The Pursuit of Perfection

I am not a perfectionist. I am kind of bossy and controlling ... but I'm not a perfectionist. These dynamics are what make me so, um, fun to be around?

Today I did Pillow Project No. 2: Make new pillow cover to replace scratchy Ikea pillow cover for couch.

Not only did PPN2 have all-around trim, it had a zipper AND the fabric is reversible -- one side of it has a blue background and the flip (the correct side ... the fact that I can reverse it is just a happy accident) has a cream background.

This is a lot of scheming for my brain. I'm sure this is an easy project for many (most!) people, but for me, trying to figure out which part goes where, how to pin it, and what the engineering should be is nearly impossible. Then add in a machine that likes to jam when asked to do hard labor (like zippers, trim, and upholstery weight fabric), a sewer who is prone to needle breakage (*waves*) and, well, watch out because I'm an effing volcano ready to explode.

So when everything turned out exactly as planned, I knew it was too good to be true.

Thankfully, it was only the zipper I screwed up. It's inside out. A perfectionist would have ripped out the seams and flipped the zipper. I, so afraid to screw up all the goodness I had already accomplished, decided,  "What the shit, we'll get it off if we need to!" And proceeded on.

Because I'm not a perfectionist, but I'm impatient as hell.

Blue and white with yellow trim!

If the poodle likes it 20 seconds after flopping it on the couch, you know it's good stuff.

Enhance on trim!

Cream background side. I'm leaving the picture of the forest green, upside down zipper to your imagination!

Weekend Sewing Projects and a Bump Picture

Jeffrey and I decided to go out for a little Sunday morning bicycle ride through expensive neighborhoods today.  Their speed bumps were handily labeled for witty pregnancy photos.

Also this weekend I did a few sewing projects.

First I recovered the desk chair:

Then I made a pillow cover out of an Anthropologie dish towel and some extra fabric I had:

And finally this morning I got around to making a crib sheet for Ada's crib:

The crib sheet should have been the easiest project. 2 yards of 45" width fabric, two 23" pieces of 1/4" elastic, and then sew according to this tutorial I found. Had a little trouble with the tutorial instructions for the elastic and ended up have to rip out my end seams and start over with my own plan. My way was WAY easier. I can now churn out crib sheets like a spider monkey!

Grandpa Rinne's iPad Case

The iPad case for a true Husker fan! Hope he likes it! (Best iPad case so far, worst photography yet...)

It's Feexed, It's Feexed!

I haven't blogged in a while. And I'm sorry. If you want to read what has been going on lately, you may want to check out Jeffrey's Blog at Tucsonic Boom. He's had more time lately for blogging since his winter break from law school.

OK. So what have I been up to? Mostly going to work at the book publisher, working on freelance print design projects at home, and dreaming of excellent crafty projects.

So what is feexed? My sewing machine.

I bought it with one of my first newspaper job paychecks at the Wal-Mart in Elizabeth City. It was the only place to shop there practically. No Jo-Ann with it's huge Bernina display. Just Wal-Mart.

But that was back in 2002. It's been almost seven years and I just had it serviced for the first time it its life. Apparently you're supposed to do it every year. I did it when it finally started making a banging noise.

The bobbin winder broke about a week after I bought the machine. I had kind of jerry rigged it into place with some tape. And if I held my thumb just so, it would work.

It came back spotlessly clean, quiet as anything even when running at it's highest speed AND THE FUCKING BOBBIN WINDER WORKS!!! No more tape. No more thumb.

So now I can start working on all these projects I've been dreaming of for the last several months that it has been broken -- like a sick person unwilling to go to the doctor, I've been putting off having the machine fixed.

But Cathey's Sew and Vacuum got the job done. And now I'm thinking this weekend I'm going to spray paint its dust cover hot pink in celebration for the next seven years!

I've also added another blog for those of you interested in clothes, house stuff, and everything else cute.