I will NOT...

let the serger thread run out without tying on a new cone first. I will
NOT let the serger thread run out without tying on a new cone first. I will NOT let....

Especially during the busiest sewing season of the year. I mean, if I was meant to hand thread the friggin' thing, I wouldn't have been born with sausage fingers with chewable nails. Instead, my fingers would have tweezers on the ends and perhaps flashlight beams that shoot out from the tips to see into the darkest corners of the hateful (I mean *helpful*) machine.

Gratuitous photo of early fall color which has no bearing on this post!

Threading a serger by hand is the quickest way to kill creativity, short of blowing up the sewing machine's computer mother board (done that.) Or wearing out the seal on your steam iron and exploding boiling water over everything (that too.) Or hot gluing your fingers to your project, sustaining painful burns (yeah, well, we won't go into that any further.)

I think I'm sick of the panty pouches and booby traps.I have been struggling with a final form, interfacing options, etc, and have decided that they are too detailed and time consuming to be practical to market. I can't imagine that anyone would want to pay about $20 for a 4" x 7" pouch, and yet there is so much pinning and sewing of small pieces of trim, that it takes me a whole afternoon to make one.

I'm also feeling cranky about my Christmas gift progress so far. I want to make as many gifts as possible, but as with purchased gifts, I don't know what I want to do for anyone. Maybe I'll make necklaces and hang felt donuts from them as center medallions. Ooh! Or maybe as earrings?? Toni, my loving mother-in-law, is definitely getting a plateful of felt green beans (yah, you know what I'm talking about Toni!)

Early in our marriage, DH made me promise never to sew anything for him. He was the only family member smart enough to exact that promise from me, so the rest of you are fair game!

Last year, my sister got a cross stitch from me to put on her work table that I made from a pattern from Subversive Cross Stitch. Warning: These kits say naughty things. It said "Do Not F*ck With Me!" When somebody bugs her when she is designing jewelry, she just points to the framed cross stitch. Works like a charm! Based on that one, I made one for my Mormon friend, Awesome Ann, that said "Oh My Heck!" which is as subversive as she can get.

But what to make this year?? Time is a-wastin', folks. Those little elf people can't do it all by their short selves. I need ideas, motivation, encouragement, and, if anyone is so inclined... lots of chocolate!

However, in the long tradition of family procrastinators, I am taking off this coming week to visit Eldest at college. Her thesis is due in 2 weeks and Mom is on her way out to tighten the restraints on her writing chair! She must do well, since somebody in the next generation must be capable (and financially solvent) enough to care for me in my dotage! All these craft supplies are expensive!