I’m Nesting

Before Shot

Can you not be pregnant and still be in a nesting mood…..

I'm definitely not pregnant, but lately I have been increasingly frustrated with my home. I live with an enormous amount of clutter and I take on so many roles that I never have enough time to clean properly. This is a bad combination. Add to that my love of buying fabric and patterns, together with my lack of suitable storage and you can imagine how my home looks most days.

I don't actively invite people over because I'm embarrassed by the state of my home. This is insane.

So I decided to either suck it up and get over it, or do something about it and get over it, and happily for me I've chosen the latter. I've decided to tackle two rooms, the front room, which I use as a study and I'll use as a sewing space and the games room.

So far:

• donated unwanted/unused furniture to freecycle
  




• booked carpet man
  




• made a list of what I want for both rooms
  




• bought curtains for study/sewing room
  

To do:

• Go to Ikea to buy items to fit out the rooms
  




• Organise fabric, patterns, laptop
  

So I'm kind of in nesting mode. J

Pay It Forward

I will make a handmade gift for the first 3 interested people who comment on this post. I have 365 days to do it in…What it will be and when it will arrive is a total surprise!The catch is that you must participate as well: you must have a blog and before you leave your comment here, write up a pay it forward post on your blog to keep the fun going.(just cut and paste this one if you like!, which I did.

Pay it Forwards are fun, go on, comment, you know you want too ;)

Little Giveaway from Little Munchkins

Little Munchkins is a delightful blog and she has a giveaway going on.

Two Oliver + S patterns are on offer, just leave a comment in this post.

Sew Mama Sew Meme

Sew Mama Sew have made June "Sewing Machine Month" and this is my meme (better late than never hey!)






What brand and model do you have?
Janome My Excel 18W

How long have you had it?
5 years

How much does that machine cost (approximately)?
$299

What types of things do you sew (i.e. quilting, clothing, handbags, home dec projects, etc.)?
Mostly children's clothing, some bags, toys and sometimes I use my sewing machine for scrapbooking

How much do you sew? How much wear and tear does the machine get?
I lost my ‘sew-jo’ for a while, but now I’ll use my machine at least every few days.

Do you like/love/hate your machine? Are you ambivalent? Passionate? Does she have a name?
I love my machine. It is basic but perfect for the level my sewing is at. It doesn't have a name.
What features does your machine have that work well for you? I love how the lid flips up with important information printed on it. Like what foot to use with what stitch type and recommended stitch length/width as well as tens
ion.

Is there anything that drives you nuts about your machine?
Button hole. I can’t seem to get the hang of doing button holes nice and neat.

Do you have a great story to share about your machine (i.e., Found it under the Christmas tree? Dropped it on the kitchen floor? Sewed your fingernail to your zipper?, Got it from your Great Grandma?, etc.!)? We want to hear it!
Not with this machine, but I would like to share the story of my first machine.
I got my first machine, a Pinnock (brand), when I was 15 years old. My teens were are challenging time and were also years spent finding myself and (sometimes) being angry with life experiences I could not change. One of those experiences was watching my cousin deal with grief and depression associated with the murder of her two children. Her children, Rachel and Shane, were my play buddies, and were killed by their father in tragic circumstances. Needing a way to deal with all this I wrote a letter to Rachel and Shane, mostly just letting know how much I missed them and what sort of things we would be doing together if they were still alive.

Then I sent the letter to a magazine which paid a fee for true stories. I was paid $250 for my letter which I used to buy a sewing machine. I don’t use the Pinnock anymore, but I often think of Rachel and Shane when I sew and this makes me happy.

Would you recommend the machine to others? Why?
Definitely. I would recommend this machine to all beginner sewers as it is a great first machine. It also comes with several feet, which as you grow in knowledge and confidence, can really improve your sewing.

What factors do you think are important to consider when looking for a new machine?
Does it come with a hard case? This is important for protecting your machine from bumps, dust and small children. How much and how readily available are the machine feet? Have a look at the user manual, does it have pictures/diagrams and easy to read language? Does the shop you buy it from offer classes in how to use your machine?

Do you have a dream machine?
My dream machine is a super dooper Janome Memorycraft 11000. It also happens to be $8499......My realistic dream machine is probably a Janome Memorycraft 9700.

Enid Sew Along

I finished the Enid Sew Along on Crafty Mamas

The fabric I used kind of needed some bling so I added the heart.

Enid was one clever lady

I'm participating in an Enid sew along on crafty mamas . Enid Gilchrist was a very resourceful woman, who via New Idea, publish many magazines for the home sewer from 1950-1970's. And I personally think she rocks!

So anyway, the first part of the sew-along is to pick out the pattern. I chose a basic sun dress in size 5. The next part was to draft the pattern. I've only ever done this once before and it can be a little tricky. Basically Enid has the pattern drawn up with corresponding measurements in inches. Starting at the nominated point you use the various measurements to get the pattern shape and then sort of fill in the gaps. I found it easier with my cutting mat as it has inches all drawn up, and along with my ruler I was able to draft the dress in no time.

Next step is to choose some fabric :)

Some other Enid lovers are Alesha and Tracy and a group Enid Blog

Because I'm Worth It Update

Food
Not a bad week, I've been snacking on fruit, making nice dinners and drinking water. I had to buy lunch two days in a row but I chose a healthy option. I'm finding the tea drinking is up, probably because the cool weather has finally arrived, but I'm continuing the sugar ban, so I'm not to concerned.

Exercise
I wasn't able to do the fitness class this week, due to some volunteer work that took up all of last week. But that (the volunteer work) was quite full on and I was on my feet almost all day, so I'm sure I burnt up some calories that way.

Thoughts and Actions
The volunteer work I did was organise the school bookfair. So each day, I dressed the part and I also put make up on. And I felt really good about myself. I looked professional and felt professional. I did a really good job, and I received many compliments for the job that I did, so this was a huge self-esteem boost. I didn't get to spend my bra voucher or get my nails done, but that's ok, hopefully next week.

Goals
*Go to 2 fitness classes this week
*Spend my vouchers!
*Weigh myself and see how I'm going weight wise.