I’ve never been what you’d call a single-tasker
It’s a wet, blustery day and I don’t have anything in particular to say. But I never let that stop me in the olden (blog) times, did I? Ha.
Here’s one thing: you can help me continue my easy-peasy image selection method by tossing out some random keyword suggestions. I’ll type them into my WP media library and see what pops up. Here, let’s try rain and wind.
Aw, this picture gives me a smile. It’s from our first spring in Portland. My youngest kids’ first time needing raincoats! When we moved into this house—a block and a half from Klickitat Street—practically the first thing I did was buy Huck a Henry-Huggins-yellow rain slicker. 😄
Wind didn’t bring up anything terribly windy…just a lot of pretty windows.
Well, my new Dart is underway, I finally wrestled some tax info into shape for the accountant, and I did a bunch of admin chores. Scott & some of the kids are watching an Iron Man movie. I think I’m going to take the rest of the afternoon off and do some prep for some stitching projects. I’ve found that it works well for me to immerse in the planning/cutting/choosing stages for several projects at once, and then I stick everything for each project in a different bin, and that way I can reach for whatever kind of stitching I’m in the mood for. Right now I have: a needlepainting project (begun last fall? summer? but idle for months); a saeksilnubi project (begun even longer ago); a hoop meant just for noodling around and trying things out; a really fun hoop based on Tove Jansson’s Little My illustrations (Rilla’s helping with the design of that one); and a long-in-progress piece I designed myself. Oh, and when all I feel like doing is hemstitching (by hand, which I was surprised to discover I adore doing—having believed Jo March for decades that it was a detestable activity), I work on a long-term project (what am I saying, they’re all long term): hemming big squares of linen to use as gift-wrapping cloths. I only got a few made in time for Christmas this year, but I’m determined to switch over from paper completely.
So that’s plenty to keep me busy for weeks (months) to come, and now I’m wondering why I thought I needed to prep anything new? I guess it’s that I have this cozy flannel I want to make pajama pants out of. Handsewn, if possible, because that’s the only kind of sewing I really like. The machine treats me with the disdain of a cat. If it could knock the scissors onto the floor, it totally would.
Well, I also have the book Melanie recommended the other day, A Ghost in the Throat, on audio, so I suppose I could put that on and work on one of the million projects already sitting beside me. I’m so glad we had this little talk! 😊
Selvi says:
It’s so delightful to read these posts. I hope they will be very helpful for your processes. The sewing sounds so pleasurable.
Here are some words for pictures: cosy, bake, stitch, orange, stone and laugh
On January 4, 2023 at 7:45 pm
Melissa Wiley says:
Selvi, such a joy to see your name! Thanks for the words—I used “stone” today and the pic that popped up gave me such feels!
On January 5, 2023 at 7:04 pm
Emily J says:
I’ve been enjoying these posts, also. Fun to read and inspiring! They are a great reminder that writing doesn’t have to be labored over to be shared, like writing letters to friends.
Words: books, imagination, memory, leaf
On January 4, 2023 at 7:52 pm
Melissa Wiley says:
Oooh, great word suggestions, thank you, Emily!
I’m trying to keep holding on to that directive: just dash off a quick letter to friends. And all these replies are delicious letters back.
On January 5, 2023 at 7:05 pm
Katie @ The Cozy Burrow says:
A Ghost in the Throat was my favorite book last year – I hope you love it! I enjoyed reading about all of your stitching plans. I also like all sorts of stitching and your strategy of prepping and storing projects is brilliant!
On January 5, 2023 at 12:44 am
Melissa Wiley says:
Ooh, another Ghost in the Throat fan—I’m so happy Melanie tipped me off to it! I didn’t get far in the audiobook yesterday but the narration is wonderful.
The embroidery prep idea came when I remembered something a friend and I did together a zillion years ago when we were both expecting babies around the same time. We did the cutting and gathering parts of several easy craft projects and put them in baggies. When the babies came, we were able to hand a ready-to-go craft kit to our toddlers at auspicious moments. So now I’m just treating myself like the toddler. 😉
On January 5, 2023 at 7:09 pm
Tabatha says:
I cannot cope with sewing machines but like to handsew. My eyesight is a little bit of a challenge. I am having a hard time getting proper reading/sewing glasses. Anyway, your comment about gift-wrapping cloths reminded me of a post I did about Asian textile gift covers: https://tabathayeatts.blogspot.com/2020/02/gift-covers.html (there’s a link to ways to fold them!)
On January 5, 2023 at 6:01 am
Melissa Wiley says:
Tabatha, we’re so in sync! I loved your post & it’s so fun that you linked to Youngmin Lee. I’ve taken a couple of her zoom classes and her online work-at-your-own-pace class. She’s who inspired me to start making wrapping cloths, but I’ve only done one so far using the traditional Korean techniques she teaches—I ran out of time & just did plain hems on the rest. But now that the wrapping holiday is past, I can take all the time I want!
On January 5, 2023 at 7:17 pm
Dogwood says:
These blog posts are making me happy and are inspiring me to want to do and make and read all kinds of things. Thank you! Glad I have Feedly to alert me when you post.
On January 5, 2023 at 5:18 pm
Melissa Wiley says:
I’m so happy to hear you’re enjoying them. Hooray for good old Feedly, still chugging along!
On January 5, 2023 at 7:17 pm