Found Love Note

I found this note today left on a restaurant table before it was cleared. I am intrigued. Any ideas on what this is about?

"You look beautiful all the time, but more when your heart is blooming.... - Sorry for the chill."

Finishing the meme

Let's bring some closure to this, shall we? More random things about me.

6) I am totally with the environmental movement, but have trouble recycling, being green, not wasting stuff, not loving big cars.

7) I thought I hated cats until I got my cat, then, I realized I love cats more than dogs.

8) I can't remember the years I was married, or even the year I got married. I have completely blanked out all of it.

9) I once -- all in the same evening -- dropped acid, got stoned, drank, then fell into the arms of a pizza delivery man. This happened a while back, folks. Actually, around the same time as the West Block shagging incident.

10) Oh my goodness, I just realized that I've exceeded the 7-things limit here!!!

Tuesday

I apologize to those I freaked out/grossed out with yesterday's Meme posting. Yes, that particular Progressive Conservative had cooties, and I was damn lucky I escaped that desk experience unscathed. Although, I repeat, I was not boffing the actual Member. Maybe, the person who tagged me will think twice next time there is a Meme going around.

Today I thought I would just let you in on my blogging goals for the week:

1) finish the fucking Meme (6 and 7)
2) write profiles about the remaining ESIs (Conch Shell, Coyote, the Independent Observer and 4th Dwarf)
3) display more crafts
4) set some fitness goals (like Zoom)
5) there is no fifth thing.

2 More for 7-thing Meme

I am doing this meme thing GRADUALLY. Here are 2 more random, little known things about moi:

4) I "made love" on the desk of a Progressive Conservative Member of Parliament (not with the Member).
5) I got fired by the Member whose desk I fornicated on when my true politics were discovered.

fox

7 Things Meme (3 things for today)

Weeks ago, Urban Pedestrian tagged me for this 7 random things Meme. I will take a crack at this now. But, I'm only going to do three today, because I'm on a borrowed computer here.

1) My first boyfriend became a born-again Christian, and when he announced to me that he had "found Jesus", I dumped his ass.
2) I am afraid of bunnies, and some marsupials. Kangaroos are a terror. It's their back, springy legs, and the floppy ears. Fuck.
3) I lost a wedding ring (mine) in a toilet.

Halloween Angst

What to be for Halloween? I wandered into a sex store today to look for a Halloween costume, but they were too expensive. Here were some things I could have been:

1) Dr. Lay
2) Nurse Suck
3) A French Maid
4) A School Girl
5) Officer Spank

There were more, but I couldn't get beyond the pricetags.

Then, I went to the fabric store. There was some nice pink fabric. I thought I could go as a shrimp. Not sexy, I know, but ....

I'm at a loss here!! HELP!!!!

Panier

The quality of this photo is not great, but here is my latest piece of sewing. It was given as a birthday to a happy recipient who named it "panier". I am liking the tweed on silk combo.

One problem (or challenge, rather) is that I have no patience for FINISHING things properly. This little piece is thumbtacked roughly onto a small canvas. It looks like crap if you turn it around. One of my goals is to learn how to finish things cleanly. Again, this goes back to OWNING what is an unpleasant and tedious part of the process for me.

New tablecloth

Another new fabric acquisition is this tablecloth I bought for $4 at a garage sale. It is in perfect condition.
I don't know the vintage of the tablecloth, but it brings me back to the late 70s, early 80s. It's a 'happy housewife' cloth. A let's-make-the-house-cheery cloth. It evokes the days of the jellied salad, of valium, of martinis. The good old days.

Craft update

Here is something I did yesterday with some of the silk fabric found in the garbage and bits of tweed I got at the garage sale. It's mounted on a canvas.

Quick Aggie Update

My bike was stolen. It's my own fault. Anyway, without boring you with those details, the good news is, my downstairs Montreal neighbour had a garage sale today. She sold me 1) a $25 bike that works, and 2) gorgeous flannel material for a mu'umu'u.

Minutes for the ESI Emergency Meeting will be posted later. Limited battery power here....

Back to the Mu'umu'us for a moment

Coyote and I had some kind of bizarre psychic incident on Wednesday evening in which we were BOTH thinking about Mu'umu'us! What are the chances of that? I sketched a picture of a mu'umu'u in my notebook as a project I wanted to do immediately. I want to design and sew my own mu'umu'u in a bright flannel fabric. While drinking coffee with Coyote yesterday, we thought there might be some misconceptions about mu'umu'us, so we decided to come up with the beginnings of a Q & A. If we want to make billions, we need to be prepared to answer these questions. Please let us know if you have other questions.

What distinguishes a mu'umu'u from your basic flannel nightie? --The sleeves will be much floatier. The colours will be brighter. This is the piece of clothing you will want to slip into the moment you step into your home. This is not a garment you should sleep in, although you may want to.

Can I exercise in my mu'umu'u? ---You can walk around in it. Walking is exercise.

What do these things do for my butt? ---What butt? The beauty of this piece is that you don't even think about your butt. And if you are really obsessed with your own butt, get yourself a butt bra ($10 at Walmart, apparently).

Can I wear my mu'umu'u out of the house?-- Absolutely! This is a statement piece. And, a great conversation starter.

But, are they sexy? --Yes, they are. Mu'umu'us don't impede blood flow. This means you will be smarter. Smart is sexy.

Some Blog Housekeeping

I have added some new "favourites" to my bloglist, and have moved a few to a section called "Inactive Blogs I like". I like to think that all these folks are going through an intense incubation period. Let's talk about these people for a moment:
1) Bob. As you all know, I have had a massive crush on Bob. In fact, I would love to be part of his drunken dinner club crowd, but, alas, have never been invited. I hope Bob starts blogging again soon. I want to know how his renos are going.
2) Harmony. Harmony is busy, and I believe her. But, all the more reason to blog, I say. A space to reflect, no?
3) Mysterious East. They had a strong start. A powerhouse group blog, but they didn't seem to have the stamina that the ESI team has...Or, should I say that the ESI team HAD at one point.
4) Pandora. Pandora is also busy. And, she is so creative. I suspect her creativity is being directed elsewhere at the moment. I am hoping she will resurface.
5) The 5th Muse. I am hoping she will come back some day.

To my favourites, I have added the sassy Urban Pedestrian who has added lots of energy and wit to the blogsphere of late. I have also added Jo Stockton, who I just discovered is a QUILTER. I cannot even describe how much this delighted me. I know there are more to add, but this is all I could manage this evening.

"Owning" things

A good friend of mine helped me work through the writing hell situation of yesterday. She said, "Listen, Aggie. You need to own this part of the writing process, even though it's not as much fun as other parts of the process." She laughed at her use of the word "own" here -- because she's not a person who would normally say this kind of thing. I meditated on it, and I think she is dead on. So, today, I'm in the library owning the fucking thing. Unfortunately, there seems to be some kind of power outage here in the library, which may mean that I may have to own it elsewhere. So, a message to all of you struggling with writing, or any other crap you are going through: own it!

And, totally unrelated, (but probably related somehow in the grand scheme of things), here is a sweet image I witnessed today: a beautiful grey/silver cat sitting under a tree watching yellow leaves parachute down.

In Writing Hell

I am in the process of writing something - somewhat dull, but not totally - and am currently in writing hell. I have the outline. I know what I need to do to finish the stupid thing. I just need to do it. I have done everything to stimulate writing, including going here.
My existential crises, neuroticism, self doubts --- all of it is OUT in full bloom! I have promised myself that I will acquire a sewing machine if I can just get through this. Even that isn't helping matters.

Craft People are Nuts

Many craft people are absolutely fucking nuts. If they didn't have their crafts, they might be in institutions, which, I guess is where many craft people used to end up: in the basket weaving ward. I met an avid knitter yesterday, and realized that she was absolutely insane. She had about 6 knitting projects on the go. She had just spent $500 on Baby Alpaca yarn, which she insisted on sticking right in my face so that I could feel it. She couldn't stop talking about knitting. She started pulling out all of her knitting patterns to convince me to pick one. When I told her I was more interested in sewing at the moment, she led me to her $3000 Pfaff Sewing machine, which is currently collecting dust because of, well, all the knitting.
Some craft people go really really nuts and open up businesses to feed their particular crafty obsession. I met a woman like this who runs this spectacular button store. If you are looking for buttons, this is the place to go. She is nuts. A neighbourhood little girl came in when I was in the store to chat with the woman. After the kid left, the button lady said about the girl, 'I guess she is in love with me because I own a button store, and that must be pretty cool.' Yes, or maybe because you are nuts!

The Problem with Craft Magazines

I am a magazine consumer. Yesterday, I was pulled into Mags and Fags on Elgin Street, and immediately went to the craft magazine section. Now that I'm a craft blogger/person, I need to start reading this stuff. I was appalled at what I saw. Craft magazines are total shit -- unless perhaps I've missed one that is good. This is what I had to sort through:
1) the scrapbooking magazines. There are tons of these. I still don't understand what scrapbooking is, and why anyone would want to do it. Could someone please explain this to me.
2) the knitting magazines. Lovely, but, too hard. Winter would be over before you'd finish these things.
3) the quilting magazines. These were a HUGE disappointment to me! No, I don't want to quilt the American flag, thank you very much. And no, I don't want to quilt care bears, either.
Help! I'm looking for something fun, edgy, crafty with a bit of social commentary. Does such a craft magazine exist?

Yoga

I went to yoga today for the first time in about a year. I will not likely be able to move tomorrow. I bought a 5-class pass with the hope of getting back into it. I can't be bent over a sewing machine all the time. That is just not healthy.
What I enjoyed most about the class were the adjustments. I love adjustments! You know, when they come over and shove your hip in one direction and your shoulder in the other direction. Nice. I thanked my teacher (an adorable little poptart of a yogi) for every single one of his adjustments -- and there were a lot.
What I find amusing about yoga is the bizarre humour that is only funny to a few yoga freaks. At the beginning of the class, the teacher said something funny, and everyone laughed except me. The punchline was Vinyasa. I had forgotten what fucking Vinyasa was because I hadn't been to yoga for a while.
I followed up the yoga with a full Korean meal, and have had my head on my desk for most of the afternoon.

Angst

Some of my blogging friends have confessed that they are "having trouble with my shift into craft blogging." One friend even said to me just yesterday: "Bring the angst back. That's what we all love." I want to reassure you all that the angst is still here.
Here are some of the things causing me angst right now:

1) I don't have a sewing machine. I have been to stores, gone online, read consumer reports. Some say the Sears Kenmore (forget the number) is the best cheapest one you can get. Some say go to Walmart and pick up a Brothers for $100. Others say, whatever you do, go digital. Still other say, make sure it has a one-step button holer.

2) My travel plans for the winter are still fuzzy. I want to go somewhere warm, or at least warmer. Tickets need to be purchased.
Plans need to be made. I cannot seem to move ideas to reality at the moment.

3) Urban Pedestrian has asked me come up with 7 random things about myself, and it seems too hard to do. I am considering digging into my own archives and pulling them out there. That seems like a cop out, though.

4) I am jealous of so many other bloggers - especially CRAFT bloggers, people who can come up with a fun project from a set of burnt out lightbulbs. Or, ones who are just plain BRILLIANT. I am trying not to let my jealousy get the best of me. I'm working on this with the Buddhists.

5) There is no fifth thing at the moment.

Square

Here is a square I made using one of the silk pieces (I found in the garbage) as the ''cabin" in the centre. It is actually hanging the wrong way. Turn your head sideways to the right and it will be perfect.

Another use for binder clips: displaying finished quilt pieces.

A more traditional way of doing this would be to put darker fabrics on one side of the piece, to represent the shadier side of the house. I am currently experimenting with this.

Sewing machine update: the old one has been returned to the store, and I am ready to buy.

Score!

Ladies and gentlemen, I found this amazing thing in the garbage: fabric swatches, and enough fabric in three gorgeous colours to make a set of cushions. I looked at the label, and this stuff is 100% silk and from a very expensive fabric store in Westmount. The swatches are PERFECT for log cabin quilting. My plan now is to make a log cabin quilt using the swatches as the 'cabin'. I will show you an example of what this will look like in a future posting. Then, I will make a set of cushions to go with the log cabin quilt from the larger pieces of fabric. And, as if this find weren't enough, they are all neatly on a hanger for easy storage! Score!!

Craft mentors

I decided if I am going to make this transition into craft world, I need a guide. So far, I have a superb craft mentor named Serah Marie, a talented and energetic young woman, who is both textile artist and editor of Worn. She is a brilliant and inspirational teacher. She is good at teaching the technical aspects of sewing. But, like every good art teacher, she has her eye on the higher vision of artistic expression. During my log cabin quilting course, she described - with tears in her eyes - her own journey into textile art which began after a visit to the Whitney Museum in New York where she saw the Gees Bend Quilters. Serah Marie is a true artist. She does not believe in measuring - or only where it matters. That works well for me. She also encourages her students to be instinctive when grabbing fabrics for a quilt. ''Don't worry about matching", she says. "Sometimes surprising and interesting things come out of putting together things that don't look like they match.''

I hate my sewing machine

If I am going to be a legitimate crafty person, I need to have the right equipment. My $50 Salvation Army sewing maching is not cutting it. The machine is eating my fabric, and the thread tension dial is all fucked up. My new seam ripper, however, has been fabulous. My project? Reversible placemates with trim. Photos may appear later.

Finished Bag

This is how the finished bag looks, full of books and other stuff. This weekend, check in here for log cabin quilting and possibly embroidery.

being crafty

Now that this is a CRAFT blog, I will have to start linking to craft sites and taking stunning photographing of my projects at all stages. I am currently exploring other craft blogs out there which I will be linking to soon.
What I love about craft people are that they are so darn clever. If they appear a bit smug, they deserve to be! They can make a table runner out of a pair of dollar store sports socks. This is the kind of shit I want to do here, people! I want to be thrifty, clever, innovative, organized-- everything you have ever dreamed of in a craftsperson.

Occupational Therapy

Occupational Therapy refers to the use of meaningful occupation to assist people who have difficulty in achieving healthy and balanced lives; and to enable an inclusive society so that all people can participate to their potential in daily occupations of life. (Thank you, Wikipedia!)

I made a tote bag! This is the tote bag in progress. This is now officially a CRAFT BLOG, people. That's right. I am a craft person now.

Recovery Plan

If I were a more open and courageous blogger, I would disclose why I need a recovery plan, my past recovery plans, my history of needing recovery plans, etc. I prefer to let my readers speculate. So, go ahead and speculate.

While you are speculating, here is my recovery plan:
1) minimize alcohol consumption for a couple of weeks.
2) bike up hills daily.
3) sit in the sun as much as possible.
4) drink a lot of water.
5) take a short nap every day.
6) take iron.
7) work in 30-minute chunks, then take breaks.
8) use the sewing machine, but don't expect to be Mintyfresh in one day.
9) make bed.
10) lie in it.

Re-reading this posting made me want quit blogging, or to write a different kind of blog entirely: a political commentary blog, a mommy blog for cat mommies, a blog for nutcases.