A Reawakening

You know, grief is a strange thing. You may think that all is well and you are perfectly fine for a while and then....BAM! It hits you in waves you thought you had already survived. You feel like you had been treading water just fine, thank you very much, and then....BOOM! The tidal wave hits.

That's where I've been lately. Treading water and trying to keep my head above so that I won't drown.

No. I'm not able to discuss what has been causing this grief, but I've been trying to keep my head above it since the beginning of December. I thought I was doing well since I was able to “keep my New Year's Resolutions” for a while. Even managed to make an entertaining blog post or two. But, the fact of the matter was that I was ignoring the hurt and pain. It's been nearly 7 months since this grief first showed it's ugly little head and nearly that long that I was able to ignore it- push it aside since I am a “strong” girl. Well, it turns out that I'm not superhuman after-all and I need to be able to ride those waves instead of trying to duck them at every pass.

I've been doing a lot better in the past month or so. I've not been hiding in my books or trying to duck those waves by playing hours upon hours of video games. There's not much I truly remember since January (I really should re-read my blog posts to see what I was up to) since I was mainly coasting on autopilot and showing the world (or at least my friends/loved ones....even myself) that I was ok. I wasn't ok. But, I'm getting there.

I thought I was getting “ok” over a month ago when I got off that lousy medication that muted the Me I remember. I was getting “ok” but wasn't truly all there. Today is the first day in nearly 3 months that I picked up my beloved crochet hooks. I hadn't read a book since my last posting on The Thirteenth Tale I made months ago....that was when I was trying to prove to myself that I was fine.

I'm slowly but surely now facing those ugly feelings and emotions that I tried so hard to brush under the rug. I know it's healthy for me and I know that I should have done this months ago. But, I was “too strong” back then. Now, I know that it's not really strength that allows you to ignore pain- it's strength that allows you to get through it. I'm becoming stronger now.

I saw a pattern on Ravelry that awakened my spirit. My Mister has been telling me for quite a while that I need to start crocheting again- get my creative juices flowing. I kept telling him (and myself), “Yeah! Of course! I have a project on my mind that I want to flesh out.” But, the truth of the matter was that I was trying to convince us both that I was “me” again. I wasn't. I've been feeling “me” trying to burst through that hard shell I've been building up around myself for awhile and I think that today I've finally made it through the cracks that have been forming. I started crocheting today.

So, dear blog readers, I'm sorry I've not been here updating as much as I would have liked to, filling page upon page with the ideas that used to swarm my brain. I've muted out those voices and pictures for a while and am just now finding them again. I'm starting a project that isn't one that I created- when I saw it, it was like a spark lit the fuse in my heart and I've missed that feeling. It started awakening parts of me that have been dormant for a while. I've got lots of projects that are almost done- and have been almost done for months- that have caught my eye. I want to finish them now. I think I'm ready to at least try.

So. Here I am. Trying to keep my head above the water. The colors and pictures that were alive in me are starting to reawaken. I hope they stay- I've missed them. I've missed me.

Here's to the Summer of Awakening 2010. I hope to see you all there.

  

A Night at the Movies

I was looking forward to yesterday for a while.  (That sounds weird...but go with it.) My Mister was out of town all week and got back in last night, so having him safely home again was wonderful.  Since my sister has moved out, that meant I was alone all week long- it was a little lonely, I'll admit.  But, don't cry for me, Argentina.  I was able to work out and just chill, which was nice. 

In addition to my Mister's homecoming, I was looking forward to yesterday because it was the opening day of The Last Airbender.  For those of you who don't know, it is the live-action film of the amazing cartoon Avatar: The Last Airbender that was on Nickelodeon.  I have been looking forward to this movie ever since it was first announced. I love the show and am not ashamed to admit that I’m an adult who watches cartoons. (Or, at least really great cartoons that have an awesome story line and characters that I can actually care about rather than stupid potty humor and incomprehensible language skills). I got hooked on it while I was crocheting my Mario Blanket and I found out that both my sis and my brother were fans of it, as well.  Doesn't surprise me- we're a bunch of nerds.   My sis and I had been planning on seeing it on opening night for a while, so, right after my Mister got home, he, my sis and I went to see it.

I saw that it was getting a drubbing by the critics, but held out hope since it was getting fairly positive reviews by other viewers. I got goosebumps when I saw the first teaser trailer with Aang blowing out the candles that were lit all around him. I was so freaking excited for this movie!!

After all the buildup for this film, I must say that I left the theater….a little bit….meh. Yes, it could have been better; however, I don’t think it was as bad as others are making it out to be. It was entertaining and I truly hope that people will go and see it just so that there will be a sequel (hopefully with a different director) that will correct some of the mistakes this film made. The first Twilight film…the first Harry Potter film….not as good as the subsequent films. Give this one a chance in hopes that it will also get better! If you do see it, I’d recommend not wasting your money on 3D- the retrofitting of the film to 3D didn’t add anything to it. And, after the movie, they asked us to recycle our glasses. I just paid $3 for these glasses- Ima gonna keep ‘em, thank you very much.

SPOILERS AHEAD!

Pros:
1) The look. I thought the cinematography was awesome. The look of the Northern Water Tribe city was Ah-ma-zing. Loved it.

2) The choreography. I’m not a martial artist, so I can’t speak about the technical aspects of the fights, but I was impressed with the look of the fighting/bending moves. Did I try said moves in an effort to bend my Diet Coke out of my cup and into my mouth? Heh. heh. no…ummm….of course not….that’d be silly…..right?

3) Noah Ringer.   He’s a dead ringer (ha! see what I did there?!) for Aang. The kid was awesome- especially in the action scenes. Some people are harshly criticizing his acting….ummm…it’s his first film. Ever. Rewatch Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and then watch Order of the Phoenix. Notice how the young actors improve with experience? I hope he gets another chance to bring Aang to life! Especially before he gets too old! 

4) Momo and Appa. I LOVED seeing these two lovable creatures brought to life! I really enjoyed hearing their “real” voices, as well. (The voice actor from the show reprised his role for the film. Yay!) I just wish they had more screen time.

5) Seeing Aang in the Avatar State. Squee!

6) Princess Yue- GREAT casting and costumes and makeup on their part- I loved her! She did look like the cartoon brought to life!

CONS:

1) THE FREAKING MISPRONUNCIATION OF NAMES!!!!!! Argh! Or, as it would be pronounced in the film, Uhrgh! They pronounce Avatar as “Auh-vatar” and Aang as “Ung” and Sokka as “Soak-ah” and Iro as “Ear-o.” I cringed every time I heard, “Ung.” Even a little kid in the theater stage whispered to his mom, “His name is AANG.” Yes, little kid. You realize that and yet M. Night is the one getting millions of dollars for his tin ear.

2) The overall lack of humor. Ok, so I know that they were trying to squeeze a whole season of an epically awesome show into 90 minutes (really?!? You couldn’t push for an extra 30??) so, some of the finer details and characters were not going to make the cut. I can understand that. However, when the characters you DO have don’t have the characteristics that make them who they are, you have failed. Sokka was way too serious. As was Aang. There was no child-like-happy-go-lucky-enjoy-life-to-the-fullest attitude in the little bald dude. Now, some blame it on the young actor and his inability to effectively emote. I blame the director- since most of the humor was zapped from the film, it only stands to reason that that’s the way M. Night wanted it. The kid did the best he could with the material he was given. Such a shame.

3) The choreography. Ok- I know I put this in the “pro” category, but there is one thing that had me wanting to yell, “Hurry it up already!” at the screen. It was the overall intolerable length of time and number of moves it took to bend any of the elements. Seriously- if you were dancing for 30 seconds to send a water balloon at my head, I would have gored you with my spear in my very non-bending awesomeness in a second flat. Did they learn nothing from Indiana Jones?

4) The way Aang wussed out at the end. Ok- so, you know how at the end of the first season when the Fire Nation attacks the Northern Water Tribe and the Moon Spirit is killed and then Yue gives her life back to the moon and then Aang, in the Avatar state, turns into this huge fish water/moon being and completely wipes out all of the Fire Nation? Yeah. That was awesome. In the movie, I can understand not having Aang turn into a giant fish monster- it’d probably not translate as well in live-action. However, the Dragon spirit drilled it into his head that, as the Avatar, he’s not supposed to hurt anyone. So, when it comes to totally demolishing the Fire Nation ships, what does he do? In the power of his Avatar state, he create a HUMONGOUS tidal wave that strikes fear into their hearts! You can see them futilely trying to turn the ships around before that colossal wall of water crushes them Moses and the Red Sea style. And then, right when you think they are going to be swimming with the fishes, Aang ever so powerfully, in all his Avatar rage, …..gently lets the water back down again. Without even getting them wet. Just the awe of seeing that huge wall of water was apparently enough to make a whole navy turn back home in fear and in need of new underwear. Waaah! Fire Lord Ozai! The Avatar nearly got some water on me! He’s so mean!

5) The exposition. Ok, again, I know it’s hard to condense a whole season into one film, but I think that M. Night tried too hard to do just that. Instead of showing us the plot and character development, he relied on a whole lot of expository speeches/voice overs to explain everything that we missed (or that we were currently seeing…or were going to see). He could have had a narrower focus and instead worked on character development. I knew these characters cared for each other and really grow up with each other; however, if I had never seen the show before, I probably wouldn’t have really cared or connected with them. Shame shame M. Night.

So, all-in-all, I didn’t think this film was as bad as a lot of folks are saying. I did like it, although it could have been better. The blame squarely lies on M. Night’s shoulders- he wrote, directed AND produced. Next time (I truly do hope there will be a next time!) I hope they get a director who will actually make a decent movie from the awesome source material he has to work with. (Seriously- for 3 seasons the kid’s name was AANG!!! NOT UNG!! Gah!)

*off to plan an Avatar related project*

A Balancing Act

Getting Your Life Back In Order 101
Professor: Gege Crochet

Hello Class!  At the end of this class, you will be able to:

* Find peace and balance and an over all Feng Shui for everything you ever dreamed about in your life

To accomplish this totally attainable and realistic goal, you will:

* Work all week at your money making job, taking on extra hours whenever possible to prove you are a dependable and good worker and to make up for hours taken while your family visited in the past couple weeks.

* Be an ever adoring and supportive wife to your husband who worked insanely crazy hours in the past two months and who truly does deserve an awesome home cooked meal most nights of the week, as well as some clean clothes sometime this month.

* Let your creative juices flow and bring to life the many projects that float around in your ADHD brain.

* Find time to exercise and lose those pesky 5 (or so) pounds you gained while not exercising in the last few months and eating desserts you would not normally eat while your in-laws were here to prove to them that you truly are an awesome cook and to make up for the time you smoked up their entire house trying to impress them by making Green Chile Enchiladas and Sopapillas during your first trip to meet them in a scene that would truly rival anything seen in "Meet the Parents."  (True story......*huge inhale*)

* Find time to exercise and lose those pesky 5 (or so) pounds you recently gained before going to the New Hope Film Festival at the end of the month to represent the film you made nearly 2 years ago.

* Find time to pick your jaw off the floor when you find you have been nominated for a Best Actress award for said film in the World Music and Independent Film Festival AND finding that your competition for said award include other "nobodies" like say, oh I don't know.... Dana Delany.  (!!!!)

* Party like it's 1999 when you find out you actually WON an Award of Excellence for Best Actress in a Feature Film at IndieFest. (EEEEP!!)

* Blog regularly like a good blogging blogger

* Sleep a solid 8 hours and always manage to look your best and never have to put your hair in a messy ponytail and do your makeup in the car on your way to work since your life is totally in order and completely full of Feng Shui.

* Understand and define "Feng Shui" and use it whenever possible in every aspect of your life to thoroughly impress blog readers. (I knew you were impressed!)

********************

I hope you enjoy this class this semester!  When you finally are able to keep your life in balance, and are able to Feng Shui the heck out of everything you ever do, please drop me a line!

No, really. Let me know how you did it.  I'll let you audit the class.  And maybe give you some candy.

Testing....Testing.....Is This Thing On?

Ok, Ok...so I pulled another 2 month disappearing act.  Honestly- I did not intend for this to happen.  I wrote a mock-up blog post 1 week after my last post explaining what happened (I wrote another one about 3 weeks ago as a "short" check-in, as well.....).  However, I wrote it at work (during my lunch break---- for reals) and then just never got to re-typing my extremely long post once I got home.  Then, one week turned into two...turned into 4.......turned into 2 months.  Just like a "short" hiatus from exercising tends to exponentially multiply after the first missed workout, so did my blog life.  And I got the obligatory 5 pounds on my butt, as well.  Perhaps it has something to do with a 2 month hiatus from the rest of my life, as well.

It started out one week after my last post with a surprise visit from my dad, one of his brothers and their friend.  They decided to do a 3 week drive across America to see all the sites (sights??), including DC which meant a 1-week's head's up that they were coming and wanted some homemade Green Chile Enchiladas when they got here.  (If you're from New Mexico, you understand.  If not, then I feel sorry for you.)

Well, as I told you oh.....2 months ago- my in-laws were coming in June and I had a mountain of cleaning up to get through.  Well, their trip has come and- as of this morning- has now gone.  It was a great trip and I'm truly sad to see them go.  We were able to get through *most* of the reorganization needed to get our house in tip-top shape.  Actually, I'm extremely proud of the amount of transformation our house went through.  I did need a blogging break to get through this since, well...blogging takes a heck of a lot of time!  This monumental transformation began over a month ago with my sister moving from our basement into an apartment with 2 of her friends.  Man- that was hard.  We had just celebrated her birthday (no Marilyn surprise from me this time....moving is hard work!) It was difficult leaving my baby sister many moons ago when I got married, but it was even harder to have her now move out into her own place.  I'll always be her older, overprotective sister and I truly do miss her.  She's only 30 minutes away and lives 5 minutes from our church, so I get to see her every week.....however, seeing her only once a week doesn't quite compare to every day of living with my best friend (second only to my Mister). 

In addition to this, one of my dad's brothers passed away and we were *thiiiiiiis* close to also losing his mother (my sole surviving grandparent) at the same time.  It was a tough month in Chez GegeCrochet.  To top all this off, I was dealing with some medical issues and was on a medication that made me a walking zombie.  Seriously- I had no motivation to do anything!  I haven't crocheted in over ONE MONTH!  WHAT??!?!?!  I KNOW!!!!!!  That's insane! That's how much this stupid medication impacted my life.  I was serious when I said I took a hiatus from life.  I'm happy to say that I am no longer on this medication (with physician approval) and am now looking forward to getting my life back into order.  I'm afraid my fingers are going to forget how to hold my beloved crochet hooks when I finally pick them up tomorrow.  (Yes- tomorrow......not tonight.  I'm posting and then am going to watch the new Alice in Wonderland with my Mister.  I saw it in the theater with my sister and absolutely L.O.V.E.D it!)

On the crocheting front, I finished one purse that had been ordered in March.  I started it in March and finished it 2 weeks ago.  I HATE this stupid medication.

Sadly, I have not finished my Cat Booby Bag- I have about 30 minutes of work left to finish it off and have been carrying it around in my purse for 2 months and have not had the motivation to finish it.  I FREAKIN' HATE this mediation.

My Mister and I also celebrated our anniversary in May which can be summed up with 2 days worth of shopping at Ikea.  I live near-ish 2 different Ikeas- one in Woodbridge, VA and one in College Park, MD.  We visited them both.  In 2 different days.  I don't know if I've ever mentioned this but, I do not like to go shopping.  Unless it is a craft/yarn store, a book store, or a grocery store, I really do NOT enjoy shopping.  I was raised doing drywall with my dad during my formative teen years rather than learning the fine art of shopping with my mom and sister.  I do not enjoy it, Sam I Am.....  However, my Mister and I were able to find some great deals on some furniture for our guest room just in time for his parent's visit.  It was also nice to spend time with my Mister who has been working crazy hours during the months of April and May.  I missed him.  Granted, we got to spend some quality time together for our anniversary when we received our copy of Mario Galaxy 2 for the Wii......look up awesome in the dictionary....you will find this game.  AWE-SOME.

Soooo.....to sum it all up.  April and May pretty much sucked.  However, there were a couple of bright spots and things are looking up.  My in-law's visit marked a turning point in this year.  I have a newly cleaned and semi-organized house in which I'll be able to start getting my life back in order.  My Mister is no longer working crazy hours and we now have our house all to our lonesome, which, even though I truly do miss my sister, I must admit is quite.....ummm.....enjoyable.  Teehee!

I am really looking forward to getting my hooks-on.  I have a couple of new projects brewing and can't wait to bring them to life!  That is good news indeed- it means that this STUPID MEDICATION is now out of my system. 

I'm back.  That means more frequent updates- I missed y'all!  Heck, I missed me!  I'm really hoping to actually finish some projects (heck....even starting some projects!!) and I can't wait to share them with you. :)  I hope your spring has gone a heck of a lot better than mine!  Thank the Lord it's summer!! :)

Until next time.....and I promise it won't be in August. ;)

Bag Lining- It's a Good Thing

So, let me start off by saying I FREAKIN' LOVE my new sewing machine.  It's a Brother XR-9000 and it.is.awesome.  It truly has made lining my bags so much faster than that machine-that-shall-not-be-named could ever dream of doing.  Seriously- I love this machine!  

I've been asked about how I line my bags and I even shot a video over a year ago.  It was supposed to be my first Martha Stewart-esque video that would guarantee my own show on DIY channel.  However, it was over 3 hours of raw video and, considering I did a very non-Martha boo boo by burning the skin off my arm while ironing (yes, seriously), I decided that I'd let Martha retain her mogul status.....for now.

I basically figured out how to line my bags by putting together bits and pieces of things I found on the internet as well as being a maverick on my machine and then learning from my numerous mistakes.  However, I've finally got a system that works for me and decided that still photos can work almost as well as a video in a "how-to" tutorial... 

Hello and welcome to Gege Crochet Living!  Today we'll be demonstrating how to line and finish crocheted and felted hand bags.  For our demonstration today, we'll be using this absolutely scrumptious bag that was crocheted from my pattern, soon to be found here at Gege Crochet.  Let's get started, shall we?

First, you'll want to measure your bag's length and width. You may need to jot it down to remember it; however, I need no memory aids and am able to quickly add 1" to each measurement for a 1/2" sewing allowance. I measure with a level since it will make a perfect outcome and I like perfect. Since this bag will have a flat bottom, I also make note of the bottom width (precisely 2.5" for this bag).

Find the midpoint of the flap and insert a magnetic clasp.  

Fold the flap of the bag down and find where to place the second half of the magnet on the bag, being careful to place it precisely in the middle of the bag.  You may need to refresh your memory of your computation by looking at your notebook; however, I wouldn't know this by experience.

To ensure a perfect fit for your lining, utilize a spare piece of newspaper and measure out your dimensions. Using this newspaper as a pattern, pin it to your fabric. Of course, ensure that the fabric is folded in half and that the bottom of the pattern is pinned on the folded edge.

Once you cut your fabric, iron it on the folded edge to make a crisp crease on the mid-line.  Then, measure out 2.5" for the bottom of the bag by ironing and creasing 1 1/4" on each side of the mid-line.

What's that?  Oh, no.  The measuring level is not upside down.  Your eyes are.

Now, fold over the top of the bag 1/2".  Iron and pin into place.  Repeat on the other side, as well.

If you are making a pocket, and let's face it, why wouldn't you? then, now's the time to get it ready.  Figure out the size that you want and add 2" to the width and 1" to the height.  Cut out your paper pattern and pin it to your fabric which is, again, folded in half, wrong sides together.

On the raw edges of the pocket, fold and iron slightly less than 1/2" and then fold over and iron an additional 1/2".  Pin into place. 

This is to ensure that no raw edges are seen, even on the inside of the pocket.  What use is a pretty purse on the outside if the pocket is ugly on the inside?  Could you live with yourself?  I thought not.

To ensure the lining for the handles is the perfect width, measure the handle attachments and multiply by 4.  Mine was 3/4" so I need a 3" width for my fabric.

Once again, use a paper pattern and cut out 4 pieces of fabric (I use a 6" length for a long enough tail to handsew to the bag.) Iron in half, then fold each side to the middle and iron again.

Fold the sides in and then fold in half and pin into place.

Now that all of the pieces are measured and pinned into place, we can begin sewing.

Starting with the handles, sew a straight line close to the raw side of the fabric.  Turn the fabric the other way and make another seam the same distance from the other edge.  If you are not making a decorative edge *snooty giggle* then this is all you need to do.  

If you are going to go the extra mile and make your bag perfect, then utilize one of the many amazingly awesome decorative stitches on your Brother XR-9000 and make a masterpiece.

 Repeat for all four handles. 

Insert the lining into the handles, fold over and sew together.  The handles are now ready to be pinned into the bag.

Now, repeat the decorative stitches along the pinned top edges of the bag lining.  

Next, get the pocket (if you are putting a label in your pocket, now is the time to pin and sew it into place).  Sew along the pinned edges with a matching color (I used an "invisible" thread).

Once the pocket is finished,  pin it to the lining (ensuring it is centered) and then sew with a contrasting color to the lining.

When the pocket is in place, fold the lining right sides together and pin along the sides.  Sew 1/2" along the edge.  You now have a lining for a flat bag.  However, since our bag has a bottom, we are not quite done yet.

Iron the side edges flat, snipping the folded bottom of the edge (where my fingers are in the photo) so that it will be completely flat.

Now, fold the bottom of the bag into a point at the side.  You will see the crisp edges that you ironed for the mid-line and the 2 1/2" bottom.   See how you can draw a straight line from the top of the first ironed edge to the other?

Pin the fabric down and sew a straight line from one top of the crisp bottom edge to the other.

This is what it looks like if you did it correctly.  If not, you fail at life.

Trim off the triangle tip.  You now have a lining for a more boxy shape.  Even though our bag has a more rounded edge, this shape works well for our purposes.

To make the bottom of our bag flat and sturdy, use a piece of plastic canvas and cut to the proper size. 

Place it in the bottom of the bag and pin into place.  Be sure to look at the outside of the bag to make sure it looks even.

Turn the bag inside out and pin the handles into place, as well. Take your time to ensure they are centered around the flap. Crooked handles do not a perfect bag make.

 

Begin hand sewing the bottom and the handles into place. Since felt is so thick and full of little woolly tangles, you merely need to catch some of the felt with your needle rather than go all the way through the bag to the front.  Yes, I am using a thimble.  My heart is made of stone, not my fingers.

Once the handles are sewn in, flip the bag right-side out again and pin the lining into place, ensuring that the pocket is centered with the flap.

Using either a matching thread or the "invisible" one used previously, sew the lining into place with a very basic running stitch.  Again, no need to go all the way through the bag- just be sure to catch some of the felt with your needle. 

I go around a second time to ensure a tight stitch.  Where the needle is up the first time around, it will be below the second time, making a solid stitch line all the way around.

The lining is now sewn into place- all that is left is sewing the decorative accessory to the front of the flap, both for a beautifying effect and to hide the magnetic clasp.

Voila.

I hope you enjoyed today's Gege Crochet Living.  Remember, sewing a lining into your bag is a good thing.

Know what else is a good thing?  My Brother XR-9000.  Did you catch that label?  Yep- totally full of win.