threadwalker

Last weekend was a sewing immersion weekend.

Before I even started I like how Miss E explained that I need to make her light weight linen stuff as well as a dress to wear after it cools down at Erinwood. I made her Renaissance stuff from day 1 and she would cry and fuss everytime I put one of those dresses on her. Last year I threw my hands up in the air and made each of them tunics. Both kids declared the tunics to be the BEST things I'd ever made them. Now she wants a dress? Oy!

I leaped to the Corbie Cave in a single bound at 6:30am Saturday. The yard was damp, the air cool and crisp since the sun hadn't cleared the hill line, and the scent of star jasmine tickling my nose as the neighborhood roosters cock-a-doodle-doed and the neighborhood dogs barked in chorus. It's the morning hours before the sun traps us in its heat and leaches out the moisture; when being outside is a pleasure and not a testament to heat endurance.

Looking forward to binge-power-sewing, my heart was filled with glee as I hauled open the Corbie Cave door. Then my heart stopped and I didn't hear the roosters or the dogs; it was completely silent.

The scene was shocking. The entire shed was in disarray. The floor was almost immpassable with piles of disassembled tourney furniture, embroidery floor frames, and fabric. The work surfaces were covered in stuff and the single chair was piled high. I couldn't see any of my sewing machines or make sense out of what had happened.

SHOCK! DISMAY! DISBELIEF!

I closed my eyes, counted to 5, opened them and it was all still there. It was not a robbery, it was Mess Fairies. I know I spent many many hours a week ago cleaning in there, but it didn't look like it. Staring, I had a vague recollection of digging around looking for extra hands-free embroidery frames and pieces of silk for the class I'm teaching and I realized I was the culprit. OMG! How could I?

Shifting from joy to horror and then resignation, I recognized I was many hours away from sewing and I was going to need to be fortified to deal with my disappointment and the work ahead of me. I retreated to the house, scored a 6-pack of lime diet coke and a container of gold fish (thanks Stealth_1066!) and returned. Taking 1 giant step over collapsed lawn chairs, tourney gear, and fabric into the only a quasi-clear spot in the middle, I stepped on some silk brocade and almost slipped into the splits, coming very close to pulling a groin muscle. Wouldn't that be fun to explain? I have no grace and I sabotage my own dignity with my inherent disorder. I did one mega reach, hit the power button on the DVD player and sent a silent thanks to myself for leaving something in there. Then I dug in.

I cleaned. I sorted. I folded. I was overcome by my need for organizational tid bits and made a trip to Bed-Bath-Beyond, Michaels, and Target for "stuff to help organize". I mucked around with the loft, finding stashes of 'in progress' projects up there. I made an executive decision and decided I was no longer storing (hiding) in-progess stuff out of sight. Using bins and clear plastic blanket bags to keep things sorted, I created an intimidating mountain of 'in progress' projects.

At 1:30pm I called it. The floor was mostly cleared and I was down to a modest pile of stuff like wads of ribbon and odds and ends that don't really have a home. The sun was beating down on the roof of the Corbie Cave and it was probably over 95F out, so it was a litteral sweat shop in there. The whole family retreated to the theater to join a mob of friends and we watched Sorcerer's apprentice. BBQing at friends house afterwards (yay). I worked on my sample piece for next weekend. (yay)

Sunday I ironed, cut and sewed. Yay. Finally. Although I now recall that I hate ironing. I got one early period dress made up for a friend. Miss E really really wanted to sew too and my MIL had given me a bag of HER unfinished sewing which was all patterns for little girls and cute fabric. We dug through that and fished out a pattern and fabric, then cut out a top. At 3pm the sweat was rolling down my legs so I called a retreat. I'm not really in the mood for laying around and watching TV, so I went to the gym and the fabric store (both air conditioned). I was determined to NOT cook, but I was running too late and none of my favorite places were open past 7pm on Sunday. I cooked. (roll eyes) I cooked a lot; tilapia, made a fruit salad, spanish rice, asian seafood salad, ravioli, .... the kitchen is a mess, but everyone was happy.

After the kids went to bed I retreated to the Corbie Cave again, but this time I focused on the class I'm teaching. I completed my sample piece for my gold work class, made up 6 kits, assembled my sewing box for the weekend, and put together a box of 'share' tools for the students. I don't know how it took so long, but I came to bed at 2:30 am. The battery in my clock died and it was like a time-warp out there. But it's all good and I'm fired up on Diet Coke

Tonight:
-make-up second early period dress (for someone else)
-cut/serge edges of linen shirts for kids and hubby,
-cut/serge edges of linen chemise for me

Tuesday:
-In morning - show owie-toe to doctor, which may affect these plans.
-hem both early period dresses
-make-up linen shirts
-cut linen shorts for crew

Wed:
-make-up chemise
-make up shorts

Thursday (vacation day)
-finish everything
-time permitting, finish the lime-green 16th century italian kirtle sitting in the 'in progress' pile because that would make life comfortable.

Friday
pack and go