organizing...!

I stumbled upon this site called linoit, which is basically an online board for virtual post-it notes.

Here's my main board. I've got tons more stuff I need to do that will be add here...

You can choose the color of the post-it note, a cute icon, font, etc. You can post pictures and links as well.

I also set up this board for stuff I want to sew - oh, there's a lot to be added here!

What I like about it:
It's an intuitive way to make notes for yourself.
You can drag notes around, move them to other boards, "peel" them off when you're done, rearrange them, change their color and size, tilt them, etc. I like that the notes are not in an ordered list but spatially arranged on a two-dimensional board. You can intuitively drag them around to match the way you "see" what each note represents in your mind's eye.


I want to set up a board for work - how to do a certain procedure, IPs of certain computers, command syntax, etc. Since I'm rather new there, I think this is a quick and fun way to store and retrieve data rather than in a text file.


Can you think of any online tools (or real-life tools) that you use for organizing your life and tasks? Have they been working for you? 

If you liked this post, check out these two related posts:

• Ricochet and Away!: Clipix is my new shopping buddy! - Rikka's post about clipix, a great tool similar to pinterest.
• Creating my way to Success: 21 days to form a habit - Jill's post about forming a habit of being tidy.

Serger troubles, knitting, etc.

Hi!

I've not been blogging much since I've started working. So here I go trying to squeeze in a quick blog post before running to work! Hopefully I'll learn how to blog more effectively now that I have less free time.

One of the greifers (the internal knitting thingie) inside my beloved serger broke (snapped) a few weeks ago. The serger came back from the repairs, but it made clicking noises as it serged and it "skipped" stitches. I've taken it back to the shop twice since then, and it is still not fixed. Today I am giving them a call telling them I've had it with this level of service (Bernina store, Dizengoff St, Tel Aviv).

skipped serger stitches

Here's the 10-gore skirt I drafted on my own and started sewing the previous weekend. I need to make the lining (same as making the outer skirt but so very worth it in terms of end result), the invisible zipper, and the waistband. The fabric is a very fraying weave, suitable for a jacket.

With all my sewing woes I've turned to a brush off my knitting skills. My mom, who is an expert knitter, taught me several years ago. Who knew my fingers still remembered how it's done?

I couldn't get back to sleep in the middle of the night tonight partly because of the very old and very noisy fridge in my apartment. So I unplugged it! I virtually have no food in it anyway. I'm going to get myself this small inexpensive fridge and be done with my noise troubles!

Have a great day gals! I would love to hear from you in the comments. Just drop in and say hi :-)

How to embed a form into your blog

Have you seen the nifty sign-up form that Rikka set up on the Typography Challenge HQ?
It's very easy to embed a form into your blog!
Here's how it's done:

You will need a google / gmail account.

In google, go to Documents (in the top black bar) -> Create -> Form

Fill in the form title and questions. You need to duplicate the question to add more questions (very strange, I know)

When you're done:

More Actions -> Embed

You will get a popup telling you what you need to paste into your blog (HTML) in order to embed the form.

Whenever someone submits the form, it's as if they are editing a google document. You can see the form as a spreadsheet in your Google Documents - each row is a form submission, each column is a field in the form. You will be notified by email whenever the form is submitted. You can change your preferences (whether to be notified when a user submits the form) in the document settings.

Let me know if you need any help with this!

Join the Typography Challenge!

Rikka and I have been brewing this challenge for some time now...


Check it out and join!!! It'll be so much fun!

For inspiration, check out the Typography Challenge Pinterest board.

I'm back!

Have I been away for so long? I guess I have. A few weeks ago I started looking for a job, and that led to a whirlwind of interviews. I was lucky to meet many interesting people and workplaces, and I was also lucky to receive (and accept!) a job offer at the place I felt most suited me. Seven months of vacation time are coming to an end. That's okay, it couldn't last forever, and I like new beginnings :-)

Here's hoping for the best!

Meet Mitzy, the cat I am taking care of for a month for a friend.
As you can see, Mitzy leads a very busy and action-packed lifestyle.

Sewing wise, I've been attending and thoroughly enjoying my pattern making classes. I'll write a separate post with pictures of what we've learned. I am in the process of sewing a 6-gore maxi skirt with a hip yoke and pockets which I drafted myself. Oh, and did I mention I decided to use plaid for this skirt? Matching up the plaid among all these pieces nearly drove me crazy.

plaid maxi skirt in progress

As a consolation I will be making a simple A-line skirt out of this gorgeous plaid fabric, with patch pockets cut on the bias. Won't it be cute?

I bought this fabric to make a skirt slip hemmed with elastic lace, to be worn under my unlined skirts, which tend to stick to pantyhose and bunch up.

knit fabric for skirt slip and elastic lace for hem

I also bought some fabric to try to use as lining for future skirt projects. All of these fabrics were very cheap, from Nachalat Binyamin street - only 10 NIS (2.50 USD) per meter. I got two bobbin holder boxes as well which I love:

box for bobbins

Oh and I finally finished the fabric baggies project for my sewing supplies - my Dad hung up the wooden strips needed for hanging them up on the wall. Thank you, Dad! It came out gorgeous!!! Here's a sneak peek:

fabric baggies completed!

And last but not least the Naughty Notions Challenge begins in three days, this Sunday!!! Yay! It's not too late to join, if you haven't already done so :-)

Look what I got in the mail!

Today I got a package in the mail from my talented friend Gray. We met on BurdaStyle about two years ago, emailed back and forth, and even met up when I spent a few days in Berlin in January this year.

Would you imagine that Gray had the time to send me this package even though she's only recently become a Mom? It was heartwarming and exciting to get the package. I literally said "wow" out loud on the street when I saw what was inside!

Here's what I got:

Package full of goodies from Gray:
Fabric scraps, chocolate, cookies, decorations, and a lovely card.

Yummy stuff! Some have already been eaten.

Look at all these gorgeous pieces of fabric

The fabric scraps can be used to highlight a project - trim, ruffle, pocket, etc - they are so colorful and unique. Some of them are even large enough to make a small bag, or part of a bag. I love them!!!

Thank you, Gray! You made me smile. I appreciate it very much! Hugs!!

I also got Becky's (The Barefoot Seamstress) thoughtful gift recently in the mail as well - two quality quilting cotton fat quarters, that will definitely be used for future quilting / applique projects for my newborn niece. I was chosen randomly out of 25 gals in a giveaway that Becky hosted, asking us what we were thankful for.

fat quarters from Becky (The Barefoot Seamstress)

Thank you, Becky! This fabric made me happy. I appreciate the gift!! Hugs!

A few months back I received this gorgeous knit fabric (missioni DIY skirt kit) as part of a giveaway hosted by Passiona Cottie (Le Coutureve). Would you believe that Passiona gave away this fabric to everyone who participated in the giveaway, rather than choose just one winner?

missioni fabric, from Passiona (Le Coutureve)

Thank you, Passiona! I love this fabric and I will surely make a skirt out of it. Lots of hugs!

Would you believe these lovely gifts made their way from three different continents (Germany - Europe, Australia, USA - North America) to arrive at my home? Wow. It feels great to be a part of a warm community of talented sewing gals from around the world.

I send you all my virtual hugs!

Do You Use Google Reader?

Google Reader is a great tool for keeping up with your favorite blogs. Rather than going to each blog once in a while and seeing if there's anything new, you subscribe to your favorite blog(s) through Google Reader. It shows you the new (unread) posts from all your favorite blogs in one place. You can read the posts directly in Google Reader, or open them in a new window / browser tab. It makes life a lot easier, especially if there are a ton of excellent sewing blogs you love to read!

Google Reader

Do you use Google Reader?
If not, how do you keep track of all the blogs you follow?

I'd love to hear in the comments, and while you're at it, please do recommend a great sewing blog! :-)