Snap-close pouch class

I got up late. I put a load of fabric in the washer, soaked my sprouts (not looking good), and went downstairs to read for an hour. When I came back, I put the fabric in the dryer for 30 minutes while I read e-mail. Then I took it out, folded it lightly and laid it on the bed. I fixed breakfast and sat back down at the computer. Faye skyped me, and then we 'invited' Kurt. He tried to get William in by phone, but it was asking too much. We talked for an hour. I was late to the thrift shop, but it was worth it. There were lots of books to be shelved and they were bringing in more as I worked. There was also a sewing machine to be tested. The bookroom was a mess and I straightened it up some. I got 95% of the books shelved and I tested the sewing machine. It is a nice one that sells for $175 refurbished. But it came with accessories that go to a much older machine. Weird. Anybody need cams for a Touch-n-Sew? I worked an hour later than usual, then went home for lunch. I read a few e-mails. More ladies signed up for tonight's pouch class and I worried that I might need another tape measure. I cut 10+ kits from the tape measure, the batting and fusible interfacing. I also brought extra fabric in case some one was short. Michele came home about 5, and Chris a little later. Then it was time for me to go. When I got to the pedestrian bridge, I realized that I hadn't brought any of the extra tape segments in case someone came without signing up. Chris brought them down while I went back and we met outside the apartment building. I drove to the SPC, and one lady was there already. She helped me set up and then Lynae came. Between the three of us, we were ready quickly. We set up 5 machines for 10 people. Three brought their own machines, but only 8 came, so we had the perfect amount. Everyone had a good time, but not everyone finished. But they did help clean up. I went home and gave my sprouts their nightly soaking. I have three batches going now. Seems once the fruit flies find a batch, it goes down hill. Or vice versa. I think I'll make the sandwich and iron fabric dry until bedtime.

Out and about

I read for my full hour this morning, from 7 to 8. I had breakfast, skimmed my e-mail, showered and dressed. I sorted the recyclables and took them down to the bins. Then I gathered up my fabrics scraps, a quilt block, the blue dress and Chris' pants with the hole. I went to my car on post, drove to gate 17, parked, and took only the fabric scraps and block with me. I went to Dongdaemun to get more of the fabrics I recently used as quilt backings, but they were all gone. I did not find a wide fabric that really went with my purple and green quilt, but settled for a light blue V.B. as the best I could do. I also bought some for future quilt backings. I happened to see a few others that I couldn't resist. I also bought some ribbon to replace what I just ran out of. Then I wandered around just seeing what I could see. I bought some stretchy stuff to try out some patterns I made. I visited the Moda man. And then I went home, completely forgetting to visit the sock market. I drove over to gate 12. I took my dress and Chris' pants to the tailor shop. The owner said he could TRY to fix the pants. I wonder what TRY is going to cost me. As for the dress, he said the dress tailor was at lunch for the next 30 minutes. I was hungry so I asked where I could buy kimbap. He pointed down the street and said "At Rollin they have expensive kimbap but very good. " It turns out that it is a Japanese sushi place. After eating sushi and pickled garlic, I went back to the tailor shop. The dress tailor had me put on the dress and he made marks here and there. He admired the bag I was carrying and asked if I made it, which I had. So then I wandered home, passing an embroiderer on the way. I thought of having something sewn on a jacket for a gift, but I did not have a picture of what I wanted. I went home, and carried my fabric purchases back to the apt. I meant to wash it, but that didn't happen. E-mail happened. And searching the internet for the proper picture. And an early supper. I soaked more bean sprouts, this time in a smaller batch. I have thrown out 6 batches so far. I can only hope this one grows better. I washed the sprouters in bleach water to kill anything that might be hindering my sprouts. Michele came home and then Chris. He baked 12 chicken legs. It reminded me of the joke - what do you get when you cross a chicken with a centipede? Drumsticks for everybody! After putting supper away and chatting with the family (Michele starts the most interesting conversations now that she is taking political science courses), I finished up some audios, and re-wrote the instructions for the snap-close purses. What a chore that turned out to be. I was just going to amend what Melanie had done, but Foxit was so difficult to work with that I just re-did everything in Microsoft Word. Then I heard Chris set up an interview over Skype so I went out there. And just then his mother Skyped in. So he chatted until the call was disconnected. And for some reason it would not reconnect, so I called her back on my computer. She said my parents are coming to her house on Friday to Skype their dr and can talk to us before the appt. Well, now it is time to make the sandwich and go to bed.

First AFSC luncheon of this year

This morning Chris went to work. I woke up hearing him, but went back to sleep. I was having a dream about eating frosting. I felt badly about it, but it tasted so good I couldn't stop. Thankfully it was only a dream. I meant to make a wine bottle bag last night but fell asleep, so I cut my reading short this morning to leave enough time. I just grabbed a fat quarter and sewed down the side and across the bottom, I put a hem at the top, and tied it with a ribbon. After breakfast, a shower, and dressing, I took my dressed-up wine to post. I parked in front of DHL. There wasn't much parking left because Oktoberfest is taking up the back lot. I went up to the second floor. Mr. Kang was busy so I chatted with Mary and Cathy. Mary signed me in as her guest. Then I was able to give Mr. Kang the bottle and wish him a Happy Chusok. I shopped and greeted ladies I haven't seen since last spring. Chris came by to pick up his phone. I went to the bank to get money to pay Mr. Kang. His helper told me I could have one packet free and then Mr. Kang stuffed another 5 packets in my bag. He asked a nearby Korean woman to translate for him and he asked me if he could bring thread and needles to sell next month. Not sure why he was asking me, but I told him it was ok. Erin was selling embroidered quilts and other items that she had made. I talked to her for awhile. It seems she did not get the e-mail about uniforms at the thrift shop. Then it was time for the luncheon. Mary saved me a seat at her table. I have the best friends! Before we ate, there were announcements, and thankyou's and introductions. Oh, and raffling vendor prizes. We were the last table to line up for food, but there was plenty there. It was a Korean theme so I got kimchi, and japchai, and cooked cabbage and bulgogi. All very good. As we ate, a woman from the Cultural exchange center spoke to us and showed several short films about Korean history, language and current culture. Much of it was new to me and I hope they show these films every year. Did you know that the Korean characters mimic the shape of the tongue or lips used to make their sound? Here she is explaining a demonstration of a New Year's tradition. After the luncheon I gave Mary a ride over to the AnC so she and Cathy could do a quilt of valor. I went home to check e-mail and then work on my purple and green quilt. I put in green corners and replaced the red block. Then I spread it out to see if a piece of minki in my closet would be big enough for a backing. It was, but I found flaws in it. So I think I will go to Dongdaemun tomorrow to find a piece of V. B. fabric for the backing. I turned my attention to the yellow and purple blocks from a block swap almost three years ago. I had 19 blocks, so I made one more. Then I laid them out and decided to sash them, but not sure yet in what color. I had some leftover bison for supper and then watched a movie in my sewing room. It was called Winch. It was in at least three languages (English, French, and Serbian) so I did not follow all of it. There was time to take one last look at e-mail before bed. I read that the FDA wants to make supplement testing so rigorous and expensive that most will be taken off the market. I wanted to e-mail my congressperson but the system will not take an APO address.

Chusok - Korean Thanksgiving

I asked Chris to set the alarm for 7 so I could get up and read. But when it came time to get up, I stayed in bed. It was almost 8 when I arose to make breakfast. I read a little e-mail, but there wasn't much. I showered and headed to post. Cathy was already at the SPC when I arrived, which was good since she has a key to the building which is closed for Chusok. She had a new pattern for baby quilts that is easier to cut and easier to sew than the checkerboard style that we use now. It is basically a large, elongated 9-patch. If you cut three coordinating fabrics at once and swap pieces, you get three kits, each slightly different. So we pulled out a lot of fabric packets and started cutting kits. We made several just to see it in action. Quick and easy. I guess I should have taken a picture. At 11:30 Chris picked me up. We went to Ichon station and took the train to Chungmuro, and line 3 to Gyongbukgang palace station. We were to meet Jin Joo at exit 1. We were early so we looked for the restroom. Unfortunately there was only one, and it was behind the turnstile where you pay to go in. Chris got a text changing the exit to #5. So we walked back through the station to exit 5, passing through two art galleries. Art galleries in a subway station? Ok. Jin Joo was waiting for us. I had visions of walking through a park, but she took us through the palace museum which was open and free today (at least it had a bathroom). She was able to explain all the Korean writing next to the displays. From there, we went outside. We walked north to a park, but ended up spending most of that time sitting on a bench talking. As we walked back, we passed a statue of a phoenix and some people. Jin took us on a walk to find an open restaurant which was no easy task. Finally we took the subway to Sindorim to D-Cube mall. She said it just opened last week. We went to the 4th or 5th floor to a Korean restaurant. She ordered the chicken stew. I would not describe it as spicy, but there were a few peppers that definitely qualified. The meal opened with a water kimchi that was cold and refreshing (mostly flavored water with a few pieces of radish floating in it). We also had bowls of rice. She insisted on paying. Then she took us into the basement to see the organic market and the Food court. It was very interesting. There was a station set up for making tofu, but no one was demonstrating the process. There was a self-serve sushi bar. The organic market had lots of imported foods, probably expensive. All of the department stores I saw were labeled in English or French. Everything was shiny and new. When it was time for her to go home, she escorted us to the subway and we parted company. We took line 1 to Seoul station, and line 4 to Ichon. We got my car and parked it in the lot by our gate. We stopped at a shoppette and bought a bottle of wine as a Chusok gift for Mr. Kang and a case of beer for Chris. When we got home, Michele wanted to know why there were pictures of us on Facebook in places she hadn't seen. Jin had uploaded her already! I sat on the couch and slowly fell asleep. It was after 9 when I roused myself to post to this blog. I hope the pictures are in order, but now that Blogger doesn't give me the html when I load pics, I have less control over where the pictures go.

Almost finished with this one

Chris got up at 12:30am to play with the voices. At least, he said he did. I did not wake up. Michele got up, too, but went back to bed because it was a mod that she had already played. I had asked Chris to wake me at 7. That turned out to be the time he came to bed! So, while he slept, I read in the courtyard. I forgot to time it, but app. an hour later, it began to rain, so I came in. I had breakfast and then Chris and I showered. No wink, wink, we had to get to church on time. He was the reader for the day. We had a bet on the sermon. I said it would be about 9-11 and he said it wouldn't. Well, it was about forgiving, and 9-11 was referred to many times. So who won? After church, there were snacks in the fellowship hall. But no kimbap, just doughnuts and cookies. The kimbap maker was closed for Chusok (Korean version of Thanksgiving). The pastor's wife told me that sometimes Korean families will take in an English-speaking girl to help their kids learn English. Whoo-hoo! Free room and board if Michele can find one of these families. Then we went to the commissary for groceries. In addition to not having organic tomatoes, spinach, and carrots, today they did not have Organic cheddar cheese. Where are all my favorite items going? Is this how they plan to get rid of me? Ok, so we took our food home. Chris told me on the way home that he wanted to surprise me with a trip to a park tomorrow (Chusok), and the organist at church wants to guide us there and take us to lunch. Sounds great to me, but what about quilting tomorrow? Back at the apt, Michele helped to put the food away while I changed out of church clothes. I went into my sewing room to clean it up for a student, but I ended up doing more sewing than cleaning. However, she was late so I did finish. She wanted to make a zippered pouch so we worked on that for two hours. While we were working, Romaric came over. Chris made two frozen pizzas for supper. They were eating when the lesson finished. I sat and watched them eat. Then I had a hard-boiled egg and some leftover bison with kimchi. While they gamed, I finished the border on the green and purple quilt - all except for the corners. Should they be red, or green? Now I am ready to brush my teeth and go to bed. I get to use my new toothpaste. It is made of organic ingredients and comes in a small jar like cold cream. Instructions say to brush, then swish for up to 15 minutes, and then swallow. It is also a calcium supplement.

Working in the sewing room

I read for an hour this morning, finishing the book. It is called "Stumbling on Happiness". The author talks about all the ways our brains make us remember past events and predict future events as happier than they were/will be. Then I spent the day alternately sewing and reading e-mail. This week in e-mail the emphasis has been on the upcoming pain relief summit, and the dangers of mercury in dental fillings. In the sewing room, I made patterns for a dress and a top. I actually tried out the one for the top, shown here. I hope to have time (and material) to try the dress pattern. I tried on the dress I picked up yesterday. With Michele's help I realized that it is too big around the waist. I really should take it back and insist that it be altered. But I don't like confrontations and have other things I would rather do. I figured out what border would be appropriate for the purple and green quilt. I have been assembling it and I hate to stop, but it is bedtime. Chris and Michele played with the voices this morning, and have been watching webisodes of a show about gamers. At 1am they plan to play with other voices. I would ask how anyone can spend so much time on the subject of gaming, but then I could easily spend twice that on sewing if I had no other responsibilities.

The Dress

Because the room is so dark, the day light did not wake me up. It was almost 8. So I read until
9, daring the rain to stop me. But it held off until I finished. Then I had breakfast and perused e-mail. Cathy called once and I called her once. My phone died and I put it on the charger. I sent an e-mail to the Pfaff man to get our parts back, and I got an e-mail from the Community Connections that we are not eligible to advertise in "A Glance at Yongsan" for free. Bummer. It is just an e-mail they send out, wouldn't cost them anything to add a few lines. And we are a community service, a not-for-profit group. About 2:45 I pushed myself away from the computer and went to Itaewon to pick up my dress. It was raining lightly on and off. I sat in the store while we waited for the tailor to come. He had my dress in a bag. I tried it on, and both the tailor and the proprietor told me how good it looked. See for yourself, but I think it makes me look older and wider. This man is the tailor and he only makes ladies clothes. I was assured that he is the best. The dress seems a little big to me but he said a dress made of silk should not be tight. The proprietor put the dress in a suit bag to keep it clean and dry. I took it home and hung it in the closet. When Chris came home, he saw it and was concerned that I wasn't too happy with it. When I complained that it made me look older, he said I was older. Do I slap him now or later? He made bison for supper and since Michele wasn't home, we used that time wisely ;) Chris said he was surprised that I ordered such a plain style of dress. He couldn't verbalize what he had in mind, so I got out my dress patterns to show him. I was inspired to make another dress, but this time it would be like the red one I showed the tailor, which he (the tailor) talked me out of. We ate supper and then Michele came home. I made another purple and green block and added my 4 new blocks to the quilt. Now is it finished, or does it need a border? I put on a movie called "Wake" in my sewing room. I ironed the dress pattern and cut out the pieces. Then I did some measuring. According to my measurements and the measurements on the back of the pattern envelop, I need to make a size 18. Can that possibly be true? This is why I gave up making clothes from patterns. In the past I have made the large size indicated and then it was too big so what is a person supposed to do? At 10 Chris got a call from an interviewer for a job in Washington. He did not think it went well. Now I think I am ready for bed.