Compelled

I've been reading a lot about these two concepts, and thought I'd share.

Zero-Waste
Yes, I'm on the band wagon. I've been doing a ton of reading and I love the idea of making the transition to zero-waste in the next few years. I'd love to do it all at once, but I know it will be a transition, as we wear out our current stuff and replace it with zero-waste stuff. (sorry, I couldn't find a better word than STUFF)

Zero-Net-Energy
Ok, so its not going to happen in our current house, but in a few years, when we move, I'm going to have a new wish list, and going to look a lot closer at the energy efficiency of a home. I had no idea that homes were built so Inneficiently, and this website has so many ideas and suggestions for things we can do our current homes to improve it! Hurray! We're insulating our garage this week, and putting up insulating curtains in the kids room. I'll let you know when we see an improvement.

Any fantastic ideas that you've read about?

Problem Solved

I figured it out.

My mom is my bosom friend.

:) Now if only she lived closer.

Bosom Friends

I have found many kindred spirits in my years, but I realize that, as a married woman, it is very difficult to find a bosom friend. Perhaps its because my husband is supposed to be my only bosom friend (and he is, Oh, how he is), but I think it is more because it takes a lot of TIME to create the bond of a bosom friend, and I just don't have that kind of time to spend outside my home. I should clarify that I wouldn't want to spend that kind of time outside my home, away from my family. 

So does it just take years and years to develop that kind of friendship with someone? Is it impossible as an adult to have the types of friendships we had as children?

You know the kind, where you trust the other person with your deepest secrets, you share the stories of your life, they know the relationship you have with your parents, the dreams you have for your future, your fears and insecurities. The kind of friendship that doesn't end when you're busy, or it's late.

I guess I'm describing a marriage. :) And I don't mean for an outside friendship to infringe on the closeness and intimacy of a marriage, but really, can you have a BEST friend as an adult married woman?

Your thoughts.....

Unfinished project #2

This is a Christmas gift for Greg's sister, Janae. Pretty sure she doesn't read the blog, since she hasn't received this yet (I KNOW ITS MARCH!). It's an advent calendar, if you couldn't tell.

Each pocket is hand-stitched and embroidered and then hand-stitched onto the base. There is a ribbon behind the star for hanging, and there are strips of fusible interfacing behind each row of pockets in order to keep it hanging flat against the wall, then it's backed with another layer of green. I worked on it almost daily through the month of December and I did get all the pockets done by Christmas, but had a hard time deciding how to attatch them (I considered machine stitching it, but decided if I was going to do it, I was going to do it RIGHT). I just finished it today. It was actually a really fun project to work on and I hope she likes it!

Complete Project #1

I have a very short project attention span. If it takes more than a week, count me out. This couch project was started in August. Yes, August. it sat at various stages of completion for a month or two at a time.

The Process:

Step 1: Pick out all the seams of the back cushions to remove them from the couch. 

Step 2: Pick out all the zippers (I needed them)

Step 3: use a bread knife to slice through the middle of all the bottom cushions.

Step 4: cut new 2" high density foam to size

Step 5: Use spray adhesize to stick the new foam in the center of the old cushion. (you can see this in the picture below)

Step 6: Cut new cotton batting to size

Step 7: use spray adheisive to cover the bottom cushions in the new batting. (I did all the spray adheisive stuff out on the grass on a large drop cloth. And yes, I spent a good 30 minutes picking cotton batting off my fingertips afterwards)

Step 8: Make new covers for the cushions out of a large white sheet. (this is to protect the batting when the real covers are removed, and then put back on)

Step 9: Cut foam to the size of the back cushions.

Step 10: Cut new cotton batting to size.

Step 10: Adhear the foam on the back of the cushions and then wrap with new cotton batting all around.

Step 11: Make covers for the back cushions out of a sheet.

Step 12: (See! We're already on step 12 and we haven't even started the REAL covers yet! This is not my kind of project, I should have known this).  - Cut a bunch of 2" strips of white canvas on the bias and sew like 1,000 yards of piping.

Step 13: Make covers for the bottom cushions out of sturdy white canvas.

Step 14: Try them of, for fit.

Step 15: Realize that you totally made them about 1" too big all around (I'm not good estimating seam allowance).

Step 16: Pick out all the stitching.

Step 17: Do it over.

Step 18: Repeat with all the bottom cushions and top cushions except one (leaving out steps 15-17 for the last 3 cushions)

Step 19: Let it sit for a couple months, just mocking you.

Step 20: finally get around to finishing that last back cushion.

Step 21: cut out all the pieces for the couch base.

Step 22: lay it over the couch with the wrong side facing you and pin it all together.

Step 23: Sew, Sew, Sew (this part went surprisingly fast.

Step 24: put it on. ENJOY THE GLORY OF A FINISHED PROJECT.

This is what it looked like during the first stage: UGLY, and messy.

 and TA-DA!

For anyone thinking that this is a great DIY project, a few words:

1. only attempt this if your couch is really sturdy. Ours, though ugly, and about 25 years old, have a really strong frames which have lifetime warrenties.
2. if you don't have to, skip the insanity involved with re-doing all the cushions. this was, by far the hardest and longest part, but for us, makes all the difference.
3. Cost - redoing the cushions- about $80. Fabric & Piping: $100. Needles - like 50 (i broke a LOT).

All in all, I am so happy with it, and I am really proud of myself for finishing it, and doing it. This was my first attempt and I was really terrified of doing it without my mom (a master seamstress and upholsterer), and I DID IT! On to the next unfinished project!