Friday, June 17, 2011

Don't You Hate It...

...when you go to the trouble of pressing your fabric, sorting your threads, finding your pattern(s). You pull out your calculator and do your calculations to figure out how much margin to leave. You wonder why in the world the shop cut your fabric wrong and only left you 1.5 inches of margin on two sides?! And you grumble and curse under your breathe and vow you won't order from them again...

And you start your project anyways and you progress slowly. And it suddenly dawns on you that you aren't using 28count fabric but 32 count. So you did the calculations wrong. Which means you really have more margin than you thought. And you feel bad for all the grumbling and cursing and realize you're the stupid one who started the project in the wrong spot. Ack!

I wonder if I should rip out what I've done. But I'm stitching with red and red doesn't remove so easily. Perhaps I should live with my 1.5" margin on one side. I doubt I'd frame it anyway as I see this project as a wall hanging anyways. But it really bothers me that I have a tiny margin. I think I need to get over it.

***

I've lost 2 followers. Was it the acupuncture? Or the random thoughts? Or my online dating bashing? Or slowness in stitching? I always wonder. To those who are followers. THANK YOU! I appreciate my readers and the comments more than you know.

***
In case anyone was wondering, I went to Costco after my last post. A single person really has no business going to Costco. That place is ridiculous! Everything is huge! But I have enough wine and frozen chicken to last me the next three months. Hey! Don't judge...a girl has to eat and drown her sorrows/anger once in a while.

But, never fear! I got my nails done yesterday and it was heaven. I'll take a photo with my new sandals so you all can see over the weekend.

***
For those who are following the acupuncture, the second session went well. I got more needles this time. Head, ears, stomach, hands, shins, ankle, feet. I didn't find it very relaxing this last time. There was a sicky in acupuncture coughing all over the place. He was distracting. I think he interfered with the acupuncturists chi as she was switching out linens and disinfecting once he left. Good to know they do that though. She seems to take positive energy very seriously and he had negative sicky energy. She won't be in on Monday and I will have to miss a whole week of acupuncture. My ears are still popping though so the needles in the ear didn't help me much this week.

***
Today, I felt spontaneous (i.e. bored) and I tried to corral a friend to go out with. I've decided that everyone is boring because I couldn't find anyone who would leave the house! This making friends business is too slow (and hard) for my taste. And I'm very impatient! And I want to go out and have fun.

Instead, I went to my union meeting (13 furlough days to contend with), came home and almost crashed the car because the painters were parked in my parking spot in the garage (nice of them to let me know!), and then went for a 2 mile walk, got dinner and have been on the computer since. At least I got a walk in.

***
I forgot to tell you all that I did my first volunteering bit last week. It was an event to sort art supplies for a school program. My task was to measure out 10 yard lengths of black yarn and tie each into a little bundle. I got to play with yarn! Who knew doing that was so tiring. By the end of my two hour stint, I was too tired to go to the social gathering afterwards. I am seriously out of shape! =D Everyone was really nice though and I had fun playing with yarn and chitchatting with my partners in yarn. I signed up for another event next week...food bank. I'm looking forward to it.
***
This weekend should be mellow. I am trying to decide between a movie matinee or stitching group tomorrow. I have dinner plans with a social group in the evening and Sunday is Father's Day. Time to hang out with my dad and get some laundry done. My dad is 82 and is having cataract surgery on Wednesday. It you have some good thoughts to spare, it would be much appreciated.

Happy weekend folks! TGIF!

Until next time...

24 comments:

Gabi said...

What a misfortune with the fabric. I wouldn't frog it if I was you. Red often leaves these marks behind. In case of need you always can sew some fabric on it for framing.

Sylvia said...

I would try frogging a little bit and see if it really leaves behind a lot of residue - sorry about the fabric mishap.

I am not sure if I am follower, but I can't sign up - it keeps timing out - strange.

Have a good weekend

Margaret said...

I'llsend good thoughts for your dad's surgery--hope it goes well. I've definitely done things like that with fabric and miscounting and all. Bleach. Hopebthe acupuncture helps more--too bad about sucky and missing the next apt.

Hazel said...

Oh crumbs Valerie. How much have you actually done? If you frog it then you wouldn't see it anyway once it is matted and framed. It's up to you doll but you have to be happy with it. Re followers... It happens to me too but I have had to delete a load of people on mine as I had reached my 300 limit so I needed to make room for more. I only chose people who never ever comment or folks that hadn't posted in months - not you!! Don't get too hung up about it. There are plenty of us out there that love you dear. xx

Catherine said...

Don't worry, there's still plenty of fabric to work with for a frame if you wish - there just won't be as much space.

How disturbing the coughing person must have been!!

I have lost a follower a time or two along the way - I wonder for a bit what it was that made them go.

Hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Carol said...

I wouldn't worry about the fabric or the followers, Valerie. We all lose followers now and then--sometimes I think it is just people who have shut down their blogs... I'd be worried about frogging the red, too--I'm sure the small margin will work out for you however you decide to finish it.

Sending good thoughts for your dad--I need them for mine, too. He is in the ICU as of last night :(

Branlaadee said...

People come and go as followers. Sometimes they just delete their accounts and it makes them disappear.

Great job with the volunteering! Are you going through some type of group or something? Why is it different each time? Do you get to pick?

I hate when sick people show up in public places. :( Hopefully he kept himself covered while coughing.

Theresa said...

I hate frogging!!!! Have been doing that a lot lately since I couldn't count right!!!!!! If you think you can work with the small margin,I would say just leave it.

Don't worry about the follower, it might be a blogger thing, since they are having so much trouble lately. I love to read your bubbling~~

Best of luck with your father's surgery. I would be thinking about him.

Giovanna said...

Hey, I'm not a follower on any blog because I use Google Reader to subscribe to those I like (including yours), so you have at least one more reader than you think :-)
All the best for your dad's surgery.

Barbi said...

Well I love all your random thoughts and your acupuncture stories and everything else about your blog, so I read it everytime you have an update :)
ARGH about the fabric. I've done that and still managed with a tiny border but like Gabi said, you can add fabric to it for framing etc.
My mom had her cataracts removed a couple of years ago at 75, and she came thru with flying colours, the drops are the only pain in the A$$ afterwards, but they aren't painful. So I know your dad's going to do great with is surgery as well. Mom was amazed at the colors of everything when she had her's removed.

Pumpkin said...

I'd leave it too. Having a 1.5 margin is still okay. I'm sure it will work out fine.

No one knows why people come and go but the main thing is, your long time Followers are still here :o)

Have a great weekend with your dad!

aprilmecheelesdulllife said...

I am still here!!1 I like all your post. Don'y worry about why people leave. Hope your dad's surgery goes well !!! Will accupunture work on weight lose? That is what I am going to check into next.. lol

Jackie's Stitches said...

I have had followers come and go. It's doesn't bother me but I do wonder why. My blog isn't devoted to any one thing so maybe that is one of the reasons?

I read your post below about being single forever. Thankfully that guy showed his true colors up front. It would have been awful had he not and you had devoted some time to him.

Myra said...

Sending thoughts and prayers for your father. I would live with the small margin on the fabric - that sounds exactly like something I would do. :o)

Anonymous said...

Hoping all goes well for a fast recovery for your dad.

Hope you have a great weekend. :)

Carol R said...

I've lost some followers too and the only needles I mentioned were stitching ones!
Congratulations on the volunteering.
Good luck to your dad for his upcoming surgery- I will be thinking of him!
[[[Hugs]]]

Valerie said...

I was cringing as I read the beginning of your post! I can only imagine what you were feeling once you realized you were stitching on 32ct!! Don't feel bad, I have done the same thing more than once!

Don't worry about losing followers...I used to get upset if my followers number went south. Then I realized that I cannot control everything (unfortunately!) and I am not going to lose sleep over number. 'Cause if you think about it, we are stressing about people WE DON'T EVEN KNOW! I like to think that the people who stop following are the ones who hit the delete button accidentally...at least that is what I tell myself!

I hope the acupuncture continues to be a good experience. My best friend uses acupunture and she swears by it!

Lainey said...

Sorry about your fabric mishap. Sending good thoughts that your Dads surgery goes well.
Some of my followers have disappeared recently too.

Melanie said...

At least you figured out what count it was fairly quickly. I'm beyond awful at keeping any notes or organization to my linen and just 'wing' it most often. (And yes it does get me into trouble sometimes. lol)

Hope your Dad's surgery goes well!

Siobhán said...

Agh on the frogging and the mess up on the fabric! Been there, done that, got the t-shirt!! :P

I have had that happen numerous times with followers. Like Valerie said, you can't control everything. I can only blog about what I'm doing, and if I get more people--I love it. If I lose some people--there's nothing I can do other than what I'm doing. I'm being me, so--?? I come to your blog for the friendship and to see what's going on in your life. If you share stitching pics, great. If not, that's fine, too!

Prayers and good thoughts being said for your dad.

barbara said...

Enjoyed your post very much - it felt kind of like sitting down together for a cup of coffee. Or a glass of one of those bottles of wine you got at Costco. ;)

Sally said...

Well I love your randoms and your tales of acupuncture:)

Well done on the volunteering.

I hope your Dad's surgery goes well.

I hate it when you find you haven't measured properly!

Julie said...

Well done on the volunteering, who would have thought it would involve yarn!!

Meari said...

How do you know you lost 2 followers? I follow you on Google Reader, and as you can tell I get wayyyyy behind on reading.

I volunteer as a literacy tutor, when they find me students. How do you find volunteering opportunities?

I've mostly stopped asking people to go do things (esp my BFF) because they're always "too busy". Pffttt! I need new friends, too. I figured out years ago that if I want to go/do/see anything I may as well plan on going alone, otherwise I'd never be doing anything. LOL And hey, I'm OK with that!