Still working on cleaning out the house. What a collection of junk we've accumulated in 13 years! And never realized what a pack rat W is! It goes like this: W: "We should go thru those cookbooks and clean out the ones we don't use" Me: "okay, good idea, we have a ton and only use a few". So I drag a chair over to the fridge, climb up, still can barely reach the books with my little stumpy arms, and start pawing thru them. I pull out a book on Hungarian cooking - yes, Hungarian, who cooks Hungarian? Goolash. Done. So I hand the book to W to put in the Salvation Army box. W: "I didn't know we had that. Why don't we ever cook anything out of it?" Me: "Because its Hungarian and nobody cooks Hungarian, especially me". W: "Well, it might be interesting, put it back". So I climb down from the chair, drag the chair back to the table and to upstairs to cull thru 80's clothing. I just don't think his hearts in this.
We did manage to get through about a filing drawer of old junk and I threw away papers from as far back as Franklin Road. But the Pack Rat return and wouldn't let me toss closing paper on houses we lived in 25 years ago. I think I may have mentioned his attachment to old stuff?
AND he hurt his back. He can't move, has to go to the doctor tomorrow, he's been taking K's old muscle relaxers all weekend, so he can't drive. He can't bend over and can't lift anything. Cleaning out the storage unit presents a problem without him. It's all his junk, I'd've tossed his wagon, bent fence pieces and broken doors years ago. But no, the Pack Rat reigned.
We signed the lease for K's appt yesterday, but they're a little hosed up in move in time, we won't get him in until Thursday or Friday, we really needed him out sooner. Hopefully we can get the Salvation Army in here on Tuesday.
Haven't heard from our carrier yet, so we're behind on that schedule.
I met the new owner this morning, I think she's been stalking our house. She's met the neighbors, scoped out the bus stops, scouted out the budding flowers in the back yard. I'm a little creeped out, frankly.
I hate moving.
On to sewing. I joined the June Capsule sewing contest. In a capsule, 4 items and 1 accessory, 1 may be purchased, one may be sewn before June. At least one top and one bottom. All must go together, including the accessory. oh, and NO BLACK!!! Yikes. I think my plan is:
Use the skirt in process for my "sewn before June". It's from a Mills Creek remnent in mauves, taupes, tans and greens from G Street in Potomac Mills.
Use a white shirt for the "purchased"
Make a top with the color of the skirt
Make another skirt to wear with the top and the white shirt.
I think I'll try a belt for the accessory, as I think the skirt needs one. Or I may do some beading if I have time.
If time allows, I'll make another top instead of using the white purchase one, we'll just have to see.
I've never done any kind of sewing competition, nor any kind of coordinated sewing, so (sew?) this is a big step for me. Pretty sure I nothing in my stash that will work for these, so I'll have to (get to?) go shopping for a couple of coordinating pieces.
This does push back my self imposed mini PJ swap. I already have the fabrics for the 2 tops for this. I need get two more for bottoms or use the rest of the knits for short bottoms if I have enough left over.
In my cleaning out, I found - and kept - a calendar my mom used briefly as a diary. It was for the year I was married. I won't get sobby about the point that the only mention of this was on the date: "B's Wedding", my point was more painful. She had a series of entries about sewing: "looked for patterns", "found fabric", "finished cutting", etc. At the end: "finished E's dress. She doesn't like it. NEVER AGAIN". Someday, my friends, we'll have a talk about my sister. And then about my cousins. Mom had cancer during this period and frequently felt ill. She died about 3 years later, and this dress was likely the last thing she ever made. I know I took her machine even before she died, she told me I could have it, she wouldn't be sewing anymore.
Well, now that I've cheared you guys up....on to other pursuits
Let's take a look at the awesome directions. This is the page where they get you started. Couple of things of interest. You are directed to NOT trim the border from the pattern, to lay the rough cut piece on the fabric - note that you may have to overlap these edges - and then cut the pattern and fabric together. This is the way my mother taught 
me to do it and the way I've always done it. And still do. They also tell you to run a basting thread down the center of each piece and not remove it until the garment is complete. That was a new one for me. I also noticed that the instructions were much more detailed, none of the modern "next, sew it together" stuff. But at the same time printed smaller
and on fewer sheets. For the dress and coat it's 
only 2 sheets, front and back. 
