Grrr

Someone tried a break-in again recently. This time they were actually in the building, and tried a crowbar to get into the storage area. I still hadn't heard from my landlord about whether he was making police reports, so I called the police non-emergency line to find out. They wouldn't tell me anything, and also wouldn't allow me to make the reports myself. Grrr. (It has to come from either the caretaker, who is half deaf and not super bright, or the landlord.)

So I called my landlord. He'd been away, and only just got back yesterday. He's leaving again for another trip. When I asked him if he'd made reports, he asked what the point was. Argh! Yes, I know there's not much that could be done, but they might send out more frequent patrols, or something. They *certainly* won't do anything if they don't know there's a problem!!!

He said he'd call the cops, and after he's back from his other trip, he'll do something about making the laundry room more secure.

Score!

I found this lovely piece of fabric in the remnants bin:

I think it will make a fantastic felted bag lining, or something. :)

(Yes, I was checking to see if there was suitable bag fabric in the remnants bin... but there wasn't, so I paid full price for the fabric for my brother's bags.)

Funny Sign

I love it when someone with a sense of humour gets to order the signs. :)

(Seen in a Phys Ed building at my university, while preparing for the final exam.)

Lessons Learned

Earlier this season, my brother commented that my reusable bags were really nice. I decided to make him a couple for Christmas. I finally had time to buy the fabric a week before Christmas, and washed the fabric that night at my mom's. However, I didn't end up having time that weekend to cut and sew the bags. I worked up to the 22nd, came down with a cold, went shopping with my dad on the 23rd, went to his wife's for Christmas Eve... and came home that night to bags that were still looking an awful lot like a wrinkled piece of fabric. So I started cutting and sewing.

Finally, shortly after 4:00 am, I had a Christmas gift ready:

(I bought 2m of fabric to make 2 bags, since cotton canvas tends to shrink a lot, but somehow still had enough fabric to make three bags. Bonus!)

Lessons learned:

1. Sewing takes way longer than I think it will.

2. Buy lots of thread... sewing takes way more than I think it will. (And stores aren't open at 3:00 am on Christmas morning.)

"I don't need to buy thread," I thought, "I have matching thread at home!"

It was true... I did have matching thread at home:

However, it ran out half way through sewing the top on the second bag. My back-up green was a greyish green, and looked plain grey against the lime green fabric:

So I tried a contrasting red that matched some of the design. Unfortunately, either my seamstress skills suck, or there was a reason the sewing machine only cost $100. The above photo is the wrong side. The right side looks rather worse:


(And here I thought I could sew straight lines on non-slippery fabric.)

Oh well... they're sturdy, and will carry groceries just fine.

Next time I promise to try to remember to buy extra thread.

Contest Alert!

Thread Therapy is having another give-away, this time for a lovely tea cup and saucer! The deadline is soon, though. (Sorry for not being more on the ball!)

Hee!

Hee! I saw a cute crochet pattern while perusing Flickr, and clicked on the pattern link. Google offered to translate it from Dutch for me... but I think it had a few problems. Here's a sampling of the translation:

1st round: 4 Handling (1st double stick), 19 double crochet dc in ring, consistent with a slip in the fourth single from unloading on April 1. You now have 20 stabbing. Times.

April Fools? ;)

I can haz warmth!

The winter coat I bought back in... oh... was it 1996? 1997? has finally reached the point where it looks like it belongs to a homeless person. (One with access to laundry facilities, at least.) It wasn't that bad at the beginning of the season, but the tears where the pocket corners join the jacket are getting ridiculous, and the cuffs are showing their age too.

A friend admonished me, for goodness sakes, not to buy a men's coat. She offered to take me shopping, but I had already arranged with my dad, since then it would be a Christmas present from him. (Actually, it was because I remembered seeing a nice selection at some places he took me before, and which were awkward to get to by bus... plus the possibility that the coat might become a Christmas present.)

Saturday I bought a ladies coat, although I had some misgivings. It was very fitted, and I'm not used to having winter coats being fitted. The salesperson convinced me that you don't *want* a lot of extra room, because then you had to heat all that air. However, there was *no* extra room, even though the coat was XL. I got several second opinions on Sunday, and decided that I wasn't going to be happy with the coat.

Today dad and I returned that coat, and went shopping in the men's department. (Sorry R!) I now have a men's size L down jacket. (M might have fit, but they were out of Ms, and S was definitely too small.) Dad and I were debating who I looked like more... I said the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man, but dad said the Micheline Man. (After googling the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man, it turns out he was fictional fictional, for Ghostbusters. I guess my dad never saw that movie.)

There were some nice looking coats in the women's department that fit, but they had polyester outer fabrics that were attracting dirt from well over a foot away (dad tested using a scrap thread he pulled off one), and, in addition, the fabrics didn't feel that durable. Why is it that only men are expected to need practical outerwear? *sigh*

Tomorrow, you may laugh when you see me, but I shall be warm. (Hmmm... I wonder if I'll still fit in a single bus seat?)

Pudgy Little Bunny

Gee... the bunnies look pudgier this time of year. ;) This one is cleaning up after the messy birds scattered their seeds. :)

The city bunnies definitely aren't jack rabbits... not only are they smaller, but their ears are much shorter. I think jack rabbits go white in the winter too.

Crazies In The Neighbourhood

Oooo! Another entertaining sign on the house down the street:

Looks like all the signs might be the result of a divorce gone bad?

I pity the new owner, should actually moving in prove problematical... but I'm happy for the neighbours of this nut. ;)

Latest Dishcloth

Given to a knitter friend who brings cookies and buys my pattern magnets. :)

Window Chili

Neato! My chili peppers are ripening from the tip down:

It looks rather festive, doesn't it?

Latest Dishcloth

Very happy!

New Handtowel

I still need to find and sew on a button, but other than that, I've finished another hand towel:

The previous ones I did haven't worn out, but they've gotten grungy from heavy use, and don't *look* clean even fresh from the wash. This one shouldn't have that problem, I hope.

I made it from a nice, thick facecloth, rather than cutting a hand towel in half.