Sewing Goals

After thinking more about it, I have decided to make another goal list specifically related to sewing. I think I need to see a list of what I want to accomplish in the coming year. So....here goes....

00001. Basics ie tee-shirts, camis
00002. LBD
00003. Well fitted white shirt
00004. Jeans
00005. Trench coat
00006. Lingerie
00007. Sleep pants
00008. Chanel inspired jacket

Most of my sewing involves specific patterns I want to make rather than specific techniques I want to do. I'm not nervous about doing different techniques. So whatever the pattern requires is what I'll do. Back when I was making 90-95 percent of the items in my wardrobe, I considered myself an intermediate to advanced sew-ist. I drafted patterns, draped, and was able to easily fit patternfor myself and my Mom. These days I don't know. It's been so long since I've done anything other than something simple and easy. I hope it's like riding a bike, and it all comes back. LOL I have no TnT patterns anymore. Every pattern will have to be fitted and adapted to my current over-weight voluptuous shape. And as I lose weight I'll have to continue to re-fit patterns. Due to having worn scrubs while at work, and a "uniform" consisting of white pants and a school tee-shirt while in school, and gaining weight, I need to obtain a whole new wardrobe.

I did do some sewing today. I took a few minutes and sewed a seam on the Amy Butler Kimberly bag I'm working on. It felt good to be sewing again. If I only spend 10 or 15 minutes a day, I should be able to accomplish a lot this year. I need to "Just Do It!" LOL

If someone knows an easy way to combine my name and the lips, please let me know. I have Adobe Photoshop CS3. Hubby paid quite a lot for this program, and I haven't had time to learn to use it properly. I don't even know the basics yet. I would have no problem in PaintShop, but unfortunately I don't have it available to me right now. Any help would be appreciated!

Boo Hiss LOL

Well, the Saints let the Bucs win yesterday. Quite frankly, I AM disappointed. The Saints should have won that game. Garrett Hartley should have made that 37-yard field-goal. But no one can blame him for the lost game. You play as a team, win as a team and lose as a team.

This week I'll be:
1. knitting
2. listening to the new Adam Lambert CD (Am I the only one who is disappointed he will not be on ABC's New Year's Rockin' Eve?)
3. reading The Vein of Gold: A Journey to Your Creative Heart by Julia Cameron
4. AND waiting for the apple to drop in Times Square!


I'm trying to make a few changes to my blog for the new year. Just a few sutble changes. You'll notice my signature line will be changed due to changing my name. Several of my friends call me Tesla, due to my obsession with Nikola Tesla. So I thought what better way to honor him, and all his contributions to society. (I'll elaborate on him in a later post. I recommend reading Tesla: Man Out of Time by Margaret Cheney.) I think Tesla will better suit the person I have become over the past year. I'll also change my divider to pink lips. I love these lips! LOL It's in honor of my love of make-up and beauty.

Through out the holiday season I've had music on this blog. Now, I LOVE music, as I've posted about in the past. The latest playlist was several versions of Auld Lang Syne I enjoyed. While making the changes on my blog, I would click back and forth testing and it finally just started getting my last nerve, so I just deleted the play list. I'm sure it will be less annoying to the few very nice people who read my blog. Each and every one of you is appreciated very much.

This is the time of year that most people get nostalgic. Thinking back over the past year, remembering the highlights, births, deaths, and other things in the news. I always intensely dislike when the news runs a list of everyone who has died. It's just so very sad. It also reminds me of people who we hold dear in out hearts but no longer have contact with. Co-workers we promised we would keep in touch with when we left the job. Teachers, fellow students etc......

This is also a time when we make resolutions for the new year. I think pretty much all of them are forgotten by March. I rarely make New Year resolutions. I do make goals thought. Some I meet, some I don't. I don't see myself as a failure if I don't meet them. They have nothing to do with my value as a person. I have my 101 Things that I work on a little at a time. Some are long term goals, some are short term goals. Some things are serious, and some are silly and fun. And some will definitely get carried over to my next 101 Things list in 2011. However, I've decided that I am going to make a few specific goals for 2010. They are:

00001. Sew a well fitting white shirt (I LOVE a white shirt with jeans or denim skirt.)
00002. Make a chainmail bracelet (I have several patterns to make a chainmail bracelet, now to decide which one to make.)
00003. Smock a dress for my "Big Girl" doll (I have a small collection of Sew Beautiful magazines I can choose a pattern/design from.)
00004. Make matching aprons for me, my "Big Girl" doll, and AG Molly (I already have the patterns for these, Simplicity 3746.
00005. Start and continue taking yoga classes (I am a member of two gyms. Surely I can get the schedule and attend the classes.)
00006. Find a hairstylist that can cut my hair the way I want it cut (I'll elaborate on this in a later post.)
00007. Make a wardrobe scrapbook (I've actually already started this.)

That should do it. Seven things to do in 12 months. Yeah, I might have enough time. LOL

January's Posts

Here it is the fourth of the month and I've already blown my goal of posting every day in January. I just felt sooo bad yesterday I didn't even think about it.
I don't make resolutions because, well, I just can't seem to follow through. And how long does a resolution last? If you made one last year and make the same one this year...what is the point? People seem to make the same resolutions over and over. Just re-inforcing a "pass or fail" mentality. And negatively affecting their self esteem. So....I make goals....sometimes I reach them and sometimes I don't. I put forth an effort though. Some goals, I decide aren't worth achieving, such as finishing a book that I find is not as interesting as I thought when I first started it.
With that in mind, here are some of my goals for January:
1. Finish the Lion Brand swatch that has been on my side bar forever
2. Make one piece of jewelry
3. Complete one garment for myself and write a review
4. Make one outfit for one of my dolls
5. Finish half of the cardiwrap, also on the side bar

For you who do make resolutions: Good luck!

Looking back

I had planned on posting New Year’s eve, but I was sick with a flu bug. I woke up long enough to see the ball fall in Times Square, and then back to sleep!

Looking back over 2007, I accomplished many things that I had listed as goals. (I don’t make “resolutions” as they just beg to be broken and forgotten.) I graduated from the paralegal class with a 3.97. In January I left a job that I despised. (due to unforeseen circumstances I went back to work there this past Wednesday night, but that’s a whole ‘nother post. At least it’s a different position.) I was also able to cross several things off my 101 Things list.

My major goals for this year is to get my RN license, or at least be very close to sitting for state boards by December 31st. (that license will open a lot of different doors) I need to get my notary license and get certified in Microsoft office. I also want to get the advanced paralegal certification. Minor goals include finishing my 101 Things. I will be working on needlepoint and painting projects, along with making doll clothes and teddy bears. I also plan to reach my goal weight so I can start fitting and making clothes for myself again.


I’ll also be participating in the Take It Further Challenge, details can be found here. Details for January’s challenge can be found here. We have three options for the challenge. First, we can take the monthly challenge concept develop it into an idea and design and work it in whatever media we choose. Second, if we don't like the concept we can take the monthly challenge color scheme and work a design from it. Third, we can use both the concept and work the design in the color scheme.

I am slowly working on the concept involving the color scheme in ATCs. The concept this month is a feeling of admiration for another. Since my BD is falling on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr's day this year, and since I did and still do admire him, I will use him.

This is a smocking sampler I did many years ago. Another goal is to make a smocked dress for AG Molly and my size two walker doll.

You have powers you never dreamed of. You can do things you never thought you could do. There are no limitations in what you can do except the limitations of your own mind.
Darwin P. Kingsley

Lists

I have lists of things to do that are "miles" long. Books I want to read, patterns I want to sew, art I want to create, places I want to visit, career goals, etc. I have my 101 Things list I blog about, my list on 43 Things, and I have several lists that are personal, that I keep on my pc. I make sure every day I do something towards several of these goals. I always write down what I do towards the particular goal I'm working on. When I get discouraged I am able to look back at how far I've come and how much I've accomplished. Some of these goals will take a year or more to complete. These are goals I'm committed to, not just something I'd like to do.