Sewing Goals for This Week (10/18/09) UPDATED

Get everything done!

Wait ~ that isn't a realistic goal!

#1 Get sewing machine working again. It may be a tension problem. I was making buttonholes the other day with the upper tension set on zero and it was still too tight. I'm going to trying putting it down on zero again for regular sewing and see if I can sew without breaking the thread.

The machine is working adequately (although I still think it has issues).

#2 Assuming I or my DearRepairmen get it figured out, I simply must sew the second baby hat. Done!

#3 I also must finish The Bohemian Skirt. I've been wearing it  (all I have left is stitching the elastic and closing up the hole) and I want to wash it. Hmmmmm.

#4 Lavender baby dress. This is the most urgent since I don't know when the baby shower will be. I'd also like to get the other dress ("green baby dress") and jumper finished but that isn't strictly necessary.

I'm aiming for this week:
> Prepare skirt fabric for cutting or tearing; tear or cut skirt pieces. I still have to cut one piece of fabric in half to prepare the two skirt pieces but otherwise they are ready. Also got to this point with the green baby dress.


> Sew gathering stitches on skirt pieces and set aside for gathering during computer "wait time". Nope.
> Stitch bodice ~ a much as I possibly can. I'm ready to attatch the skirt (when it's ready)!

I really need to get more of it done but that doesn't seem possible. I also have the sleeves started.

Housekeeping Goals for This Week (10/18/09) UPDATED

#1 Continue to work on the sink.

#2 Also work on my tub and shower. I've had difficulty cleaning it too. I found, however, that if I scrub (and I do mean SCRUB) it with a wet wash cloth and my liquid soap it comes clean. I do this at the end of my shower. It requires being in the shower and having lots of water. How, otherwise, would I do that without getting my clothes wet? *smile* It works great. I don't know if that will work on the blue residue it gets but baking soda (and lots of scrubbing) work does. And for the rough-textured floor, a scrubbing tooth brush.

But I think for this week I will mainly work on scrubbing a small section of the walls each day.

I forgot allllll about that third goal. Actually, I thought of it but didn't remember that I had made it my goal for this week. I was still thinking of it as a future possibility. Alas!

I did not do anything with #1 (at least it's not gross anymore!) but did well on #2. It's coming right along! Slowly, though.

Organization Goals for This Week (10/18/09) UPDATED

#1 I have to old glass syrup pitchers and another bottle in my bedroom floor. They are from my grandmother. Now, really, that's not a good place for them. I'd like to put them in my hope chest. The problem is, I think only two of them are mine and one is DearMother's. I just don't know which two are mine (I think the vinegar bottle is mine). My goal is to find out which syrup pitcher belongs to me, remove all three to the kitchen, wash all three, and then return my two to my bedroom and pack them away in my hope chest.

#2 Continue to work on my pattern organization, if possible. Now that I have the worst ones out of the way it's not quite so important but it would be helpful to make some progress. Perhaps look for more hanging file folders and tabs, identify the unlabeled pattern pieces (always label your pattern pieces!), file some more if they are handy.

#3 Discuss with DearBrother the urgency of finishing my closet, especially the drawers.

Through a combination of not feeling well last week and forgetting what my goals were until I checked them on Thursday, I didn't get them done. Friday was just to busy to bother with these non-essentials!

Sewing Goals for This Week (10/11/09) UPDATED

#1 Purchase white thread, if possible.

#2 Project: Baby Dress for upcoming baby shower
> Decide what size to make and trace pattern
> Select fabric, buttons, thread, and view
> Layout, mark, cut


#3 Project: Drop-waist gown from Beautiful Lingerie
> Finish the narrow hem at the top of the gown
> Stitch front and back bodice together
> Sew skirt pieces together
> Finish skirt bottom
> Possibly more?

#1 Got white thread!

#2 Decided what size dress to make and trace the pattern. Selected the fabric, checked buttons (will use white or clear, of which I have quite a few), selected the view. Decided to make two dresses instead of one . . . and a jumper (the coordinating fabrics I found in my stash just grabbed me!). Cut them all out except the skirts. I forgot to look for thread before I made my final choice of fabric but I think at least one of them will work. Most of the pieces on the two dresses and one jumper are marked.

#3 Well, I was sewing right along on this one when my sewing machine decided cause problems. The thread started breaking every few stitches. I will have to work on that next week. I did, however, finish the hem on the top of the bodice, sew the bodice together, and sew the skirt pieces together.

Not bad! *grin*

Organization Goals This Week (10/11/09) UPDATED

I've decided to stick with just one organization goal this week. I could have a great many (but they wouldn't get met!). Some things that should be done cannot be done right now. Then there are the other things I might want to do for which I am the reason they wouldn't get done. Well, I am a factor, and a significant one at that! I don't think it would be wise to take on many organization goals with so many other projects I must be working on this week.

So . . . .

I intend to find my file boxes, choose one which contains files I never use and that might just as well be stacked in a box along with other papers I never use that are awaiting sorting or better storage, work up a storage system in the file box for sewing patterns, then see if I like it. My patterns are just everywhere. I cannot live this way and by this time next year if I do not come up with a storage system I shall have to move out of my bedroom. I think a pattern storage system would be much more practical. So, this is the first idea I have had that I thought might really work. We'll see!

Find file boxes . . . . Done!

Choose one . . . Done!

Empty it . . . Done!

Work up a storage system . . . . Done!

I filed all the pattern pieces that were in the way. I do have a few more I will add, perhaps, next week.

I could only find five empty hanging file folders and three tabs. Still, I put each pattern in its individual manila folder and put it in the file box. I think I do have some more empty hanging folders somewhere, along with tabs. I would like to have everything labeled but this will do for now!

Housekeeping Goals This Week: 10/11/09 UPDATED

I have one housekeeping goal this week (aside from my usual duties). It is to figure out my bathroom sink. I do know how to operate it but I do not know how to keep it clean!

My methods are not working and it keeps collecting stuff, especially in the bowl and around the faucet. This week I intend to consult with DearMother and if she has a remedy my sink will be shining and smooth by this time next week. If she doesn't have a remedy perhaps she can help me find one.

Well, she knew what to do about it! I scrubed on it awhile but although this method does work it takes some hearty scrubbing and I didn't really want to tackle it all today. I think that if I use this method regularly it will soon be sparkling clean!

Recent Project: Skirt

This is The Bohemian Skirt by Favorite Things. Very comfortable and easy to make (although it takes a lot of sewing!).

Sewing Goals for This Week (10/4/09) UPDATED

This is a very ambitious list but it would be much longer if I wasn't trying to be realistic. lol

Links go to the patterns I'm using.

Project #1: Baby Square Yoke Dress #1
-- Get button holes to work, find the right size, practice (I've made some but they're not turning out right so I need to find out why and fix the problem).
-- Mark the buttonhole locations, find a hook and eye, sew on the hook and eye.
-- Make the buttonholes, sew on the buttons.
-- Finish remaining inside seams and trim threads

The dress is complete and ready to send to it's wearer!

Project #2: Baby knot hat #2
I've already made one of these. It's cute! This one will have a contrast band on the bottom. Here's a picture of the one I made before:

Found out I am out of white thread (the hat I'm making is white) so had to postpone this project.

Project #3: The Bohemian Skirt
All I have to do on this one is finish the waistband. I just pinned the elastic until I decided where I wanted the wasitband to rest and therefore how big it needed to be.  Should be simple enough, so why has it taken me two months (so far) to do it? Hmmmm.

Postponed for same reason as above. 

Project #4: Drop-waist gown from Beautiful Lingerie
This one I have cut out and if I fnish up the other four projects I want to get started on sewing it. At the very least I want to find all the pieces (I think I know where they are but I could be wrong . . . . Things have been known to get lost around here. . . . ) and switch the thread in my machine.

If I should happen to have more time I want to sew the straps and decide how to finish the top of the gown. I could go on and on but I really don't see myself getting even this much stuff done this week!

Since I could do the other two projects I got right into this one. The straps were VERY easy to make. I thought they would be hard because I always have trouble turning tubes but they were simple as can be. I also started finishing the top of the gown. That is to be done before the front and back bodice are stitched together.

Housekeeping Goals for This Week (10/4/09) UPDATED

I have just two goals this week. It's not that I only intend to do two things in the housekeeping department (wouldn't that be a disaster, even if I am just second in command!), but rather that I only intend to require myself to do two things that are new or improved.

Improvements in housekeeping have always been a special challenge for me, and since I'm going to be very busy this week with other things, I don't want to get in over my head (in other words, set myself up for failure!).

So here they are:
#1: I recently bought two large plastic storage containers for $4.00 each. They were very helpful but filled up quickly. DearMother told me that these were available for that price at a certain store that is supposed to have good deals so I thought I might just go there sometime and get some containers of several different sizes for some of my stuff that has no home. So, I'd like to find out if we're going there any time soon and if it's this week I want to buy some containers.

Did this--except we didn't go. 

#2: Last week DearMother cleaned my bathroom because I wasn't available to do it (bless her heart!). Later, she asked me if I was saving those two empty soap jugs. Um, no, my trash can was full (or at least that's why I didn't throw the most recent one away--I don't remember about the first one)! Well, I have since emptied my trash but if I put the jugs in it my trash can would be full again. So a better plan would be to just take them out to the big trash can (which I think was also full at the time). If they won't fit, I'll scream. No, really. I'll make them fit.

Did this. I saved one of them because I discovered a reason to. The big trash can was nearly empty. I was thrilled.

Now, if I accomplish that, I might even try three little goals next week.

Recent Project: Bonnet

Prairie Bonnet by Sew Baby! I made this one for a little girl.

Project in Progress: Baby dress

It a very simple version of Chery Williams "Baby Square Yoke Dresses"

I'm seriously considering trying one of the collars next time but I wanted to start out with something very simple.