Ideas vs. Decisions
Aug. 18th, 2011 05:23 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
chrysillaAccording to my calendar, I've only been on my summer 'break' for two weeks. Feels like longer. I think the isolation is starting to get to me, but I'm still tired and somewhat weird-feeling about large groups of people or crowded places. Add seeing people crow about achievements on the usual online networking pages, plus TTotM, and I'm getting some really wacky mood swings.
Monday I tried to take my day off to relax and shop for fabric, but I forgot that for me shopping is not typically relaxing. I did manage to stay on-budget for fabric, but spaced out and forgot that notions, etc. also cost $$. So I was off budget, but not too badly. Especially not compared to old bead shopping habits. And I didn't buy any fabric that I didn't need for a specific project, almost totally contrary to how I buy beads (I'm sure I'll use it in something... someday...). Easy enough to say "no more fabric shopping until you finish the projects you have fabric for."
Also, a lot of the foot and back pain and exhaustion came from not knowing the fabric district very well. I wrote down a few shop names I found on Yelp, checked them out on 40th and then worked my way down. 38th & 39th st. btw 7th and 8th ave. are littered with many small cramped, often not-ac'ed fabric stores that imo may all be owned by the same person. And it took me forever to find cheap cotton to make first-time pieces with. OMFG. But find it I did.
However, I managed to get the wrong fabric for 50% of the patterns I was shopping for. Velvet (50% rack yay) instead of velveteen for a little jacket, some kind of cheap satin for the 50s dress instead of cotton or linen. The dress will probably look a lot like a prom dress, but I'm sure I'll find some place to wear it if the pattern works out. And patterns can be used over again, duh.
I also got some cheap cotton to try with the tank top pattern I've already used to see what happens. Using wide and thin velvet ribbon for the belt and straps respectively, to see what happens. Partly b/c I really liked the color, but there wasn't enough left on the bolt for the long skirt pattern I was actually shopping for. And that the first try turned out pretty nice but was too big for me and needed taking in. Will try the next size down. Found cheap cotton for the skirt too.
Am liking sewing a lot more than knitting. Its faster to see "These pieces are being assembled into a vest." than "This ball will eventually be a scarf, which will be fluffy and bulky and scratchy and leave fibers in your nose." Tried the knitting, no dis to anyone who likes it, but it really was not for me. Also, fabric stores easier so far. However, murder on my back muscles b/c I don't have a good table for fabric cutting.
Is it ironic that I have no idea what to do for Halloween now that I am learning how to sew? I'm stuck in nerd-elitist mode, "I could make a Delenn costume, but nobody would get it." Or I could make the 50s prom dress, add cat ears and fangs, and call it a day.
Mulling over what I miss doing, in the midst of many people on FB gleeing "OMG look what I did!" I miss making jewelry (making stuff in general), writing my scripts, doing a martial arts (style) physical thing, dressing up on a regular basis, and performing. The first three are things I can get together on my own assuming I have the time and energy. There are events to dress up for that some of my friends attend at least semi regularly. The performing may be the trickiest, as it involves the efforts of other people for extended time periods.
Still in the "Ideas not decisions" phase tho.
It seems that I know who I am, but not what I want. *more musing* Don't get me started on "Whom do you serve and trust," eeek.
The Anachronism is this weekend, it is an event in Manhattan rather than Bklyn, and I have a hankering to play dress up, so I will make more of an effort to go this time. Assuming I don't have a sudden relapse of agoraphobia and lose all my saved hit points. I can wear my kimono! Or the long black bell sleeved dress that came too late for Wicked Faire. Been reading some gothy makeup blogs and got my new batch of contact lenses, so more to play with for Sunday. And I have next Monday off again for recuperating afterwards. DragonCon pregame?
Otherwise I will probably spend the weekend moving more stuff around in the Chantry, figuring out how to get a shelf in the extra closet, and sewing stuff. And continuing to catch up on TNG, I'm at the end of S4, tho I just heard that Riker's awesome declines after season 4. *woe*
<3 Chrysilla
Monday I tried to take my day off to relax and shop for fabric, but I forgot that for me shopping is not typically relaxing. I did manage to stay on-budget for fabric, but spaced out and forgot that notions, etc. also cost $$. So I was off budget, but not too badly. Especially not compared to old bead shopping habits. And I didn't buy any fabric that I didn't need for a specific project, almost totally contrary to how I buy beads (I'm sure I'll use it in something... someday...). Easy enough to say "no more fabric shopping until you finish the projects you have fabric for."
Also, a lot of the foot and back pain and exhaustion came from not knowing the fabric district very well. I wrote down a few shop names I found on Yelp, checked them out on 40th and then worked my way down. 38th & 39th st. btw 7th and 8th ave. are littered with many small cramped, often not-ac'ed fabric stores that imo may all be owned by the same person. And it took me forever to find cheap cotton to make first-time pieces with. OMFG. But find it I did.
However, I managed to get the wrong fabric for 50% of the patterns I was shopping for. Velvet (50% rack yay) instead of velveteen for a little jacket, some kind of cheap satin for the 50s dress instead of cotton or linen. The dress will probably look a lot like a prom dress, but I'm sure I'll find some place to wear it if the pattern works out. And patterns can be used over again, duh.
I also got some cheap cotton to try with the tank top pattern I've already used to see what happens. Using wide and thin velvet ribbon for the belt and straps respectively, to see what happens. Partly b/c I really liked the color, but there wasn't enough left on the bolt for the long skirt pattern I was actually shopping for. And that the first try turned out pretty nice but was too big for me and needed taking in. Will try the next size down. Found cheap cotton for the skirt too.
Am liking sewing a lot more than knitting. Its faster to see "These pieces are being assembled into a vest." than "This ball will eventually be a scarf, which will be fluffy and bulky and scratchy and leave fibers in your nose." Tried the knitting, no dis to anyone who likes it, but it really was not for me. Also, fabric stores easier so far. However, murder on my back muscles b/c I don't have a good table for fabric cutting.
Is it ironic that I have no idea what to do for Halloween now that I am learning how to sew? I'm stuck in nerd-elitist mode, "I could make a Delenn costume, but nobody would get it." Or I could make the 50s prom dress, add cat ears and fangs, and call it a day.
Mulling over what I miss doing, in the midst of many people on FB gleeing "OMG look what I did!" I miss making jewelry (making stuff in general), writing my scripts, doing a martial arts (style) physical thing, dressing up on a regular basis, and performing. The first three are things I can get together on my own assuming I have the time and energy. There are events to dress up for that some of my friends attend at least semi regularly. The performing may be the trickiest, as it involves the efforts of other people for extended time periods.
Still in the "Ideas not decisions" phase tho.
It seems that I know who I am, but not what I want. *more musing* Don't get me started on "Whom do you serve and trust," eeek.
The Anachronism is this weekend, it is an event in Manhattan rather than Bklyn, and I have a hankering to play dress up, so I will make more of an effort to go this time. Assuming I don't have a sudden relapse of agoraphobia and lose all my saved hit points. I can wear my kimono! Or the long black bell sleeved dress that came too late for Wicked Faire. Been reading some gothy makeup blogs and got my new batch of contact lenses, so more to play with for Sunday. And I have next Monday off again for recuperating afterwards. DragonCon pregame?
Otherwise I will probably spend the weekend moving more stuff around in the Chantry, figuring out how to get a shelf in the extra closet, and sewing stuff. And continuing to catch up on TNG, I'm at the end of S4, tho I just heard that Riker's awesome declines after season 4. *woe*
<3 Chrysilla
