Focus – Weeks 46 & 47

The holidays are now upon us!  It has been a busy few weeks, with not much sewing in store.  I did cut out a bunch of projects, but haven’t gotten around to it.

My accomplishments this week

Focus Photo –

Last week was Thanksgiving and this pretty much sums up the girl right now.

I started working on the 2018 photo book last weekend.  I lost 2017.  I have been using Blurb and they moved to a new program a few years ago.  I kept using the old one, but now apparently I can’t use it.  I got a new laptop last December, and even though I had the backup of 2017 at that time, it won’t load on the new computer.  Really, really sucks.   Their online help is no help either.  You can only convert completed loaded books from their website.  That does not help in process books at all.

Sewing –

• My focus was to get our buffet table L-bench re-upholstered.  I am hosting a holiday party for some girlfriends in a few weeks, and it was looking pretty bad.  There were tears in it due to it being pleather and being used a bit.

I had to pretty much take the entire bench apart, down to taking off the legs.  There were lots of bolts with allen wrenches and only a few screws.  Then I had to take off the old cover so I could use it for measurements.  That was a lot of staples.

I found a decorator fabric that matched the room well.  I would have gone with a tapestry type of design, but we have a tapestry chair.  I didn’t want the two fabrics to clash.  The colors match here, but the designs are quite different.  At the fabric store, I could have gone with a plainer print, but I at least wanted something with interest.  I wasn’t quite paying attention to the fact that it had a “stripe” running through it.

I used the old covers and measured them for the new ones.  I made a template of the side seam and the corner cover.  The main bodies were just rectangles.  Next, was stapling them on and putting it all back together again!

I tried to match up the stripes when I was cutting, and think I got it pretty well.  I purchased 3 yards and still have almost a full yard left.  I might make some cushions out of that fabric.

• I got a bunch of stuff cut up, but no sewing.

House cleaning –

• We got the windows cleaned outside, so progress on some of the big stuff.
• I wanted to get the area rugs cleaned, but they won’t clean them on wood or laminate floors.  Great.  I need to roll them up and bring them in.  Not sure when that will get done.
• We ordered new furniture.  Our old furniture looks like this after 3 years with kittens with claws.  Cats with their front claws and pleather furniture don’t mix.

Time with family –

It was Thanksgiving, so we traveled to see both sides of the family.  Everyone kept their political discussions in check, so it was a good time!

Health, exercising, making healthy meals –

• No exercise, but heavy cleaning again.  Someone has to do it.
• Meals went off the chart, but I mostly kept to my plans.

Creative Design –

I put some of my designs up on Society 6.  My goal is to get a lot of what I did this year up there, so at least I have them up on a platform to sell.

Reading –

Not so much.  I have sooo many books I want to get to, but I keep on picking up other projects.