Deja Vu. . . All Over Again

That's what I'm experiencing right now.  Once again I have let my sewing room become a "dump".  Before the holidays, while cleaning up for the holidays, and after the holidays, I took things that really should have been put away and just "dumped" them into the sewing room.  When I open the door, I just want to close it and run walk away.  I keep telling myself and all those around me that I need to start cleaning it up.  But it's one of the rooms in our house that sits above the part of the basement that is all exposed, and it's the coldest room in the house.  That's my excuse, and I'm sticking to it.  The bottom line, however, is that I just have no idea where to start.  The table is piled high with fabric, the sideboard is piled with fabric.  There are boxes of fabric sitting on top of other boxes of fabric, and they are sitting on top of still more boxes of fabric.  The shelves are pretty much stuffed, and I have no idea where to put it.  I have been pinning ideas that I think would be a big help in the organization, but I don't know how to fit it into my little room.  I read one article in which the writer said that anything that didn't fit on her shelves, was out of there.  That's a great idea, but I a tight-wad and hate to throw anything away.  Yet, I know that there are some pieces of fabric in there that I will never use.  I'm thinking that perhaps I should begin with those large pieces that I haven't used in at least two years.  If I rid the shelves of those pieces, it just might open up some spaces for the fabrics in boxes.  I have an entire large shelf that is nothing but quilt magazines - magazines that I haven't looked at since I put them there 4 years ago.  And, I think that they are out of there!!

There are some novelty fleece yardages that I bought to make hats for the family - I even bought the patterns.  Now, the patterns are too small for the kids, and I realize now that I should have used that fleece and made some scarves to put into the Etsy store.  But I think my timing is a little off, hopefully winter is drawing to an end.

So, what would you do?  Where would you start?  And how can I train myself to work a season ahead?  I'm thinking that I need a plan, a schedule.  Perhaps working 4 hours at a time in the sewing room would give me a sense of accomplishment, without feeling like I'm caged in.  Maybe I could set up one day each week when I work on personal projects for myself.  Is it possible that I need to get a notebook and start jotting down my ideas and my questions, and maybe then a solution will present itself.  But for the time being, I'm just running in circles and it's deja vu. (all over again!)

A New Project For Me

The winter blahs have set in.  I am so tired of snow and cold temperatures that I could spit - of course it would freeze immediately, so I won't.

So when I saw these fabrics to be used in a BOM quilt on Craftsy.com, I thought it was just what I needed.  I didn't care for batiks in the beginning, but I have really grown to love them.  Without researching what the quilt would be like, I ordered the kit.  The quilt, however, is a grouping of blocks and stripes and just doesn't appeal to me.  But the fabrics were ordered, and I couldn't do anything about it.  I figured that another project for which I could use these fabrics would present itself.  I love hand piecing.  It is so relaxing for me, and the first quilting class I took was a sampler quilt that was hand pieced.  (I've made 5 so far)  Generally, I cut my pieces with the rotary cutter, mark the 1/4" line on each piece and then hand piece the block.  I find that my points are much more accurate with the hand piecing.

And, such a project did present itself.  When I saw this in a Facebook post, I knew that it was just what I was looking for.  Michele Foster has presented it in two colorways - with a black background as shown above, or with a white background.  I need to decide which way I want to make mine.  I'm leaning toward the black since I have never done a quilt with a black background.  And I think the batiks will look incredible on the black.  If you want more information or want to quilt along, grab the button on the left side of this blog.

Honesty IS the Best Policy

I am embarrassed to admit that I made a mistake (not my first, I can assure you), but this one could have cost me a sale in the Store.  First a little background.  As it drew close to Christmas, some family members found they needed a quick gift.  I told them to take whatever they needed - wristlets, pot pinchers, whatever.  Unfortunately, I never went back through the boxes to update what was still available.  Christmas came and went, and I completely forgot about it.

Yesterday, I received an order for a wristlet and a water bottle carrier.  I found the water bottle carrier immediately since I had just repacked them.  But the wristlet was MIA.  I searched everywhere, but no luck.  Then I remembered that I had given the family free rein to take what they needed.  I went back through what I had and updated the store, and also re-listed some items that had expired.  I was so afraid of losing that order.  I asked Rod what he thought I should do, and he replied that I had always been one of the most honest people he knew, and that I should just be honest.  I messaged the purchaser and explained the situation.  I told her that if she wanted I could simply refund her money and send her the bottle carrier at no charge as an apology.  When she messaged me back, she said it wasn't a big deal, and she chose another wristlet.  I'm very thankful that she understood.

This situation reinforced my belief that honesty is always the best policy. But, it also taught me that regardless of what's going on around me, I need to keep on my toes about updating the store sight. I promise to do better from now on.

New Ideas

I have been looking for some new ideas for items to make for the Etsy Store.  I found these braided fabric bracelets that I thought looked really cool.  I  decided to begin with an inspirational theme and ordered some charms - ribbons of hope, hearts, crosses, and angels.

The tutorial I found showed the folded fabric as being unfinished, which left frayed edges.  When I was teaching ceramics (bet you didn't know that I'm a certified ceramic teacher), I couldn't stress to my students enough that all edges needed to be finished.  And I guess that it still holds for me today, since I didn't like the frayed edge look.

So, I started finishing the strips of fabric like I was making shoelaces.  And I think they look crisper and more finished.    Now, I have ordered Ichthus fish and clouds with rainbows that should arrive tomorrow.  I was a Rainbow girl when I was younger, and Genesis 9:13 still is one of my favorite Bible verses.

Now I have had requests for dogs, cats and horses.  So they are also on order.  I believe that these bracelets could be an inspiration for anyone facing a terminal illness, a recent death in the family or a crisis that needs to be resolved.  When you have a chance, please stop by the store and give me your opinions on the bracelets.

Animal Kingdom, a Parade, and a Cruise

Tuesday was our day for Animal Kingdom.  We started the day with an 8:05 breakfast at Tusker House.  This is one of my favorite breakfasts at Disney, it is breakfast with "Character".  You start out with a photo with Donald Duck in his safari clothes.  This was last year's photo, we haven't received the ones from this year yet.  The breakfast has an African theme, and you are visited at your table by Mickey, Goofy, and Daisy in their safari clothes.  The food is really good.  You have your typical breakfast fare, and also some African items.  We finished our breakfast and proceeded to the Kilimanjaro Safari.  I absolutely love this attraction.  The ride is definitely rough - it's been known to nearly bounce me out of my seat, and that's saying something.  We had really good luck this trip and saw nearly every animal imaginable.  We say the baby elephant from last year and were amazed at how much he had grown.

We saw the Festival of the Lion King show, always one of our must-sees.  Some of the group rode Expedition Everest, while others (like me) just killed some time in the gift shops.  Rod and I had pizza and salads at Pizzafari.  We had never eaten here before, and it was really quite good.  Soon it was time to find a good viewing spot for the Jingle Jungle Parade.  A friend of Mary's had made arrangements for Jimmy, Mary and the kids to ride on one of the floats in the parade.  It was really great to see them sitting up there waving to all the crowd.

Rod, the twins and I had reservations for the Cape May "clambake" for 6:30.  In the past we have loved this buffet, but the food was somewhat lacking this time and we probably won't eat here again.  After dinner, we made our way to the dock to await our Illuminations cruise.  It was a beautiful night, and the first time I had seen Illuminations with the Christmas tag, which includes the song "Let There Be Peace on Earth".  The first time I had ever heard this song was when my sister had sung it in concert choir in high school, and it still brings tears to my eyes.  Nancy passed away in 1991 at the age of 37, and there isn't a day that I don't miss her. The fireworks were probably the best I've ever seen.  After the cruise, the captain urged me to disembark before the others because their weight kept the boat closer to the height of the dock.  Rod had gone to retrieve my scooter, and I nearly fell as I stepped onto the dock.  That put me in a bit of a bad mood.  We proceeded into the resort and had started to admire the gingerbread, when I realized that my bag wasn't in the basket of my scooter.  I knew I had it on the boat, and Rod and the twins began to search for it while my mood grew more and more black.  But alas, no bag.  While at Disney, that bag holds most of my life - our daily meds, our gift cards, my pins for trading, a first aid kit, and more.  I was nearly in tears over the $350 in gift cards, Rod was more concerned about the pins I was so excited about.  It was a quiet ride to our room that night.

Notes on the day:  All in all it was a great day, although it ended on a dark note.

Tomorrow:  Lost, found, and good bye to Disney.

Day 5 - Hollywood Studios

The kids were at the park for opening, but Rod and I were a little slow to get started.  We arrived about a half hour later and began our day by having our picture taken in front of the Hollywood Studios Christmas tree.  We proceeded to move further into the park and had another picture taken in front of the huge sorceror's hat.  Rod was to meet the kids at Rock n Roller Coaster to use a fast pass.  Since I don't ride coasters, I made my way into the gift shop.  Nearly every ride and attraction at Disney exits into a gift shop, which stocks items pertinent to that ride or attraction.  I had never been inside the one at Rock n Roller coaster.  It had an array of items themed toward Aerosmith and rock music.  I bought a hoodie for George here.  Once I was back outside, I purchased a set of beads for Kristin (in blue) and one for Mary (in pink).

The beads are so unique.  They are made from recycled Disney park maps.  The maps are shipped to Uganda where they are rolled into beads and treated to make them water resistant.  They are then shipped back to Disney where they are sold.  I had bought a set last year for my mom, and the girls loved them.    You can see from the photo how beautiful and colorful they are.  Rod and the kids rode some other rides, and we saw the Beauty and the Beast show.  We had reservations for Mama Melrose's at 2:45 as part of the Fantasmic Dining package.  We were late, and had quite a wait to be seated.  I decided to be brave and try calamari for the first time ever.  It was OK, but nothing for me to crow about. Jimmy and Bubby love it, so I passed my plate to them.  Our server was less than friendly, but we learned by observing her in action that the servers were very overworked.  Toward the end of our meal, she warmed up.  I had decided to have a steak, which was served with five cheese baked macaroni and cheese.  It was really good, but I don't think I'd ever been served a steak with no steak knife until then.

After dinner, we did a little more shopping and then got in line for Fantasmic.  It is the story of Mickey battling evil, and of course Mickey wins.  There are images projected onto water, and fireworks.  It wasn't as good as I remembered.  We then proceeded to the Streets of America to see the Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights.  It was Incredible!!  This is just one of the pictures Rod took.  There is Christmas music playing and the lights dance in time to the music.

By the time we finished enjoying it was getting really cold, so Rod and I left the park to go back to the room. But first we had to stop and have another photo taken.

Notes on today:  It was really a great day.  The weather was wonderful, and quite frankly being a little chilly while enjoying the lights put me so into the Christmas spirit.  

Next:  Animal Kingdom and the Illuminations Cruise.

Magic Kingdom again and Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party

Sunday started with a very early breakfast at 1900 Park Fare.  (whose idea was that??)  This is certainly one of my favorite breakfasts at Walt Disney World.  They have really great food here - the cold strawberry soup and lobster eggs Benedict are to die for.  The characters here are Pooh, Tigger, Mary Poppins, Alice and the Mad Hatter.  I adore the Mad Hatter, he is so into character.  When he first arrived at our table, he sat on Bubby's lap and of course, no one had a camera ready.  He is just so goofy, and when he has his photo taken with guests, he almost always sticks out his tongue.  So, Rod and I decided to do the same.   Here's the result.

Since it was an early morning, and Rod and I are "old" and Magic Kingdom is our least favorite park, we decided to go back to the room for a nap.  But not before we paid the gingerbread house a visit.

 It is a life size gingerbread house in the lobby of the Grand Floridian, and they actually sell gingerbread out of the house.  It wasn't open when we left, but my girls made sure they bought me some while they were there later,

After a nice nap, Rod and I returned to the Magic Kingdom and met up with the kids.  We did the "Jingle Cruise" - the Jungle Cruise with a Christmas twist.  Mary and I love this ride since we are big fans of the pun.  The captain usually tells the corniest jokes, and ours was the best ever.  We left there and Mary said we should do the Enchanted Tiki Room, since I had really wanted to see that show (although now, I wonder why).  What a ridiculous performance this was!  I just kept shaking my head while laughing all the while.

And I was so excited to be able to meet my idol, the Fairy Godmother.  I have a shirt with her picture on it and it declares me to be the "Fairy Grandmother".  I do try to make all the family's dreams come true, after all.

Rod, the twins and I had an early dinner at the Crystal Palace, where you meet the characters from Winnie the Pooh.  It is a buffet with a lot of varied selections to choose from.  We really enjoyed the meal there, and I did manage to get a really picture of myself with Eeyore.

After dinner, we prepared for the Christmas Party.  It was a lot of fun.  Pam found me a great spot for viewing the parade.  I was right in the front line, and got to interact with quite a few of the characters.  We then proceeded to the Castle area, to watch the projection show and finally the fireworks.  If you've never seen Disney fireworks, you don't know what you're missing. They are phenomenal!  The kids decided to stick around for the second parade, but the "old folks" returned to the resort.

Notes on today:  a fun day, but I don't think I will waste my money on the party again.  We have real snow in PA, not the soap snow they have on Main Street.  I wanted a pin from the Christmas Party, but was told that they had been sold out two weeks before.  The free cookies and cocoa were really good.

Tomorrow - Hollywood Studios