The Inadvertent Seamstress

Inadvertent  [in-uhd-VER-tnt] adjective  1.  unintentional

Recently I took my not-often-used sewing machine out of the closet to work on a small tailoring project.  When I pressed on the go-pedal, a horrible screeching sound ensued, and the machine refused to run.  Though Ron offered to look at it, I decided it wouldn't be worth his time and took it to the sewing machine repair shop.  For $65, they performed routine maintenance and declared it perfectly usable.  As I suspected, lack of use was the culprit.  There is a little motor and moving parts, after all, and they'll run forever if properly cared for, including use. I asked what they would recommend as minimum usage.  When pressed, I whispered I maybe used it a couple times a year.  After a moment to collect her wits, the woman I asked said, "Well, around here we use our machines every day.  But I think once a month would be okay." 

Though I'm plenty happy with parameters (Once a month?  Done!), it wasn't at all on my radar to add sewing to my busy list of activities.  However, if I have to have it serviced for every occasional use,  the per-use cost becomes prohibitive.  And since some work is only done with a sewing machine, I like to keep one around.  So.....in order to keep my machine running, I need to use it once a month. 

As mentioned here previously, I have a love-hate relationship with sewing.  My Mom was a master seamstress, as were many women of her time.  For years she made shirts for my three brothers and dresses for me. She did sewing for hire, during the time women wore dresses covered with sequins.  Like this, though with late 50's sensibilities; every sequin sewn on by hand. 

Source:  SilkFred

 
I don't remember my Mom ever offering to show me how to sew.  I'm pretty sure that would be because I was out in the dirt playing "farm" with my brothers with plastic animals.  I wasn't a girly-girl.  At all.  

Source:  etsy

I purchased the machine pictured above in the mid-80's when I was determined once again to learn to sew, and wanted the variety of stitches it offered.  HAHAHA!  The machine doesn't make the seamstress!  I actually did make a number of articles of clothing, mostly shirts and matching t-shirt/shorts outfits.  But interests come and go....

To the present.  First I considered the few tailoring projects I've been working on.  As mentioned before, I'm no clothes horse.  However, I do like what I like.  It's the old saw:  if you go shopping and pick from the offerings, you're sure to find something.  If you go shopping with something in mind, well, good luck.  Recently it's been pajamas. Mine are wearing out.  I prefer t-shirt and short sets.  What's available?  T-shirt and long pants sets.  Easy enough:  buy the long pants sets, cut off the legs to the desired length, hem.  With the sewing machine.  After that....I jumped on the WWW and took a dive into the topic of Beginner Sewing Projects.  What a fun bit of research that has been!  I'll pass on receiving blankets, burp cloths, bibs, dresses made from t-shirts, anything with a zipper,  hair scrunchies.  Possible, though, would be making my own pajamas, a lap blanket, a bib apron, totes to replace plastic bags when shopping, an infinity scarf, a poncho, a kimono, seasonal placemats or napkins. Hmmm.  Seems possible.

And if it came down to it, I could always pull the sewing machine out, plug it in, put a book or brick on the foot pedal and let 'er run.  Like Ron occasionally starts the snow blower or chain saw when they're out of season.  I'm liking the idea of projects better, though.

As it happened, November's Project-of-the Month was already in the works.  Ron and the dogs go for walks in the forest no matter the season, and during hunting season blaze orange is de rigeuer.  Hats are readily available for people, and that's what he wears.  We like putting scarves around the dogs' necks, but dog scarves take a beating and need to be replaced often.  We have trouble finding blaze orange scarves.  I suggested one of us stop by the fabric store for some blaze orange and make our own.  Ron took on that project. 

A plentitude of scarves.

In use.

So, here I am, an Inadvertent Seamstress. Unintentional.  Accidental.  Unplanned.  It's in the category of routine maintenance, but has the potential for a lot more fun than say.....house cleaning!  I'll keep you posted. 

Dear Nicholas,

Source:  Pixabay.com

(Nicholas is one of my great-nephews.  A couple weeks after his 18th birthday made him a legal adult, he moved out of his parents' home and in with his grandparents.  In the interest of not sticking my nose in where I'm not invited, I'm satisfying myself by giving advice here.)

Dear Nicholas,

You recently made your first adult decision, which was to move out of your parents' home.  You've accepted a lot of responsibility for yourself, and have chosen a challenging means to go about it.  Let me share a top-nine list of unsolicited advice:

1. FINISH HIGH SCHOOL.  Let me join the chorus of adults, friends, and relatives singing this song.  Even those who don't agree with how you're going about it agree on this. A high school diploma is the basic stepping stone to the rest of your life.
2. WORK. You've chosen to invoke your adulthood, and that means you must work during the time you're finishing high school.  You need to be making at least your own spending money, and to be able to contribute to your room and board will help earn the trust and respect of your grandparents. Some of your family has already offered you small jobs.  Do your best at whatever is offered.  No job is too small. 
3. FIGURE OUT YOUR TRANSPORTATION.  Your grandparents don't have an extra car, and can't afford to put a teen-aged male driver on their insurance.  City bus, bicycle and shank's mares will be your go-to for now. 
4. MAKE YOUR POST-GRADUATION PLAN NOW.  Will you continue on to college, or perhaps a technical certificate of some sort?  You've indicated an interest in auto mechanics.  Follow up!  All of the trades are desperate for workers, and you can make a good living doing them.   Like many of us, you will probably change career paths more than once in your life.  However, you have an urgent need to be able to support yourself ASAP.  It's what adults do.
5. STAY AWAY FROM GIRLS UNDER 18!  Girls that were interesting the day before your birthday became jail-bait on your birthday.  18-year-old girls are your new baseline.
6. TAKE CARE OF YOUR PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH.  We all have challenges in this area, and you know yours.  It's not about having them, it's about how we manage them.  There's plenty of help available.  Take advantage of it if you need it.
7.  YOU CAN'T GO WRONG BY LIVING THE TEN COMMANDMENTS.  They still provide a framework of honesty, kindness, gratitude and humility. There are plenty of websites that have updated the 10 Commandments to speak to modern sensibilities.  
8. YOU CAN DO IT.  Being and adult is now your life work.  It's going to be difficult, but by no means impossible.  Growth and progress comes from challenge; you have to work for it. 
9. YOU ARE LOVED.  Lots of people are in your corner.  We all want you to have a happy, fulfilled and successful life.  

 “Bite off more than you can chew, then chew it.”

                                               ---Ella Williams

"Tis the Season

NO-NO-NO!!!!  Not November!!!!  I'm not ready to leave summer!!!  In October I can fool myself a little.  November is inescapably NOT SUMMER ANYMORE!

The fact that I'm having this seasonal dilemma isn't new.  That's why I have seasonal plans and objectives that start in November already in place!  Silly me!  Just do it!

Source:  Needpix.com

Retirement Season:  November 1 is the anniversary of my retirement.  I don't celebrate per se, but I like to give it a nod and remain SO GRATEFUL for being able to live in continual delight.

Swimming/Hiking Season:  In the original form of my seasonal plan, I stopped hiking and replaced it with swimming, as hiking became subject to cold and snow, and swimming is indoors.  Last year, friend Sue talked me in to staying open to hiking occasionally, and we ended up doing some shorter, chilly-but-enjoyable hikes in Flagstaff and several GLORIOUS hikes in Sedona.  That will remain this year's version. 

Tai Chi Season?  A few years ago  I gave up Tai Chi in the interest of too many interests.  Last winter Sue invited me to join her and Donna at Donna's house for an hour of practice every week,  and did I ever love it!  Looks like Donna is going to take her Tai Chi in a different direction this year, but Sue and I are still interested in getting together.  It's not yet in place-we're both working through injuries that need to be respected.  We found a great website with the full Tai Chi set shown both by move and in its entirety, but I'm thinking about rejoining the local club and going through the ~12 week Beginner Class again to refresh myself and pick up some changes that have happened since I stopped going.  There's a Tuesday evening class starting soon that I have my eye on.  That along with 15-20 minutes of daily practice sould get me up to speed.  Hmmm.  Note to self:  this would be IN ADDITION TO not INSTEAD OF anything on my schedule.   BE CAREFUL HERE!

Clothing Season:  No one would ever accuse me of being a style maven, but they might accuse me of being over-organized.  I've been working on my un-stylish but comfortable wardrobe since I retired, and use the need to bring out winter clothes as a seasonal marker.  Necessarily, I have clothing for all the seasons; not so necessarily I keep a complete inventory in my computer files that includes the clothing I wear each season.  Gosh, I love a list!  And I'll note here that despite a stated lack of interest in things clothing and my seasonal parings,  I STILL HAVE WAY TOO MANY CLOTHES! 

Agility Season:  Jasmine and I are both enjoying the work we're doing with Agility.  As long as we can, we'll work outdoors.  Neither of us minds cold, but snow will shut us down.  This year I have a plan to incorporate indoor work.  The www has lots of ideas for training in small areas, and there are many activities that Jasmine can work on that will continue to build a foundation in different ways.  For instance, like most dogs we've rescued, both Jasmine and Gypsy are super-leery/fearful of noises.  Anything dropped on the floor (other than treats!) will cause them to clear a room in the blink of an eye.  There are videos on YouTube that show you how to treat-train the dog to make the noises themselves (e.g. pushing things like books or buckets over) and that helps desensitize them.  Both dogs could use this kind of work, and Gypsy will be happy to join in if there are treats involved! 

Travel Season:  We didn't choose to do a trip this fall, but we're looking at a Death Valley NP foray pretty soon.  I've only been through on the way to somewhere else, and Ron's not been at all.  The website says the best time to visit crowd-wise is between Thanksgiving and Christmas.  Coming right up!

 

Holiday Season:  Though commercial-Christmas never appears to find a lower limit, because Thanksgiving is so late this year, the "short" shopping season has us in "crisis" mode.  Parade Magazine in today's paper was strictly Christmas.  People, it's November 3!  Ron and I will continue to be reasonable.  Most likely we'll celebrate Thanksgiving at home, go on our Death Valley NP trip, and spend Christmas at home.  There will be Ron's annual Christmas Card, the usual few hands-on gifts, our charitable gifts, and good food. No frenzy here.  Guess I just did my holiday planning!

 November Night

Listen..

With faint dry sound,

Like steps of passing ghosts 

The leaves, frost crisp'd, break from the trees

And fall.

                       ----- Adelaide Crapsey