Friday, June 22, 2012

Adjusting to Life in SF

We've been in The City for a week now, and everyone is more or less adjusting to life under my parents' roof. Here's another list because I can't be bothered with paragraph transitions right now:

1) Walnut did just fine on the trip up, much to everyone's surprise. He's taken to the larger territory of a two-story house with ease, and has cowed his uncles with his size and the sheer vehemence of his meowing. So far, the hierarchy negotiations have not come to blows. Let's hope it stays that way.

Looking out the same window as his uncles, but with his watermelon friend instead.

2) Cooking for six is a lot more difficult than cooking for two. Especially since my dad has an aversion to oh, anything too salty, too spicy, too buttery, too cheesy, or too meat-y. Actually, let's just say that he has an aversion to anything with flavor.

3) I've done very little sewing since arriving; mostly I've been running errands for my parents. I've been on too many Target, Costco, and grocery store runs in too few days. I've had fun, though, too -- I got to catch the Cult of Beauty exhibit at the Legion of Honor before it closed. Even better, my sister had free tickets! I enjoyed seeing the paintings and furniture, but getting to see the gowns was definitely the highlight. I can't wait to go to the V&A in August; this was just an amuse-bouche.

This is one of the gowns that was on display. The V&A website has a cute little set of letters that the dude wrote to his lady about it. He was a sculptor, and it totally shows in the way the dress looks. Even crazier, this dress is supposed be in striped silk, but the stripes have almost entirely faded! You can only see them from super up close, i.e. nose almost smooshed into the glass. 

4) I also got to go see Jonathan Coulton at the Great American Music Hall (which, incidentally, is an absolutely amazing venue)! He is probably my favorite songwriter ever; I mean, it doesn't get any better than catchy songs about IKEA, zombies, evil scientists, and bacteria. Also, I had a tiny two-minute crush on Scarface. Anyway, if you're a geek and love clever lyrics and haven't heard of him, go check out his stuff!

Requisite terrible iPhone picture. Scarface (in the middle) was singing Skullcrusher Mountain, JoCo is on the right.
You can also get a taste of the fantastic balconies in the concert hall.

5) I have been working just a little bit on my next sewing project...unfortunately, my mom's old Kenmore is not nearly as easy to use as my Brother. Okay, maybe part of this is my fault for not noticing, but apparently part of its crankiness was due to the fact that the feed dogs were lowered. I sewed new curtains for the basement, all the bodice darts, and the pockets without realizing this. I was wondering why I was so incapable of sewing in a straight line, and it turns out that I was pretty much free-motion quilting the whole time. That said, I think I did a pretty dang awesome job sewing darts in light of that.

6) Because of the Kenmore's disturbing habit of rattling like it's going to fall to pieces, I don't know if I'm going to get around to sewing jeans this summer. I just don't trust it for something like topstitching through multiple layers of denim. There's also no needle position adjustment, which boggles the mind. Lastly, the bobbin setup is not the drop-in kind, so putting in new bobbin thread takes about 15 seconds longer. I don't know why this bothers me so much. Anyway, my secret hope is that I will score an awesome vintage Singer at one of the antique fairs this summer, and then I can kill two birds with one stone (the must-have-a-vintage-machine bird, and the have-a-machine-that-doesn't-sound-like-it's-going-to-explode bird. Both of these are excellent candidate birds for killing).

7) After I arrived and unpacked my sewing things, I realized I forgot my embroidery snips, basic bodice blocks (!!!), and any buttons whatsoever. Grrrrr. Also, I already miss Cecily, my cutting mat, and full-length mirrors next to the sewing machine. While I'm mentioning sewing gripes, I might as well say that having two extra assistant cats isn't really helpful either. However, Walnut has done significantly less assisting now that there are so many new things to sniff and places to explore.

Totoro tells Walnut a secret (actually, Walnut just really likes chewing on the totoro's whiskers).

New Chinese newspaper > old sewing patterns for grooming purposes.

Okay now, less whining about the sewing situation, more actual sewing.

28 comments:

  1. This comment has been removed by the author.

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    1. Oops, typing on an iPad always results in typos for me! Anyhow, glad to hear that you're all ok and that walnut didn't drive you mad on the drive up! Looks like you've been keeping busy and I hope you settle properly soon!

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    2. Funny, I almost replied on my iPad, except that I remembered how hard it is to use that keyboard! Thanks for your concern for us and Walnut!

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  2. The pic of Walnut & Totoro is amazing!!!

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  3. The picture of Walnut and his melon friend is priceless! Shame about the sewing situation but it sounds like you are having outlets with going to concerts and things! Hope you are more settled with the sewing soon! :)

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    1. I think the sewing is getting better as I get more used to this machine. I just have to remind myself not to compare it to my own at home...

      We have eaten half of Walnut's melon friend.

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  4. I have a "vintage" Singer. 1950s I think. It is supposed to be portable but it actually weighs about 50 pounds. It has three amazing functions. 1) it sews forwards. 2) it sews backwards. 3) it does the above mentioned with the feed dogs up or down. PERIOD. I want one that makes button holes and embroiders and zig zags and moves the needle over. I have no idea why you want the needle to move over but I want one that moves over. I guess my singer could do some of the above if I had the attachments but I have no idea where to get them. (A hemmer would be nice...I hate hemming.) The thing about old singers is they just don't die. If my machine died I could say to the hubby "we need to buy one today. Mine died." But, as long as it keeps working I have to save up for an upgrade.

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    1. Old machines are the best! The heavier the better because that means there are no plastic parts. =) And the new computerized machines make me nuts because I like my machine to me as manual as possible! If you like your old machine beware of machines with brains, hehe.

      Maybe all you need is a Singer buttonholer (and you can also get zigzag attachments too) for your old machine. Check out these search results on ebay.

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    2. I like my current machine since it's simple, does what it needs to (including zigzags and moving needle positions), and isn't computerized (I'm with you, Brooke!). I would like a vintage Singer for the looks and for the power and durability I hear that they have.

      Wanda, that comment about your machine not dying is hilarious!

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  5. Have you thought about having the Kenmore serviced? If its rattling and sounding that bad it might need a trip to the 'doctor'.

    I'm w wandabvictorian on my sewing machine - its "portable" vintage Regency and I joke that it weighs more than I do. I don't even think the feed dogs lower. It goes forwards, backwards and has a straight stitch and a zigzag. And I love it more than my nicer BabyLock. lol

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    1. I just opened it up and cleaned it and it's doing much better. I'm hesitant about spending money on a doctor's trip since it probably cost less than a doctor's visit...

      You are making me want a vintage machine so bad!

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    2. I feel you on the cost, last time I took mine it cost like $80. I love my vintage machine, she was my great grandmother's and she can handle about anything I need to sew.

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  6. I had to pack the essentials for sewing for the stitching job I just finished because I had to bring my own kit with machine! And man! I wish I could just pack my whole sewing room and take it with me! It's so hard to go from having everything to just barely being able to function with what you have.

    I hope you can find an old Singer machine! You can't beat them - I learned on my mom's old Singer Genie with 70's orange and yellow flowers. =)

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    1. If I feel that way about my hobby sewing, I can't even imagine what it's like to feel that way about a sewing job! Way to power through!

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  7. Hi there! I just read that you are in SF now, as it happens a group of us are meeting THIS MORNING :) to see the Gaultier exhibit at the De Young and then lunch and sewing gabfest in the cafe. If you can't make it today we will be getting together again soon, I hope.
    details here: http://sunnygalstudio.blogspot.com/2012/05/sewing-meetup-in-san-francisco-gaultier.html

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    1. Oops, I didn't see this soon enough! I hope you all had fun; please let me know if you have any other sewing meetups!

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  8. Good luck with the settling in---I hope you get used to things (especially the new machine! ;) ) quickly! Although, the feed-dog thing is pretty funny. It took me ages to even figure out what the feed-dogs did...

    I've never had a machine with a drop-in bobbin, are they really that much easier? Hmm.

    I can't wait to see you go for jeans, but on a new and uncertain machine, yeah, might be a bit hazardous...

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    1. I don't think they're that much easier, it's just that I'm easily annoyed by the extra fifteen seconds it takes...I have to remove the whole free arm bit and open up the compartment to get at the bobbin. I just picked up some amazing coral-colored stretch twill, so I might give pants a try anyway...

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  9. I love reading your blog, and am even more curious now since your temporary sewing setup is much closer to mine ;-) (I have a 1981 singer, no needle adjustment etc.). I can see how it is hard to make do with less, but I am sure you'll figure it out. Without your bodice blocks you might become a pants expert! Good luck and have fun in San Francisco.

    Mona

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    1. Hah, would that I could become a pants expert! One can only hope!

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  10. Ach, I have Coulton envy! I have seen him with John Hodgeman at a book reading, but a full concert sounds awesome. Most amazing folk-rock lyric ever: maybe I used too many monkeys?
    Glad you and Walnut are settling in!

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    1. Oh, it was hands-down the best concert I have ever been to in life! Isn't it enough to know that I ruined a pony making a gift for you? Thank you for understanding how awesome JoCo is!

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  11. Glad to hear you guys settling in well!!!!
    I love Walnut, I want a cat~!!! Seriously, I went to the cattery and took a look at some precious kittens,

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    1. Hehehe, before I got Walnut, I used to have cat withdrawal and just go to the local Petco to coo at the kittens waiting for adoption.

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  12. I don't remember if you said, but have you cleaned and oiled the Kenmore? Older machines need to TLC to purr! :)

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    1. I just cleaned it up today, and it is doing much better! Still not great, though...when I say it is old, I really mean that it's just old, not vintage. It's a little over a decade old, I think? So still all plastic, cheapy parts, but I guess it gets the job done!

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  13. Isn't it enough to know that I ruined a pony making a gift for you?!

    I love Skullcrusher Mountain like whoa, so my jealousy that you got to see the man himself knows no bounds.

    My new(er) Kenmore is rattling like crazy - perhaps it's just a Kenmore trait? Ah, those crazy Kenmores - always making us wonder if they are going to work when we want them to.

    I'm glad to see you are settling in - take lots of pictures and have lots of adventures, if you can!

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