Thursday, March 10, 2011

Show & Tell of a Newbie

So I'm having commitment issues with my novel. All the pieces are there to bring my rough first draft up to a semi-smooth second. Somehow I, the girl who settled down with her high school sweetheart, who makes tricky decisions in the flash of an eye, and believes decisiveness is a key to happiness, somehow I can't commit.

The plot is staying true to the first draft, more or less, but the characters are shifty. Something is missing, and until I pin it down, writing is a bit of an aggravation: little progress, lots of free writes and pondering.



This is why my new hobby is so extremely rewarding. Yes, it's March and I've only just finished my first project. But in only two and a half hours or so, I transformed a pile of fabric into a portable changing pad for the baby.



You see, I figured I would start with something that few others would really see. A changing pad seemed safe. And this handy version has a coordinated bag to hold diapers and wipes for the diaper bag, which together are about $20 on Amazon.. The pattern was in a wonderful book called One Yard Wonders. With the help of this book, I had a concrete finished product with no loose ends, edits, or nagging, fluctuating details. Plus I only spent about $5, thanks to my new stockpile of remnant fabric.

Not that it's perfect. My seams are crooked. At one point I ran out of thread on the bobbin.... but it's finished. And I taught myself (channeling my mother) how to use the machine. Hooray for finished projects.
I can return to my writing with renewed energy!

3 comments:

Bonnie said...

Creative project! Good start to a long sewing career! MOM

Anna Scott Graham said...

Very nice project!! It won't be long now...

Writing it one of those things that bumps and creaks at times. One thing I have found, and am dealing with at the moment, is occasionally a novel has its own mind, that no matter how meticulous the plotting (or not) characters veer away. It's the writing itself, that as typing occurs, words are formed that weren't quite planned. I tend to go with it, but at the time, it's somewhat vexing, yet, just one of those things.

Thinking decisive, precise thoughts for you! (But if they don't happen to make it, just wing it!)

Jess Falken said...

I love it!!! Great job... I need to get Delainey's dresses made very soon, summer is coming. My goal is to have a dress made by the time we come visit our new cousin! :) Sound like a deal?

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