Cheap vs. Thrifty: Cleaning Services

Being sick in bed gives you a new perspective on dust.  I spent Wednesday either in bed or on the couch and I saw different surfaces I don’t usually see during the day.  Sunlight has an amazing way of highlighting dust – and cat hair.  So while I was lying there observing the dust that sparkled in the sunlight, I contemplated once again about my motives for not having a cleaning service. 

The main reason I give my husband is that I don’t like to manage the cleaner(s).  It was a consistent pattern to have them start off like gangbusters and do a really great job.  Then each week they stayed a few minutes less and did a little less until they were cleaning my house in an hour and a half (and charging me for 4) and I really couldn’t tell the house was cleaner.  Finally I would get frustrated and let them go because I could do what they were doing for free so why pay for it? 

Managing other people requires confrontation when the job they do starts going south and I am  just not good at it.  I become friends with them and chat while we work.  Yes, I said we because another problem I have is sitting around while someone else is working.  I tried reading magazines once while they worked but that felt terribly wrong.  There have been two people that always did a wonderful job but they quit to go to college or change careers. (I know what you are thinking, but we were friends and they really did go to college and did change careers.)

So, another option is that I am cheap vs. being thrifty.  I have been accused of this before so this is not a new revelation but one I need to look at a little closer.  A friend of mine from Brazil once told me that even cleaning people in Brazil have other people clean their houses.  She said that it is impossible to clean your own house efficiently because there are too many distractions and being a tad ADD I can appreciate the distraction part.  FLYLADY is a cleaning program designed for perfectionists and easily distracted adults.    But like any self-help program we slowly think we can handle it on our own or get busy with an all-consuming project like costuming a show and Flylady goes right out the window.

Once my house was the cleanest it has ever been and it was totally free!  A good friend moved across town so we decided that we would get together every Tuesday and visit while we cleaned together.  We had only one rule and that was that we never cleaned each other’s bathrooms.  I was doing Flylady at the time and my house was getting better every week.   My husband was in heaven!  But it started to get harder and harder for both of us to schedule the trips across town.  Sick children, school commitments, her part time job, it just fell apart.  We are still very good friends, we just get together for a glass of wine instead of Windex and paper towels!

I still do not have an answer to my dilemma.  Should I hire a cleaning service or light a new fire under myself with Flylady and renew my resolve to keep up with the house?  I don’t have an answer today but I do know that since I am feeling better, I am tackling a few dust bunnies while I ponder this some more.

Bargain or No Bargain?

When you need a Gryffindor Harry Potter tie the day of the party, where do you go?  Goodwill?  Well think again.  The day before Halloween was a madhouse.  Our Goodwill had the emptiest racks I have ever seen!  There were only 6 ties left in the store and none of them were an option.  My daughter and I decided to look for anything we could make into a tie and I came across a bag of “yarn” at Goodwill. 

The yarn looks more like ribbon than yarn and it is made of polyamide and acrylic.  I have to admit I had to Google polyamide and discovered that it is another name for nylon.  There are 6 skeins with 75 yards per skein.  (There were also 2 small skeins of a sparkly silver yarn that will not be included in the Bargain or No Bargain debate and are free to anyone who might like sparkles or has a special someone who does.)

 One of the most important characteristics of this knitting material is that it was made in France.  Just look at the label – Lainiere de Roubaix.  I love just about anything from France!  I bought it solely because the label was in French even though I did not know if I could ever use it.  (I am a beginning knitter but thought it might also be used for ribbon embroidery.)

$5 for six 75 yard skeins of variegated 88% nylon/12% acrylic (acrylique in French) yarn-type thread – what do you think? 

Bargain or No Bargain?

Repurposed Plate Rack

A $5 black iron plate rack from a local charity flea market makes a perfect display piece for patterns.  McCall’s and Butterick patterns are just the right size, but Simplicity patterns are almost too tall.  I think this will be a fun find!

Sewing Buddy Inspired Sewing Basket

Whipstitch sewing blog began organizing The Sewing Buddy Project in the summer of 2010.  I just happened upon it and entered in the last hour of the last day!  Buddies were assigned using their favorite number and color.  I was extremely lucky and was matched with a talented quilter, knitter and hand embroiderer from Germany.  Being a translator, her English is very good and we are able to communicate well.  She is a lovely person and answered many tedious questions as I started my nephew’s (and first ever!) quilt.  She helped me with the design and I used one of her quilts as an inspiration.

I always enjoy the emails from my sewing buddy, especially the ones that detail traditions specific to her region of Germany.  So when I saw this German sewing basket (according to the tag) I had to snatch it up!  I immediately sent a picture to my buddy and we renewed our correspondence which had slacked off.  As we are busy mothers, we are both bad about letting our blogs and other communication languish.  Strangely enough, from across the globe, we have both started our blogs again!

If you have an opportunity to participate in the Whipstitch Sewing Buddy Project, I highly recommend it.  You never know where your sewing buddy might be from – around the world or around the corner!

First you Crawl…

My goal was to take several classes at the recent Quilt Show because I have a very important quilt I would like to finish and I need some quilting confidence.  Unfortunately I missed the online deadline for the show and the preregistration discounts.  I decided to take just one class and chose one which would help me get another step closer to finishing my first quilt. (It was supposed to be a Christmas present for my nephew - last Christmas.) 

The name of the class was Walk Before You Run:  Walking Foot Machine Quilting.  Well, I must have been crawling at first because all I heard was that I needed to speed it up!  The teacher could not have been any nicer or more patient with me.  She was especially patient with those who came without a walking foot!  Imagine taking a class and not knowing how to put on the foot you are going to be using or not having one at all.  We had the same problem when it came to the free motion quilting segment - no darning feet and feed dogs that they didn’t know how to put down.  And these classes are not cheap even with the early registration discounts!  The thrifty part of me was appalled.  Paying so much for a class and not making the most of your time - and I have to admit wasting my time - made me a little nuts.  I hope I hid it well.

Below are my practice squares.  The teacher advised me to practice more before I start on my real quilt.  I have speed issues that need to be addressed.  Next time you look at a machine quilted project, remember that hours of practice went into making those machine stitches uniform.  Free motion quilting is a skill and is very different from your regular machine stitching.  I know revere and respect machine quilting and see it in a whole new light. If you have beautiful even stitches when you machine quilt, I admire your skill and your ability to run!

Kelly Rae Roberts’ Artwork – Not so Thrifty (For Me)!

Before I restarted my blog, I was reading and journaling with Kelly Rae Roberts’ (KRR) wonderful book, Taking Flight.  It is a fascinating journey of creative self-discovery.  Her questions encouraged me to look closely at many of my unfinished projects – including my then defunct blog.  Needless to say, I found her book inspiring!

Spending so much time with KRR’s book created a connection to her paintings and the stories behind them.  On vacation this summer I was thrilled to find her artwork at a local boutique.  When I returned to the same city later this fall I was determined to buy at least one piece.  I painstakingly narrowed it down to 3 choices, but knew I could not fit the largest and my favorite in my carry-on bag.  The clerk mentioned that all KRR’s work was available from the boutique’s website (with free shipping!)

When I got online to purchase the piece when I got home, KRR’s collection was not on the shop’s website.  Through KRR’s blog I found her online shop.  I was pleasantly surprised when the small canvas piece I purchased was $1 less at the boutique.  I was horrified to see that I overpaid $16 for the other piece!  And if I had purchased the third piece, I would have more than doubled KRR’s price!! 

With today’s technology and the fact that I had been planning to buy the artwork for several months, not knowing the online price was ridiculous.  I only overpaid a total of $15 (approx. 25%), but I learned some important lessons:

**If you know you want to purchase an item on vacation, check it out online before you leave. (Not only because of price, but because you also have to haul it home.)

**Visit the artist’s blog anytime you are interested in their work.  You will feel even more connected to the artwork and you will find further inspiration. 

**And most importantly, when purchasing artwork, try to buy directly from the artist first!  Even if it costs more (I know you can’t believe I am saying that!) supporting artists just feels right.

That Dreaded Bias Tape – Conquered!

Honestly, the bias tape was no big deal.  I don’t know why I work so hard to avoid it. My daughter sewed everything but the bias tape.  We ended up having to take the neck in at the front and the back.  Unfortunately, I had already sewn on the bias tape before we realized we needed to make it smaller.  To do this, we made inverted pleats.  Next time we make the pattern (Simplicity 2593 by Cynthia Rowley) we will either gather the fabric more or gather and pleat it before the bias tape goes on.

My daughter and I decided to add the lace at the bottom.*  It adds just the right touch.  I bought the lace at Fabric World for only $5 for an entire bolt.  I officially got my $5 worth.  Using it again will just be gravy!  

 

*While taking these pictures I realized that the lace shrunk after several washes. It still looks nice as it gives a little shape to the shirt, kind of like a band at the bottom, but ideally I should have preshrunk the trim.

Creativity Camp for Adults Only!

(Sorry to take such a long break. I will pick up where I left off.)

Two weeks of peace and quiet…  No way!  My husband and son were planning a wonderful trip out west with the Boy Scouts while I was busy making plans of my own.  I have always wanted to attend summer camp for adults with opportunities to socialize and be creative both day and night.  It took a while to figure out the details, but I finally came up with a workable plan – please see below.  (Special thanks to my daughter who was a huge help and so tolerant of all the women in the house.  Between the cupcake demo and the s’mores, she was pretty happy to help!)

The highlight of camp was really all the time we spent visiting while we worked on our projects. We made new friends and got a lot accomplished.  The Goodwill Challenge in my last blog post was skipped when we realized no one needed another project to add to their already lengthy list of goals for camp!  One person not only slipcovered a chair but also made a duvet cover and shams. 

Dinners had the highest attendance.  The cupcake demo was the biggest draw.  (We were too full the first night to eat s’mores so we fixed them for dessert the last day.)  Everyone made it day camp, so I only fixed lunch and dinner.  If I get the opportunity to do this again, I think I will probably have some takers on sleeping over.  A full day of food and fun topped off by theme based drinks made staying over pretty tempting.

If you are thinking about hosting  a creativity camp of your own – plan ahead!  I sent out my invite emails only about 2 -3 weeks in advance.  So many people responded that if they didn’t already have summer plans they would have loved to have come.  Many encouraged me to do this again next year and they would plan their summer around it.  I think it would also make a great church retreat – minus the alcohol!

Creativity Camp 2011

June 27 - 29

Thanks to those of you who blindly committed to coming to camp! To those of you who are still on the fence, I hope the following details will give you a better idea of what to expect. Dinners are open to all. Please join us even if you can't make it to camp during the day.

Please see appointment times/reservation info below for massages ($75), Intro to the Enneagram ($10), and Individual Enneagram Counseling ($10).
Simply email me to sign up for camp, dinners, enneagram activities and the cupcake demo. Fees are in () for all events and activities.

Camp Schedule

(Camp Time! is free time to explore your projects and ideas.)

Monday

10:00 am Camp Check In - Unload your supplies, meet other campers and settle into your room/space. This is check in time for Day Campers and Overnight Campers.
11:00 am Camp Opening Activity followed by Camp Time!
12:30 pm Lunch - A collection of cold salads, breads and summer drinks (Just make a donation)
1:00 - 5:00 Camp Time! Work on the projects you brought or visit the Inspiration Table and try something new!
Special Attraction - Joan will be on hand to help with embroidery projects. Beginners and experienced stitchers alike can bring an item to decorate or use scrap fabric that will be provided.

3:00, 3:30, 4:00 and 4:30 - Individual Enneagram Counseling with Tavye ($10) - a 30 minute one on one session with Tavye. Sign up with Laura.
5:00 Special Event - The Enneagram with Tavye ($10) Do you feel like some of those around you are talking in code? She's such a 3! My husband is a

classic 5... What's your number? Tavye will lead an introduction/review of the enneagram. Sign up with Laura or Tavye.
5:00 - 6:30 Free Time/Clean up Time/Cocktail Hour
6:30 - Dinner Mexican Night (Donation) - Enchiladas, Guacamole, Corn and Black Bean Salad, Rice, Sangria, and Mexican Beer

Special Event - S'Mores and Magazines After dinner instead of sitting around the campfire we will gather around a HUGE pile of magazines and look for inspiration or purely for entertainment. (Please bring a favorite magazine to add to the pile!)

Campers are always welcome to keep working on their projects. Attractions and events are optional.

One hour massages ($75) available Monday night - 6:00, 7:30 and 9:00. Kim lives just down the street and is a certified massage therapist. She truly feels called to this work and it shows. Her massages are divine. To book a massage with Kim, please call her at …

Individual Enneagram Counseling with Tavye ($10) - 30 minute one on one sessions with Tavye are available Wednesday mornng as well.

Tuesday
8:00 am Walk with Lisa - As many of you know, Lisa will be busy walking the length of New York City for a month this summer. She will be missed at camp, so in her honor we are going to walk with her in spirit! We will send her a picture so don't sleep in.
9:00 am Coffee, breakfast, social time
10:00 Camp Time!
Special Attraction - Maxine will lead beginners through the first steps of knitting as well as assist those who would like guidance with their current knitting projects.
12:30 Lunch - Corn Dogs, Fish Sticks and sweet potato fries in addition to cold salads, etc. (Donation)
1:00 Camp Time! Keep working on those projects and new ideas.
Special Event Goodwill Repurposing Challenge Those who are up for a challenge will head to Goodwill and look for a diamond in the rough! (Repurposing is the hot new term for taking someone else's trash and turning it into a treasure. I will post on my blog a picture of a skirt I made from a Goodwill purchase to give you an idea. Although, the purpose of the item actually stayed the same. You might want to Google repurposed thrift store finds for examples.) We can stop at Ace for anyone who needs spray paint or other supplies. Please pack a few basics like elastic, a variety of threads, paints, etc. if you are going to participate in this event.
5:00 Free Time/Clean up/Cocktail Hour
6:30 Dinner Asian Night (Donation) - Asian Slaw with mix-ins, spring rolls, orange slices and fortune cookies

Special Event - Susan's Cupcake Secrets!! We will bake and decorate dozens of cupcakes while learning Susan’s secrets for decorating and flavoring custom cupcakes.

One hour massages ($75) available Tuesday night - 6:30, 8:00 and 9:30. See note above.

Wednesday
8:00 Coffee/Breakfast Bar
10:00 Camp Time!

Individual Enneagram Counseling with Tavye  ($10) - a 30 minute one on one session with Tavye. Appointments available throughout the morning.
12:30 Lunch - Leftovers - A true last day of camp tradition!
1:00 Closing Activity
2:00 - 5:00 Finish Up/Clean Up/Pack Up

Camp Notes

Packing List: Supplies you would like to have on hand, sewing machine if you are sewing (I have an extra but it is very basic.), clothes that can get messy, supplies you would like to share, anything that inspires you, and any snacks or drinks that make you happy.

Space Planning: To give everyone a place to create, the house will be divided as follows:

2nd floor - Quiet Zone - for writing, napping, and any activity that requires quiet.

1st floor and porch - Food and Social Zone - Meals, snacking, games (Scrabble, cards, etc.) and hanging out.

Basement - Creativity Zone - This is where the magic happens! Anything messy needs to be done outside or in my sewing room which has a tile floor.

Vegetarian Options are available at all meals.

Please let me know if you will be joining us so that I will have plenty of food and supplies!

Laura

Goodwill Repurposing Challenge!

Next week some friends and I are going to participate in a Goodwill Repurposing Challenge.  We are going together to Goodwill to find an item and turn it into something fabulous.  We will try to do this in one afternoon at my house! 

I promised some friends I would post a picture of a repurposed Goodwill item.  The only problem is that all I did was remake a bigger skirt into a smaller skirt with a pocket.  It was a size 16 Oscar de le Renta 100% silk skirt.  I originally made it for my daughter - hence the pocket for the cell phone and the shorter length, but she didn't really like it.  It sounds like it was easy to do but it was fully lined and had french seams.  Adding the pocket took a lot of time and if you saw it inside out you would not be impressed!

Before

After

I wore it for the first time on Sunday and couldn't help but share that it started as a thrift store skirt every time I received a compliment.  I need to learn to just smile and say thank you!

Words with Friends and Sewing on Sunday

McCall's 5425 View A

Yesterday I bounced back and forth between Words with Friends and my sewing machine.  It was a great way to spend a hot sunny afternoon!

I fell in love with this fabric at an estate sale - $3.  It was a remnant that had already been used many years ago.  I am basing "many years ago" on the fact that it smelled like it had been stored for years in a musty basement.  I looked online to try to find out what it might be made of - a synthetic or silk.  The bottom line was that if I treated it like silk, it didn't matter.  So I washed it on delicate with Woolite.  My wonderful black and white geometric fabric was now black and light grey.  My guess is that really old fabrics are not as colorfast as they are today.  Any feedback on this is welcome!

The dress is just as shapeless when I am wearing it as it looks on the dress form.  My husband thought it was a swim cover up and that might be how I wear it.  Or it might be just right for relaxing on the porch after a day at the beach.  The side seams curve in at the bottom which makes the middle pooch out a little.  I don't need any more curves in the middle so I will flare the bottom out or at least make it straight if I make this pattern again.  Belting it might help.  I have enough fabric left to switch the tie to a belt and make the straps like views B and C.

The next project is a Cynthia Rowley top (Simplicity 2593) for my daughter that has The Dreaded and Feared Bias Tape at both the neck and arm openings.  (You can see her fabric behind the pattern envelope above.)  Wish me luck!

Perennials - SO Thrifty!

Perennials are the perfect thrifty plant for the garden!  It is more of an investment the first year, but this is only the second year for these plants and they have come back beautifully.  Well, except for the pitiful one I tried to transplant in 94 degree weather.  I just deadheaded these last week and they are in full bloom again. 

The wall behind the flowers - free!  When they dug out the foundation for our house they removed these huge boulders.  One is so big it is still in the front yard as it was too heavy for a landscaping bulldozer to move.  When it came time to design the backyard we replaced plans for an expensive retaining wall with the rocks we had on hand.  The natural look of the stone makes a wonderful backdrop for a border garden.   

When you have new plants you have to keep them watered.  To water the plants without feeling guilty about the amount of water they need or about a huge water bill, I have a number of water collecting places around the house.  This one collects the condensation from the main air conditioning unit.  I fill the 5 gallon bucket and partially fill the smaller bucket every day.  There is also a large ziploc that collects a smaller amount of water from another unit.  I collect water when I heat up the shower (when I remember) and I also use the water from the dehumidifier.  Another benefit to collecting water is not having to unroll the hose and put it back away each time I water.  Developing upper body strength is also a plus!

Perennials are buy 2 get 1 free at Home Depot - with the coupon in their gardening club email.  I might just have to add something new this year... if the weather cools off a bit!

I Confess ... I Went Back!

Honey checking out today's purchases.

(I don't know why my cats are so curious about fabric!)

I went back to Fabric World today.  Anyone out there with a fabric "issue" understands perfectly!  My daughter joined me and together we found 4 bolts of clothing fabric - now only $3 per bolt - and 4 drapery/upholstery bolts - still $5 each.  Trim is now only $5 per bolt and I somehow limited myself to 5.  They are all amazing!  The pile is my daughter's - in addition to the bolts my cat is sitting on.  They are remnants that were $1 each.  Some are only about 1/2 yard and some are over 2.  She stayed right in the $20 budget I gave her.  I hope to have her sewing by the end of the summer.  She certainly has enough fabric!

My favorite of all the bolts are the 4 I bought today!

These two look and feel like kitchen towels. It is perfect fabric for an emroidery project or aprons or both! (If I repeat that it was $5 per bolt would that be bragging?)

The fabric below is a very soft chenille and a grey denim (it looks blue but it is a beautiful grey) for our upstairs landing. The trim looks like burlap but is very soft. We have built in benches that have stayed bare since we moved in.  I might have these cushions made. It would be a lot faster and I think the final product would be more professional looking. Foam is so expensive to buy retail that often having upholstered items made is not that much more expensive. I will make the throw pillows.  I am thinking combinations of red, hand woven linen that I found at an estate sale, some interesting embroidery, and hopefully, something unexpected!



PS - The frogs in the background are for a friend - not my daughter!  She wouldn't be seen in purple frog fabric but I know 3 (soon to be 4) sisters plus a niece that would look great in it!

Good Day! Bad Day!

Biscuit sits above my spoils from a "quick" trip to Fabric World. 

Good Day because what you see in the picture is not everything I bought and it was all on sale for $5 a bolt or less!  Yes, I did say bolt.  Many of the bolts I bought have as many as 20 yards on them!  3 of the bolts are fusible interfacing.  I only made it around half the store before I had to get my sister back to work.  Hmmm...
Another trip tomorrow?

Bad Day because my favorite store for buying cheap materials for costumes is going out of business.  I don't know what I will do next year when we need massive amounts of fabric and I can't drive to Fabric World and find it for $1-3 dollars a yard.  Maybe I should alert the theater department that the cost of costumes just went up!

I can't wait to show you what I bought and how I use it!  I have purchased many more treasures that I will share as well.  Looking forward to getting caught up!

Don't Toss Those Fabric Samples!

If you are lucky enough to live in a city with a decorator fabric warehouse, then you probably accumulate a collection of samples before you choose your final fabrics.  Don't throw these little treasures away!  Use them to make a pillow to coordinate with the room you are designing.   I used the dollar sized samples I cut while searching for fabric when making both of these pillows. 

Disclaimer - I am a rule follower and my samples are usually quite small and rarely over the requested dollar bill size.  The stems on the first pillow are from left over textured vinyl purchased for purse handles.  The reptile texture looks very bark like in person.  The flower has a mixture of samples and fabrics I had on hand.

Sort and store your samples by color and you will be ready when it is time to create that accent pillow that makes the room.  And it is practically free!!

This pillow should look familiar! 

It is the one I was taking apart when I posted last.  I didn't like the light linen background on the original pillow so I took it apart and added the silk in its place.  I also made the center as small as I could.  It was a total pain and took way longer then I thought, but I like it so much better.

A Few Days at Home, Some Lucky Finds and Happy Results!

Between Christmas and New Years the stars aligned. Kids were busy, husband had football, and I had an endless supply of fabric and energy! The first place to start was our master bedroom.  It has been devoid of color for the past 2 years waiting for me to make a final decision on color.  While Christmas shopping I found 3 remnants at Forsyth Fabrics.  (Why was I at Forsyth Fabrics when I was Christmas shopping? Because I was in the area and can't help myself!)  They were already well priced but I lucked into a 25% off sale.  The 3 fabrics totalled only about $16.  (I also bought a linen piece I hope to show you soon that brought the grand total to $20.)

As I contemplated how to use these fabrics I decided I could surprise my husband with the much needed color he's been asking for in our bedroom.  At $16, it was not a huge commitment.  I headed to TJMaxx where I found the perfect accent pillow ($20) as well as a throw for the bed ($20).  I was getting one of those "this was meant to be" buzzes from how quickly this was coming together.  I selected 2 pictures that I thought could go over the bed and 4 for the laundry room.  It is hard for me to spend money, but when I start feeling like everything is falling into place, I loosen up a little.

I got home and laid it all out in the room.  Loved the textiles.  Hated the pictures.  They went right back so no pictures of those.  (Loved the ones for the laundry room and got them hung during my burst of activity over the holidays.)  I decided to create my own paintings for over the bed.

Of course, I left everything spread out and left for only a quick Christmas errand.  Dear husband came home for lunch!!!  End of the surprise.  He pretended not to see, but the thrill was gone.  No time before the holidays to finish these projects anyway so I gave him beautiful wine glasses for Christmas.

First, I took two canvases out of storage I'd tried to paint last year but never liked.  Sallie, an artist friend, advised me that they needed more contrast and some red to make them pop.  So my first step was to paint them black, brown, blue and red to make a base.  While that dried I started on my sewing.

From the chenille I made two European shams with Turkish corners.  The flower pillow was a little of a disappointment and I have already taken it apart to "fix" it.  Will post the results.   Then for a little masculine touch a rectangle one for the other side of the bed.  I reused some stuffing and two pillow forms left over from a retail business I had a few years ago.  Then I finished the paintings but had to buy hardware ($4)  to hang them.

Total out of pocket for the new look - $60!

BEFORE - Only a $5 pillow sham from TJMaxx gave the room any color.

AFTER - Ah!  Much better!