random thoughts – Day 2,235 (Thursday) – defeat

 It was gray and wet and a perfect day for sleeping. I did not do this. By mid-afternoon, I wished I had.

After the usual morning activities, I settled on the couch with needle and thread to work on the green choli. Following the steps established Wednesday, I picked out seams, converted the remaining dart to gathers and basted it in place, and tried the thing on for the 1,00^th time in two days.

The conversion of the darts to gathers lowered the bustline by about a half inch, but it isn’t enough. The previous idea of slicing the back of the top to add width at the back was today deemed not necessary because the problem is not circumference, it’s definitely torso length. The correct way to fix the issue requires taking the entire top apart and either recutting new pieces from fabric, or cutting it horizontally at the upper bodice area and adding one to two inches of fabric, then attempting to set the sleeves back into what will be too large of sleeve opening.

Impediments to the continuation of the alterations plan include a lack of fabric in the correct color or an appropriate coordinating color. A trip to Salvation Army Store on Wednesday yielded nothing useable in an appropriate color, but I found a brand new hand-dyed large silk scarf for $1 that will be great for something else someday. Using the saree trim for the expansion would result in a two-inch horizontal stripe in bold green with gold metallic designs and look quite awful.  The saree fabric the border would be cut from is a busy pattern and would look wrong in the choli.  

Lots of the wrong fabric.

To confirm the absence of fabric in the stockpile, time was spent going through the two tubs of sewing fabric bought in another lifetime for projects that were never made. In one tub, I found a white linen bolero jacket and all the pieces for the lining cut out and still attached to the tissue pattern pieces; several yards of wool fabric and the pattern, zipper, thread and buttons for the suit that was never made from it; and dozens of other fabrics with coordinating zippers and thread. What is absent is something in the color and type of fabric needed for the current project.

Anyway. After assessing the state of the alterations, the time it has already consumed to still be no closer to being finished, and the shopping needed for fabric to proceed with it further, defeat was conceded. The green choli top, partly disassembled, has won the war. Choli - 1, Me - 0.

I sat on the couch and started searching for stretchy fabric 3/4 sleeve choli tops online. After arranging to borrow a long sleeve, sheer, tie front top, the search was refined a bit to focus on something for under the sheer top. There also still needs to be some sort of pant found or made to wear under the skirt, because it’s sheer. And the coin top needs to be finished for the other costume. Thank goodness I gave up looking for a job or I'd really be losing my mind.

random thoughts – Day 2,234 (Wednesday) – saree choli

The plan for today was to finish the coin bra for a dance, but it was temporarily set aside in favor of altering a green saree choli for a different dance. A couple weeks ago I bought a pink and green saree with a coordinating green choli top to go with my reddish-fuschia skirt. 

Top in need of alterations.

Without having tried it on, it looked like the top might fit, but when I finally tried it on, it was obvious it needed alterations. The first adjustment was to let out some of the side seams, which helped with the circumference, but the top is also several inches too short from shoulder to hem.

To address the choli,  the neckline, which sat too high on the back of my neck and collarbones, was reshaped. The hope was that the neckline change would help how the rest of the top sits in the torso, and it did somewhat, but only when I stood still. As soon as I raised my arms like we do in the dance, the top rode up in a manner that is definitely not suitable for public consumption.

There were Internet searches for altering tops but most results dealt with adjusting commercial patterns before cutting fabric and not how to fix a ready-made top. I would be winging it, without benefit of training as a seamstress or tailor. It felt like it would have been easier to make a top from a piece of fabric, but there was no fabric on hand in the right color.

Early in the alterations.

Bit by bit, stitching was methodically removed from parts of the top. The neck facing was removed first. The front bust dart was re-pinned to be more of a princess seam, which fit better, but the top still rode up with my arms raised. Next, the front facing with the fasteners was removed, then the front bottom band. The bodice pinning was removed and the pinned princess seam was basted into soft gathers.

Each action offered a small improvement, but one remaining issue seems to be that it is too small through the shoulders. The next potential step is to slice the back up the center and add a strip from the saree's decorative edging to expand the back by a couple inches and extend the shoulder line. The “slice the back” part causes me panic. That is where things could go very wrong. All the carefully removed stitches can be re-sewn, but taking scissors to the fabric is a different situation. I’ll have to psych myself up for that step.

random thoughts – Day 2,233 (Tuesday) – progress

Coin bra dance top.

Sewing resumed today, with the hand-stitched attachment of coin panels to a swimsuit top. This piece will go with the recently completed big skirt for the June show. The panels had been pinned on, and the edges on one side of the top were stitched, with additional anchoring stitches in the center to help support the weight of the coins. Even though they are pressed metal coins and not actual money, they have some weight.

The panels are a smidge large, so there is some careful placement needed, along with the removal of a few coins and support pieces. The other side will be stitched tomorrow. For the record, I'm immensely glad the coins panels are attached to each other and pre-shaped and I don't have to attach the coins individually. Between the skirt and the top, this dance costume is going to weigh a ton. 

Flowers on my tree.

There was a bit of guilt for being indoors on a beautiful spring day, but if I only sew on the less beautiful weather days, things very likely will not be done in time. A couple outdoor breaks were taken, so it wasn't a total loss. 

I walked to the mailbox, where I noticed an excessive amount of fluffy brown feathers strewn all along the edge of someone's yard. Something went down in the cruel world of nature.

I took pictures of the little pink flowers in the front yard tree which is now full. Notice was taken of the plywood set in the front yard by the contractor to mark the placement of the dumpster due to arrive this week for the roof replacement which will begin soon.

Progress is happening on multiple fronts – the weather, the costume projects, and the home repairs. It’s all good.

random thoughts – Day 2,232 (Monday) – home life

Miss Kiki commanding
her (my) space.

The day had a slow start. The alarm went off at 6:30 and I hit “snooze” and dosed off again. Shortly after, the Kiki morning alarm activated. Once started, the morning meows generally continue until I exit the bed. 

Once I’m up, she meows until she is hand-fed at least three Temptations treats, then she leaps onto the bed and takes over the space for the entire day. She will allow me to visit and stroke her face and tell her how beautiful and wonderful she is. It’s easy to do because she is those things. 

The slow start carried itself into a leisurely day. The house had been cleaned for company on Saturday and is still nice and tidy, so nothing was needed in that department. I sat on the couch and surveyed the orderliness that will hold until I get sloppy and the sewing machine comes back to the table. The ultimate goal is a dedicated sewing station in the craft room, but it’s not quite there yet.

Later, two dance friends came over. One to work on our choreography, the other to visit, observe, and provide advice on the choreography. It feels like a great system, having an audience to provide input. The dance is mostly finished, and now we are applying the polish and finesse. In about five more weeks we will present it on stage. We also checked out my too small choli for another dance in another show in June and developed a plan for reworking it. This means another sewing project in the queue and it's going to be a busy stretch of five to six weeks. Thank goodness I have money-saving domestic skills. 

random thoughts – Day 2,231 (Sunday) – quiet solitude

Early evening in the back yard.

The temperature was back around 60 degrees and the sun was shining all day. The drive to dance group this morning was highlighted by clusters of daffodils and bright yellow explosions of forsythia in yards and along the roads. The trees are beginning to dress themselves in pale pink and white flowers and the grass is becoming green again. Spring is a magical time of year. 

It was a nice afternoon to relax in solitude with a book. A much needed nap snuck in there, too. A couple times I thought there was something I was supposed to be doing besides reading a book, and I'll probably find out in a day or so when I get a "did you forget about Sunday?" query.

The refrigerator is stuffed with leftovers from the pre-comedy show gathering at my house last night and the eating will be very good for the next couple days. Before heading to the Polish American Citizens Club, we ate cheese and crackers, chips, veggies, dip, hummus, mini empanadas, burritos, etc. It was fun.

A mini empanada and a burrito were warmed with queso and served with guac and pineapple salsa for lunch. Sliced celery sticks were devoured with hummus as an afternoon snack. There is a container of empanada refried bean filling left and I may get kitchen experimental and trying making it into veggie burger patties.

Dining room peace and tranquility.

The sweatshop closure remains in effect at least until Monday while I enjoy the order and peaceful splendor of the dining area for another day or two. The machine may be at rest, but sewing has still been front of mind as I’ve been searching online for bulk rolls of at least 13 yards of black chiffon ruffle ribbon trim. It's not completely scarce, and there is trim out there, but I’m reluctant to fork out $35 - $50 for it and keep hoping for something in the yard sale "please make it go away" bargain price range. A gal can dream.

random thoughts – Day 2,230 (Saturday) – saying goodbye

random thoughts – Day 2,230 (Saturday) – saying goodbye

Today Aunt Jennie was celebrated and laid to rest after a lovely funeral at St John the Evangelist Church that was crowded with family and friends. Aunt Jennie married her husband (Albert) and lived in Townsend for most of her 88 years. She and Uncle Albert were married for 55 years when he passed away in 2011.

Aunt Jennie was one of six children in Dad's family. With Uncle Albert she raised seven feisty children of their own. She was a grandmother to seven and great-grandmother to six. She was the glue that kept the family connected and the cookout she hosted each August in her backyard was a summer highlight attended by her kids, their kids and grandkids, and her many nieces and nephews.

Aunt Jennie was talented and practiced the art of calligraphy. Cards from her were easy to spot in the mail and always felt special. 

Remembering Aunt Jennie.

She enjoyed crocheting and made countless blankets for homeless communities, nursing homes, family members, and friends. During the funeral service, Fr. Sean Maher asked who had a blanket from Jennie and nearly every person in attendance raised their hand, including him. Mine is striped in shades of aqua and white. My sister’s is purple. Mom’s is in neutral creams and tans. A basket containing the project in green, gray, and white that Aunt Jennie was working on was at the front of the church and later in the parish hall for the gathering.

Aunt Jennie was feisty, quick-witted, and had a wicked sense of humor. My cousin Missy, my sister, and I each hope we can have half our Aunt’s fire and pep as we age and her sudden departure leaves a hole. May she rest in peace.

random thoughts – Day 2,229 (Friday) – sweatshop saga – skirt done-ish

The production schedule held, for the most part. There was a lot of re-pinning the fourth and final tier this morning to fix some issues. There was a 10:00 leftover pizza breakfast. When the sewing was underway, the thread broke twice, and both times it was because it had somehow come off the spool and wound itself around the post the spool sits on. This is a new glitch that isn’t in the machine manual troubleshooting guide.

Anyway. The skirt got finished around 2:00, which is a relief, and technically by the hoped for deadline of “by lunchtime” based on 10:00 breakfast and what turned out to be my 4:00 lunch/supper. I eat when I want and not when the clock suggests it.

All four tiers assembled.

It took about five minutes for me to start critiquing the thing and I already see things that I wish were different. The purple is too dominant, which was not the vision in my head, but that is a factor of the quantity of black and gold fabric that was available. Now I’m cooking up a plan to do some sort of ruffle or overlay at the seam below the first patterned tier to minimize the lower purple one. A hip scarf will cover part of the top tier because that's how we usually roll. 

For now, the entire sweat shop has been temporarily disbanded. Every indication the dining table was a sewing center worksite has been removed. The table is needed tomorrow for guests. Friends and I are going to a comedy show at Gardner’s finest entertainment venue (The Polish American Citizens Club) and they are coming here for appetizers first. I had thrown out the invitation in late January when we got the tickets, and suddenly, here we are in late April and I’m hosting guests in less than 24 hours.

I’m very out of practice in the entertaining arena. I hosted Christmas Eve, but that’s been it for years. I barely remember what serving pieces I own or how to plan food. Tomorrow’s food plan started in one direction a few weeks ago then spun into another because I changed my mind.

Temporarily not a sewing center.

As soon as I put away the sewing, I went through cabinets and pulled dishes to hold queso, salsa, veggies, crackers, and cheese. Now the table is full of salsa and queso jars and bowls, boxes of crackers, and serving plates. I keep second guessing and thinking maybe all the food should go on the kitchen counter instead, but I’ll need the space tomorrow to assemble food. 

Vegetables and cheeses were cut and arranged on plates and set in the fridge. The empanada filling was made and is in the fridge. Tomorrow morning my family and I will be at a funeral, and I’m glad I got all this stuff done today. 

There was a run to WalMart for a refund on a clearance item bought yesterday (fruit cake diced fruits for $1.73) that rang up as full price ($6.94). I would never have bought it for the full price, I don’t even know that I’ll actually use it, but I like fruitcake, so maybe I’ll make one. 

The trip yielded rolls of black and gold tulle for possible purple-minimizing ruffles on the skirt, and also frozen burritos because I panicked that I didn’t plan on enough food for tomorrow. Note: there will be six of us and we have 1.5 hours before we’ll need to head to the show, so it’s doubtful there won’t be enough food and I am just neurotic (always) and nervous about being out of practice with social things.