Friday 18 July 2008

Sewing With A Procrastinator (SWAPminus)

A few months ago, my Wonderful Man and I went to Holland to visit my family and pick up my Husqvarna 1140 sewing machine that has been lovingly taken care of by my mother for the past two years (don't worry, I made sure she got a new one). We also took back with us the wooden case that once held a Magnum bottle of wine but that I transformed into a sewing box, and that is now filled with all kinds of sewing goodies. With the expert help of my WM I built a desk for my machine in the guest room (that I secretly call My Sewing Room), set up the sewing machine and -after doing a few minor repair jobs that were waaaaaaaay overdue- just left it sitting there.

Then, some weeks ago I went fabric shopping at The Curtain Factory Outlet with my friend Esther. As well as buying some gorgeous dark brown velvet for curtains, I bought some lovely grey Irish linen that I was planning to make into a suit for work. And a dress. Or a skirt. And a top. I didn't make anything, but I planned to do so. After that, WM and I decided we will go to The Gambia for two weeks in September, and with nothing to wear for that climate and culture; I started thinking I also need to make at least one long-sleeved blouse. And trousers. And another dress. Then I remembered that two weeks before we go to The Gambia, we may be going on a trip to Champagne, France, with WM's colleagues. So what to wear there? How about sewing a few nice tops for that weekend, to wear with my jeans? And of course something a bit more dressy, for when we go out to dinner (with champagne, of course). And, and, and...You see where I'm going with this?

Right, erm, don't panic. Aaaaaaargh! Too late. Okay: I need to find patterns, tracing paper, fabrics, and all sorts of notions (okay, I don't need them, I just really, really want them, as I'm sure you recognize). Lorinda wrote a great tip on how to make a brag book to prepare for shopping for fabrics, and instead of getting my patterns and stuff together, I'm focussing on finding that little book first now. Because I know I already have one. I just can't remember where it is.

Meanwhile, WM is asking when I will repair the hem of one of his suit trousers. Well, darling, as soon as I have built the large table I designed for drawing and cutting in the guest room! Too bad my design has so many flaws that the table could actually be a danger to the guests that do occasionally stay in My Sewing Room. Oops, I mean: our guest room. So today I will admit that, if I pull out the leaves of the antique table in the living room and cover it with a heavy plastic table cloth to prevent it agains my violent drawing, that might just work. Sounds like one problem solved. Sigh.

So now all I have to do is find my brag book. And heavy plastic table cloth. And patterns. And tracing paper. And fabrics. And, and, and...

1 comment:

Esther said...

... and... and... and a friend to help you out, you know, who brings over her own sewing machine and doesn't have any specific things to work on at the moment so you can hand her some fabric and some patterns and er... just a cuppa tea every now and then :-)

xx