Stages of a project

I love organization- sorting, filing, just the processes of an orderly life. It gives me the greatest joy to redo the closets, or to thoroughly clean and put stuff away. I’m a “a place for everything, everything in its place” kind of girl. So the fact that I didn’t have a routine for my crafting was, to put it mildly, shocking! I tried out a little assembly line idea while cutting the fabric for my current project, and it worked! I’ll have to think of some more ideas and do a few more trials, but I am already more energized  and planning more work than I have been since summer break started, and hope to get the new process streamlined and operational in time for the yearly Christmas Workshop later this Fall…

Buying fabric

One thing I did discover in looking at how I “work” this week was that, weirdly enough, I haven’t been buying enough fabric. Or rather, enough of the right kind of fabric. Using the supplies I already had around the house was the name of the game when I first started out, and for the longest time I thought all the half finished projects and not-quite-right results were simply my lack of skill.

Well, I’ve spent a lot of time crafting over the years- in fact, it’s what I “do”, even if I don’t get paid for it. I’ve come to view it as my work, and I’ve been educating myself, refining my “product”, pinpointing my ideal fabric content and colour range, discovering preferred tools, and so many more aspects of what I like and don’t like that I realized that “making do” just wasn’t working. My husband helped me realize that I am very good at what I do, and that it was my unhappiness at “making do and just making it work” that was hampering the end product, not my lack of skills!

Taking the time to work out the dimension list and process detail on this project has highlighted the fact that for me, using my ideal materials makes a better end product. It’s the little details that matter the most!

Storing fabric

Oddly enough, how I store my raw materials affects my process- a lot. When I first started out I would have to wash and iron a piece of fabric every time  a new project got started! Finally I’ve learned to wash and iron them the week, if not the day I bring them home. And folding them! I would fold the lengths of material any old which way- then get frustrated when I pulled them off the shelves and have to rewash and iron them to get the creases out. Now I fold them selvedge to selvedge, and then in half lengthwise and half again, like folding a letter. They all fit on my shelving neatly stacked without falling down whenever I reach in there for a “package”, and I can see the colours and patterns at a glance. Easy peasy! No more wasting time rewashing and ironing fabric, lots more time for actual sewing!

Clearing the decks

Right- that’s enough time yammering about my new process! Time to get working on this new project so I can show you all the wonderful ideas I have cooked up for this Fall. Ahh Fall- will it ever come again? This time of year I like to clear off all my decks, finish up old projects, dream about new ones, and plan ideas for Christmas. So it’s bye-bye lazy summer days, hello crafting machine!

On time, and the ever expanding deadline. . .

It’s Leap Year, the last day of February- and I’ve run out of time. I didn’t have enough time yesterday to write a blog post- heck, I was too busy to even turn the computer on! Although, I am secretly proud of myself for that. Normally I am too busy to cook, clean, sew, read, brush the cat, et., etc., because of spending too much time on the computer. Yesterday was different. Today is, too- mainly because I’m letting go of a few things. Expectations, deadlines, I-have-to’s. Leap Year has taught me to cherish time again. It isn’t that there is more of it- there is, this year. But I haven’t been using it carefully enough lately. I keep finding myself lamenting the lack of a sense of accomplishment at the end of the day. There are too many item’s left unchecked on my weekly to-do list for my piece of mind.

What to do when that happens- what to do. Well, I just happened to let some things go- and it worked. Voila! A sense of accomplishment- because I did the one thing I set out to do yesterday. Now, I know that won’t work every time- you can’t just not do what needs to get done. But sometimes, you can change your mind.

Sometimes, it’s better to just. . . let it go.

Gamers make the best friends...

    I know that the popular consensus is that "gamers are nerds", but not only do I disagree, I take offense at that stereotype. Gamers make great friends- gamers are well-read, so they can discuss a variety of topics. Gamers are creative, which makes them fun to be around. Gamers are history buffs, which makes them nice to be around because they are polite (they are generally aspiring to be gentile, heroic, or chivalrous- just like their historic hero:  insert historically accurate personage of valor here.) Gamers are witty, funny, sweet, kind, compassionate, stoic (generally- you would be too, if you had to put up with gamer stereotypes in the public eye.)
    But mostly, gamers make the best friends because they get me, and share a lot of my interests: the history of myth and legend in literature; gourmet food; board games; woodworking; intellectual discussions; and Doritos. Gotta have the Doritos....