Taking a “me day”

I got to the point where I wanted to be today (and needed to be on some levels), and with tomorrow being President’s Day and thus no classes to teach, I decided to take the day for myself.

It’s been a good day reconnecting with myself. I went grocery shopping and started working on listening to myself again. In the attempt to create good habits for myself, I kinda fall into patterns because “they’re good for me.” Like I usually have the same thing to drink every day in a certain order, with my one can of Pepsi waiting for dinner. I started thinking about having it tonight and went with water instead because that’s what sounds better. Just because I usually have Pepsi with dinner doesn’t mean I have to have Pepsi with dinner.

It was like that grocery shopping. This week I started to feel like I need at least a break from the smørrebrød. I also realized that I haven’t been eating as much fruit and veg as I really should be. While the smørrebrød is not bad for me, it wasn’t as enjoyable as it’s been. So it’s clearly time for a break.

Yesterday when we went grocery shopping, I was thinking about what to get for myself today. I realized picking up a rotisserie chicken would be the best way to go for protein this week. I love Meijer’s rotisserie chicken when it’s cold, so I can just grab what I need for that day. I also picked up a chunk of feta for Wednesday and Friday this week, since Ash Wednesday is this week. Once I got the protein figured out, I let myself indulge in fruit. I picked up a pound of blueberries, a bunch of blood oranges, and green grapes because they were all on sale, and I also got a thing of mango because I wanted to indulge a bit. This way I have protein and can grab some combination of fruit every day to go with it. I’m really looking forward to it.

When I got home, I put on something I’ve been meaning to watch and had my Sunday salad. The rest of my day has been working on more masks for myself. At one point my hubby was going out in public more than I was, so he’s got more masks that I do. Now I’m the one going out more, and I need more masks. It’s been so nice to have the repetitive, almost meditative actions of pinning things together and then sewing them, while letting Sort Of play in the background. Also, I’m really doing something for myself. I’ve been so busy working on getting classes prepped and grading and dissertation and other writing that my “me” time has just been vegging out with TV and digital games. I needed something with less screen involvement.

Tomorrow I’m throwing myself back into class prep. I’m not even a week ahead anymore. Hopefully I can get back to being a few weeks ahead. Now that I’m past the worst topic of the semester (Manifest Destiny brings up all sorts of guilt), I should be able to get ahead again. But I am so glad I took this day for myself. Now, back to masks!

Crafty shutterbug

Recently I’ve been indulging my inner shutterbug. Now I just have to go out and use what I’ve indulged in.

One indulgence was a camera bag. I have an awesome bag that DeviantArt had put on clearance, but it is:
A) obviously a camera bag
B) awkward
C) big
It’s great for storing everything in and transporting everything. But I rarely want or need to do the latter. So I started to look at smaller camera bags that didn’t scream “I am a camera bag!!!” Then I stumbled across an idea during my internet search. Why not convert an existing bag instead?

I started to look for ideas on how to do that instead. Eventually I found Make It & Love It. I loved the idea of making an insert. It would give me complete control over the bag. It could be a camera bag when I need it, and a messenger bag when I don’t. It also gives me control over how the insert looks.

I grabbed my Intellectual Freedom Fighter messenger bag and checked to see if the camera would fit in it. It fits perfectly. There is still enough space for the padding of the insert without being too snug. Then the more I thought about it, the more I realized how perfect that bag would be for this. It’s got pockets galore, inside and out. That gives me space for all the little things while leaving plenty of space for my camera and lens and light and whatever else.

I bought some really cute flannel, batting, and Velcro from work, aka Jo-Ann’s. The pattern calls for foam, but I figured if I use some craft foam under the batting, it will help it stand up better. Also buying batting and using foam I already have is much cheaper. Now I just have to unearth my sewing table again so I can get it made!

I think I’ve gone on long enough. I’ll go into my other indulgence later.

I need more time!

I feel like that’s been my motto lately. There just doesn’t seem to be enough time in the day to get anything done. Yesterday I got home from work, grabbed the hubby, and went grocery shopping. After dinner I had a little time to get some research done for a class project. But there’s still the mound of laundry that needs to get finished up. Not to mention all the costume work I have piling up. I’m on Spring Break this week, but my extra time’s getting eating up by responsibilities instead of fun. Blah. Tonight I have to go get an oil change and new brakes. I’m really hoping I’m figuring it’ll take more time that it actually will.

Being responsible sucks. 😛

What a weekend

I was planning to get working on Harry this weekend, but I realized I didn’t have the space to get the fabric laid out. So I worked on the haori instead. It took so long to get the lining attached, and I didn’t even finish that. It doesn’t help that I’m trying to line brocade. Two slippery fabrics do not work well together. I think if I ever do something like that again, I’m going to get a lightweight sew-in interfacing just to provide some friction.

Anyway, I think I’ve figured out how to attach the sleeves but still be able to use french seams to encase all the edges. Also it seems the sleeves are going to be lined in a bit of a patchwork way. I don’t have enough lining leftover to line the sleeves. But I have enough fabric between the extra brocade and lining that I think I’ll be able to come up with a pretty lining.

Speaking of lining, I’m not going to make the removable flannel lining. I’ve got some fabric that was originally going to be used with the flannel. I’m liking the idea of making another haori using those fabrics. I may even make one up for someone else who was supposed to get what I was originally planning to make. I think they’d like having a haori, even if it’s just for keeping warm around the house. But there’s a chance they’ll read this, so I have to be really vague. Don’t want to ruin the surprise!

Progress!

I have made some serious progress on the kimono-to-haori project. I even took pictures. But they’re still sitting on my camera at home. I’m going to try to remember to get them up tonight. I’m hoping to work on a coat for a costume this weekend, but if I have time, I’m going to work on the haori more. This is so much fun!

Seam ripping is so tedious!

But sometimes it’s necessary.

On Sunday, after we got home from my in-law’s, I hunkered down in my workroom with some old kimono and a seam ripper. Years ago I made my first kimonos for a “Gods and Goddesses” party a friend was throwing. I saw it as the perfect excuse for me to finally make a kimono. It didn’t turn out too bad at the time. At least in my opinion. But I just didn’t like how it looked on me and haven’t worn it since. I had a picture of me in the entire outfit somewhere. If I find it, I’ll post it.

Since then I’ve learned a lot more about kimono and sewing. I thought I could take the two I made from broadcloth (:facepalm:) and resew the seams so the raw edges would be enclosed and use them as juban. I got the collar removed from one before deciding to move on to working on getting the one I made from brocade to the point I can make it into at least one haori, hopefully two. I spent at least four hours seam ripping that one kimono. I had to remove the okumi (front panel) from both sides and detach the collar from it. There was also the lining.

OMG that lining was attached in the worst way ever! I ‘hemmed’ the edges of the brocade, then I simply folded in the edges of the lining and sewed the two together. It was horrible! So much unnecessary sewing. Then I attached it to the rest of the kimono by simply sewing along the seams. I don’t know how I thought it was a good idea. Thankfully it didn’t harm either fabric too much and I’ll be able to use the lining fabric in the haori. But this time it’ll be sewn on properly.

Hopefully I can get two haori out of this. If not, what’s leftover will make a nice vest. If I can only make the one, I may try to figure out how to make a removable flannel lining for it. I’d like to be able to wear it in a variety of temperatures and the flannel or lack thereof would limit when I could wear it. Thankfully I’ve gotten better at sewing, so I’ll probably be able to figure something out that will still look good.

Now to figure out what I want the himo to look like.

Darn it, Shigure!

Lately my motivation to work on Shigure has been increasing. Today I was looking at screenshots of him and noticed he wears a haori from time to time. Now I’m trying to mentally figure out if that old kimono has enough fabric to make a frock coat and a haori from it. I have to admit, I’m thinking the haori’s going to get priority. I’ve got some flannel that would go well with it to line it and make it a nice comfy winter jacket.

What a Weekend!

Well, that didn’t go as planned. But it was great!

Friday wasn’t bad. The first panel was “Unpopular Anime”. I thought this would be a good way to find some gems hidden in the sea of anime. Nope. It consisted of the panelist standing at the podium reading descriptions of anime that enough people hadn’t heard of. About halfway through a con staffer came in and it turns out that her laptop wasn’t working with the projector. I decided to leave at that point because I couldn’t see how a slide show would help that panel.

I ended up having a panel cancelled on me because the panelists never showed up. There was quite a line too. It would have been quite the panel, if they had showed up. I was disappointed that someone would commit to doing a panel and then not show up. And it wasn’t a case of something came up and they cancelled the panel ahead of time. Nope. We were in line until around 10 minutes after it was supposed to start when they cancelled it.

Anyway. At least “Kimono 101 + 102” was great. I was also really glad I didn’t wear my yukata. Turns out I should have sewn at least half of the sleeve opening on the outer edge. It’s fixed now. And with the knowledge I gained from the panel, I’m going to be more confident wearing it. Also, this will give me time to wash it before wearing it, which should relax the fabric and it will sit better.

And here I wasn’t going to go into panel detail until later. Oh well. I guess I’ll continue tomorrow then.

Oh, and I’ve made more progress on the scarf!

I’m getting there. Slow and steady gives me a good scarf.

Weekend progress

So, I mentioned on Friday I was hoping to be here today:

Yeah, I’m closer to here:

But that’s because on Saturday I finished up the yukata! After a lot of sewing and seam ripping and sewing some more, it’s finished. I’m hoping to get a couple of pics of me in it this week before the convention this weekend.

Now I can focus on studying and getting the scarf finished for the weekend. As long as I have some time to just sit and knit I know I’ll be able to put a decent dent in the scarf. Hopefully that’ll be tonight. I was going to go to the gym after work, but the gym is at school. And school is closed today for the holiday. I guess my first time to the gym’ll be on Wednesday after I meet with a teacher. Not exactly how I was planning for this to go.

But the point of all of that is that I’ll have time to knit tonight that I wasn’t going to have before. Yeah, when I get home I’m going to sit down and start knitting. Maybe I can get half of what’s left finished. Then if I can keep working on it after class Tuesday and after the gym Wednesday, I might have it done in time. If I’m close, I may take it with me to work on while in line Thursday night. But I’d have to be a couple of stripes away from being done. I don’t want to have to have more than two colors with me.

I am really looking forward to this weekend! Now if they would just get the schedule up. ::scurries off to check::

It begins

Last night I finally got things organized enough to start the yukata. I am so excited! I’ve decided to use french seams for it since it’s unlined. This way all the raw edges will be tucked away in the seams and I won’t have to worry about shedding all over the place. I’ve got the main panels, sleeves, and overlaps all done. I’m hoping to get some work done on it tonight. I might actually have this done by the weekend. I got the obi whipped up last night. It turned out quite well. It would be nice to get it completely done this week.

Once that’s done, I’m going to get working on the frock coats. I’ve got my old Harry Dresden duster that is way too big and is made of the wrong kind of canvas. But I think it would make a nice, light frock coat. Of course, that’s after I do my brocade frock coat.

After all of that, I’ll probably actually get working on the costumes that are patiently waiting for me. I’ve been putting them off long enough. I had planned to work on them over winter break. But considering I just made it so I can use the sewing machine Tuesday, and classes start again on Monday, I don’t think that’s going to happen.

But soon after those are ready to go, I think I’m going to make a few vests to go with my frock coats. What can I say? I’m getting a bit inspired to make some awesome clothes.