the chair, but not really sure how to do it.  The printer is under the table.  Hubski worried that it would be too inaccessible.  In six months, there has only been one time when I wished it were some place else.  The lack of drawers was a challenge for things like pens, paper clips, etc, but everything is finding a home.  The grey bag on the floor is my “teacher bag.”  I keep it stocked with the things I will need if I get called to substitute.  The stack of stuff next to my doll is Science Night materials which will be gone from my desk on Thursday.  My doll is there to remind me that she needs some new clothes. 

Last, but not least, is my Pfaff serger which usually stays set up for cover stitching.  Yes, there is more fabric under that table.  On the floor, next to the table, is my paper shredder and recycling bin.  They fit perfectly in that spot. 

It is not a big room, but big enough.  When I have had bigger rooms, I simply collected more stuff.  A smaller space encourages me to think carefully before bringing something home.  If one of the guys wants to hang out with me, they pull in a chair from the room across the hall.  I would like a little artwork on the walls, new curtains, and some shelving.  However, I do love having some blank spaces.  Too much clutter and stuff is distracting to me.  As convenient as peg board storage is for many sewing tools, I don’t like the clutter on the walls.  My eyes need a blank to rest from time to time. 

So, that’s a peek into my little sewing world.  What does yours look like?

The word “organized” is past tense, suggesting a job completed. For me, it is more of on going process - organizing. Our lives are constantly changing and evolving. The way we manage our lives (and stuff) needs to change and evolve. I am always on the look out for ideas and products that might help my day go a little smoother.

This week, I made several trips to Lowe’s to buy paint. (Photos will be forthcoming.) While standing in line, I flipped through an issue of their Creative Ideas magazine. When I got home, I checked out the online version. This little set up caught my eye.

In the past, I have seen ribbon stored on dowel rods that were suspended from the wall or beneath a shelf. It looks awfully pretty to have the beautiful ribbons on display. However, I am a freak about dust and light exposure. Perhaps I don’t use my ribbon fast enough, but I would not want my pretty ribbons getting dusty and faded.

The directions for this box are available on the Lowe’s site, which you can get to by clicking on the photo. It looks simple enough that one could probably figure it out just by looking at the photo. I would guess that the holes on sides are made with a drill. Another option is to use the heat of a hot glue gun to melt a hole through the plastic. My glue gun is always handy. The drill, I would have dig out of the garage.

As much as like this idea, it doesn’t quite fit my ribbon storage needs. Most of my ribbon stash is not on bolts. I seldom buy a whole bolt of ribbon because my ribbons needs are rather limited. I trolled the internet looking for a great solution. I found lots of nifty and fun things scrapbookers do to store their ribbons. However, they buy ribbon in smaller quantities than I do. Yes, I am being a Goldilocks. I want it “just right.”

For now, I have my ribbons in tubs sort of like the one in the photo. They are in little rolls. Some of the longer pieces are in snack size zipper baggies. Most of it is just tossed into the tub. It is sort of fun to paw through the tub find something in the right color and length. With only two small tubs or ribbon, it doesn’t take much digging to go through the whole stash. Since I don’t use ribbon very often, finding the “just right” storage solution is not a huge priority, but I thought this idea might work for someone else.

…..Polo. No, I have not fallen off the face of the Earth. I have merely fallen into the bottomless abyss of work and maternal duties. One would think work would be slow for a substitute teacher at the beginning of the school year. When I got called before the end of the first week of school, I should have recognized that as an omen. I have been called to work almost every single day. Teachers have asked me to hold dates for them all the way into April. It is nice to be wanted. For the sake of my sanity, I need to start being a little more selective. However, it is hard to say “no” when I have students tell me, in front of their friends, that they are happy to have me as their teacher for the day.

Working all day would be manageable if my evenings were not consumed with meetings and places to be. Friday was the first evening in the last two weeks that I was actually at home. Having Hubski in town on a regular basis would help too. At least the international travel has lightened up a bit….for now. Of course, we cannot forget the boys’ extra curricular activities. It gets complicated when I am the only one in the house with a driver’s license.

Sewing? Hmmm, I started Vogue 2980. There are some issues that I need to think about, but it does not look promising. Photos of the new sewing space? All I can say is “it is on the list.” The list is long, but I will get to it.

The jury is still out on the Nokia N75. The first day, the battery drained in a nanosecond despite a full charge cycle. It is doing better on the second charge, but I have been too busy to make a lot of phone calls. Today, I got a microSD card and earphones for the music player feature. This will be the true test of the battery life. Transferring the music to the card and getting the music player to find the card was not as intuitive as syncing with Outlook. The sound quality is good enough for me. It may not meet the high expectations of true audiophile, but I am not that picky. This will be awesome for planning periods or when I wait for the boys during Kali Salat.

Speaking of ways to entertain myself during Kali Salat, Hubski got a data card to make better use of the time he spends sitting in airports….or on the tarmac. (Last week, he spent over 4 hours on the tarmac when his flight was diverted to Fort Hood.) This week, their class was much more productive for me with the data card and my laptop. It is sad to think how much the data card will help Hubski. He spends wastes so much time sitting in airports that he would get too far behind in email on travel days. He is living proof of the “mobile office” model.

Keep your fingers crossed that the battery life on my new phone proves viable. Having music, my calendar, and a phone all on one gadget will make my workday so much better.

Technorati Tags: kali salat , vogue patterns , nokia N75

By all accounts, I should still be sleeping. I never outgrew that infancy stage of needing to eat every 4 hours. Ravenous hunger awakened me before day break. Yesterday’s activities should have me collapsed from exhaustion, but they also worked up quite an appetite. It’s hard to sleep when your stomach sounds like you swallowed a roaring lion. So, I am up before dawn having a pre-breakfast snack before I make our traditional Saturday morning cinnamon rolls. No, I do not make them from scratch. They come from a can because I am not Betty Crocker. We are not a very traditional family, but cinnamon rolls on Saturday morning is etched in stone.

Silly me thought I would not be called to substitute the first week of school. Yesterday, I subbed for a special ed teacher. Another teacher’s child became ill at daycare, so I gave up my planning periods to cover her classes. Despite the back to back class schedule, it was fun to see the students again. It also gave me a chance to see the new 6th graders who moved up from the elementary school.

After school, Hubski and I painted my new sewing room. Trading Spaces has nothing on us. Over the years, we have become quite an efficient team for painting a room. The paint color is called “Oh So Pink” and it is gorgeous. I am teasing the boys that it is Hello Kitty pink. It is actually a very soft shade of rose. I never had a girly room. Growing up, I never lived one place long enough to justify unpacking, much less decorating. I was happy to have a bed. So, in this household full of males, this will be my girly haven.

As if that were not enough for one day, after a quick dinner, I spent 3 hours at the dojo. I got my orange belt, no longer a total newbie. A sixteen year old girl tested for her black belt. Wow! She was very impressive. She broke boards with her hands and feet. She fought off two black belt guys simultaneously. She showed skill with weapons. I pity the boy who tries to get too fresh with her. I might be 102 before I can test for my black belt. I wonder if they take points off because you use a walker?

What’s on the agenda for today? Moving all of my sewing equipment to the new room and setting up the training room. Oh, and let’s no forget, “keeping my fingers crossed that the Ottobre Woman shows up today.”

It looks like I may be moving again. No, not the whole house, just the sewing room. When we first moved into this house, my sewing room was in the downstairs study. We discovered that being right off the foyer was not an attractive place for a sewing room. Creativity can be a messy process. Since the boys had outgrown the need for a playroom, the bonus room over the garage became my sewing room. We set up the downstairs study as an actual study for the boys to do their homework. We put in bookcases, a large work table, and a computer desk. It has been fabulous to move their homework from the kitchen table to a dedicated space. They can leave out research books for term papers and keep reference books at hand. I took great delight in setting up my new sewing space. My desk fit perfectly in a little nook. There was good light and lots of room for my tables. I painted the walls and put up shelves just where I needed them. Now, I may have to start the process all over again.

The boys have been studying taekwondo for about a year. They enjoy it and it has been good for them, physically and emotionally. As the result of moving to larger space, their dojo is selling off some equipment. Martial arts equipment is expensive, so this is a good opportunity. They need a big space to use this equipment. The boys are now training with martial arts weapons. To practice safely they need a big space. The biggest space in our house, other than the living room or family room, is my sewing room. Gulp.

If we buy this equipment and set up a taekwondo practice room, my sewing room would be moved to a spare bedroom. The room currently houses all those odds and ends that don’t have a permanent place elsewhere in the house. It is a perfectly lovely room, but smaller, much smaller than the bonus room. There probably will not be room for me desk. However, our bedroom has plenty of space for the desk.

The rearranging is all quite feasible. The end result will most likely be perfectly acceptable. We will find a space for everything. What is not appealing is the thought of all the work involved. The boys would definitely be a big part of the process. However, we all know the bulk of the planning, implementing, and organizing would be my job. Hubski has said we would paint the new room, move my shelves, and patch the holes they leave behind. Why couldn’t this have happened at the beginning of the summer instead of two minutes before the beginning of school?

I am tempted to paint the new sewing room pink so the boys will never want to claim that space.

Clutter drives me crazy. I cannot think when there is too much visual stimulation. A room needs to have blank spaces so my eyes have a place rest which allows my mind to wander. Naturally, I am huge fan Unclutterer. The site has some great ideas for reducing and managing clutter. I am totally on board with the overall theme of the site – “less is more.” Unclutterer is not so extreme as to suggest we get rid of everything, but, instead, the articles encourage us to really evaluate which of our possessions are necessary and which are simply taking up space.

You can imagine my glee when I saw the title “Reader Question: How Should I Store my Fabric Stash?” The first line had me hooked:

I understand the stash and hopefully can provide you with some help on this matter. I, too, sew (as is evident in the workspace post) and have a fabric stash.

I agree with her mindset – “There is not a limited supply of fabric in the world.” She also admits that someone serious about sewing will have a stash and it is ludicrous to think otherwise. The size of the stash is where people get into trouble. The author suggest having no more than 6 months to a year worth of project stash. I might be persuaded that one year is somewhat realistic, but definitely not 6 months. She goes on to state that your stash should not more than you can carry in one load. What?!!? If the house were burning down, could you save it by carrying it out in one load? Clearly I need to start some serious weight training to so can hoist all those plastic storage bins onto my back as I dash through the flames. Go ahead, take a moment to get a mental image of strapping your entire stash to your back. Does she actually think one plastic storage bin is all the stash as serious seamstress needs? That’s like saying a woman only needs two pairs of shoes, black and brown.

As for fabric shopping, the author states “Don’t buy fabric unless you know the exact length, style, and type that you need for a project that you will make in the next six months or year.” So, if you happen to see a great fabric that would make a lovely dress, but you don’t have your patterns with you, are you suppose to just leave it in the store?!?! Do you buy only 2 eggs each time you want to bake a cake? No, you have a kitchen stocked with flour, eggs, and whatnot so you are prepared when you want to bake. I do try to realistic when buying fabric. If the fabric is appropriate for a top, I don’t buy 5 yards.

Upon returning home from the fabric store, the author suggested placing the fabric, notions, patterns, etc for the project in a labeled Ziploc bag. There is some merit to this idea, but many of my projects would not fit in a Ziploc bag. Unless you get the gigantic blanket storage size, you cannot fit more than a yard or two in a Ziploc bag. The author then stores all the project bags in a plastic storage bin. Notice that she says “a” storage bin, singular, one, uno, not plural.

The article closes with the suggestion of reviewing your stash annually. Fabric that is no longer appealing should be sold, donated, or tossed. The author also recommends getting rid of scraps too. Yes, I keep some scraps, but I limit myself to one basket and they are purged on a regular basis. On this point, we agree. Stash should be culled on a regular basis. Even if you don’t toss anything, you just might find a fabulous forgotten fabric.

I don’t mean to mock Unclutterer (too much) because I am a bit of an organizing freak. However, one has to be realistic. I have been trying to pare down my stash by using what I have and buying less. There have been countless times when having an ample fabric stash has provided a last minute gift or clothing for a child who needs “right now.” So how do you know if your stash is too big? If you can answer yes to any of these questions, you might have a problem:

1.  My fabric purchases create financial problems for my family.

2.  Storing my fabric creates problems for my family.

3.  My fabric represents all the projects I have failed to complete.

4.  I feel guilty when I buy more fabric.