Sew Straight plus Seafood Chowder December 7, 2008

I figured out how to change the sewing machine over to straight lines!

yayayayayaya!!

I mean, I really appreciate the fact that it’s got a bunch of cool stitches, but I really just wanted straight you know?

And it’s been so long since I’ve sewn anything without my serger (almost 2 years) right at hand. That I had completely forgotten about ironing things! Silly me. So now the iron is set up in the kitchen. I’m LOVING my new iron. I can leave my fingers right in front of it, holding down a fold and the steam doesn’t burn me! So nice!

So now, I’ve got done except for adding in the elastic:

• Morgans’ flame pj pants
• Ian’s pj shorts
• Owyn’s pj shorts

I’m working on the rest, since we needed lunch, I threw some seafood chowder together. What’s that? The recipe? (you can omit the tuna for just plain ol’ clam chowder)

Ok,

• 1 can clams
• 1 can tuna (or another can of clams)
• 1 stick of butter
• 4 cups milk
• 2 cups water
• 1 tsp basil
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 4 medium/large potatoes
• instant mashed potatoes

Take potatoes, poke holes in them, and toss them in the microwave for 6 min. When they ding, turn them over and turn back on for another 6 min. They should be done at this point. But some microwaves are more powerful, and others less so. So your minutes may vary.

All liquids in a pot. Add in both cans of meat (juice and all), thinly slice butter and toss that in, then all the spices. Simmer on low just till hot, dice up the baked potatoes, add into the pot. Simmer about another 10 minutes. Mash the potatoes up a bit, then add in just enough instant mashed potatoes until thick and creamy. Toss in the frozen corn (it adds flavor and the frozen aspect cools it off enough to eat immediately) stir well, then spoon into bowls and serve.

Oh my New Sewing Machine December 7, 2008

So, I DID IT!!

I cut out most of what I needed to cut out yesterday.

that would be.

• Morgan’s pj pants
• Ian’s pj shorts (they changed their mind)
• Owyn’s pj shorts
• Danyca’s pj shorts
• Danyca’s pj tank top
• Freya’s pj shorts
• Freya’s pj tank top
• 3 Kaia reversible pants (need to cut out 3 matching pieces now)
• 1 Kaia tank top dress
• 1 Kaia reversible skirt (need to cut out other side and matching trim now)
• 1 curtain for Brianna

I honestly went on to sew. I was going to mess around on my new machine a bit (an early 70’s Kenmore with it’s own table) that was given to me by a friend. I sat down at it, fiddled with learning to thread it, etc. And discovered that I just CANNOT figure out how to get it to sew a straight line. I can’t believe it, it’s so dorky I just laughed at myself. So I hunted online to find a manual for it (158.14101) found it, paid for it with paypal, then discovered I’d clicked the wrong darn link. Paid for the wrong darn manual. And now I need to wait for Monday to contact customer support (though I AM going to try today) to ask if they would switch me with the manual that I can acutally use LOL.

rolls eyes

So I guess I’m going to cut out some more stuff today. I need to cut out

• Morgan’s flannel pj pants
• Ian’s flannel pj pants
• Owyn’s flannel pj pants
• Freya’s flannel pj dress
• Danyca’s flannel pj dress
• figure out what to use the left over material on for Kaia
• 6 Stockings (green plaid with green strips for the top + Hobbes)

Soooo, I’m off to fiddle with the darn sewing machine again. Maybe see if I can figure out that bottom serger needle that is causing my other serger needles to bust (or find the book to help me fix it alternately) If I can’t sew. I guess I’ll have to clean *sigh* I’ll work on my room! Organization! yeah, that’s the ticket!

Heh.

Pajama Pants Here I Come? December 6, 2008

Yesterday I did 6 loads of laundry (it adds up when children come back from dads, wet the bed, help cook and we have house guests *sigh*) I freecycled 3 more bags of the donated yard sale stuff clogging my garage. I cooked 2 batches of muffins. Apricot pumpkin in the gluten section and Pumpkin/golden raisin/sunflower seed in the GF side. Kaia’s teething and working on tooth #7 (how silly is THAT in a 16 month old!) so she was pretty awful yesterday (and it looks like today as well since she’s been up since 5:30)

I did dishes, I swept, I mopped, I vacuumed. I directed room cleaning for the boys. I folded and put away Kaia’s clothes. I hung out maternity clothes on the clothesline to help rid them of the cigarrette smell (donated again) because they are being picked up today.

Basically, what it boils down to is I don’t feel like I can craft unless my house is clean. Unless I don’t have any chores standing between me and crafting. Which is silly. But understandable when you consider how much my sewing/crafting stuff is taking over my bedroom. It’s a MESS. Material leftover after my 14 yo volunteered me to a couple of her friends in anime club. Material left over from 5 children and a honey needing Halloween outfits. Child #6 didn’t end up getting a hand sewn outfit as her behaviour was SO bad I simply was not going to reward her hideous behaviour with lots of effort on my part to make her something beautiful. I’m always going to regret seeing all the other children shine as we walked down the street, and my 2nd oldest wearing regular clothes and holding a wand.

Anyways….

Because my bedroom and my sewing room are one and the same now (baby needed her own room, and now step-daughters share a room with her, yes, we need a bigger house) I have enough SPACE, I just don’t have the organizational skills to make it better. I can’t FIND my stuff. If I want to sew diapers. Well, most of the stuff is in a couple of canvas boxes. But not all of it. Where is the velcro? Where’s the material that I wanted to use to cover the diapers? Ditto for almost everything. I’ve got lots of ideas on how to organize the craft room. But most of it involves money I do not have to create organizational shelves and such. I really really really need to find a way to create simplicity from chaos because it is seriously cutting into my creative life. The thought of having to dig through my closets to find a specific something or other just makes me crazy. Thus the ‘it has to be clean, before I can go do fun stuff’ my head says.

I was bad before, with the ‘the laundry hasn’t been started, go start it THEN you can sew.’ But now, with the serious sewing room mess, I feel like I shouldn’t be creating, I should be cleaning and organizing. Honestly. I know I need help. But I don’t know where to turn. How do you ask a friend to come dig in your stuff and order you around?? LOL.

So I’m going to put my sewing list here, and hopefully it will give me the kick in the rear I need to get in gear and quit CLEANING.

• 10 pairs pj pants
• 8 cotton scrub tops
• stocking for Hobbes
• stocking for Ian
• stocking for Owyn
• stocking for Freya
• stocking for Danyca
• stocking for Kaia
• 2 hand potholders
• 2 square potholders
• 10 napkins
• 2 hand towels (patchwork)
• 6 more handprints on the tree skirt and then bind it.
• 1 kitchen curtain (patchwork)
• 3 pairs boxers
• 2 rice bags plus 2 covers w/ buttons

So you can see. I have a lot to do. If I continue on this path I’m on. I’m going to end up doing it RIGHT before Christmas and making myself sick with overwork LOL.

So, TODAY I am cutting things out. Yes folks, that’s right. Cutting stuff out! hehehe.

Of course, that involves cleaning off the kitchen table and washing it (horse/dog knocked over plants in the kitchen last night to my dismay) but that’s just one thing right? Surely I won’t turn it into 20?

Anyone else have this issue? I feel so silly when I see people popping stuff out daily. And I *know* I could as well, but my ‘work comes before play’ gets in my way everytime. Even though I *know* sewing isn’t play. I enjoy it, therefore it IS.