I'm organized. Very.

I felt good with this setup. But it didn't leave much workspace on the table.

So, on the day after Thanksgiving while Bill was working, I cleared off the bookcase in our bedroom and moved it into the craft room (thick felt pads on the bottom of the bookcase made it easy to move!). Then, I added the containers of fabric sorted by color. (Cleo is testing access to the cat bed!)

Ah, workspace on the table! I'm inspired to work on a project when I see it!

Hancock Fabrics had a 50% cotton fabric sale from August 24-26. I saved another 50% by resisting the urge to go to the store.

Must. Not. Buy. More. Fabric.
Must. Learn. To. Quilt. And. Sew. First. Using fabric I already have.

My 3-day weekends for the summer are over. Bummer. It's hard to believe 12 Fridays have already gone by. Back to 8-hour days 5 days a week starting today. I really like working 4 9-hour days (I take 1 hour of vacation each day to make 40 hours a week). If I didn't have to take a 10% cut in pay and pay 10% of my benefits, I would switch to a 4-day week working 9 hours each day.

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Craftwise, I've been uninspired since before we left on our Hawaii vacation. Other than the 3 1/2 books I read on vacation and the 1 1/2 books I've read since we got back, I haven't done much except watch lots of TV and DVDs.

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We're working our way through DVDs of Rescue Me season one right now, then moving on to season two. I want to get Bill involved with Lost but he says he's not interested. I'm gonna try, though, with the first DVD of season one.

We've switched from Netflix to Blockbuster's online DVD service because it is cheaper. Blockbuster is $7.99 for 3 DVDs (one at a time) and 2 coupons for free DVD rentals at Blockbuster stores. Netflix is $9.99 for an unlimited number of DVDs (one at a time). The usual turnaround for us is 1 DVD per week by mail so the Blockbuster plan works nicely for us.

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Before we left on vacation, Bill offered to switch the bedroom he uses as his office with the smaller room I use as my craft room. So, I took him up on it! We switched rooms last weekend. My new craft room has lots more room and natural light and a great breeze through the window! Bill decided to use his new space as a TV Room since he really doesn't need an office (hmmm, not that he really needs a TV Room either...). We moved the TV from our bedroom into the TV Room since we don't watch TV in bed anymore. This weekend, we bought a new recliner chair in a nice shade of sage/light olive green for the TV Room. We also hooked up the livingroom TV to also display on the small TV in my craft room (which used to be in my office for when I used the treadmill... but since I haven't used the treadmill since probably January...). Now, Bill can watch a football game or whatever in the TV Room while I'm watching something in the craft room or livingroom.

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Even though I've been uninspired craftwise, I did try to jumpstart myself yesterday afternoon by starting a sewing project: a t-shirt using flannel fabric which I'll use as a sleep shirt. I had to do something (besides sit on my butt) when I kept nodding off while watching the NASCAR race even while my Tony Stewart was winning! The back and front and sleeves are cut from the fabric. Now I just have to figure out what to do next... I've read the pattern directions and read about sewing online and in a book, but I'm just not comfortable with the pattern markings.

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Greg and Lauren took the Oregon bar exam at the end of July. They'll get the results sometime in September. In the meantime, they're still looking for jobs. Makes me nervous, but something will work out.

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I have quite a bit of sock yarn that I'm not sure what to use it for. I'm not on a crocheted socks kick anymore. In fact, they're just not comfortable. Unusual and cute for when I'm feeling that way, but not for everyday use.

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I collected more fabric in the past month or so. Another sale at Jo-Ann Fabrics. At about $80-85 each visit, I must stop the insanity. I have been able to resist the recent 30% and current 40% off sales on Keepsake Calico fabric.

Must. Not. Buy. More.

Must try to use what I have collected.

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The monthly online transfers from my checking account into my ING Direct savings account are growing.

Must. Not. Buy. More. Fabric. Or yarn... Or other collectibles...

Must. Put. More. Into. My. ING. Account.

About 3 weeks ago, I discovered Singer was giving a free Quilter's Pack with each purchase made between May 5 and July 15 of a Singer 7462 sewing machine. The Quilter's Pack has: 1/4-inch Foot, Darning & Embroidery Foot, Blind Applique Foot, and Universal Shank. I want the 1/4-inch and darning feet, but I bought my machine on April 18.

I tried unsuccessfully to find the Quilter's Pack via Google and eBay. So I called Singer customer support to ask where it could be purchased. After asking when I bought my machine and checking with her supervisor, the support rep told me to submit the rebate form and I would probably be sent the pack since I bought my Singer 7462 so close to the May 5 date.

Guess what this very happy Singer Sewing Machine customer received this week!

Now that I have the part number from the packaging (460200.CL), a Google search shows the Quilter's Pack can be purchased at Atlas Levy on eBay or their website. But I got it for free because Singer wanted to make a customer happy!

Last week's Memorial Day Weekend sales at Hancock Fabrics and Jo-Ann Fabrics drew me. I could not resist.

The Hancock store in Hayward has lots of light and it's clean and organized! Very nice compared to the Jo-Ann stores in Hayward and Dublin which don't have enough light, are crowded with what looks like junk, are unorganized in many sections, have quite a few broken or empty shelves, and don't have enough staff (at least at the Dublin store!).

I must have shopped for about 2 hours in each store (including the lengthy time it took to have the fabric cut!) and splurged on about 30 different fabrics - most 1/2 a yard, but some up to 4 yards. There are so many lovely or cute or colorful fabric designs! In my mind's eye, I see triangles and squares and bars in quilts and sleep shirts and pajama shorts and pants in colorful 100% cotton fabric. If I get good enough at making clothing, I may branch out into tops or pants I can wear outside the house! But before that can happen I need to start and finish my first piece! I haven't even had the guts to open the sewing pattern package yet! One thing at a time...

Of course, on my way home from work Tuesday, I had to get grey thread for Keepsake Kitty so I stopped by Jo-Ann Fabrics...and spend 2 hours there browsing through fabric and thread. I fell in love with the purple, orange, and yellow tropical print...and the garden print...and the snowy pine tree print. Right now, I'm thinking pajama bottoms or sleep shorts from each, and a valance or some type of curtains for my home office window from the garden print.

I didn't get a chance this week after work to sew, but I plan to work on the Keepsake Kitty this weekend, try to understand how to machine quilt the top once it's been pieced, and try to get around to making the cutting board cover from the lovely fabric I bought a few weeks ago.

Look what arrived yesterday! Yup, my new Singer 7462 sewing machine!

Yes, it's still in the box... I've been concentrating on getting the new computer setup.

When we got back from the Maker Faire, it was overcast and a little chilly so I skipped more gardening in favor of finishing the second green curtain panel. I also started - and finished - the second red panel! That means all 8 curtain panels are done!!! Photos will be posted in a few days.

Now that the curtains were done, I needed fabric for other projects. So, I stopped at Jo-Ann Fabrics yesterday after work and wandered around the store for 2 hours looking at and touching nearly every bit of cotton and flannel bunches (what are they called???) bolts of fabric. I found a lovely tropical print in deep purples, blues, greens, and magenta/reds to use for the top of the cutting board cover and a solid rich purple to use for the bottom (flat quilt batting will go in between). I also picked up a Simplicity sewing pattern for pajama bottoms and a soft flannel fabric of kitties!

I just bought my newest toy! No, not a new computer (not yet anyway...). A Singer 7462 Electronic Sewing Machine! It should be here in 7-12 days!

Oh, my. A monster has been awakened. In me. More sewing/quilting supplies...the desire to look at and touch and have a variety of colors and patterns of fabric...

A Michael's Craft Store coupon for 30% off all regular priced merchandise drew me in... I left with a stash of 29 skeins of Red Heart Super Saver yarn (in Navy, Burgundy, Claret, Soft White, Aran, and Buff) for donation lap blankets and whatever else strikes me, 2 Omnigrid quilting rulers (4x14-inch and 3x18-inch), an Omnigrid quilting travel kit (1x6-inch ruler, 4x4-inch ruler, 6x6-inch ruler, 8.75x11.75-inch cutting mat), and a piece of 45x60-inch batting to use as padding on the 24x48-inch cutting board Bill made for me this week.

Then I stopped at Orchard Supply Hardware to see if I could find something like a sheet of vinyl that I might want to use on the cutting board instead. Nothing. Bill had suggested contact paper/shelf liner so I looked but the 18-inch sheets are too narrow and I don't want to have an overlap (and I didn't want to mess around with matching the overlapping pattern either!). I did, however, find a small 3-drawer storage container perfect for bobbins and other smaller sewing items. Oh, and, I did walk through the garden area, but it's hard to be inspired when it's been raining nearly everyday here in the Bay Area for 6 weeks now...including today...and tomorrow...

It's time to reorganize the yarn collection to try to get more space so I'll feel less crowded in the craft room...

Colors: Burgundy (Royale Classic, size 10)
Pattern: My own, tightly stuffed with polyester fiberfill
Hook: 1.5 mm (Clover Size 2, US 6)
Date: April 2006

After pinnning one side of the first panel for the closet curtains, I realized the small box in which I stored straight pins wasn't doing it for me. I needed something that would be easier to pull a single pin out of and stick pins into. So I crocheted a pin cushion with one of my handy-dandy Clover Soft Touch Thread Crochet Hooks! I used it yesterday and it was just what I needed!