I have craft ADD going on right now. I always get this way when I start writing a book. First drafts are rough for me, and I flap about during this stage, searching for anything else I might be good at so that I won't have to write.
I'm deep into being in love with metalworking at home. I want to make jewelry! Like the darling Kate Richbourg does in her great Craftsy classes (highly recommended). I bought the tools but I'm kind of being a chicken about starting, and I'm not sure why. (I was this way with my serger, too. It took me a full week to get the guts to take it out of the box.)
I'm also sewing my little fingers off. Made this today at Sonya Philip's studio:
It's yet another dress for my Uniform of Tunics. It has flashy gold on the bias tape, which I love.
And I made Tiramisu by Cake Patterns! It turned out great in $3/yard sale fabric.
I was so inspired by that success that I tried to make another one in quilt cotton. IT DID NOT WORK, YO. The whole dress was beyond hope. So I tried to make some zippered bags to make myself feel better and put the zippers in upside-down. You take the crumbles with the cookies, right? (I think I just made that up. Because it doesn't make sense, I'm willing to bet this isn't a common phrase.)
I've been painting, too!
I painted Clementine for Lala for Christmas.
(Tangled by the neck in the jasmine. As she does.)
Want to know what's funnier than that painting? The fact that Lala painted me a picture of Digit. Same size frame, mat, everything. We laffed. It's the anti-Gift-of-the-Magi!
(She even got his cranky expression!)
I swear to you, I'm doing everything I can not to write. I'm knitting both Madroña and Lady Marple. Oh, and four different socks.
And yet, even with all the ways I try to get out of writing, somehow I still get my grumbling ss to the cafe and get my writing done in the mornings. Because someday a first draft will be a second one, and I love revising. And then a revised draft will someday become a book!
That's the best bit of all. And it's my favorite craft.
(Except for knitting.)
Looking forward to your new book…keep on keeping on
Oooh….Lady Marple looks eminently wearable! I envy both your craft ADD and your free time!
I’m gnashing my teeth in jealousy over your Tiramisu. It is PERFECTION! It looks stunning on you! Wanty!
The paintings! Are great! And funny!
Happy procraftinating. Sounds like more fun than procleaninating. Huh. That looks odd rather than funny. But hey! You don’t have to say it out loud!
Love both paintings!!! (And have sewing skills envy, you rock at that, I definitely do not.)
Can’t wait for the new book, happy new year to you!
Okay, okay, Okay, I believe you. I have to write the FIRST draft of the dissertation before I can get to the editing. I don’t wanna, but I HAVE TO DO IT. Especially since they charge me money every semester I drift around doing nothing.
(See? You are a good influence even in your procrastination.)
10:00 a.m. to noon today. Tomorrow. Friday. I get to skip Saturday as I will be at service. Sunday, Monday, Tuesday. I can’t promise more than a week. I’ll check in on Wednesday, if you don’t mind. I have to have someone beside my adviser to be accountable to – she has too many of us to keep track.
You want to make me learn to sew. More than just hemming pants, anyway.
The experience with the zippered bags makes me think of my very recent first-sweater experience: I finished, was elated, and realized that my second sleeve was 2″ shorter than my first. (It sat around for a while thinking about that one.) I got around to undoing the bind off, knit a longer sleeve, bound off again…and it was two rows too long.
I think it’s right now. Either way, I’m blocking it this weekend and the sleeves WILL be the same length, come hell or high water!
Oh I have done that! Give the same gift. It shows how much you two get each other. I love them! They are both awesome paintings!
Love the Tiramisu. I reverse engineered a pattern from a dress I purchased at a thrift store many years ago with the same design style, and have made about fifty bajillion of them since, (mostly because I get the RAD compliments on it every time I wear it, you know, the ‘wow, have you lost weight’ kind) and you are right – quilt cotton fails. :/ Any jersey stretch will work though. I am partial to the stretch patterned ‘rayon cling’ fabrics that go on sale right around now since they have the right amount of drape, and if you dig around right, can have a good combination of ‘casual office meets sparkly party night’.
I am the exact opposite. During the end phase (second drafts and beyond) I am wont to look for anything else to amuse me.
Didn’t you almost have the gift of the magi like thing last year. Too Funny!
Not to be a procrastination enabler, but because you live SOOOOO close check out http://www.thecrucible.org in case you’ve not seen their classes yet…I’d spend the rest of my days there if I could.
Drat. I want to tell you that you have to stop everything but writing moremoremore so I can have a new book by you to read, but that Tiramisu dress is so gorgeous that I want you to also make moremoremore. It’s a quandary. The dress is gorgeous, and I can’t wait to see what else you’re making!
Your Tiramisu is gorgeous – if quilting cotton was a big fail, what sort of fabric is the successful incarnation?
Thanks for sharing your creative process/struggle. I can relate. My partner called me a marinater the other night. New ideas, skills, etc. have to marinate awhile before I’m ready to try them. Sometimes a loooong while. It’s sort of embarrassing. I’ve tried forcing myself; that doesn’t seem to work. When the time is right, it happens and I wonder what the big deal was. Trying to learn to trust and stop judging this, like it seems you are.
The paintings are awesome! I love the lok on Digit’s face. Also, your stripy dress looks fabulous on you. So cute!
Hi,
I have a quick question about your blog, do you think you could e-mail me?
Heather
Hey lady- I’ve been following you for years… but, I’m afraid I haven’t read anything since you were in Italy. (I think I was so jealous of the trip and your eagerness to just throw yourself into the culture there that I couldn’t keep up!) Really, life with two young children just kept me from checking up on you. (That sounds stalkerish, but really it isn’t.) Anyway, glad to see you have found joy in your life and that you are healthy again. Depression is always scary, especially when it is happening to you.