Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Doing and Thinking Challenge

Kathie at Two Frog Home wrote a few weeks ago about her desire to change from her habit of 'thinking' about doing things, starting projects she has been planning and finishing projects she has already started. She wanted to start DOING things. So she issued a challenge for others to join her in 'doing' things to help each other by encouraging and being accountable.


I have been thinking (!) about this and decided to join in as time permits. My life has been rather hectic this summer and now school will be starting next week and I don't suppose my life will become less complicated.


So, anyway. Here are some projects I finished this week (no photos, because, well, I was DOING things.):


1. sewed skirt from material purchased last April. I took my favorite skirt and used it to adapt the one skirt pattern I have. The cutting and sewing took less than half a day. I had to stop by the fabric store and purchase a 7" zipper, but I did that the next day and put it in and now I have a really lovely skirt to wear. Maybe I'll get a photo of it later this week.


2. cut out and sewed up a "......" from material I bought the same time I got the skirt material. I can't tell you any more than that because "......" is a little giftie for someone and that someone reads my blog. But trust me! It's cute! Again, I had no pattern, just cut and sewed.


3. hemmed the sheers hanging in my living room. When I moved here 13 months ago, only 2 of the 6 panels were hemmed to the correct length. The others puddled on the floor. Through the months I had pinned three more panels and hemmed two of them and there it stopped. This week I finished the project, took them down, washed and dried them and now they are waiting to be rehung.


I'm pleased with my progress! I have some more sewing projects I want to do in the next few days before school starts.


1. hem/repair white bath towel.


2. cut out and sew lining for filmy blue skirt that I can't wear because it's waaay too sheer.


3. cut out and sew skirt for Kiti, using left over material from curtains I made two years ago. Kiti chose the fabric from my stash and wants a simple A line skirt like the one I made this week.


4. replace elastic in a doll dress that belongs to Kiti. Her grandma made the rag doll and dress for her and the elastic has 'died' and I promised (how long ago??) to fix it.


5. sew a wool bag for myself. I bought the grey heathery wool fabric three years ago and never made the bag.


6. put curtains on our bedroom windows. The week we moved in here, I put up sheers in the bedroom, 'just until I could get the curtains made'. I put the curtains I really wanted in my room in the guest room, so now I shall change the length of the blue striped curtains and put them in my room and find fabric I like for the guest room and sew them up.


I know these 6 Doing action items are a bit ambitious, particularly since I have two tutoring students and I start school in 5 days.. I probably won't finish all 6, but if I put them out there by writing them down, I'll have a list of what I plan to accomplish.


You may wonder why all my projects involve sewing. I have an old hand-me-down Singer sewing machine. It works well but it has to be set in to a cabinet and the cabinet doesn't actually fit the machine. My little cottage doesn't have much room and I store the cabinet and machine in a closet when I'm not using it. This past year it just seemed like too much effort to pull the machine and cabinet out and set it up in the hall by the family room where everyone bumps into it. I decided that if I prove to myself that I will actually use a sewing machine, maybe I'll convince myself (and The Professor) to buy a new portable machine. I would like to learn to quilt, but I don't want that monstrous cabinet sitting out annoying everyone who needs to walk past it.


One more thing:

7. read a book I recently won in a give away on Bethany's blog, Red Yarn. Real Food, What to Eat and Why by Nina Planck.

16 comments:

Marg said...

Yea, Linda...
I think we're on the same page.
I used to have a sewing machine and brought it out just like you...
But now, I'm truly thinking about making a rag blanket this winter,
so that means I need to find a better machine.
Way to go, you completed your projects. My big project was the FENCE.

Deb said...

Hmmm...you have got me to thinking about all of my unfinished projects - scrapbboks which sit half done, my mermaid rug which needs many more hours of hooking, organizing my photos, and learning how to use the sewing machine my husband gave me two years ago...and that is just the beginning. Time to get to work on them! You are my inspiration ! :)

Anonymous said...

So glad to have you on board and wow have you set some goals!

ellen b. said...

Sheesh Girl. You have been productive. I'm tired just reading your list...maybe I'm tired from Dizzyland, not your list. It does feel good to get projects accomplished and I'm glad you've been able to with all the action around your place...

Unknown said...

Hello Willow,
yay for you..that's great, turn the thinking into the doing! I have been thinking of exercising for a long long time, and that's all I did, think!! and with our food here, you know how it is! so, i have to start DOING the exercise part..my exercise machine is pratically collecting dusts! Happy weekend :D

Flower said...

Your progress is encouraging and I am very proud of you!! Sewing is so much apart of our memories and is comforting to do!! You do deserve a new machine!!
Yesterday I threw out a huge pile of memorabila from 1969! Many things I had not looked at since 1989!! Yeah!!

Anonymous said...

You've got me thinking about my list, too, Willow. Things I'd intended to do all summer and never did (like review my Rev study in preparation for part 3 of the series).

Bethany said...

Yeah for you!!! You're inspiring me now... I have so many sewing projects and my "studio" space (it's really not) is piled high. I'm going to get off this computer and clean up! And I do hope you like that book! I can't wait to hear what you think!! I ended up buying the cookbook you suggested too!~ thanks!

Knitting Linguist said...

That's a great list, and congratulations on making such a good start on it already. It always feels so good to get some of those "hang-around" projects done.

Mary said...

Willow,

I wish I could get some of the projects finished that I have started. I did finish my side garden and it is looking nice. I always have writing projects and work on them on a daily basis. It's the renovations that I want finished, but all things in their season. It's sure taking a long time to do all this.

You should be proud of your accomplishments. You've done a lot and I do hope the Professor decides to buy you a portable sewing machine.

Blessings,
Mary

Allie said...

Wow! That's inspiring! So much done!

Sara at Come Away With Me said...

Wow Linda, you really HAVE accomplished a lot! Congratulations! Doesn't it feel so good to get some projects like that completed?

I'll be thinking of you as school begins; living with a former teacher as I do, I remember how much the start of the fall semester can impact one's life.

You are an inspiration!

Bethany said...

I am making in a dent in my lists! I even brought my knitting to Caroline's hair appointment! I wanted to wish you a great first week of school!!! Let us know how it goes. Hope you're having a good weekend too :)

Sharon Lynne said...

Thank you for the visit...you mentioned Descanso gardens. Yes...I would love to go there...but its not the same place as the Arboretum.

You are quite the seamstress! My mother used to make all my clothes when I was young.

Jane said...

I have nominated you for an award please visit my blog to collect your award Jane x

Barbara said...

Amazing how we can get things done when we put our mind to it. At times I can spend more time thinking about doing something than actually doing it.