random thoughts – Day 2,239 (Monday) – annoyances and sewing

 This morning was one of those times where everything was annoying. Every. Single. Thing.

When looking at my budget spreadsheet, the row markers on the left of the screen didn’t correspond to the actual cell address rows. Why? No idea. Did they ever? Also no idea. But when I’m in a cell with an address of Column F Row 67, the guide on the far left should not be showing a label for Row 12. 

Then, a reminder arrived that the Internet/Cable bill is due soon. Cool. I forgot, so thanks. Went to the website to review the bill, because I haven't done so lately, and it was a three-ring circus of hoop jumping to log in and finally find a listing of the charges and what is included my stupid bundled package. There was swearing.

An effort to find some specific fabric online for a specific costume part was undertaken after receiving an email that fabric is 30% off at a certain hobby and craft store I happen to despise which is 30 minutes from home but is one of the few still in existence. An online search of the fabric was so frustrating and time consuming I could have driven to the store and been touching fabric before I got a single result on the screen. I bailed from the site. There was swearing.

And on it went. The laptop screen was speckled and spotty and wouldn’t wipe clean. The window shade got stuck. The bass-playing neighbor was at it for hours and I could hear it in my house with all the doors and windows shut. (I think I may take up trombone or mizmar or marching band giant drum to even the score.) 

Sweatshop, reopened.

In an effort to have one accomplishment for the day and knock an item off the sewing to-do list, I decided to boldly cut the pink floral saree fabric and make the harem pants to go under the too sheer skirt for one of the dances in the June show. It was not as straightforward as I imagined. The fabric is slippery so pinning the pattern took longer than it would with other fabric. Planning was needed to incorporate the metallic edging of the fabric to minimize cutting. 

When it was time to cut, changing the blade in the rotary cutter required a cutting tool to open the packaging of the cutting tool. After being cut, the fabric edges frayed almost immediately. There was swearing (lots!).

Pants completed.

During the sewing, the side seams puckered, which I didn’t notice until after finishing enclosed seams on both pant legs. The sadistic pattern companies design the waistband casings to be barely larger than the width of elastic they recommend, and the elastic never fits through at least one spot in the casing. I ended up using one-inch instead of two-inch wide elastic. There was swearing. 

I had to stop working on the pants for a couple hours and went back to the coin bra (still not finished). When I went to the couch for hand sewing, the scissors were over by the sewing machine and it ticked me off, because that was the ruling mood of the day. 

It took twice as long to make the stupid pants as it should have and I was ready to swear off sewing forever.  When they were finished (after 9:00 pm), I felt better and the aggravation had finally subsided.

Now that the sewing machine is hogging the dining table again, I guess another project will be undertaken. I still need a top for under the sheer top that will go with the sheer skirt. Costuming was definitely not this complicated last year.

random thoughts – Day 2,238 (Sunday) – doing

I must have been in a daze or intently focused on the pavement directly ahead of me driving to dance this morning. I didn’t notice much of interest on the drive which means I wasn’t looking. I don’t recall what great thoughts might have crowded out observation, either, until I got to the parking lot. Then I was thinking the two dogs in the yard behind the chain link fence and how it looked like they were having a grand time bouncing around all over the place.

After dance group and back home, I sliced up the five or six small sweet potatoes in the bowl on the counter, tossed them in olive oil, salt, and pepper, and oven roasted them. The plan was to have some for lunch and the rest for later. It didn’t work out that way.

As soon as they came out of the oven, I filled a plate with sweet potato slices and a little soy sauce bowl with buttermilk ranch dressing. I ate them all, then refilled the plate. Then, because there weren’t that many left, I ate the rest, except for the 12 little slices that were scorched and charred and tossed into the trash. The rock-like scorching was probably because I was reading a book didn’t immediately leap to action when the oven timer went off, and finished a page or ten before tending to the oven.

When suppertime rolled around and the only thing planned for it had already been eaten for lunch, it was time to start over. The only thing of interest was frozen pizza, but the last one was eaten last weekend and I didn't feel like going to the store for more. I stared into the pantry and then the refrigerator and the freezer. Lots of ingredients, nothing I wanted to make or eat. The menu finally settled on the last two hotdogs from the freezer and boxed mac and cheese. It was neither the best nor the worst, but it was quick and easy. 

Back to working on the coin bra.

After supper, I finally picked up the coin bra again to finish sewing on the second coin panel. The multi-day green choli soul-sucking detour had diverted me from the previous task. After supper was the worst time to start a hand sewing task. Daylight, which had flooded the house all afternoon, was fading and the living room lighting is poor. But I was finally inspired to work on it again and needed to take advantage of having the energy for it. 

The tools had been strewn on the ottoman for several days – Mummu’s old thread clippers and fabric scissors with the broken handle, jewelry pliers for resetting the connecting rings, needle and thread. Some progress was made before mistakes began creeping in and it was clearly time to stop. The coin panel can be finished in the morning. There are still a lot of costuming things needed for the June show and it’s starting to stress me out, so I need to get back on the production schedule.

random thoughts – Day 2,237 (Saturday) – another rain day

The gloomy morning required the assistance of electric lighting, unlike the sunny mornings that require strategic setting of the window shades to avoid frying one’s eyeballs during the coffee consumption. Rain moved through periodically. I ventured out early between showers to mail a card and then visit WalMart to return three rolls of sewing trim I bought in a panic the other day and then decided to not use because it’s scratchy tulle and not soft chiffon.

WalMart was peaceful at 8:45 a.m. and after making the return I wandered the store. At the craft aisle, I discovered an unmarked cabinet filled with sewing patterns. I couldn’t decide if I was more surprised it existed or that I had never noticed it in my several trips to that aisle. The fabric available is limited to one-yard pre-cut packages of costume satin, netting, and cotton in prints that most sane adults would not want to wear, along with precut quilting squares, so the availability of patterns has questionable usefulness.

There was no pattern catalogue to flip through and it was a free-for-all excursion pawing through the large drawers. It reminded me of my afterschool hours spent in the public library where I would randomly open a card catalogue drawer and flip though the cards until something caught my eye in a wheel of fortune approach to what topic I would read about next.

There was a surprising number of patterns for aprons. Not just grilling aprons, but the 1950s housewife type of aprons. I had no idea they were popular, especially considering how many people live in sweats or jeans. Are we dressing up to cook now, or just protecting our wash and wear sweats from life in the kitchen? There were also many patterns for pet clothes, along with the usual patterns for clothes for humans including scrubs. 

Evening sky and lush grass 5-2-2026.

The rest of the day was occupied with rainy day leisure. A dancer friend was performing at the Renaissance Faire at the nearby apple orchard, but I couldn’t convince myself to go to an outdoor event in the rain and took a nap instead. I sat on the couch and finished a book while the laundry was done. I ate random things including crackers and grapes and yogurt. At some point when I wasn’t paying attention, the rain stopped. As the evening sky turned golden and then the reddish pink, the grass out back looked vivid and lush and like it’s going to need a trim soon.

random thoughts – Day 2,236 (Friday) – one hour today

Around 9:00 this morning, as I was still in my pajamas and on the couch reading a book (Defending Jacob, by William Landay), it occurred to me that I should probably get dressed. Barely five minutes later, a building supply flatbed delivery truck rolled up and parked across the street from my house. It was the materials for the roof replacement, and boy was I glad I was dressed. I’m also glad I have learned to listen to my gut or the voice in my head or whatever it is that nudges me in the right direction to avoid embarrassment.

I went outside to tell the driver the plan was to set the stuff under the carport and moved my car out of the driveway so that was possible. After parking next door in front of Mom’s house, I popped in and told her what was going on. By the time I got back to my house, the delivery guy had determined the forklift was too tall to clear the carport and stuff would be set along the driveway. Cool, cool.

The forklift had a problem.

I returned inside and the forklift returned to the driveway with a load of stuff. That’s when activity suddenly ceased. All was suspiciously quiet. Then I heard the delivery guy talking on the phone. He told the person at the other end of the call that the muffler had fallen off the forklift, and when it did, it nicked a line. Copper wire could be seen. There was smoke. Still 3,000 shingles on the truck. I heard all this from inside my silent house.

There was some pacing in the driveway and several more calls made. Someone somewhere was informed by the driver that maintenance was on the way. (And arrived promptly). Under the advice of Guy #2 (maintenance), Guy #1 (delivery) managed to move the forklift from its crosswise position in my driveway back to its roost on the back of the flatbed.

Busy on the street.

Guy #2 left in the maintenance truck with the liberated muffler. I continued monitoring the situation from the VIP area of my living room observation post. Before long, a second flatbed loaded with lumber arrived on the street. While I observed from the window, Guy #3 observed while Guy #2 lowered the forklift from the back of the truck and parked it alongside the original truck with my roofing materials. Guy #3 leaned on the truck and watched Guy #2 transfer pallets with shingles from the flatbed to the edge of my driveway. The forklift was returned to the second truck. Within a few minutes, both delivery trucks, forklifts, and drivers were gone.

The entire production, from the initial arrival, forklift troubles, arrival of other parties, and the departure of the trucks, took less than an hour. But what an hour it was. During the time the big trucks were on the street Meals on Wheels had an obstacle course to navigate to deliver across the street and neighbors were walking and driving by. It’s kind of fun having a front row seat to the action, even if the now-flowering tree is a bit of an obstruction.

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 100^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.