sewing at night

okay, it’s pretty much done.  i need to seal up the ends of the cord after i trim off the excess and press out the front of the pocket a bit.  but i can live with it now (and use it!)

(forgive the mess–took the photo in a hurry this morning!)

the tutorial was from here.  it is very well written and had i followed it to the letter i would have been done with this ages ago, but . . . BUT the first thing i did was think, “well, it’s a little small, maybe i can make it bigger?” not really thinking that a) it’s in centimeters so there’s already lots of conversion fun to be had and b) the bottom has rounded corners which requires more math than i have done in the last ten years combined.  And There My Troubles Began.

more issues: there is not a single company in the u.s. that makes metal sliders for shoulder straps, so i had to use d-rings; i decided to use a different interfacing because that’s what i had on hand, which made it a little too stiff for my taste, especially as it’s corduroy on the outside; and then of course there were the **** appliques.  i still don’t LIKE the patch on the front which is covering up all the yucky glue residue, but i can LIVE with the patch on the front, and i’m just thinking of it as a stopgap until i come up with something infinitely cooler to stitch on.  and because sometimes you just need something to be done, you know?

one thing i do like:

pocket and little clip for keys.  because my keys always migrate to the bottom of any bag i have, no matter how carefully i put them in some sort of inner pocket.  maybe the clip will save me rummaging!

for those of you who have already heard about it, our war with the neighbors seems to have calmed down a little; i had a brief exchange with the mr. from upstairs that even included a smile. which is enough for me; i don’t need to be friends with these folks, but the ability to say hello in the shared yard really does wonders for a general sense of well-being.

as we are now definitely moving this summer, we went to see castro valley, far away burb but with reasonable rents. not much going for it except the fact that you can walk to this:

lake chabot. which is actually kind of a selling point. plus there’s a bart station, and there’s apparently another lake about the same distance to the south where there’s a lagoon you can swim in. that coupled with the possibility of getting a flat with some outdoor space–a yard, a patio, something–makes it kind of an option. never really thought i’d hear myself say that about castro valley, which is otherwise way too close to that land of fremont.

and of course there are these trees, which are something out of a fairytale:

it is national turn off your television week. adbusters has taken it up a notch, calling for a complete unplugging (”mental detox week,” which unfortunately due to my work situation i cannot do, the only thing that makes this oly club book bearable is being able to surf the net from time to time, but someday i’ll do the full monty and unplug completely):

www.adbusters.org
www.screentime.org

there are now more televisions in this country than people. the average american household has the television on for 8 hours a day. teenagers are watching later and later programming on a nightly basis. more to the point, though, television viewing has been linked to depression, sleeplessness, poor attention spans, lack of energy, anxiety, and stress. we watch because we think it relaxes us, but it only makes everything worse, deeply skewing our perceptions of ourselves and the world, rewiring our brains so that we learn to associate products with pleasure, soundbites with knowledge, quality time with staring at a screen.

i’ve been reading a lot about buddhism lately. about being in the moment, about trying to live in the moment–which means, among other things, coming to terms with your own transcience, to understand and accept that your time is limited. television, to my mind, is the antithesis of such an outlook–perfect for a culture that deeply fears aging and death. and once you’re hooked you’re vulnerable to every corporate influence in existence, none of which have your well-being in mind. perhaps it should be turn off your tv month, or year, or lifetime.

someone’s just making sure that i’ve seen what she left, a gift is no good unless it’s acknowledged, right? and it was rather like that, her coming over and sniffing it and then meowing at me until i gave her a good rub and thanked her.  and she didn’t even take a piece for herself, other than possibly the tail.  how kind is that? (especially kind as it means i don’t have to worry about finding anything, er, “magically reappearing,” say on the living room carpet.)  she’s keeping us fed AND protected.  can’t ask for more than that! now we’ll just have to make a big show when we clean it up.  maybe that will be adj’s job–i’m better at the treats and cuddling.

this is very much in-progress, still.  the backpack, as of last week:

everything with this went wrong, but it’s really all been my doing.  i’ll link to the tutorial when mine is finally done, but please someone remind me that when you do a new pattern, just do it like it says first and then try messing around with it?

we’re in the home stretch now though.  what i’m changing: the drawstring, it’s just too flimsy and i found some dark blue cord that will be better; and the circles on the front pocket.  they were an impulse applique that i now hate.  i’ve tried stitching over them and embroidering around them and while that made the one on the right look tolerable i still hate the one on the left.  so i fudged and fudged and finally had the big realization that i will never like the bag unless i get rid of the circle on the left and do something, anything different.  so there has been lots of ironing off and snipping with cuticle scissors (i had fused the appliques and then stitched on the pocket, so the pocket seam runs through the left one–BIG SIGH.)  now teasing off excess glue with paper towels and the iron. adj came in last night and caught me at it, with spotlight and small iron and cuticle snips, and helpfully declared “but i liked the circles.”  too late!

it’ll be a trip to stonemountain this week to see if we can find some sort of nice applique to go over the glue and fabric residue; if not, i will try to do one out of plain maroon felt.  i’ve only got a couple weeks left too! better grab me some more paper towels.

two key finds from our south bay thrifting:

this jacket. the sleeves end mid-forearm (hurrah for cropped sleeves being in this year, i always liked that look of layering sleeves) and the overall shape is a little boxy, but it’s in a lovely floral corduroy and it snaps. i honestly can’t decide if it’s handmade or not. there’s not a trace of a label in it anywhere, but if someone made this they did a damn fine job, it’s fully lined and feels very balanced and sturdy. it’s actually cut western-style but you lose the seamlines in the corduroy pattern. it’s off at the dry cleaners now.

adj found this for me while i was busy cursing an agnes b. jacket for being one size too small. it’s what i’ve come to think of as a granny stash. i’ve seen this kind of thing before: the shoebox of half-broken christmas ornaments, the giant wad of ten different patterns of spotty napkins, the sack of shreds of fabric. it’s like they come in to the thrift shop and the workers throw up their hands and say “just make it go away.” when my mother and i went through my grandmother’s sewing chest it was something like this: little pieces of elastic, the lone snap still on the card, the elderly pocketbook handle carefully cut off and kept. it’s not hoarding, it’s just keeping and forgetting to clear out. especially since you really might use it one day. really. definitely. it will happen.

this granny stash was all ribbons and trims:

she fit a lot into a box, that granny! i couldn’t repack it to save my life. it’s sitting on the floor now like an explosion. and not quite as crazy a stash as i thought–there were a few too-short pieces wrapped around cardboard, a lone tassle saved, but most of it was usable lengths. all very neatly pinned together. and then organized in the smaller boxes–boxes that originally held sutures and syringes, they were stamped on the sides. oh poor granny. there were some nice vintage pieces in there too, i think this is my favorite:

piggy trim! how cute is that? there was whale trim and bear trim too, but the piggies are my favorite. and of course now i can’t get rid of it, because i will use it someday. really. i will. i’m starting my stash early.

we did one more thrifting stop on saturday, at the salvation army that’s down the hill from downtown south sf.  it’s notable for sharing a parking lot with the garden club, one of our faves.  the garden club is old school italian–fixed menu, several courses, family style serving, decor from the ’50s, and always packed.  exactly the kind of restaurant where you should order a martini or a manhattan, and it will taste just like the drinks you used to steal sips from as a child.  don’t even try to get in on fish night.

have i mentioned that both savers and the salvation army were crowded? recession, anyone?

from there we bid farewell to south sf and rolled down the coast to pacifica.

in pacifica, there are a few things to do.  mostly involving the beach.  there’s a couple of shops and restaurants.  and pacifica pier.

that pier gets used.  fishing is very big out here, especially on the weekends–lots of groups, families making a whole day of it–even gaggles of teenagers.  they bring coolers for their catch, crab nets, radios, deck chairs, tents for the little kids to nap in, and barbeques.  usually we walk the pier, but it was so windy and cold we decided to feed the birds and move on.

adj took over this part as i was still manning the camera.  as you can see, one small bystander was very excited to watch the birds come in for food; he helpfully ran around in circles making the birds even more agitated. and he wasn’t the only one interested in watching the proceedings . . .

this not-so-small bystander was far more interested in sitting on the railing and watching.  and creeping me out a little.  those things are big and aggressive! a touch of hitchcock on our saturday.

with our task completed, we finally got to the end of our journey:

the chippie at pacifica, newly remodeled–we took the english wing of the family here when they came to visit, but they will probably do a double-take at the interior.  but still good fish and chips and with the english seal of approval.  so yes, we drove what, 30 miles? to eat a piece of batter-dipped fish and some thick french fries.  but oh so good.  with lots of salt and vinegar, and the union jack (expat paper) to read–just what was needed to warm up.  and, er, make ourselves too full for dinner.

a trip across the bay.

the black tower sticking up next to the bridge? that’s now the tallest building in san francisco. (yes, we still have earthquakes.) luxury condos. the building comes within just a few feet of the highway. although they’re all bought, for the first few weeks there was only one couple living in the entire building–one light on one corner of the floor, and nothing else but echoing emptiness. they were interviewed in the paper about it and said that it was quite creepy.

san francisco, sprawling before us. yes i know i have to clean that weird smear on my lens! it’s a very small lens, difficult to get at. the black dot is a ding in the truck’s windshield.

cesar chavez street, our old neighborhood. we lived within blocks of each other when we first met. shopped at the same supermarket, frequented the same bars, and knew all about the magic donut shop. ahhh, the magic donut shop.

first we went to the savers in south san francisco, where i found a lot of nice things and adj found, well, nothing–he was very sad. obviously i was having a good thrift because i forgot to take any pictures. but who could say no to banana republic jeans with the tags still on? i’m always amazed by that. people buy things or get given things and just chuck them out as donations in the blink of an eye.

downtown south san francisco, heading towards the st. vincent de paul. it was a beautiful day but there was a cold breeze. nothing in st. vincent de paul. there never is.

bits and pieces at the supermarket–not things that we bought, it’s just that i’m always fascinated by supermarkets and what they stock, i try to get to a supermarket whenever i’m in a new place. andrew found lucozade here! score! that’s one nice thing about having so many asian markets around–they usually carry a handful of british goods.

outside this taqueria: popsicles, mmm. the mexican ones are super-sweet but oh so good. mango? papaya? coconut? banana? all of the above, please!

but no popsicles for me . . . we had lunch plans. stay tuned!

one of the exciting things that happened this week: my back issues of ottobre came.

ottobre comes from finland. i believe they started out doing just kids’ clothes, but then expanded into the mommy market. the patterns range from basic to complex, but are all well-designed and straightforward to make (or so it seems just from reading through.)

you have to trace your patterns off the pattern sheet, as with the japanese sewing books. but unlike the japanese books, the instructions are in english, and the models in ottobre are thankfully real: you see all sizes, shapes, and ages, from young adults to grandmas to moms-to-be.

so if you buy an american sewing pattern, you can drop up to 16 dollars for a tissue paper pattern that gives you, say, 6 variations on a single design. yet you can pay 20 dollars for a japanese book that will give you twenty-plus garments, or you can buy an ottobre for about 10 dollars and get 20 coordinated garments. the tracing goes pretty darn quick if you have some pattern cloth, and then you have a sturdy pattern that you can use over and over, sans pins on many fabrics.

it’ll be a little while before i dig into these as i’ve just now got the hang of the japanese patterns and want to try those again. in the meanwhile, maybe someone over at new look will come up with a new look magazine? i’ll keep my fingers crossed.

first things first: HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!!!!

and now for the bits and pieces . . .

work was very busy last week and this, though i think i am over the hump now. if all goes well, by tonight this book should be en route to hong kong and i won’t have to worry about it for two weeks (click on the picture if you want to find out more, i’ve actually enjoyed reading this one):

there was lots of running back and forth to san francisco to pick up scans and proofs from zebra graphics, our digital imaging guys:

(me on bart, with newspaper.)

(macarthur bart station, with an odd smear in the sky that turned out to be something on my lens.)

on saturday, we had to go to a red egg and ginger party for andrew’s coworker, at an all-you-can-eat chinese buffet down in fremont. it’s amazing how little i know about these outer cities and communities–these were strip malls that i’ve driven by dozens of times on the freeway, never realizing that they’re almost entirely chinese and vietnamese businesses. i started to take pictures of the buffet but i made myself a little sick–ten stations of chinese and japanese food plus two dessert stations, all steaming hot at 11 am? errr. i had a bit of scallion pancake thinking it would be east coast style, but instead i got a mouthful of fried gluten and i was instantly back in china forcing down my breakfast. bad scene.

but of course the big deal of the day was not the baby nor the food: i wore the blue dress! it had its grand debut. (yes i should have worn red–but i’ve never gone to a red egg and ginger party before–in fact, i didn’t know it was a red egg and ginger party until saturday morning because someone left the invitation at work, and i didn’t even have a red envelope ready.)

(checking my shoes, the buckles were loose!)

in local news, because we can’t get a plastic bag ban put through (old people love their bags!) many of our local shops are doing their own thing. our supermarket, encinal, first gave away these bags as a promo and now gives you 5% off your bill if you use your own bags. much better than trader joe’s nickel off. i heart encinal. it’s a pretty nice bag too, feels like a canvas but is made out of recycled plastic:

i know, i know, our super-exciting california lifestyle. but i saved two bucks today! that’s, er, like a cup of coffee or something, right?

and last but not least, a surprise in the garden:

this was a plant andrew bought me for a birthday a while back, i believe it was called a “caribbean lily” or somesuch. it was drooping in the house so we put it in the back, and it did nothing for a whole year but sit there like a little green splat mark. but this spring, poof! huge and producing these flowers, the centers are the size of kiwi fruits. the aliens have landed.