Having moved into our new house officially on October first, we are preparing for our Very First Christmas at Thistle Farm! We still haven't installed the trim in the house, but we finally found most of the Christmas boxes & trimmed the tree.
About a week ago, I realized I needed my sewing machine to make Christmas presents, and it still didn't have an official place. It took three days to dig out what had been shoved under the stairs in the basement and find better places for it (like Goodwill Industries, The Salvation Army...). Now I have my very own "Sewing Cave". It's 'my very own' because there's not room for anyone else in there. When the family visits, they perch on the pile of stuff outside the door frame in the mechanical room. I performed a miracle & got a tabletop-sized ironing board in there (I hinged it to the bottom of the peg board & prop it up with a stick). You think it's so I can press seams, but the iron is a perfect radiator for these snowy winter days. I just have to be careful of a few things: I park the iron so it won't burn me accidentally; I remember the ceiling is close enough to use for a headrest during catnaps at the machine; and, I plan WAY ahead for bathroom breaks -- everything has to be closed, folded down, and put away before I can emerge from seclusion & then I do a lap around the entire basement & run up a flight of stairs (& I'm hoping the whole time there's no waiting when I get there because that means another 17 stairs!).
So, it's 12 days until Christmas, & I still haven't mailed anything because I keep thinking of 'one more thing' I need to make first. My hubby's family has a tradition of exchanging ornaments, and, after almost 20 years of wedded bliss (more & less) I think I'm finally going to actually accomplish this part of my To Do list the way I have always wanted to do it for every single one of them. I come up with these great ideas, and then I have to make 12. Number one comes out great, but takes way too long -- long story endless -- so we end up buying ornaments I could have made if I had just thought of it last July (will someone please remind me of this next July???).
When Hubby gets a chance to show me how, I'll post a Free Pattern of the Stocking Ornament I designed. Don't worry, you'll have plenty of time to get yours done. I clocked how long they took, did some math & came up with 6 minutes for each one when done in an assembly line (about 15 minutes each if you do them one at a time).
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Saturday, December 1, 2007
Rules For Using My Patterns
I have on average about 10 ideas a day, and, if only one is good enough to share, that is still 365 good ideas a year. What this means is I tend to drive people around me crazy after a while because if I have an idea I have to share it with someone (the cat is not a good audience - I've tried). That's one of the biggest reasons I started this Blog.
I only share my own original ideas as patterns in my Blog. Since these are my ideas, you will see copyright notices when you download them. I look at it this way:
My ideas, My copyright, My rules -- with as little paperwork as possible!
Here are my rules for using any of my pattern(s) that I offer free of charge:
1. FREE for personal use only. This means you can make one or 1,000 or 1 million as long as you are using the item yourself or are giving them as gifts to your sewing circle friends or even the entire town you live in and are not compensated in any way.
2. Do not copy the pattern(s) (electronically or otherwise) to pass out or share with others. You may make one copy for your personal use. If your pattern wears out, then you may make another copy for more personal use. This means you can refer people to this site to get their own copy. If you know someone who would like a copy who has no internet service available, I would be happy to place one in a SASE (Self-Addressed Stamped Envelope) if they will send me one. Anyone can arrange this by sending an email through this blog.
3. You may purchase the right to use my pattern(s) for your personal profit or for fund-raising for your non-profit group. This means you can purchase a license from me for making & selling a specifically agreed upon number of finished items from a specific pattern. A possible alternative arrangement could be the purchase of a license to make and sell an item for a specific period of time in unlimited quantities. Anyone can arrange this with me by sending an email from this blog.
And, no list of rules is complete without this one these days...
4. When you use my pattern(s), you agree to use them at your own risk. Using my pattern(s) for any purpose indicates that you have read & understand my terms for using my pattern(s) and you agree to abide by my rules. This means I am not responsible for anything that happens as a result of your choice to use my patterns.
The Philosophy Behind the Rules
I want to be generous with my ideas. I want to feel free to share. Some of you will think I am naive -- I know there are people out there who are 'takers', those who think that any rules are for everyone else, who think their situation is different and so stealing will be OK. If you really think you have an exceptional situation, I would be happy to discuss it with you through e-mail to see if an alternative arrangement or agreement can be reached. I wish to honor you with my trust & I will treat you the way I wish to be treated in return -- with integrity -- because I believe that anyone who chooses the path of integrity makes the entire world a better place to live.
I only share my own original ideas as patterns in my Blog. Since these are my ideas, you will see copyright notices when you download them. I look at it this way:
My ideas, My copyright, My rules -- with as little paperwork as possible!
Here are my rules for using any of my pattern(s) that I offer free of charge:
1. FREE for personal use only. This means you can make one or 1,000 or 1 million as long as you are using the item yourself or are giving them as gifts to your sewing circle friends or even the entire town you live in and are not compensated in any way.
2. Do not copy the pattern(s) (electronically or otherwise) to pass out or share with others. You may make one copy for your personal use. If your pattern wears out, then you may make another copy for more personal use. This means you can refer people to this site to get their own copy. If you know someone who would like a copy who has no internet service available, I would be happy to place one in a SASE (Self-Addressed Stamped Envelope) if they will send me one. Anyone can arrange this by sending an email through this blog.
3. You may purchase the right to use my pattern(s) for your personal profit or for fund-raising for your non-profit group. This means you can purchase a license from me for making & selling a specifically agreed upon number of finished items from a specific pattern. A possible alternative arrangement could be the purchase of a license to make and sell an item for a specific period of time in unlimited quantities. Anyone can arrange this with me by sending an email from this blog.
And, no list of rules is complete without this one these days...
4. When you use my pattern(s), you agree to use them at your own risk. Using my pattern(s) for any purpose indicates that you have read & understand my terms for using my pattern(s) and you agree to abide by my rules. This means I am not responsible for anything that happens as a result of your choice to use my patterns.
The Philosophy Behind the Rules
I want to be generous with my ideas. I want to feel free to share. Some of you will think I am naive -- I know there are people out there who are 'takers', those who think that any rules are for everyone else, who think their situation is different and so stealing will be OK. If you really think you have an exceptional situation, I would be happy to discuss it with you through e-mail to see if an alternative arrangement or agreement can be reached. I wish to honor you with my trust & I will treat you the way I wish to be treated in return -- with integrity -- because I believe that anyone who chooses the path of integrity makes the entire world a better place to live.
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