No sewing yet... but planning much!

My sewing machine is still at the shop *sigh*, so no sewing here. However in addition to the McCall's 5633 - linen shorts I was making when the machine went away, I have also cut out McCalls 5464 View A (without pockets) - a jumper to take me through late Summer into Autumn...

and BWOF 08-2008-103 blouse in the brown poly satin bought from the remnant table at Gardams.

I was planning to use the multi-coloured silk for this, but decided to try it in this first. If it works really well I may use the silk to make another one.

The biggest frustration is I have the time at the moment as I don't need to work so much while I have a University student working during his vacation. I think I will have to call tomorrow and ask after my little machine... *sigh*.

Anyway I am getting plenty of work-out time at the gym ... *sigh*... haven't got bored enough yet to clean the house though! :)

Not sewing yet....

My sewing machine is away being serviced and having the buttonhole adjusted, so I haven't been sewing. I do have my old Singer if I get desperate, but as we have been away for a few days I haven't needed to get it out as yet.

We went to the Gold Coast and stayed in Surfer's Paradise. It was wonderful to have a swim in the surf but it was very rough and not at all any good for body-surfing. We took our youngest son Mr D so that he could do some activity this holiday and boy - did he get activity - we couldn't drag him out of the water! I haven't been to the beach in years but was very surprised about the lack of beach etiquette now so wonder if I need to write a brochure for the tourists... however some of the locals were very rude too!

For those who don't know -

1. Never wear your thongs (that is the footwear, not the barely there knickers!) on the sand (unless the sand is so hot you cannot walk on it) and then walk near others sitting on the sand. Not once but twice we were spitting out sand that had been flung in our faces by thong-wearers without any grace! (thongs is slang for footwear - if you don't know what I mean maybe haviannas?)
2. When in the surf, do not stand directly behind (and closer to the shore) than me. When I turn around to body surf - I do not want to slam in to you...or worse as the surf was so rough, if I get knocked over or dumped by the waves, do not be cross if my foot lodges in your face, if you stand right behind me!
3. When I leave my towel and belongings on the beach while swimming, do not dump your property 10 cm in front of mine, then bend over to get something out of your bag and put your nether regions in my face.

Grrr! Beach rage - I am surprised there are not more incidences of it. When the 'lady' stuck her a**e in my face I came very close!

Apart form all that the holiday was interesting - watching the people was really fun. Cavill Ave is a great place for a meal and people watching. Anyway, it is not a holiday to get away from it all but it was fun! Also ate too much and drank too much but that is part of the holidays to me...

While I was away I did get a chance to road-test one of my recent sewing projects Burda wof 07-2008-115B.

This photo was taken on the balcony of our hotel room on the 21st floor. We faced the back of the Coast and overlooked the Hinterland. It costs more to get a beach view and I find the beach views too glary (being an inland gal). The night time views were good as nearby was a fun park with a bouncing bungy and swinging around thingy that lit up at night. You could hear the screams of pleasure (or abject fear) from our room.

I absolutely love this skirt. I enjoyed making it and I loved wearing it. I could wear it out to dinner or put it on over my togs - lurve it!

Here is my review for those interested. The reviews has more photos of some of the detail of this skirt. I had to make a buttonhole to slip the tie through and as my buttonhole attachment was not working. I made a bound buttonhole using the method I used for the fake welt pockets but basting the welts together , not sewing them.

I was really pleased with the finish it gave the skirt. I plan to make another of these skirts but just need to find the right fabric.. oops, an excuse to visit Gardams heaven... or perhaps a Bali print from my favorite quilter's store... oh, the difficult quandries I face!? ....

Would you like some cheese with that... (**Warning: cliches abound**)

I have been reading a lot of blogs lately where people have reviewed their year in terms of sewing. I plan to do this also but I have also been thinking about where I stand in terms of health & fitness this year. I think this has been put into my head by a comment one of the instructors made at a class (at the gym) today about the fact that she was considering training to participate in a triathlon next year. It left me wondering what are my goals for next year... and how have I done this year?

I feel I am a bit of a tortoise in terms of tortoises and hares as I have not had made any changes in huge speedy ways. I have been going to gym for a while now (think years) and have been having Personal Training sessions for probably over a year now. However I do believe this year has been a real turning point for me. Even though I have been slowly improving for a while I have been hitting some milestones this year.

From a purely weigh-loss end I probably have lost about 6 kg since the start of the year but I have really dropped size. My wardrobe has had to be totally revamped this year as I don't fit a lot of my of my clothes any more. I never set a goal to loose a certain number of kgs but if I try and think what my goal was this year I would say fitting my clothes better would be one of them and I really feel I have accomplished that - I can't stop shopping or making new clothes as it is so much more fun to shop for clothes when they fit and hang well on the body!

The other goal I had in my head was to get stronger and ...please don't laugh... but I wanted to be able to do a full push-up. Yep, I reached that one and was really proud when I was first able to accomplish my first full push-up (on my toes...yay!)

What are my goals for next year? I am not so sure ... I know that I still want to improve my strength. Maybe increase the number of push-ups and also be able to do a chin-up (not sure If that is the right expression but I m sure you understand what I mean) . A real chin up where you pull your whole body weight up to a bar at the moment I am still doing them reclined on the floor!

My biggest pet peeve this year ... Please don't tell me you want to lose weight when you are not prepared to change...people who tell me that they want to lose weight while they have a mouthful of cheesecake.... "it's just a treat" (sorry not when you eat it all the time!) Yep, just wait a moment while I climb on that soapbox. I read sometime ago in a women's health magazine an article about change. Really it is probably a Dr Phil-ism but if you don't change anything how can you expect change to happen? Yes you will be fit and healthy if you attend gym regularly and eat well but you won't improve unless you push yourself that extra bit. If you continue to work-out to the same level constantly yes you will stay fit but nothing will change - how can it? Go the extra mile... go hard or go home... (yes I read the lorna jane t-shirts!)

Really this year I needed to change my approach to reach my goals. I did it in a couple of ways. There was a big trip planned to visit family OS (and you all know that feeling of wanting to look your best for people you haven't seen in a long time) so to move things along I increased my PT sessions from one a week to two a week for ten weeks - boy did this work for me! I am a big advocate for PT as I don't believe many people are able to push themselves hard enough when they train alone. In those ten weeks I really increased my strength and the weight started to come off! It was a bit weird as it didn't come off until right at the end of the ten weeks and then it just fell off one day!

Then after the trip I did return to my once a week sessions of PT but I added an eating plan. I used the Musashi products and eating plan that the gym suggested. I did not follow it 100% ( I still like the one odd one or three glasses of wine most nights) but did follow it reasonably well and again not a huge kg difference but the body fat seemed to melt away!

Well now it is Christmas time and I am only planning to maintain what I have done this year for now. For next year, I will have to think more about what I should challenge myself with.... I still have a bit of a jiggle around the tummy - I would love to see that go, but maybe I should be setting my sights higher as overall losing weight is not such a big issue for me anymore.... Gwennie's comment about the triathlon has really set me thinking. I am not saying Gwennie needs to become a triathlete next year, but I really like that idea of setting yourself a challenge. I am not really sure what next year's will be... I will have to think on that one a bit longer...

Raffle Quilt again...

We had a sewing bee on the TQ raffle quilt today and had a successful day. Now, I am trying to be more positive than I have been in the last few blogs because I have got over the worst of the blahs and I feel my sense of humour is starting to return. But (yeah there is always a 'but'), why is there always one person ready to burst your balloon? The day went well with only minor dramas which we coped with and everyone seemed to be happy with the progress of the quilt. When we get to the end of the day - we lay out the rows we have and blurt - one of the club members has to make a negative comment about the quilt - why do they have to do that? You know, think it but don't say it! That person is very welcome to design and organise next year's raffle quilt but please at this late stage don't start criticising this one! You know if I was to make this design again I would make it slightly differently - the design can always be improved but please don't tell me what you think is wrong with this quilt - positive comments only please! My skin has got very thin lately and bruises easily!

Anyway the rant has abated and I can now show you the photos of what we accomplished today. We realised when we started to put it together that we were one 'sun' block short, but Yvonne did a great job and whipped up one more! The only other drama is that Sheila's glasses lost a screw and couldn't be repaired, so she was blinking like an owl and had to check if she was putting the right pieces together!!

This is the sun blocks combined with the flying geese - the first row in summer now done (oops - photo is up-side down!)

These are the first three rows of the quilt which represent summer - the first two rows are finished and the third row of heart blocks are made but need to be trimmed and the blocks joined.

The spring section has a row of Dresden plates in spring colours. Today some of the ladies embroidered the centre circles of the dresden plates -

This is the detail of the centre embroidery -

I think everyone did a great job and should be heartily pleased with today's effort!

The blahs...

I am feeling very blah the last day or so...blagghhh! I know this too will pass (and I am madly ingesting evening primrose oil to try and aid it!)

TQ was fun today but even that had moments of blah as well! I feel like I have taken on more than I can chew this year (you know the old 'bite off more than you can chew, then chew like mad!') However amid much discussion on upcoming events I was strong and said no to organising a club event that I had no part in setting up. I think those who tell people we will do these things - can take on the organisation - I certainly don't feel like I need any more to do! Anyway I still feel guilty as it only means it will get passed onto some other busy person who already does much for the club - it's not really right is it? Do you find there are people who tell you they want to help but only on the fourth Thursday of the month and so long as it does not involve the colour orange! Get real people - either help or don't but don't add a million provisos and make it even more work for others to organise your 'help'! Anyway I must be feeling blah as I had not planned to rant so today.

I took this photo of my cushion covers hanging on the washing line. I took the photo because they looked so happy flapping on the line in the nice autumn sunshine! It also made me smile because now I don't have to look at them looking filthy and thinking when will I get around to washing those covers? ... like I have been for the last four weeks! I don't know why things seem so overwhelming sometimes.

I finished this dress yesterday so that is good. I am not starting anything new until I finish the table runner I started ages ago. I have the backing fabric and thread to quilt it with so have no excuse to finish it. It will give me permission to be excited about our upcoming trip as I am making it for a gift. I hope I have enough energy to make some more gifts as I would prefer not to purchase gifts for my family as making them something would be so much more preferable and pleasurable!

I started thinking about a new quilt last night in the middle of the night. I am really interested in all things vintage and how woman used to live so that is going to be the theme for this quilt. That's probably all I can say about it for now as this quilt will only be a thought in my journal for the next while. But while it is still a thought it means I don't have to be anxious to finish it. Plus it is pleasurable to think about this quilt and what I am going to use to make it, etc. It is like a soft quilt in my mind that makes me feel happy even though nothing exists of it yet. *sigh*

A few things have pointed me in this direction, including the starting of sewing clothes again. Sewing clothes has lead back to my interest in vintage clothes. I remembered this pattern which I bought at an op shop while in second year at university.

I loved this pattern - I should have made it then - I would have stood more chance of fitting into it. Anyway I think I will still make it one day. (that should be pronounced as one word i.e. 'one day' = 'wuuunday'... it is very overused in my vocabulary).

Don't the ladies look happy on the pattern cover? Who is the lady waving at... perhaps her beau is in the crowd at the function she is attending? Where does one go, that you wear short brown gloves? These and other deep and meaningful stuff passing through my mind...and all the other things you didn't want to know about me...

An early start

Now that Sean is working, the only drawback is that he has to be at work by 7:30am. Sometimes Brian needs to go into work this early, but sometimes he would like to go to Gym before work, so I have been sucked into dropping Sean off... which means getting up and getting dressed early - I think it is more the getting dressed part - I love lounging around in my PJ's in the morning, puddling about and drinking cups of tea. Sean is starting to realise what a pain it is to be dependent on us for lifts though, as he had to wait for me yesterday afternoon as I was in my sewing class when he finished work. He could ride his bike or walk, but as he is still getting used to the new routine I feel a bit mean to insist he does that. Also as the seasons change, the sun is going to come up later & later. He can take the bus home but (of course) he tells us he hasn't enough cash for that! The joys! One good thing is that so far he is getting himself up & organised, so I don't have to be the ogre behind the door waking him up.

Just checked my eBay - lots of watchers, no bids. I hate that as having lots of watchers means nothing until they place a bid. Why would you not bid on an item marked at 99c and 50c postage? What have you got to lose?

I enjoyed my sewing class yesterday but had heaps of frustrations trying to use top-stitching thread in my Bernina. I didn't expect to have problems as all the other threads I have sewn with have been fine. After very frustrating interactions with Sew Handy (not!), I found out you have to crawl at the slowest speed on the machine and lengthen the stitch length to above 4. Now they could have told us these things on the phone, but no, we (Felicity from Gardams & I) were treated like pond scum while it was explained to us how very stupid we were and I was forced to carry my machine back to the shop to be told to increase stitch length to 4 and run on the slowest stitching speed. At least by then she was a bit more polite, after all I did spend $2500 in their shop - however in the scheme of the expensive machines they sell, I think they think that is nothing much! They were quite rude to Felicity however and you would think it would be in their best interests for a sewing machine shop to foster a good relationship with a fabric shop, when so close together! Duh?

I can't wait to get back to sewing my skirts. Felicity gave a very clear demonstration on how to sew an invisible zip and I am chaffing at the bit to try it. However gym & work call today, strip party tomorrow... last night we went out for dinner to celebrate Sean having a job and he was quite happy & talkative even though he had dramas with his mobile phone earlier and had acted like the world as we know it was at an end! However we sorted all that, and I lent him my phone until his is working again and he was all smiles... now he owes me, but he hasn't thought that through yet... perhaps vacuuming might be on the agenda?

Beware Wonder Under!

I sent away for this pattern and on Wednesday arvo, had the opportunity to fondle fabric at the LQS to buy the bits and pieces I didn't have. I had a not so great day at work, so it does the soul good to walk into the Quilt Shop and choose fabrics. I also purchased some Wonder Under (made by Pellon). Fresh off a brand new roll and I took it home and started straight away as the fabric was calling me! After I had traced the whole blooming design - hundreds of pieces - the webbing fell off the whole back! Not happy Jan! The next day the Quilt Shop were very helpful and apologetic - swapped it for another style of fusible stuff. However this particular store (my favorite) has one assistant who irks me and who I try to avoid, however she still had to get her two cents worth in! As we were looking at the problem, she suggested I put some baking paper over it and iron it back on - OK short term fix - once I cut out all the hundreds of little pieces it is highly likely the webbing will do the same again or the paper if I actually manage to get it fused to the fabric! Then still managed to make a snide remark about 'have to keep the customer happy!' like it's a bad thing!