Sunday, January 30, 2011

Winter, how I loathe thee

I've hit a snag in the dressmaking momentum. I'm blaming it on the lack of sunshine, but I have little motivation to do anything other than sleep. Rumor has it there is another huge snowstorm brewing, too. I know that our local forecast has nothing in it but snow of some sort or another for the next ten days running.

I think I'll go throw my lining fabrics into the washing machine and force myself to get some work done.

I just ordered a vintage smocking booklet from Nostalgia at No. 1 . It's about halfway down the photos in the referenced post. Niki's blog is worth a read. She finds some interesting items and has cute and clever ways of marketing some of them.

Friday, January 21, 2011

success!

I ran the snowthrower for the first time today. (Usually the hubby takes care of that job) I didn't run over anybody, including myself and the walks are passable. The edges are not as ruler-straight as hubby's, but I don't care. I still have two feet!

And now, time to go do some sewing.

Thursday, January 20, 2011

It's snowing. Again. We're supposed to get several inches over the course of the next few days, interspersed with occasional showers of freezing rain. I went to the store and stocked up the pantry: remembered the obligatory eggs, milk and bread.
Since I got home, I've been watching cars roll through the 4-way stop just outside the window. I just hope I don't hear a loud crash when somebody miscalculates.
I had suppressed the memory of just how long and dreary winter is in Pennsylvania.
Roll on, springtime.

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

progress!

yup- empty machine boxes dragged from sewing room to basement for storage
yup- ditto for some empty packing boxes that have been propped against the wall for ages
yup- Valentine's dress for Maddy started as a test run for the jr. bridesmaid dress pattern.
yup- some books sorted out
yup- packing paper shredded for worm bedding

It's so cozy up on the 3rd floor. I like to go up there just to read as well as to sew because it's calm and quiet even
though it's still quite a mess.

Sunday, January 16, 2011

Oh, Boy!

I get to go to a smockers meeting today. It's about 20 miles from home, which means lots of windy roads, probably most of which will be uphill. I'm glad it was warm yesterday so that most of the snow has melted from the roads. I'm still quite wary of driving in and around Pittsburgh.

I'm looking forward to a fun afternoon with other stitchers. I'd feel better if I'd actually done ANY stitching in the past month or so, but being ill just took all the motivation out of me. I think I'll go find everything I need to start on my new reticule kit from Beverley Sheldrick. (I say new, but it's actually older than the one I finished, which still hasn't turned up in the unpacking process.)
Or, I could take my hussif kit, which matches the missing reticule, and start working on it. One of the good things about having all these unfinished (unstarted) projects is that I have LOTS of choices when I need something to work on!

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Winter, still

My life, for the first 10 days of January, was consumed with trying to get over a really wretched cold. Perhaps it was 'flu- I'm not sure. I never did run a fever: I just felt horrible for 4 weeks (apparently, this is a new and improved strain of rhinovirus) and went through approximately 5 boxes of tissues and half a bottle of nyquil. I think I'm better now, but I'm not going to state that unequivocally as I don't want the thing to think I'm inviting it back. I was better enough over the weekend to remove the lights and the SINGLE ORNAMENT from our Yule tree and get Phil to take the tree out for trash pickup. Yeah- one ornament. We found The Most Perfect Tree, Ever, and then I got too sick to be able to decorate it.
While ill, I discovered the amazingly funny blog of The Yarn Harlot. I've started from the beginning in the archives and just read my way up to January of 2008. I purchased The Free Range Knitter from Amazon for an amazingly cheap price and am reading that, as well.
I've also read 4 unrelated books and three magazines. The magazines are producing ideas to go on the Project List. I must stop reading.

In a moment of fiduciary weakness last week I decided I needed a couple of new projects, so I ordered a couple of ornaments from Barbara Meger at Classic Creations, as well as a jewelry bag. These should make good TV projects because they're a kit- everything is right there other than the styrofoam innards. Larger projects (such as finishing the painting of the living and dining rooms) are going to have to wait another week until I'm well and truly no longer feeling poorly.

In the meantime, it is snowing. It started around 1:30 this afternoon, and it looks as if there's about 4 inches of the stuff settled on the sidewalks. It's supposed to keep snowing overnight with another 2-4 inches predicted. Joy.
It's good weather for snuggling down in the living room with some embroidery.