Delays, delays ...

I would love to be able to say that I have the muslin cut out and sewn together, but I can't. I was temporarily stumped by part of the layout. As I said before, the sleeves are on the bias. Lisa very nicely sent me a note with some advice on bias sleeves, including the tidbit that I should lay the pieces out at right angles to each other to preserve the drape. She sent me info from Roberta Carr (I later found the same info at Pattern Review) that has some lovely information in it. But for some reason, I was having problems seeing how to place the bias pieces at right angles to each other and still have them both remain on the bias. It took reviewing the Marcy Tilton article in Threads and actually seeing that (hear the "DOH!" I muttered to myself?) the pieces are laid on a single layer of fabric. It is not the Front and the Back pieces that are at right angles, but the left front and the right front that are done so. Same with the back sleeve pieces. So, brian block is over and I can get cutting now ...

How did I get around the block when each time I read the note, and sketched I kept seeing the same thing? By ignoring the cutting table and then re-arranging part of my workshop to allow me to bring in a TV and DVD player. I also moved my tabel back against the wall to give me floorspace. Now I can do my Pilates and attempt my new Yoga workouts in my shop. The goal is to do a workout prior to any sewing work once each day. That way I can't avoid the workouts due to toy placement on the rec room floor by the kids. After all, what kind of mother makes her kids destroy the forts built in front of a TV they can't watch (due to no cable hook up ;)) when I can just not work out, right? So, now the TV and DVD is in the corner of my workshop. I can now listen as I work at night and do a workout in the morning before I do any sewing/cutting. The problem now is that I have to do some serious vaccuuming and then buy a new one of those little drawer units to hold all the zips, elastics, trims and such that were sitting on the floor in a pile. And I have, unfortunately, rediscovered the mending pile ... not that I will let that stop me on the coat! It must acclimatize to its new location, right?

I'll post a photo of the new layout once I finish cleaning it up a bit more. Another advantage of the new layout is that I get to look up and see the kids' artwork while I sew!

The buzzer has gone off, so I must go and punch down the dough as the monkeys (supported by the Pilot) have asked me to make some cinnamon buns for their breakfasts this week. Then, while they are rising again, I'll go to the store ...