Out of Oil and Miss Mustard Seed

UGH!  I hate it when you are all set to start a project -- you've overcome the borning, tedious planning dread and you're ready to dive in and get it done -- when out comes a dark cloud to rain on your enthusiasm.  That dark cloud today was my lack of sewing machine oil.  We had to drain the Juki's oil to move it and I forgot to go buy more immediately...like I initially planned (have I mentioned how much I love this machine and don't understand how people who sew more than twice a year don't have one?!  I got mine here for $600...some assembly required).  You absolutely cannot sew without oil in your machine and thankfully I remembered as I filled the first bobbin.

Yes, I have a regular home sewing machine (Bernina 1008, 2nd favorite machine) that I could use, but it sews soooooo much slower, has a weird zipper foot compared to the Juki, and would probably take me just as much time to sew with that machine as it does for me to just wait and go to the industrial sewing machine store tomorrow. 

What am I sewing you ask?  Well, I was going to finish adding the blackout lining to Dexter's curtains for his new room and I was going to start on 50 of the 100yards of piping I need for the slipcovers I am making for the couch.  Making that much piping is the boring part of the project and I was so proud I had talked myself into it and was ready to start tonight while Sander watched Dexter.

Today I was put on "rest" by the midwives as this new baby is sitting a little low, and with my history of contractions and quick labor, they want me to take it easy till at least 37 weeks.  That's only 3 weeks away (!!!), so it shouldn't be a problem.  So tonight I just sat on the floor, ripped up dropcloths, and got the basic peices set up to sew this weekend.

My friend Shelley just told me about the Miss Mustard Seed Blog and now I am obsessed with chalk paint (not chalk board paint, chalk paint) and using bleached, canvas dropcloths to make slipcovers.   So much so that a few nights ago I dreamed I went to Anthropologie and they were selling chalk paint packaged with dyed drop cloths...the ideal combination for my recent obsessions.  It morphed into a dream about shoplifting...not sure what happened there...but I have obviously been thinking too much about these projects.
I have put my paint dreams on hold until after the baby comes, but these slipcovers will probably be made this weekend.  I am waiting on the high-end blackout fabric to arrive from one of my favorite budget on-line fabric shops (fabric.com) to make our bedroom curtains.  Our window faces east and the morning light is way to intense for me to trust these curtains to the stuff I found at JoAnns.  Once that arrives, those curtains move to priority #1.

Is my house fully unpacked yet?  Has all the clutter found a home?  No, and no.  But these projects are more fun and, I feel, more satisfying. = )  I'll keep you updated!