horrible!

I have been on the phone with "Brewers" the quilting and notion people. I have been waiting for my "Stitches" magazine since December of 2008. Ok now they tell me that they have been having trouble with the distributers and they need of quota of 300 subcribers. Well "Brewers" only has 100 people. This just sucks! sucks! and more sucking that I could just scream. Of course this tells you what my life is all about doesn't it?
I even emailed australia for christs sake. So now I am going to have to go back to Erica in Indiana to get my back orders. Right now I have to do first things first and that's get those mags. I'm addicted to that magazine like crack! now it's gonna take forever to get it.

youtube

Since i was not sleepy I decided to watch youtube howto's. I was looking at the wordpress blog and trying to figure out if I want to go there or stay here. There seems to be a lot more on the sight in which to choose from. So I am in the thinking process right now.
I am also waiting on a friend to take a picture of the purse that I made for his wife a few weeks back. I wanted to post that picture. so I will come back with more on the possible switch as soon as I ask my internet guru friend about it. ciao for now

today

I am still working on this jacket. Really procrastinating with the zipper. I should have it done this week. I only worked on the zipper all a mere 10 minutes, and then just stopped. You really have to be in the mood to do this. Some days are better. I will attempt to put this together again tomorrow. I think I am going to force myself every day at the same time. Which is 11:00.

Bernina

Thursday I went to Hancock fabric. It seemed like I was going to another country almost....it took just that long to get there. Anyway I was so surprised to find the Bernina people there. This has got to be the cleanest and neatest Hancock fabric I've ever seen.

I spoke to one of the ladies....and I mentioned that I'd spoken to her on the phone about possibly working with Bernina. I really love the sewing machine. Even though I have my Brothers Ult2003 I will always end up using the Bernina for hard core stuff. It might be on the noisy side but I like it none the less. Anyway if the lady can't hire me I emailed and told her that I would be more than glad to volunteer working there. What more could a person ask for? I get to learn a lot and play with the machines. That would be the ulitimate job for me, because I would be doing something I love.

I don't know if I will hear from the lady but who knows what might happen? If she doesn't take me someone else will take me up on that offer. I am also going to try and see if I could go further up north. Of course the ultimate would be working in Canada at a sewing place. Those women have sewing, fabric and machines coming out of their noses. Towards the end of the month I hope to go up to Mill end fabric and see what deals I can come up with. I would also like to check out their tapestry.

Stitches magazine

Well I've been awaiting my "Stitches" magazine since December of 2008. I renewed also in the latter part of the month. I have contacted Brewers quilting it had another name and I can't think of it at the moment. Anyway I spoke to them today for the second time regarding my subscription. They claim that they've not heard anything from the Australian publications regarding distribution.

The representative told me that there is a posibility that it is no longer in publication. If that is so I am going to be so disappointed. I love that magazine more than "Threads" primarily because they are more into styles and coutour. I like the pictures that are in the magazine and also the way the articles are done. I've written Lynn cook who is the editor at large i guess. I'm starting to get really worried on whether or not they have gone under.

Right now there are more knitting magazines than anything else, and I am not into knitting. Just like there are more knitting books than there are sewing books. There are just as many things to do regarding sewing. So if this is the case that there are not going to be any more magazines then I am going to cherish the old ones that I have.

I am making a jacket today.....and as usual I don't have something I need. I need a zipper for this jacket. I'm afraid to ruin it with buttons. I love the material. I will take a picture of it as soon as I'm done. ciao for now

bunk

I know I am not suppose to put anything personal on here other than sewing stuff but sometimes stuff just tickels me and I have to write. Since moving here I've come across really colorul characters; while waiting to go to my various sewing stuff. While residing at shady rest minnisota junction: I find that older adults act just like kids.

Observation: I am no longer looking for any relationship especially on line. As i told my friend this morning. You should see the guys that have hit on me in this building. Sometimes looks say a thousand words: there is a gentleman who looks just like a walrus with a mustache...just got a haircut the other day. He has two cheddar teeth and the top and the other three at the bottom look like they are going on demolition rot. Anyway he has an enormus girth, his stomach enters the room before he does but somehow he seems to find me and wants to talk. Why is it that folks who are losing teeth, or don't have teeth find the need to smile and show you their gums or tooth rot? They really don't care. It's just amazing!

Second guy is question: is like obi one canobi only this guy as the runs of the mouth God bless his soul. Nothing is remotely pertinent when he opens his mouth to speak. Starts off talking about flour and will end up talking about fly spit. Who cares? Then there's another guy that has long hair, southern drawl, overall blue jeans. We have these magnetic cards that get us through entrance of the building. He's the only guy that opens the door with his ass. Just amazing. These three gentleman are in heat, and always have something to say to me. It just goes to show you that people who look crazy, and are three sandwiches short of a picnic love talking to people who are sane.

Well on the on hand that makes you probably wonder about me because I talk to these people. I just don't want to be rude. I figure if these guys are like this now, just what will they be like when it gets warm. Lord please let me be gone all summer long. You know people always watch the newest person that moves in the building. Maybe I am fair game. Another guy is on an oxygen tank has four teeth, and smokes, and is delightful to a certain extent. I told him, "if you remove the oxygen hose from your nose and gave me a hug, you would probably fall down. I figure there is no sense in him looking, but he can dream can't he? which makes him all the more safer to talk to because his health is in such poor condition that him making a pass at me; makes him safe! Boy what a relief.

Well my computer is still being service, and i will try and take a picture of myself with makeup on, and then I will get someone to take a picture of me in the stuff I've made. I'll have to admit that I don't go by the rules in sewing. So my stuff is a little unorthadox. Well so much for personal stuff. I'll get back as soon as I get an itch to write. ciao for now

visiting

well i was visiting a couple of sewing blogs, and i realized that i wanted to spice my background up a little. Maybe i am just jumping the gun first things first. Well i found out that there are a couple of glitches in my new computer, and it will have to be sent back. So you won't hear from in the next nine days. Wah wah wah.....now you know that when you've got the computer right here with you, you are not thinking about using it. Now that i know it's going to be gone I am going to want to use a computer. That's just ass backwards I know.

Can't wait for the spring to start up so that i can go fabric hunting. Think I will start around March. Then by April I will have a few things sewn up. last year i didn't buy any clothes from the store. I made all of my skirts. I've really got to get on the ball in making shirts. I think I am just afraid of the buttons. I didn't know that you have to have stabilizer for button holes. No wonder the button holes looked like they were going to get up and walk, and tiredly i might add.

now that I am in Minneapolis i suddenly am getting advertisements from Vogue fabrics. Too late guys. I really can't wait to find out how this place is in the summer. Hope i haven't gone from bad to worse. I do like what i see so far. In the mean time i am going to get as many sewing dvds and watch sewing videos. I am want to take this class in St. Paul for march. It might be a little later. Right now though I am having thoughts of grandeur on what to do for my birthday. Even though it's in may......i would like to be in a different state .....just for the day....be someplace different that i've not been before. What a wondering soul I am.....ciao for now

glad to pose

This is Linda she does not sew, but knows that Sue and I do, and she was such a dear in staying with us the whole 2hours while we drooled. This was my first time using the digital camera, and my first time on this fabric trip. Linda is holding up one of Sues quilt like squares. The are really works of art, and they adorn Sues walls. So now I've figured this out pictures and posting. Now it's on to the next hurdle. I'm learning!

Swith reels.....saw myself on the webcam and nearly scared the hell out of my self because I almost didn't recognize the reflection staring back at me. Age is just shocking some time. I am going to try and take more pictures now of the fabric places and then give the thumbs up and down. ciao for now

bagged treasures

This is the same day with Sue and Linda. Sue is the crafter and dyes material. She walks out of the store with paying only 15.00 odd dollars. Since i felt like alice in wonderland naturally I spent 53.00 but that was pretty good, out of this trip I've made two purses with leather, and will also have some canvas for a tote bag. Three shirts, well just jersey tops. Those are not that exciting. I am going to save up next time, cause i will need exactly a good 200.00.....

then this way I can make my whole spring/summer stuff.

my first time working with leather & tapestry

This is another style bag minus the straps that I gave to another friend. I scalloped the leather (white part) with a perscription bottle, and this is what I came up with, the upper part is tapestry. The bag came out pretty good, but I have to learn how to defince stuff a little more. I made this without a pattern. I gave this one to another friend of mine. She said she like it, and that it would match her shoes, or boots.

fabric heaven

At last this is the picture that i downloaded on my desktop. Don't know how I did it, but now you can see the smile that i was talking about. I haven't figured out yet how to download all of the pictures at the same time. so here goes

new new

ok now i have everything new and don't know how to use, i am learning. Tried to download the pictures but don't know how to do that yet. I had a headache in just going back and forth on this notebook. It takes some getting use to no doubt. I am going to play with this a little more, and try to see if i can get some on hands help. ciao for now

trying to keep busy

Ok you know how this goes, you start on something like my Morroccan Jacket, and then I have to stop. I have the sleeves in and all I have to do is put the collar on and hem the sleeves, and the bottom of the Jacket. My problem is.....I don't have the asian buttons I need to finish the prodject. I am almost petrified in making button holes on this fabric, but I now know that you have to stabilize the buttons holes, I learned it the hard way. Also I wanted to do a hongkong finish on the inside of the Jacket, because I thought that I would be able to wear it in reverse. It's an interesting piece. I need bias tape, black bias tape. Anyway that frustrates me not to be able to complete something because I'm missing another piece to the puzzle.

So guess what I did? I picked up something else to start on. I saw this Eyptian looking tapestry and thought it would be nice to make a bag out of. I am not using a pattern. I also brought some leather from the goldmind that I visited earlier. I am going to use the leather for the bottom of the bag, and if I can make handles out of the rest of the leather. It's really a nice color. I will more than likely have a new computer by february and then I will post the pictures. I will just take pictures of what I'm making and then you will see what I've done during the winter.

I thought to myself wouldn't it be interesting to using invisible thread on this bag. So I tried it. One thing I know not to do, is to try wind the thread on bobbin. It's just awful. The thread starts to unravel before you even put the bobbin in position to be wound. So one of my friends told me she would never put that thread on the bobbin. I said thanks for telling me after I spent an hour trying to remove the thread from inside the bobbin spool. I thought I was going to have to take the machine apart. So i am just using the thread at the top and using regular thread in the bottom. It works out alright so far. I like the effect the invisible thread gives on this tapestry.

I also used uphostery needle 100-94 I believe or i can use the denim needles either one will work. So later on I will get to putting this bag together. Another thing I wanted to try was using glue to position the leather in place. Guess what I have no glue. So now this will be another unfinished thing until I get to the fabric store. One thing I know for sure sewing is expensive, and when you get into to notions from now on am going to pick out something I don't need at the moment, because I never know when I'm going to need it in the future. I think these two things will turn out nice though. I am going to have to get someone to take my pictures with me wearing my stuff. well ciao for now.....if anyone has any ideas at all feel free to send some views.

Ok today I decide to cut into my virgin fabric from Morroco. I was so nervous I had to come down here to be on the computer. It's so nerve wracking because you know that once you cut into the fabric there's no turning back. But I've had this fabric for 2yrs. Got it in Chicago. I am going to attempt to make a jacket out of it, but first I must procrastinate.

The material is uphostery. So I thought that this would be unique in that it would be sturdy jacket. I know though that this must be dry cleaned. I'll get around to sewing it tomorrow after I watch one life to live. I haven't a clue how this is going to turn out at all. I promised myself that I would cut into the fabric, that means the fabric I got from China 6yrs ago from a friend. I got scared after screwing up the fabric that my friends brought back from Ireland. Man did that hurt. Of course I tried using a pattern. This was the real wool. The pattern sucked.

So now I am going to go by myself without a pattern to see how this is going to turn out. Sometimes I score and sometimes I don't. I am just to go for it. This should be fun. Right now though I am going to have to go because someone came down and started to talk to me while I am on this thing. So I will talk to you later.

sunday

Well i've just moved into an another apartment. Which is really a long story. Let's just say there was a rent adjustment. I moved from a really large apartment with plenty of room for me to collect crap. This is due to a monetary and paper gliche that management had on properties. The properities had already made their adjustment on rent increase for the year. Wish they told me that in august when I applied.

In my new apartment I can sneeze, fart and blow my nose and be in the same room. My point....there is no room. What ever will I do? I've got to find a way to be able to sew in this new place. The walk in closet is filled with fabric scraps and patterns, not to mention some fabric that i've not sewn yet. I am going to have to sew the stuff now. In the other apartment though short lived I made two shirts and a pair of pants. I was really going to go to town. Of course I've been bitching about not being able to get any fabric this month.

This move has cost me up the ying yang. I am still going to buy fabric. I would like to have just 100.00 so I could get some fabric and make some things. Now i know I said I don't have any room, but something tells me that I will fill up my closet with a few hanging things. By the way my closet is filled with stuff I sewed up last summer that are now in boxes. I've thought about putting some things in storage. Now that's an idea...put my sewing stuff in storage. I am going to have to work this out. I have no time to have a nervous breakdown at this point. I keep telling my self...."this too shall pass" and I hope it passes with a quickness. I was going to get myself some fabric for this month, but had to pay some unexpected charges in housing. Well let's hope that the new year brings me much more than I've had this year. The term bumpy ride does not even remotely sound familiar. This is like gargantuan, monolithic, and any word used to describe what i've been through this year.

the mother load!

Well today I went to the "mother load " of fabric stores it seems. I went with two ladies. I have the pictures but of course I have this imac and can't download a thing right now. I wish you could have seen my eyes pop out of my head practically as I oohed as soon as I came through the door. I was instantaneously visually drunk with wonderment on how big this place was, and every inch of it covered with fabric. I didn't know which to direction to go first. I asked, Linda (the friend of Sue) to take a picture of me. I was grinning like queen in boys town. I didn't know what to touch first.

I even took off my coat because I felt like a pilgrim on virgin land. Well not quite, I knew that others had walked my path but I was a virgin on this conrete. Well I thought I was bad with wonderment you should have seen Sue, and she's been there before! she just made these sounds as she touched the fabric. "oh look ! she says, "isn't this the prettiest green, it will make a nice scarf" Yes I say, and around the corner I go to look at something else. Well I was doing the same thing as well. This store has everything. Tapestry, and just bolts and bolts of fabric piled so high up to the ceiling. You have to ask for help on that. I might add that I left today at 12 noon, and didn't get home until 5:00 pm boy time flies when you are looking at fabric. They even had leather pieces of it in big barrels at 3.99 a square yd. Then there were big patches of canvas and of course I was salivating on other fabric and Sue managed to pick up perriwinkle. I love that color.

Wish you could have seen me trying to dig through the barrel looking for that color. This store had rolls of elastic at 20 cents a yard! So i got 7yrds. That's a steal, then I got some coat fabric for 10.00 a yard, so I have two shirts, 2 bags. My stash is so low you wouldn't believe. I had saved up for this because Linda told me weeks ago that she was going to tell Sue about me. Sue is a crafter and does marvelous work with painting fabrics and bordering with quilt like affects. so I really and I do mean really suffered to get this change up, in light of everything that's happened to me this month. Even though this store has everything in it, it's not the store that you go to every time you want something, because you would need exactly 300.00 each time you go at least thats what i would like to take with me. So I am going to remember that, and go to the other store....because I can get stuff at 1.99 a yd. because I can come out with more outfits.

While I walked I was in true pain, but I tell you that you've never seen anyone smile through it. I was in heaven. Now if they just had some machinery I would have dripped all over the store. I won't get greedy. But I can tell you that I won't be going back there until February. I've already got it planned. Sue knows the places to go. So I am going to save myself the time and take her advice on these two places. I might just order on line. The damage is done for today. Now if I can get the camera to work I will post those pictures. I have another person that says she is interested in sewing. Well she wanted to use my sewing machine, and I had to explain to her that asking that question is like asking me, "can I wear your drawers? it's that serious people! The lady didn't take it the wrong way, but i am going to get her hooked. I am going to get her to buy the notions first, and then every time I buy fabric I am going to show her, sooner or later she has got to weaken, especially when she sees me wearing what i showed her. Well this was really a wonderful day, I met another person who drools over fabric just like me. She's a fabraholic. I was drunk today in that fabric shop. I didn't feel it all, until I sat down in the car.

another fabric place

Yesterday I was hell bent on going to this Crafty Planet place. I got the directions from the bus operator and off I went. Now the bus operator neglected to tell me that I should connect to another bus on Johnson street. I ended up getting of the bus across a bridge. To make matters worse I had to pee. So like radar I scope another place across the street hoping to find a place that will let me use there bathroom. I end up in a scented shop of some sort. I ask the lady for directions and also can i use their restroom.

I go back outside as instructed to find the bench and sit there impatiently waiting for the bus. It finally arrives. I stupidly ask a passenger on the bus..."do you know where crafty planet is ? no says the lady, but then I hear a guy saying, 'yeah you get off where i get off I used to work there" So i get off and the guy directs me to the back of a building telling me to follow the bike path. There's no bike path. I am now approaching a lady with two dogs. I ask her does she know where the shop is. "oh you have to get back on the bus and go over the hill. I should have looked at the address. As i walk down the street i realize i am on 18th street. The address say 2800 something. How dumb can you be. Then to pay attention people you think they know what they are talking about cause you are not from this place and learning your way around.

The temperature is now dropping. I am really in a funky mood. Here comes the bus, and off i go again. When i finally approach my stop I look over to my right and there is the crafty planet. I am so disappointed. I am thinking thinking that since the last word is planet it is a huge place and I planned on wasting at least an hour. I walk in to the shop. The place should be called Crafty Nook it's too small, but they have nice stuff in there and none of it I am interested in. They are all cotton prints. All the prints are 8.99 that was not happening with my pocketbook. So I tried to enjoy my 10minute scope of things and decided there nothing i was going to buy. Now I have to wait for 30minutes for the bus. Off i go with no fabric in hand. such was my day. Monday or tuesday I am going to go to another place. I've got to find which place is going to be my fabric home. Mill end is a definite, but i think I am going to like the other place as well. I should be sewing something but right now haven't set up things just yet. I need some fabric for two more pants.

going hunting

Well I finally got a chance to see one of the MN stores. I called transit information to get the directions. Ironically I just magically got an operator who sews! She said, "I do all of my shopping there, but you have to dig for your deals." They don't have things in order like the other stores, that's why they are so cheap." I told the lady you are like music to my ears. Now the lady said that this was the closet shop. So on the bus I go for my first journey. It seemed like forever, because i don't know where the hell I am going.

When i get off the bus after what seems like an hour ride. I realize i am in no mans land. But i spot my treasure spot. I walk in the place and automatically my nose starts to plug up from the dust. I get so excited trying to calm myself but quietly. When you walk in the door the patterns are to your left. Then the material starts. I didn't know what direction to go in. The store is the size of a Hancock store, but they've got so much packed into that space. I was expecting a larger place. I actually had to take my coat off because i was overheating with contentment. Man did i find deals. I walked away with wool that was 4.99 but i got it at 1.99 because a lady in the store gave me a 60% coupon. I got four shirts, one jacket and a pair of pants. That would have cost me at least 79.00 to 100.00 bucks. I got them all for half that price. Had i had another coupon I would have gotten it for less. Well I will try to make another journey.

I think I am going to like it here. I've found out though that a lot of the sewing people seem to reside in ST. Paul but I've not ventured down there or maybe i just haven't found the minneapolis crowd yet. I am really looking forward to going up to Canada to hunt for fabric. If I could just find someone who is a fabraholic like me it would be so much fun. But for now I am enjoying this. I am going to find my way to the other stores when the weather permits. I have to tell you I felt drunk in that store going through the stuff. I spent an hour in there and then my back started to hurt and I had to leave, but i happilly limped to the busstop with my treasures. I didn't get a chance to salivate over the other stuff....darn!

today

i've been going on myspace, and trying to find people in other countries. So far I have two people that i am keeping up with on a regular basis. I just got through looking at my "stitches" magazine and as usual they have articles on fabrics and how to use them. i must admit I think that the best fabric is in Austraila. Those women must be born with fabric in their mouths. I am also learning how to color coordinate. Before i used a lot of prints ect. but now I am combining the prints with solids as it makes for better contrasts.

I will more than likely get my digital camera so that I can show my progress. I will more or less be concentrating on creating stuff for myself, and joing some of the sewing groups. i am going to try and connect with someone that has a car and if not I will be bussing. I can't wait to get up there. I will be visual drunk for fabric isn't that awful....but i just love it. I am also going to look for a traveling machine, because i can't take "dirty harry" that's my bernina 160 and Lena my brother ult2003 is too bulky to carry not to mention heavy. I've heard that traveling may knock off the timing.

talked to ken and another guy in muscle shoals at the "Kens sew and Vac" they are so sweet and i think I can find a deal with one of them. They said the magical word....lay-a-way I am going for the Janome has 150 stitches. That should be good enough to carry around with me. I will probably end up with getting a case. This machine has 14 feet and that's really good. So who knows might leave that one at home and take Dirty Harry. we'll see.......the fabric stores await me.

new deal

Ok it's been such a long time. I am now embarking on a new area. Will be moving to Minnisota this october. I've heard so much about all of the fabric and sewing stores that they have there. So I went there to see there in august. I didn't want to come back to Chicago. So now it's on to better thing. I am determined that I am going to work in the sewing field in some type of way. The way the economy is going. haven't brought any fabric since 6 months or more. Been saving money now for this move. So I went on line and saw the fabric places I wanted to visit. Not that interested in in Joanne's but they do have a lot of shops there. Also Hancock fabric stores. Since I already know what that looks like I am going to be opting to find other places.
I am going to be checking out canada for fabric as well. I thnk in april I will go up to Ottowa....so I'll let you know when I move up there. this is going to be an adventure. No telling where I will be going to, and when. Have other irons in the fire. Can't talk about them right now.