Personal Perestróĭka

I am freaking exhausted.  Staying up until 4 am pretending to be a cool rock chick will do that, I guess. Fun night, better day (despite the hangover) showing the PNW boys Nashberg.

Fall still seems to be raining it’s way in.  I’ve gotten pretty used to Indian summers here. I guess it’s still possible.  It’s just been so overwhelmingly grey and insanely wet for the last week.  The air tastes like despair.  I have been here, in the sun, for so long now that apparently it takes only a week of grey for SAD to set in.  Luckily a good day of bright Southern sunlight can knock it out.  Now if only the sun would come out.

Libelle and I went shopping yesterday and I got an amazing wool coat, Italian, with the tags still on at the new Goodwill for $15.  I am smitten with it. It’s purple, but not too purple.  I like autumn all right, though I lament the loss of summer.  The coat is so wonderful that I think I might actually make it through winter.  I will try to take pictures tomorrow.

I lost my evening reading random personal blogs that Google Reader recommended me.  Usually it recs me sewing blogs or something clearly related to other blogs I read (like music or local news) but I got these two random ones.  One a girl who seems lonely and sad, but maybe doesn’t realize how pathetic she comes across (lots of writing about the boyfriend she misses, even though they broke up a year ago and she hasn’t spoken to him in seven months, ugh, so sad).  And another is a sort of hipstery dude in Brooklyn, but he posts kind of interesting art, and these hilarious (possibly unintentionally so) one line movie reviews, so I might follow him for a while.

Then I was thinking about how these blogs are nothing but weird windows into people’s lives so I went back and read my own entries from the last three Septembers.  And I guess since this blog is sort of about nothing, it is also a weird little window into my life.  I was reminded that I get really homesick every September, so it is excellent that I am going out to visit this week (omg, I need to pack).  And there’s odd little entries like this one that make my life seem interesting.  I guess my life is interesting.

I was contemplating some meme where you put all your past addresses into Google Earth and post the pictures of them, but then it seemed oddly morbid. Still, here is the house I grew up in.  It is part of what makes me interesting.  This pictures makes me happy.  Maybe it is because it seems so sunny.

The Placebo version of this song was on the premiere of Vampire Diaries (which so far doesn’t suck) and reminded me of how much I love it.  I have probably listened to it six times tonight.  It makes me feel lonely and happy at the same time.  This video is clearly dated though still incredibly lovely.

Kate Bush – Running up that Hill
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This live performance is also dated, but the emotion in it is fantastic.

I am covered in mosquito bites from walking around Spring Hill cemetery this morning.  I hate the word “upcycle.”  I am tired and achy.  I should be in bed.  Instead I am scrunched up on the love seat eating a sandwich consists of wheat bread (the cheap, crappy kind that is like brown white bread), tartar sauce (better than mayo on sandwiches) and havarti.  It is kind of trashy and incredibly delicious.

Hey all my lovely PNW pals,

I will be in town next week (ack, I need to pack!) and although I am very booked (busy jetsetter’s lifestyle) I would love to see you.  To this end there will be a party to compact all my socializing.

Here are the promised pictures of recent sewing projects:

Autumn plaid blouse.  Made from a reproduction vintage cotton, that has a lovely weight to it.  Grey/black/cream/brown plaid that hopefully will go with everything.

White blouse.  The first thing I made on the new machine.  Shown here with my fantastic shoes and purple handbag.  (Vanity pics of shoes and handbag because my mom asked to see both.)

Rainy day dress!!  In cotton that looks like PNW drizzle to me.  Ribbon detail on neckline. Dress is fairly structured, fully lined and was definitely harder to make than I thought.

Up close of the ribbon detail and the fabric.  It’s “homespun” quilting cotton, made as reproduction fabric from 100 years ago or so.  Lovely uneven grey stripes.  The ribbon is just pleated grey grosgrain ribbon.

I have one more dress to make for Fall/Winter (f only I can find the fabric) and one more blouse (if only I can find a pattern).  And more pictures coming soon of things I made for someone other than me.

So my new machine has 7 of these 10 must have features.  I’m not sure I’d need the other 3.  Of course I didn’t know I needed the 7 I have until I had them.  I have to confess, sewing is MUCH easier with the new machine.  The speed adjustment really keeps me from rushing things so I can make much straighter lines and much smoother curves.  Although I should probably break out some scrap fabric and spend some time drilling myself on curves though.  Slow definitely helps but I imagine practice will help the most.

I have a few things finished that I really need to photograph, I don’t know why I’ve been unable to do that as it doesn’t really take that much time.  I did get one of these.    Which is like the coolest toy ever for a camera.  I can’t believe how well it works.  Who ever though of this is a genius! So, yes, pictures sooner than later.

After playing with someone else’s I am dying for an iPod Touch.  I actually don’t desire an iPhone.  I’m fine with a little Samsung flip phone.  I really kind of only want it to be a phone.  I’m not sure I’m comfortable combining everything.  But the iPod Touch?  WAANNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNT.  It looks amazingly perfect for travel. Music and movies?  Games?  Wi-fi web browsing?  I do wish there was non-Apple equivalent (I’d buy it right now), but I’m seriously considering socking away $5 a day for a few weeks and just getting one.  My iPod is coming up on 4 years now, it might actually be time for a replacement.  And fancy, shiny, fun step up.  It can be the reward I set for myself for finishing my next series of projects.

Picture from vincentchow.net

The picture above is from one of my favorite photoblogs, Simple Things.  I feel like it perfectly captures this short hanging moment between seasons, when the light has changed but the leaves have not turned yet. When you know winter melancholy is coming but summer isn’t truly over.

Corbis has an incredible series of pictures up with stories about each one.  Definitely worth taking a trip through thier site to see each pic.

I love this picture.  It feels like the future of the world starts and ends right here.

And something about the gap-toothed smile here just warms my crusty old heart.

(I’ve posted this to a few sewing sites, but it can’t hurt to put it here too.)

Help me, internet, I am desperate. I am trying to find fabric like this:

I have found similar upholstery silk dupioni, but ideally I’d like cotton or cotton blend for apparel (I’d take silk too, or a really lightweight wool). The plaid is large, squares maybe 3″ on a side. I’d take a different colorway as long as it wasn’t like pastels or something, something similarly autumn like would be nice.

I’ve search for plaids at every online fabric store I can think of, I’ve searched Google for madras plaids, cotton plaids. I’ve lost hours to searching through “swatches” online. I feel like I could be doing a more efficient job but I’m at a loss where to start.

Any ideas? or has anyone seen anything like this?

At the fabric store yesterday there’s two older women sitting across the pattern book carrel from me.

L1: “How about this one?”
L2 “Mmmm.”
L1: “You don’t like it.”
L2: “I didn’t say that.”
L1: “I can tell by the look on your face, mom.”

At this point, I couldn’t help but laugh a little.

L1: “See even that lady over there is smiling because she knows you don’t like it.”
Me: “No, I’m only smiling because I have a mom too.”
*everyone laughs*

I don’t know why the exchange amused me so much, probably because I also have a mom (pictured here, without her permission, but I love this picture so much, so I don’t care).

I need to take and post picures of my finished projects.  I need to make a storyboad post or something of my upcoming projects.  Mostly, now that I’m finally caught up on Mad Men, I need to spend some time sewing so I can get more intimate with my new machine.  Or maybe I need to put on pants and go get me some fried pickles for lunch.

“You’re so profoundly sad.”
“No, it’s just my people are Nordic.”

AHAHAHAHAHAH!  Okay, I’m catching up on Mad Men finally (and yes that means means I’m barely into the second season), but wow, if that isn’t the best line ever. If only because it’s true.  And because it’s much like a conversation I recently had.  I wonder if there has been research about Scandinavian people being more inclined to melancholy.  Or do people just assume it’s the cold and lack of light somehow infusing our genetics.

The only bad thing about being so far behind on Mad Men is that I don’t really have any one to talk to about it.  I can’t be like, “Oh, can you believe that episode!?!” because everyone else saw it a year ago.  *sigh*  Oh well, I’m almost up to the new season, then I can be all cool and in the know.

So far this weekend I have watched way too much TV (though all of it Mad Men), spend a lovely day day chatting with my own Birdy about sewing and boys and TV and friends. I also tailored all my jeans so they fit better after all the weight I’ve lost.  I guess this is inclination to keep eating healthy and maybe exercise, since now none of my pants will fit if I gain the weight back. I also tore up some of our  ugly, raggedy throw pillows and made some shiny, new ones, which are, uh, very bright.  And maybe tacky, but definitely more comfortable than ones we had.

Today I need to cut out some of the next projects on my lists, work on some web stuff and take a bunch of pictures of stuff I have finished.  I was going to get a pedicure too, but I slept all morning (after staying up half the night watching MM) so  maybe that will have to happen tomorrow.

Now, I need to put on pants so I’m not embarassing myself when the neighbor boys come over to help me fix the broken coffee table.

When: Sept 25, 2009, 7pm-ish
Where: my Folk’s house
Why: because I’ll be in town

Most of you know the drill.  Email me if you need directions or anything.  There will be food and drink.  Feel free to bring something, but not required.  I can’t wait to see you!