I typically have a bit of extra time on my hands when we arrive at a new post. Basically, I'm starting over with no commitments, free to make new choices that will fill my days. It's a great time to build new friendships, get familiar with the grocery shopping, and just settle in.
This is the first post I've come to where I have a job waiting for me. I did the interviews over the phone and was fortunate to be offered a position before arriving. I gave myself one month after arrival before I would begin. I'm coming up on the last few days of an open schedule before that job begins.
I feel like I've had more time at this post. We are down to one child home, which feels extremely different. She's been involved in after school sports, so that leaves me with lots of hours to fill during the day. Our apartment is the smallest space I've lived in for a long time, so it doesn't consume my time keeping it clean.
I've tried to be very purposeful in how I use my time. I feel comfortable with the grocery stores in my area. I have a handle on Elena's school and classes. I can get around on all means of public transportation and am just waiting for our car before I begin driving. I've organized and bought shelves and feel ready for our HHE to arrive. I've even painted our entire apartment.
Last spring I began getting itchy to get my sewing machine out. There wasn't time, and I didn't have a project to work on, so instead, I decided to pack the machine in our air shipment, buy some fabric while home, and use my extra time before working to begin a few projects.
I've been having a blast. I've made two skirts for work and began a quilt.
I have this silly little goal, to make a quilt from each country we live in. Of course I have quilts that look traditionally American, I have one I made from fabrics I collected on our trips to Africa and I have one 3/4 finished from New Zealand. The squares for my Colombia quilt are waiting for inspiration. While in Russia, I purchased some inexpensive scarves to make a quilt out of.
I got together with a few of my mom's friends, whom I knew made beautiful quilts. We looked at the scarves, and discussed patter and color options. Then my mom and I went to the quilt store and picked out fabrics. The clerk was wonderful, she came up with some color ideas that I fell in love with!
So, I've been making a quilt top. In typical Kris fashion, I packed the sewing machine and scissors in the air shipment, but didn't think of all the other tools I would need to cut out a quilt. So I've had to be creative. I've made patterns out of paper, figured measurements on the computer, and used the groves in the tile to make sure I'm keeping my quilt square. I've found odds and ends around the house to use as straight edges and right angels. Overall, it's been fun to improvise, but in the future I'm going to make sure I pack the correct tools.
Fortunately, I am not a perfectionist. There are some problems with my quilt that would probably drive some people nuts. The first is that I should have stabilized the scarf. It changes shape and dimensions and is very hard to correctly cut. I will definitely stabilize the next scarf. The other problem is that I sort of winged the pattern. There are a few places where I should have just had one large strip of fabric filling a space, but instead I have several strips pieced together. Not ideal, but it is a quilt, after all.
So I've been having a blast with my sewing machine on these hot humid days. I will be putting it away in the next few weeks and have no idea when I will find time to sew with abandon again. I've treasured these creative moments and am glad that I will have a fun project to look at as a result.
 |
| Using crazy household objects as straight edges |
I feel like I've had more time at this post. We are down to one child home, which feels extremely different. She's been involved in after school sports, so that leaves me with lots of hours to fill during the day. Our apartment is the smallest space I've lived in for a long time, so it doesn't consume my time keeping it clean.
I've tried to be very purposeful in how I use my time. I feel comfortable with the grocery stores in my area. I have a handle on Elena's school and classes. I can get around on all means of public transportation and am just waiting for our car before I begin driving. I've organized and bought shelves and feel ready for our HHE to arrive. I've even painted our entire apartment.
 |
| Cutting the scarf |
I've been having a blast. I've made two skirts for work and began a quilt.
I have this silly little goal, to make a quilt from each country we live in. Of course I have quilts that look traditionally American, I have one I made from fabrics I collected on our trips to Africa and I have one 3/4 finished from New Zealand. The squares for my Colombia quilt are waiting for inspiration. While in Russia, I purchased some inexpensive scarves to make a quilt out of.
I got together with a few of my mom's friends, whom I knew made beautiful quilts. We looked at the scarves, and discussed patter and color options. Then my mom and I went to the quilt store and picked out fabrics. The clerk was wonderful, she came up with some color ideas that I fell in love with!
So, I've been making a quilt top. In typical Kris fashion, I packed the sewing machine and scissors in the air shipment, but didn't think of all the other tools I would need to cut out a quilt. So I've had to be creative. I've made patterns out of paper, figured measurements on the computer, and used the groves in the tile to make sure I'm keeping my quilt square. I've found odds and ends around the house to use as straight edges and right angels. Overall, it's been fun to improvise, but in the future I'm going to make sure I pack the correct tools.
 |
| Piecing together the top |
So I've been having a blast with my sewing machine on these hot humid days. I will be putting it away in the next few weeks and have no idea when I will find time to sew with abandon again. I've treasured these creative moments and am glad that I will have a fun project to look at as a result.
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