That Big ol’ Farm in the Sky

I started out the night with a glass of wine to calm me down so I could just slow down and work on the curriculum I so desperately need to finish before tomorrow morning. On the front porch with my laptop and wine is apparently the way to work- I was kind of on a roll. I had a second glass after my mom called this evening, and then continued working the curriculum. It’s either going to be terrible or the most brilliant thing I’ve ever written.

Tonight my mom called to let me know that they put my family dog Mason to sleep this morning after a series of days in which he was disoriented and falling down all the time. After 17 years his time was finally up.

You know, we’ve been waiting for this for a long time. Seventeen is so old for a dog, but this one just kept going. He fooled vets who guessed he was eight when he was fifteen. He fooled us because we thought (or maybe hoped) he’d live forever.

I did really well when Mom first told me, but then her voice broke and then I thought of my brother, and then my little sister, and then my Dad. I’ve only ever seen him cry twice in my life- when my great grandmother died and once when I was about 7 and my weeks old kitten died in his hands. I know that Mason dying is going to impact him more than both of these things- not because Mason means more than his grandmother did to him, but because that dog has been this constant companion for 17 years- to him and to all of of us.

Mason was never mean. He was the least threatening dog I’ve ever encountered. He would have greeted strangers at the door and led them to our treasures. He has been so many things to our family, but one thing he’s always been is kind of dumb. Wonderfully, blissfully, endearingly dumb.

So, I’m not going to be upset with Jack right now as he barks neurotically at the ceiling fan, accusing it of tormenting him (fireworks abound this evening). Instead I’ll just enjoy that he’s lively enough to be as insane as he is and hope that we at least get 17 years with this crazy dude.

t-shirt

Posed pictures are awkward. Regan took this and one in which both my eyes are closed because I’m laughing at Mean Girls playing in the background (I kind of enjoy this movie a lot) before the camera battery died.

Anyway, this is the t-shirt. Hopefully skills will improve and there will be many more show and tells to come. My measure of success for this project is that I wore it all day long and it did not disintegrate.

 

Janome!

Regan is a good, good guy. Yesterday for my birthday he surprised me with a mysterious trip to Avon. Avon’s not all that mysterious, but driving to a surprise destination there is. We arrived at the Avon Quiltery and when we walked in the door he said to the woman at the counter, “We’re here about a serger.” And I squealed with delight.

I can’t say enough about how kind the owner was as she sat down at each serger and walked me through how to use each one. There are yarn snobs and fabric snobs everywhere and so I’ve become very hesitant to ask questions when I walk into a store, but Regan had it all set up so that I had someone to instruct and guide me while withholding judgment. After countless hours of internet serger research Regan had realized the only way for me to not break down into tears as I learned my new machine was to have some one give me a hands on demonstration.

So, forty five minutes later we walked out of the store with a brand new serger and multiple tutorials swimming in my head.

Now the Janome MyLock 204D sits in my sewing room with scraps of cut fabric all around it. I’m making progress already. Last night, in the time it took Regan and I to “watch” Batman Returns, I cut out a pattern, the fabric, and had sewn my first rolled hem t-shirt. It’s not amazing to look at, but I’m pretty impressed with myself-or more specifically I’m pretty impressed with the machine. I still have ends to sew in and perhaps a picture to take with me in it as proof. But that will come later. I haven’t showered or brushed my hair today thus making pictures less than appealing (it’s only 8 am so as far as I’m concerned that’s acceptable).

Currently we are off to take Jack to “slumber party style daycare” while we go to to Delphi and Champaign today and tomorrow to celebrate our fathers. They are pretty decent guys.

*sidenote* Jack just dropped a piece of dog food into his water dish while eating and now he’s very scared of the mysterious thing floating in his bowl. He’s neurotic. It’s precious.

Lusting after Alabama

I have this inability to really focus on one thing I love. I get pulled in so many different directions- trying to figure out if I want to spend my weekends and nights trying new recipes, decorating the house, doing yardwork, knitting, sewing, reading, petting the dog, etc, etc, etc…

But now I feel like I’m kind of onto something. While I still have knit projects and house decorating that I’ll dabble in I think I have a new love. Sewing knit fabrics. Of course, I haven’t put scissors and needle to fabric yet, but I’m doing all my research. Wendy Mullin has created two books on sewing- one on woven fabrics and the other, Sew U The Home Stretch: The Built by Wendy Guide to Sewing Knit Fabrics. This book is explaining why all the other times I’ve tried to make t-shirts out of knit fabrics I have failed. Totally. I was doing it all wrong. This is why research is so great. I love ye olde internets!

And then for an amazing dose of inspiration I just stumbled across Natalie “Alabama” Chanin yesterday. I have new hero. Really. Not only does she incorporate organic and recycled knit fabrics in her work, she and other local artisans make these absolutely beautiful and creative garments by hand. There’s something to be said about that commitment to handmade objects. Her book Alabama Stitch Book is here. Alabama Chanin is here.

Here’s just a peak and why you should check out these links: