Thursday, September 1, 2011

September 1: Work in the Studio and Tidbits about Kevin's Classes

Found fabric in the stash that will be perfect for the front door window.  I am going to use some white/blue pinstriped shirting fabric so that the light can come in even though we don't want the eyes to peek in.  Sewing that is my project for the afternoon.  Also found some other fabric that might work well as valances in the studio, but that is not a priority this week.  Tomorrow I need to shorten the room darkening drapes we purchased for the bedroom because we have baseboard heating and I would definitely not want to start a fire, etc.  I am going to use the leftover to make tiebacks.  Nothing special but the simplicity agrees with our plan to keep it real and simple.

What was I thinking when I boxed all of this to bring to Vermont for just a year?  I do not know, but I am certain I can keep myself very busy if I want.  This shelving unit is on one of the few walls that does not have the baseboard heating units.  Over the next few days I will be plotting and planning my attack while decide whether to put up my full length longarm table or just the short version. (Space works for either but the long table will make it tighter quarters.) There are some charity kits already cut and a number of table runners with batting and backing ready to go, as well. Also have a small project of placemats and napkins for Aleah which can all be done on my Bernina. That means I could start sewing right away without even locating my rotary cutter and purchasing a new mat.  That will give me time to think a little more about the room layout, right?  Of course there is also the hand piecing I have to do on my travel quilt.  So I will not have any excuses for not being able to work on what I love to do - play with fabric and color.  I also brought along all my many rulers, some of my quilting books, and a number of templates I want to try out, so I used the shelves in the closet like bookshelves.

We are going to make a very simple design wall this weekend using 1x2 boards and a cheap blanket that we brought along for that specific purpose. The design wall always inspires me to sew longer each session because I hate seeing it naked.


What I see from my seat at the sewing machine

I do know that until I am forced to reconsider any winter drafts near the window, I am placing my Bernina in front of the window so that I can look out at the mountain and the changing seasons.  I am going to try and keep my machine work to the daytime hours while Kevin is at school.  I can do all the hand sewing at night while we chat, listen to audio books or even watch the occasional movie.  Of course, if he has to go to school to work on a project, I am pretty certain I will be at the machine.  Love piecing and am always working to improve my machine quilting, so I can take advantage of whatever time I am given.

Speaking of Kevin and school:  He is taking 2 classes this semester.  One is a fundamentals class where he will build a Shaker style side table while learning lots of skills and techniques with hand tools.  The whole project will take most of the first semester to complete because they will be working on it in stages while learning about various aspects. This first week he has learned a great deal about sharpening his planes.  He has spent hours and has the hands to prove it.  His homework has definitely been of a physical nature. The other class is a design class which approaches things a little differently than he has in the past.  Everything he has built in the past was based on a need which he then designed the piece to fit.  This time he has to design several small projects that will incorporate specific techniques and skills.  The projects are supposed to be able to be completed in short time spans.  He has never had so much uninterrupted time available to work on any given project, so he does not know how long it really takes him to build something.  It will be interesting to see what he comes up with for his first project.  I think I heard mantel clock, but there were other ideas out there floating around, too.

One of the things that we have decided to do together while here is to develop an fitness routine that we can both do, WILLINGLY.  Kevin has always been more physically fit than me, so I am the one that needs to find a good fit.  Today is our first planned activity.  It is not a strenuous one but it is a place to start.  We are going to walk and check out parts of Fairfax.  Then we we will do some cardio by going up and down and up and down the 16 steps while repacking of the trailer - We are going to hold on to all the boxes and paper so that we will be ready when it is time to move to South Dakota.  The trailer will be arranged so that we can access our bikes, but it will be more of a storage unit rather than a garage.  We are also going to try to get the Wii hooked up tonight, but time and energy will play a role in whether that happens.

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