99% Inspiration

What motivates your creativity? I would say that I have a variety of motivators and they vary in their motivational intensity. For example, the colors, texture and (dare I add) even scents of supplies can inspire me. Something as simple as a glance at my threads can make me want to create. Touching a pile from my fabric stash. Flipping through patterns.


Yesterday I was filled with the longing to create. But it wasn't so much the materials as the company. Friends can inspire and motivate me much more so than my craft and sewing supplies. Whether its the ideas and feedback I get, like from my friend, Rae, or the promise of spending time working together on a project, like with Stephanie.

Kent had to work third shift this weekend due to a big project at work. Turns out I just can't seem to end my day when he's not around. So here's what I was creating at 1:00 am. They are a prototype of a project I thought I might find I enjoy making for craft sales and such.


Can you say "Aaahh"? I think baby shoes are just the cutest things. I already have changes to make to my design but the first run was very promising.


And while Rae and Stephanie and I were out for a luncheon and visit to the knitting store, I found a knitting project to fill that need for a portable creative activity. I love the colors of the yarn, it has a nice feel and was only $6.50 for the skein, which will make the hat from the free pattern I got for purchasing the skein. Yay!


It makes me think of trees and rivers and night skies...


And last evening Stephanie and I tried our hand at matching "hobo bags". We had fun working together and it's not an unattractive design. I just don't know if I'm the type of girl to carry such an open purse. I'm thinking it might work really well to hold that new knitting project.


And uber inspirational is the conversation I had yesterday with some friends after church. I'd taken along the shoes to get some feedback and turns out there are several of us who would like to figure out how we can turn our creative urges into a little pin money. We are going to get together soon to throw all our ideas into a pot and motivate and inspire one another. Yup, I'd have to say that friends are 99% of my inspiration.

Sew What?

As I unpacked all my sewing equipment that I'd taken to Kathy's, I realized how much my sewing room has changed in the last 10 months. For one, it's become more crowded. Two more machines in cabinets will do that. But it has also taken on the air of a well-loved and much-used room. Here it was in September, freshly painted and floored - I'd just moved in and I'd also just left my job. This is my sewing machine table today. My idea and inspiration boards have become quite cluttered. (And I recently cleaned them up) My pinning, cutting, small pressing job table has become a fixture I don't know how I ever sewed without. And while the window provides wonderful natural light - the mountain view isn't bad either. My serging station sits atop my antique Singer 301A that I was delighted to discover works like a champ with a little cleaning and oiling. Not pictured is also my ironing board at a 90 degree angle to it's original location. And doesn't the new/old treadle machine look lovely in front of the lace curtains?! Now, lest I give the impression that my sewing room is spacious with all these "stations", here's a little video tour, if you are interested. You'll see how efficiently I have fit all this in one small space.

We're On the Eve of Construction

I want to start this post with a picture from a night or two ago... the sun was shining brightly from the west as a strong storm moved in with dark clouds from the East. It made for quite the contrast of light and dark.


So in preparation for the Sewing Bee tomorrow, I finished my scissors case so that I could safely transport these important tools. Valerie helped me with the design when she was here last December.


She also taught me the foundation piecing that makes for the colorful outside of the case.


So tomorrow Kathy, Stephanie and I are going to have an all day sew-a-thon in the the hopes of completing three skirts and two tops for Stephanie to add to her wardrobe before she moves in two and a half weeks. Last night Stephanie and I went shopping for fabric, today I washed and dried it all but I put off ironing until this evening after the sun went down. It was sizzling hot here, 90's in Evergreen - nearly unheard of - so what better arrangment for ironing than on the deck after dusk? You can see the moon right above the iron...


I do believe the tomato plants are approving of this rich coral colored linen.


And just what will be sewing up tomorrow?




Stephanie has selected the top with plain sleeves from pattern 4149, to be made out of pale green and coral linens.


Skirt A from pattern 2416 in the brown batik and another in view B from the pink and pale green batiks.


And finally, the skirt from 4149 in the lightweight cotton that looks like denim.


Looks like I'd better wrap up this post and get ready for all that construction!

Don't Treadle on Me!

Actually, DO treadle on me!! What an interesting afternoon I had yesterday. My sister sent me a link to a Craiglist posting for a treadle sewing machine. When I asked her if she was showing it to me because she was pursuing it or because she knew I would like to, she told me an interesting story of her own. Just that morning, she had received a call from a friend who remembered her commenting several years ago about wanting a treadle machine. A friend of this friend had one for sale right there in her town. She went and bought it. Then, thinking she should compare pricing on machines, she looked at Craigslist and spotted another one. That listing was for a machine that was not listed necessarily as working, had no attachments, and needed a part. But that turned me on to another ad for a WORKING machine, with a box of attachments and a manual. I called and spoke to the nice people who were selling it and arranged to drive the nearly hour and a half one way to buy it. Steph was visiting and so she road along and since Kathy had started me on this quest, I invited her to ride with us. So we had a fun time visiting and drinking wonderful frozen coffees that we got at a Starbucks drive-thru using gift cards that Kathy and Steph had in their purses. Here's my new ~100 year old Standard Rotary treadle sewing machine with it's great protective covering cabinet:


And here is it's pretty little self unveiled. It sews true and even with great tension. It will take me a little practice to get the feel for it and I'll need to master new techniques, like seam tacking because it doesn't backstitch. Turns out there's a friendly and helpful selection of folks online who are happy to share their knowledge and encourage other treadlers.


One of the interesting features of the cabinet is this swing out bobbin compartment. And I was having trouble opening the drawers until I discovered that the hardware has a spring mechanism that keeps them from pulling open until you twist the handle in a clockwise motion. Then they slide quite freely.


The box of attachments was a bit of a mystery. I guessed correctly at one and was able to identify the others through some online pictures. There are hemmers in a number of widths, a tucker and a gatherer. And a couple more I'm still not sure about.


And I found the belt quite interesting. I've never been around a working treadle machine. I've seen the heads by themselves and, sadly, many cabinets turned into tables, minus the head or belt. Imagine my surprise to find the belt to be a leather cord secured with a staple. When the leather becomes stretched, open the staple, snip off a bit of leather, poke a new hole, and put the staple back in place. Quite simple, really. If you click on the photo and look to the left of the little gold heart I used as a marker, you can see the staple connection.


And it turns out that Valerie can get us parts quite readily in India and bring them with us when they move soon. I'm going to be requesting two drive belts and some bobbins. Otherwise, with a little practice, it looks like I'm good to go.

And for my creative outlet...

I'm so proud of my latest completed project. I picked up a cross-stitch that I'd started in 1998? I decided to complete it for my new kitchen, wherever that may be. I'll be making a kind of "hope chest" to put together some new things to look forward to when we finally move. Here is the completed piece! Ta-da! I want to make a frame for it like one I made for a quilted interpretation of our mountain sunset. I used a soft wood and then put it through the bead blast cabinet in Kent's shop to give it a very weathered look.


And I spent the afternoon at my sister's, enjoying some conversation and company. While Kathy sorted through kitchen cupboards, sorting through what she wants to take when she moves, I used her enormous island to cut out a dress. I really like this pattern, even more so after reading the directions. The top edge of the bodice gets a drawstring and the waistband gets a double drawstring. So even though it appears to be pretty fitted, you can adjust it as need be. I wonder if that was actually a common practice in the days when this dress would have been in style. It sure make it versatile over a range of measurements. Of course my hope will be that I'll need to cinch it up tighter with time.


And here is a sneak peak at the fabric I'm using. It had a border with roses that have the look of being oil-painted. I cut the pattern out so as to capture roses on the right and left front yoke, the sleeves, and the hem. Kathy had a great idea to cut the front yoke pieces so that I can hand applique the leafy bottom edge of the rose clusters onto the bodice. I'm looking forward to getting to work on this.


And of course I always need some hand work for the evening. Since I had such success finishing the 12 year old cross stitch. I decided to work on the one my friend, Mindie, had given me when I last visited. What you see here, with the exception of four words, was stitched by her. Now I'll finish it and whenever I look at it, I'll enjoy knowing it was worked on by both of us.

A New Season

I have not recently hit my head. I did not awaken in a place I did not recognize. Yet, when I got up this morning, I realized that I'm not exactly sure who I am. At the moment it is interesting, not frightening. After 20-some years of "doing the right thing", "doing what needs done", and "being practical", I'm stepping out into the uncertain and impractical country of Possibility. Friday, September 4th, was my last day of work and I am now ready to uncover the new me. After years and years in offices and administrative work, I feel a bit uneasy about leaving my groove. I'm an INFJ. I admit that I like things to be orderly. So I just stepped onto this little floating dock and I haven't quite got my sea legs yet.

If I take an inventory of my skills and gifts as evidenced by this morning, I am proficient at re-heating Pad Thai, making excellent French press coffee, and whipping up a canine feast. Cats adore me, dogs respect me, and I'm married to Kent, a kind and considerate man. Clearly this qualifies me to create a blog.

Having the opportunity to re-invent oneself is too significant not to celebrate or commemorate in some way. I don't ever want to forget this adventure (though I do not suffer from amnesia, I know my memory is faulty) and I know I stink at journaling. At least in journaling as I've attempted it in the past. So here's to fresh starts and new beginnings [The clinking of coffee cups] and a blog.

I hope to use this blog to share things that excite me, keep a humorous perspective on change, and motivate me to stop and think about this wild ride we are on. In the future I would love to talk about cooking, frugal living, art, writing, friendship, and... fill-in-the-blank. As Kent has pointed out, although I have many interests that I finally can have the time to pursue, there are likely still others I haven't discovered.

So what might the future hold? Kent and I have taken the plunge to commit me full-time to our home, lives and interests and I've left my job (the most recent having been 11 years in a consulting firm for veterinarians). Kent works a special schedule of 3 very long days, allowing him 4 days each week to pursue his passions of sculpting and creating. And I foresee that my new persona will include promoting art, making our home even more of a warm haven, gourmet cooking adventures, improved frugality and self-sufficiency, weaving-knitting-designing my own textile creations, discovering new depths of friendship and usefulness to others and writing. And hopefully cultivating an openness to new adventures.

I expected much opposition to our decision to become a one-income household in the pursuit of interests and values less quantifiable than money. I was sure we'd hear about the economy and the uncertanties, the dire possible consequences and "have you really thought about this". And while there were a few of those comments as folks learned of our plans, the overwhelming responses were more along the lines of: "Yay!", "It's time!", "I'm envious", and "You'll never regret taking the chance."

While the motivating factors may be different and there are as many hoped for outcomes as there are people, I find it is a common desire to break out of the known and follow your heart. Maybe something I post here will help someone else find what they need to help them move in that direction as well.

We haven't hit the lottery, we aren't independently wealthy. It is not beyond the bounds of reason to live on one ordinary income. Dreams don't have to always be somewhere ten or fifteen years in the future. We haven't been promised unlimited time. I could continue to work hard at a job like I have and still have no guarantee that we'd actually be closer to where we want to go.

So, enough for now. Maybe in my next post I'll take a look at what we've done and the groundwork that has helped us reach this point.

Hey, this is exciting!