Stalled!

Well, the UFO’s have stalled at 19 projects! I’m hoping to start again after the holidays. While I wasn’t making UFOs, I did make 2 doll capes and 2 doll beret’s as pictured. One for Dorissa and one for her friend. The gold tunic went to the Winter Court auction where it fetched $20, so I feel OK about that. I also embroidered 2 sets sleeves from previous posts but was only able to give one away. See below.

I’m currently working on a green/beige tunics for David and Isaac and finishing a dark green tunic for me. They might finish up at the same time. I think it’s technically week 29 and I’m still at 19 UFOs. I’m not holding out hope for catching up, but I will continue to plug away at things.

Week 23: Losing ground Again

I was hoping to catch-up by week the 6-month mark at week 24 but I can’t see that happening. It’s next week and we’ve got a wedding to go to.

I was really hoping to complete some simple finish work on the sleeves of an undertunic for David. I have the tunic but the edging has disappeared. I never quite got downstairs to cut another piece. Like the hood, I continue to be thwarted by missing pieces.

De-cluttering is a bit better this week. The bag of maternity clothes has left and I sorted through some boxes. Isaac’s room looks great. While I was at Queen’s Prize Tourney, David moved the file cabinet. That left some space to move 4 un-opened boxes into (I think one has been around since we moved into the house). Everything is now out of the middle of the room including the furniture. I can live like this for awhile. I laid out some maternity clothes to photograph and sell but couldn’t quite get to it while the light was still good.

The hutch is set-up in the man-room so that left some space in the basement to set-up shelves and move the yarn onto them. The weather was fabulous today and I painted a chair to go in the Family Room near the computer. Then the family room chair can go to David’s new office. He bought a netbook this weekend. So about 3/4 of the yarn is on shelves, David has a desk, chair and a computer and one bag of clothes is gone.

Week 22: Barely Scraping By

Serious lack of motivation here. It was Halloween and although I technically had one more set of sleeves, I just couldn’t do another one. I dug up a little linen triangle head cloth that I had saved from some scraps that were that size. It had been put in the finish someday when I need it pile. It does bring up a Halloween tradition though as I definitely remember working on a similar piece one Halloween before kids.

For week 22 that makes 19 projects complete. You would think the UFO bin would look more empty but it seems like everything has been small.

De-cluttering is going slowly. Two pair of toddler pants and a hat went over to a neighbor. I think I packed up some shoes and maternity clothes. I’m not sure if anything has actually left the house AND the car this week.

The door in the kitchen is now magnetic, so I guess I’ve been somewhat productive. The paint is mostly put away downstairs. I still need to do the chalkboard paint. Hopefully it won’t compromise the magnetic part.

Week 21: No Clever Title.

Well, I pulled another one out of my U-No-Wut this week. Just a pair of green sleeves but it counts. They were on Teh List and they’d been sitting around in the UFO piles for ummm - must be years. I meant to finish a hood for Dorissa last week that needs 2-3 more button holes. I’ve already put the buttons on. It has one button hole finished, with nice silk embroidery floss but I can’t find that color again. I’ve looked everywhere. I may break down and sew it with another blue but I just hate to do that. It must be somewhere. Isaac wore his Halloween shirt today and it was nice to have that done and not have to worry about it.

On the other hand, Dorissa had a friend over and they decided that their American Girl Dolls needed coats and hats so I took them down to the fabric bins. When they chose a thick leopard print I talked them both into capes for the dolls. I thought that would be easier than coats but I’m not so sure since it’s fuzzed and I decided they needed edging. That took awhile and only one (for our guest) actually got done (see pic). Dorissa’s is wearable, but still needs some finish work to be done on it.

For week 21 that makes 18 projects complete, but I get a bonus point for the doll cape. At least I’m not losing ground. I’ve decided not to beat myself up about last week. I really did have a lot going on. And this week I patched the room (I feel like superwoman!) and took Dave to Loewe’s to pick shades.

On the other hand decluttering has been great. The extra socks went to Good Will, a TV and VCR and small TV/Radio combo all went to the electronic recycling center and I gave my boss a bag of winter baby clothes and bibs for Our Lady’s Inn. I just can’t seem to plan meals, declutter, keep the house and do anything else craft wise. It’s usually ONE of those things each week. How do people do it? It’s a miracle the blog gets written and updated.

Week 20: No FOs but what a room!

This week was very, very busy week. Family came in town on Thursday and after 2 trips to Loewe’s that day I was ready to paint. David’s desk has been disassembled in the basement for several months since we moved the crib into Isaac’s room. After careful consideration I decided that David really needed a space of his own and I could live with the sewing machine in the family room somewhere. My helpful neighbors have also pointed out that there’s really good space in guest room and we could make better use of it. Plus all of the papers that come into the house seem to land on the dining room table and maybe with  David’s desk just a few feet away they can make their way there.

It all started when a dresser left my house. I posted it for sale on the work bulletin board for $15 and I would have taken $12. To my surprise, I had 3 inquiries within 20 minutes and it went to the guy who said he had a matching nightstand. With that space cleared out it occurred to me that we could make room for David’s desk if we cleaned out the junk. And my family would be in-town to help. As I was contemplating the dusty empty space, it occurred to me that it really needed paint and maybe I could run to the store and just pick some random blue paint. David had come home a few weeks earlier with an enormous autographed Isaac Bruce framed photo (Rams football player) and I figured I could put that up for him.

Then I was talking to my co-worker Ed and mentioned how he would like to help people arrange furniture and pick paint colors for a living. By some miracle Ed was free for an extended lunch the next day so we cruised by my house, looked at the room, grabbed 2 rams paintings and Ed plucked a strand of carpet and it was off to Loewe’s. I’m VERY pleased with the pale green on one wall and the darker green next to the brick. The green picks up the shade of the grass  in the picture and I think it looks good with the rest of the colors in the dining room and living room. I still need do the ceiling and I may use the shade in between for the bathroom if it doesn’t clash with the gold fixtures. 

For week 20 that still only makes makes 17 projects complete. I’m getting discouraged about Teh List, but the house is getting there. .

For decluttering it was pretty good. A few  more suits/jackets went to the Scholar Shop and Dave has agreed that the TV and VCR that were in the room can go! That is progress.

Week 19: What to do with this week’s UFO?

It was a hard fought battle but I’m determined not to fall further behind, so at the last minute, I wipped out this cyclas that had been cut out when Fernando was becoming Baron (1999 maybe?). I distinctly remember trying to plan a surprise party for David’s 40th birthday and stressing about the food. At the same time, Conna was tasked with clothing for Fernando (simple tunic and cyclas) and she was stressing about that. So we switched tasks. Well, I cut this cyclas out and it was huge on him, as I recall. But I had enough fabric that I decided it would be simpler to cut a whole new one out and give this one to a larger person. And now, 10 years later all I had to do was make a simple HEM on the neckline and it’s done. But I’m not sure what to do with it.

For week 19 that makes 17 projects complete. I’m not caught up, but I’m not falling further behind, so that’s good.

I’ve also decided that I need to add a de-cluttering component to my weekly UFOs. I think I thought I would spend a year finishing objects and then the next year de-cluttering but that could take too long. So last week was pretty good. I got rid of at least six suits/jackets. Now some of them we seconds to fit my larger post-partum self so they hadn’t been around that long, but now they are gone. And a few old suits no longer needed. A bunch of old sweatshirts went to a collection for the humane society and I got rid of some “granny panties” that make me feel like an old lady when I wear them. Why do I even have those? Also, I got rid of some old single socks and some waffle socks that I simply hate to wear. So, on the whole, a good week.

Week 18: My Buttons are Flaccid

I’ve been working on the buttons for my plaid dress. I think they are supposed to be small hard balls and I’ve got floppy discs. I’m not sure how well these are going to work as buttons. But they are on and they have loops so the dress can be worn. Now, that’s technically not a project, merely a revision. So I can’t count it for anything, but it’s nice to have some decent garb to wear.

The bright blue sleeves are done, but too small for me to wear. They can be a winter court children’s gift. Since they are technically done, I’m going to count them as this week’s UFO, but I reserve the right the revise them. They look lonely and need some simple embroidery.

I pulled out a Gold Key tunic that I was supposed to repair. I’m not sure why I have it now. Was I going to completely remake that awkward neckline? It’s not worth it for that weird heavy polyester fabric. Was I just planning on zigzagging the edges so it could be washed? That’s done, but I did it some more. It’s an awkward tunic and looks like it was never worn. Someone made it but then decided the neckline was awkward and donated it to Gold Key. Nota Bien: Do not send things to Gold Key that you yourself would not wear. It’s OK if you’ve outgrown the garb. Used garb is actually good because at least you know someone wore it. Maybe we should send this stuff to a high school drama department. It might be OK for stage wear. Not posting a picture of the tunic lest I insult some worthy reader.

Finally, I can finish Lyriel’s drawers. I think they were already measured, I just needed to finish the edges. I measured them again and they are fine. My instinct is to hand seam them, but I suspect Lyriel would rather have drawers in the next few weeks than hand sewn drawers, some day.

So, for week 18 that 16 projects complete. I’m starting to catch-up.