Life is Simple T-shirt

Well… back in November I designed a new t-shirt.  I started with the idea that I wanted color and I wanted a shirt that both men and women could wear.  Also, I love the name of our blog and wanted to work it into the design idea… Wala!  The Life is Simple t-shirt design was born! It even has a Quilty Pleasures top 10 list on the back.  (Go to www.mikidiane.com/catalog.html to view and purchase the shirt.)

Shirt front:

Shirt Back:

Every Quilty Pleasure listed on the t-shirt has a story. I’ll share the one about Life’s Quilty Pleasure #3 - Getting “permission” from a friend to abandon a UFO.

Well, I won’t name names, but the person who inspired this is my business partner (and fellow designer).  We will just call her “D” for short…  “D” was working on a project and kept saying that it wasn’t fun and she couldn’t wait to get finished with it so she could work on something else.  After hearing her say this three or four times, I asked “D” if she liked the project?  Did she think it was something she would love when she finished it.  Guess what.  Her answer was NO!  I said, “Good grief woman, then get rid of it and don’t worry about finishing it!”  The look she gave me was priceless.  It was like she had a light bulb moment.  She never thought abandoning the UFO was an option.

Needless to say, she ”gifted” her project to a beginning quilter who was thrilled to have a project to work on and I think “D” even gave her a little lesson to get her going.  Talk about a win-win situation!

I’m sharing this story because I think we forget that our sewing time is precious and must not be wasted on a project that we really dislike.  I’m not talking about a difficult project that requires you to struggle through a tough part, I’m talking about the one that fills us with dread each time we take it out. 

So… get rid of the UFO you don’t want to finish.  It’s OK.  I give you permission.  Oh, yea - go ahead and post a comment and tell us about your UFOs.  We can’t wait to hear about what you are working on. 

Update on Sunday Activities

Yes, I managed to make some big progress on the Dorothy dress yesterday.  It really was fun to work on a wearable for the first time in awhile.  I still need to sew the zipper in with the machine, add the buttons, and add a couple of hooks at the neckline in the back.  I altered the pattern for the hem treatment and used a bit of eyelet lace to look like a slip under her dress.  The pattern is Simplicity 4139.  Alexandra thinks I’m magic because I was able to make the fabric look like the “real Dorothy” dress!  I know from my older two children that I should enjoy this short time when Alex thinks I can do “magic”. LOL

 

She received her first (preschool) bible at church and proudly stood in front of the congregation at church.  She can be shy sometimes, so I wasn’t sure how she would handle looking out at the crowd.  Alexandra was excited to see her name in “print” in the bulletin and inside the bookcover.  She carried it around all afternoon and we had to read the story of The Good Samaritan at bedtime. 

Today I need to get some business done on the computer and figure out which quilt to load next.  The Iowa City Quilt Guild meeting is tonight, so I’m also going to try and finish my jacket from the Jill Abeloe-Mead workshop.  I’ll post a picture when it is finished.

A Busy Sunday

Alexandra will receive her first bible during the church service today.  They are giving them to all the children who are starting Sunday School for the first time.  She has really been enjoying Sunday School and gave us an interesting version of the story of The Good Samaratan a couple of weeks ago.  The details may not have all been right, but at least we know she has been listening.

After we get home, I want to work on her Dorothy dress for Halloween and see if I can’t get it nearly completed.  I forgot how easy garment sewing was and have really enjoyed making her dress.  The seam allowances seem HUGE, though.

I aso need Craig to check a few of my measurements so I can release the hold on my Unique Patterns order.  This is a place that drafts patterns exactly to your measurements so I won’t have as many fitting issues when I make my garments.  My goal is to do a storyboard for fall and winter clothes and use the SWAP technique to start building a wardrobe that fits and makes sense and get rid of all the clothes that I hate, but wear anyway.  Here is an example of a SWAP wardrobe plan.

Have a great Sunday and enjoy whatever is keeping you busy today.

Pumped some $ into the Grinnell economy…

Well, Diane and I had a great road trip yesterday.  If you have never been to Grinnell FiberWorks, I highly recommend it as a destination shop!  There are so many inspiring fabrics, tools, beads, shiny things, etc. that it takes me about 20 minutes just to get over the initial sensory overload.  Betsy Shannon (one of the shop owners) took this picture of us so I could post it on the blog.  I told Diane that I never think of myself as short until I see myself in a picture with anyone other than a kid.  She informed me that she wasn’t that tall either… so I gather that means I’m really a runt!

Diane and I left a little ($) love behind and brought home some beautiful fabric.  I had to have some Aubergine silk, Olive Green Batik Rayon, and some other goodies for some clothing sewing I’m going to be doing this fall and winter because I’m sick of clothes not fitting my (short) curvy figure.

Currently on display in the shop’s classroom/meeting space/gallery there is a display of Art Bras that are part of a fundraiser/challenge they are holding at the shop.  The funds will be donated for breast cancer research.  You can read more about the challenge on their website.  I asked permission and took some pictures of all the great bras.  I didn’t get all the information written down about the Artists, so if you have questions about any of these creative works, please give the gals in Grinnell a call.