Sewing the seeds of love.

It's Wednesday night, and Wednesday nights are a blank canvas for me. Doug has band practice, which means I can do whatever it is that I want with my evening. Not that this is really any different from any other evening, but there's something very exhilarating about not having to be anywhere, not having to do anything, and not having to conform to a routine. Most Wednesdays I just end up staying later at work than I should, which means I don't get to enjoy the time that I have to myself as much as I would like, but even in these cases I still get a good hour and a half to myself at home. I can sit in the bed and eat popcorn and not get yelled at for eating popcorn in the bed. I can be in the kitchen without having to have sports radio blasting. I can sit on the couch and read my book and not have the TV on. I can do a yoga video. I can do chores. I can not do anything at all. It's such a nice night.

Tonight was one of those nights that I stayed too long at work. Didn't get home here until after 9:30, and am only now getting into the bed with my popcorn. The original intention was to read and eat my popcorn dinner while relaxing in the bed with Wyatt, my bed buddy, but my book still isn't dry (my water bottle spilled in my bag this morning all over my book and magazines), and I hate reading wet books, so I decided to blog. Here I am. Blogging. I love Wednesday nights.

So I actually have a few things to blog about; if you've noticed I haven't been blogging much lately. Not sure why, but maybe just lack of desire? I'm trying to get back into it. Tonight, let's explore the creation of the bibs. Remember the bibs? The craft project that caused me to sew my finger? Despite this minor medical setback, I really enjoyed making them, and really hope to get the sewing machine back out over the next couple of weekends so that I can being on the bibs I'll be making for my cousin's baby. And of course my quilt. I have big plans for me and the sewing machine, thanks to the success of the bibs.

I started to make these bibs in August, but bought the material back in June. I bought way too much material (why did I think that each bib would take one yard of material? What kind of baby were these bibs going to be for, an elephant baby?) so only used about half of it, and in total I made over 30 bibs. Chris and Chris didn't get them all; a couple were so small that they would probably best fit a kitten, and another two I kept for Wyatt. When he's bad I put the bib on him as punishment, and plus it's just funny to see Wyatt wearing stuff (if anyone has seen his chicken hat you'll agree). Anyway, I cut a pile of material for these bibs, and then had to go about sewing them all together.The cutting process took a couple of weeks and the sewing process took a few weeks, too. Then there was the sewing of the Velcro and hammering of the snaps... but how satisfying to have them done! And to have most of them looking pretty good, despite my many, many, many mistakes.

I was so glad to be able to create something that actually looked like it was supposed to look that I had to have everyone in the house model them. First, I put one on Doug.He was extremely happy to wear the bib... made him feel young again. I put one on, too, and even tried to demonstrate what it would look like on a real crying, drooling baby.Don't worry, though - no drool ever touched the bib. The cats, too, were in on the fun. Sasha liked to lay on the finished bibs, so we put one on her:Maybe we should have chosen a smaller one? It's more like a cape than a bib. We put a smaller one on Wyatt. This one might actually be one of the ones that is now his torture device.And then there's Meg. Miss Meggie. Beautiful Meg. No one sported the bib better than Meg.She's such a cool customer.

After making the bibs, I washed them and wrapped them up into a box to give to Chris, Chris, and baby girl chris. I haven't touched the sewing machine in about three weeks. I think I might be going through withdrawal. I miss it! Sewing was fun. Must get more material to make more bibs! Even if no one has any more babies, I might still make these things. I probably could sell them on Etsy, and wouldn't it be cool to know that babies everywhere were puking on my bibs?

Really, who do I think I am?

I've been trying, perhaps unconsciously but trying nonetheless, to become a little more domesticated ever since Doug and I got married. To know my home and my way around it and to be gentle, lady-like, and I guess a bit like a 1950s housewife. I have been trying to cook and bake and knit and sew and garden and clean and "make" our home. Some things have been more successful than others.

For example, I've been making progress on my baking. As I mentioned before, I baked Doug a peach pie and didn't cause a great smoke-out in the kitchen or set off the obnoxious fire alarm. I was pleased with myself, so I documented the momentous occasion: Ahh, the picture of domesticity. Me, my pie, and my teapot.

However, tonight I was not successful in my endeavors. I was trying to make more progress on my craft project. I had to change the bobbin on the sewing machine because it had no thread, and then I had to re-thread the machine. I've re-threaded lots of times before, but tonight I just couldn't get it. I kept reading and re-reading the directions... what wasn't I getting? Finally, after a half hour of frustration, I realized that I was not turning the wheel counterclockwise. This made all the difference. And so once my machine was threaded I set out to make three more of my particular project. I've made something like ten already, but are they getting any better? Not really. It's like I start at square one each time I press my foot on the power pedal. My sewing is zig-zaggy when it shouldn't be, I press the pedal too hard and make the needle go too fast and sew way beyond the edge of the material... this project is turning into a bit of a disaster, and to top it all off, tonight, just as I was rounding the last corner on the last one of my project I was making, I sewed my finger together. Yup! Needle went right through my index finger and blood immediately started to gush (though thankfully I yanked my finger away from the needle fast enough to protect the material from my blood). However, in the process of yanking I bent the sewing needle. So not only was my finger in intense, throbbing pain, but my needle was useless and I would have to change it (which I had never done before).

Luckily, it wasn't hard to change the needle, but still, give me a break. What more can go wrong with this project? I changed the needle, re-threaded the machine, and finished the last of my project for the night, but I am just really looking forward to when it's done. At times I am very enthusiastic about it. I think I'm doing a good job, and I dream of selling my goods on Etsy one day. But apparently not until I can sew in a straight line - and avoid my finger.