Sewing Room

The sewing room was next on my list for cleaning. The sewing room was confused. It was a sewing room, but it was an office supply room too. It also was the 4-H "stuff" room. We took a few days and worked slowly to straighten it all out. 4-H was given its own section of the room and the office supplies are now out with the computer and printer.

I made Abby clean the window. It was kind of gross. The boxes hold patterns organized by person.
 I need to make some new curtains for the window.

This corner needs a little more work, but it's the ribbon, thread and current projects area.

Shelves for 4-H stuff, old tax papers, and craft supplies.

Sewing machine table, shelf of fabrics and sewing books.

All rick-rack, bias tape, and hem tape are organized by color in this repurposed shoe  organizer.

Fabric, Flowers, and Food

Our new 4-H club, Fabric, Flowers, and Food, began the "fabric" portion of our 4-H year a few weeks ago. We are a group made up of homeschooled families with a focus on the Home Arts projects within 4-H. We start the year in October with Food and participate in the county-wide Food and Nutrition Show in November. In January we switch to the Fabric arts, and in May-ish we'll switch to flowers and gardening.

The older girls help the younger girls and everyone shares the sewing machines and scissors. Lately we've been doing a lot of seam ripping as everyone learns how to make straight seams. While it is frustrating for the kids, they all have a great attitude about it and are learning so much more than just about sewing. This is such a fun group! I wish all 4-H groups were this engaging and eager to participate!



These past few weeks we have been working on making doll clothes and quilts. We started simple with a basic pant pattern. Several girls finished their pants this week and next week we'll start on something a little bit bigger.

Back to Work!

After a week of vacation from the daycare, I go back to work this morning. I am glad I enjoy my job, but I sure am looking forward to when I can be a stay-at-home mom again. Sixteen more months!
The older girls started home school in earnest last week and seem to have settled into their new curriculum. We have changed how we do things to accommodate everyone's schedules, mostly mine! More of their work is being done on the computer with automatic grading and time keeping. There are still a few subjects that they must be self disciplined about. I think learning to stay on task even when the "teacher" isn't standing over your shoulder is a good thing.
Rachel and Samantha start public school on Wednesday. The "paperwork" (also known as "homework for parents") has started to trickle in. The deluge will come within the first two days of school. This is when I fill out in triplicate, for each child, emergency contact info, emergency dismissal orders, and all sorts of other information. I am thinking this year I'll fill out one form and photocopy it...
I took this week of vacation to sew Rachel and Samantha's back-to-school outfits. They each have: one dress, two gauchos, and three shirts. Of course, all matching. I have three more shirts on the cutting table; we'll see if they get finished before Wednesday.
I know I'll be out there with my camera on the first day of school!

Speaking of Christmas

I am one of those crazy people who LOVES Christmas. I mean as much as I dislike halloween, I love Christmas about 600% more. I am also one of those crazy people who gets her shopping done BEFORE Thanksgiving. Yup, I said BEFORE Thanksgiving. This way, I sit back, relax, and truly enjoy the holiday.

I start Christmas shopping the few days after Christmas when everything goes on sale. Then as the year progresses, as I see things on clearance I pick them up. If I see something that just "screams" someones name, I'll buy it. The girls all know that my closet is the "North Pole" and if anyone snoops, Christmas for them becomes donating all their items to charity.

I never finish all my Christmas sewing projects before Thanksgiving, but that is something I enjoy and don't find stressful. I do have lists of which kids need or want which things and I shop for fabrics and patterns all year long, using the sales as they come.

This year I have done very well, thanks to a trip to the mall with Phyllis and a providential sale at Old Navy. The budget this year is extremely tight and what I normally would have spent on just the girls is my budget for everything. So the upside of that is I am already 75% done with my gift buying! I have only to find something for Sam and my Dad. The two hardest people on EARTH to buy for.

I have a mountain of sewing projects planned and with my newly organized sewing "room" I am well on my way through it. I have found another benefit to sewing in my office: I can put the internet (Why does spellcheck want to capitalize this word??) christian radio station on my computer and listen while I sew! I can't wait until the day after Thanksgiving when I can start playing Christmas music while I sew. With the internet stations now available to me, can you imagine all the music I'll have!?! I may never leave my office!

Have I mentioned that I LOVE Christmas??

Organizing

With so many things going on right now: Girl Scouts, 4H, church activities, doctor appointments, schooling, etc, I needed to reorganize my office. I couldn't find things, I was losing notices, forgetting appointments and was just generally frazzled. Since we cleaned the playroom, (remember: http://movinlikeaherdofturtles.blogspot.com/2008/10/chuck.html I'll wait while you refresh your memory...) in anticipation of the Christmas chaos, I decided I should clean my office for the same reason. Can you imagine: my crazy schedule, total disorganization, PLUS holiday zoo-ness!

I started a few days ago with my desk and shelves behind my desk. Six bags of garbage and a lot of deceased dust bunnies later, I could see my desk and actually reach my stash of business envelopes without standing on my desk. Since I had cleaned out the desk, I now had space in it. I moved all my letter writing paraphernalia out of my "Writing" desk and into the main desk.

The next day I tackled the "Craft Cart". This "cart" was a changing table in its former life. I threw away a lot of stuff that we just have never or will never use. Yes, "Chuck" is a lucky boy. I put stuff aside for friends I knew would actually use it. Another 2 bags for the dump and I could actually find the paint brushes!

Yesterday I cleared the counter top which had become the dumping ground for, well, everything! I also went through the filing cabinet and threw away all the instruction manuals for items we no longer own. All the files dated 2001 or sooner were pitched as well. Another four garbage bags!

I looked around my now neat and organized office and realized that my "writing" desk was now empty. Hmmmm.... The perfect amount of space for both my serger and my sewing machine! And with the counter top cleared, I have a cutting surface that doesn't require me to bend over to work on it.

This also moves my projects out of public viewing and now I won't have to remind the girls every day that they are not allowed to ask what I am making or who it is for. I made the move and love it! The only thing I need is a chair on wheels so I can roll from the work desk to the sewing machine with ease! Sam says I am so unromantic when I ask for such things for Christmas. My mom said basically the same thing when I told her I wanted a vacuum cleaner for Christmas.

Back to Work!

Last night's 4H meeting went well. We had 20 kids show up to fill out registration paperwork. There were two others who informed me that they weren't able to attend but wanted to join. So our club is now probably about 25 kids.

The kids voted to sell chocolate bars around Christmas time. It was a succesful fundraiser last year. We shall see how it goes this year.

They also voted for their club president, vice president, secretary, assistant secretary, and treasurer. It looks like a good crew this year who are eager to get some work done and be active in the club.

Sam took today off from both jobs so that we can get some firewood stacked away in the wood shed. We haven't yet fired up the woodstove, but that day is fast approaching! I am looking forward to it. I cook a lot of things on the woodstove in the winter. Nothing like Hamburger soup simmering away to fill the house with lovely smells!

Sam will also be winterizing the camper today. He also needs to add some tie-ups to the upper barn for when we move all the does into the upper pasture for the winter.

I have to finish sewing dresses for Abby. She has outgrown nearly everything in her closet. Her feet are larger than mine and she is as tall as I am! Nathalie thankfully fits into most of her outgrown clothes, but I will make her a few new desses and skirts too.

So, after a fun long weekend, it's back to work for everyone!

Do you know what today is??

Today is the day on my calendar which actually has nothing written on it! No doctor's appointments, no vet appointments, no 4H events, no girl scout events, no meetings, nothing!

So today what will I do? Laundry, for certain. Since we have sworn off using the dryer, we do a billion loads of laundry on the days that the sun is shining.

Today I will attempt to finish the dress I am sewing for Rachel. It is one of those ultra-fancy, tucks and darts and pleats and insets and inserts with ruffles and lace and trim, kinds of dresses. I think I am currently on step 53. Then I have to make one for Samantha.

I may even get my desk top cleared. When I need a break from the dress, cause I've had to rip out the same seam for the 3rd time in order to get it right, I can sort through the mountain of papers on my desk. The kids seem to think that the top of my desk is the filing cabinet. "I'll just put these school papers on your desk Mom." When I clear my desk, I usually find several math papers with the words, "Please finish at home and return." They often have dates on them that end with "2007."

Of course now that I have my "nothing to do" day all planned, the phone will start ringing at 7AM and not stop until 7PM.