Video Threads: Episode 1 – Happy Holidays

Hey everyone! We want to wish you all a very happy holiday season. In honor of this occasion – and our boredom due to Snowpocalypse ’08 – we made a special video, hopefully part of an ongoing series we randomly titled, “Video Threads from Sewer-Sewist.”

Enjoy!

~Josh & Sarah

Snowed In

Notice that the dog has kicked off one of her booties? She really regretted that once she realized how cold the ground was.

Ugh. It’s been frigid here in Portland, and we’ve even had a dusting of snow–a rare sight, for sure. So we’ve been stuck in the house (with the notable exceptions of Josh going to work for a few hours each day and venturing out to the Blazers vs. Kings game last night). You’d think that would help with the final push to get all of our holiday gifts finished and shipped. Yeah, you’d think. As of Sunday, this was the state of all of our gifts that needed to be made.

The pile looks pretty daunting, eh?

We sent Sunday slogging through a couple of gifts for folks–the pieced bag (for Josh’s grandma) from Anna Maria Horner’s new book and a fancy hostess apron for Josh’s stepmother (also from Anna Maria’s book). Josh’s other grandmother is going to be getting an Amy Butler Downtown Purse, which she specifically mentioned when she didn’t get one last year (she saw Josh’s stepmother‘s last year), and it’s almost done, just needs the lining sewn attached to the bag body.

Half of the pieced bag--this is looking dangerously close to quilting...

We’re on the home stretch, but totally blew our December 16 deadline. (Snow was a factor, but not the factor.) This year, we’re not attempting any insanity like last, in which we tried to make everything for everyone. That was just too stressful and exhausting. And, frankly, not everyone likes a homemade gift (weird, huh?).

In other–completely random–news, Sarah was shopping for the fabric for the pieced bag at Fabric Depot last week and was innocently minding her own business when she crashed smack into this pillar with her cart.

At least they had the decency to paint it red.

Yes, it’s a concrete pillar, the same height as the bolts of fabric, in the middle of the aisle. Hands down, The Despot has one of the most inhospitable shopping environments ever. What, they’re booby-trapping the store now?

And, finally, this is Josh’s secret holiday project. He calls it, “A Very Zombie Christmas.” Can’t say much else about it…

This guy was left over from our garage sale from hell.

Happy holidays, everyone. And please reassure us that we’re not the only ones who have totally botched up the gifting and decorating this year…

~S & J

In search of…

Some awesome running pants. Yes, you heard me… Running pants. Yep, I’ve finally sucked it up and acknowledged that Josh has really gotten super healthy and fit through running and I should really follow suit. It’s got a lot of pluses, the biggest of when being that it’s 100% free. (We’ve had gym memberships before and they really get expensive.) Even pricey shoes are relatively cheap for us because we live in the city that’s headquarters to both Nike and Adidas, and both companies have amazing outlet stores and warehouse sales (Adidas’ sale is my favorite because nothing’s over $30, and gets cheaper with each day). In addition to our Portland neighborhood’s ill-kept sidewalks, we also have access to a running track that the school district left intact when they knocked down the middle school down the way from us and a cinder trail at the park about five blocks away from our house. There’s really no excuse.

My plan: I’ve been following the Couch to 5K (C25K) running program, which is really amazing. It’s a nice, gradual program that works you up to running a 5K or a half-hour continuously. I actually started running the first time in college, and ended up with a badly sprained ankle–not from running, but from falling down the steps of our apartment building while trying to catch a bus, which is reason #127 that I hate buses–and quit at the end of my senior year because I couldn’t, well, walk. But, at that time, I just ran and didn’t follow a program. I think you can get away with that when you’re 21, but not when you’re 31. (By the way, if you’re interested, I’ve been posting my weekly playlists and updates on Josh’s and my personal blog, Moon Family Band.)

Now, you may be asking, “But, Sarah, if you have access to cheap shoes what not just buy some cheap running pants while you’re at it?” Well, I have a good answer for that.

I’m short.

So I always by cropped exercise pants. Josh has helpfully suggested that I just hem full length pants to the proper length, but they never fit right because the knee area is all the way at mid-calf. Which annoys the crap out of me. And my devotion to boot-cut pants only escalates this problem. The picture below illustrates the type of exercise pants I usually buy.

I swear, this is the only picture I have of my wearing exercise clothes. This photo was taken in the Portland Trail Blazers team weight room. We did a workout with their Strength & Conditioning Coach, Bobby Medina. He's a cool dude. And I wish that he was my personal trainer.

Unfortunately, it’s gotten a bit chilly (I’m a weather wimp) and I can’t wear the capri length pants to run in anymore.

Sadly, the only petite, boot-cut running pants that I can find are at Title 9 for $55! And I’m way too much of a cheapo to pony up that kind of money for something that simple. Since Rose City Textiles carries a huge variety of wicking athletic knits, I’m going to take the plunge and make a couple pairs of perfect running pants to get me through the winter.

The pricey petitified running pants from Title 9.

I’m thinking that I can start with this Burda World of Fashion pattern from November 2007, petitify it, switch the waistband and add a little pocket for an iPod pretty easily and tinker with the rest of the design a smidge to basically replicate the shape of the T9 pants.

The legs of these seem pretty similar to the Title 9 version, just a little added ease in the hips and thighs and a waistband modification would probably do it.

Several people over on Pattern Review have sewn these up and they’ve all turned out well, which is comforting as well. Hopefully, I can “wrap up” (hehehe) our holiday sewing soon so that I can get cracking on these.

(Speaking of holidays, when I was over on the Burda site, I discovered all of these clever, free Christmas projects on the site. I especially thought these heart ornaments made using templates from cookie cutters were very sweet. You should also check out Diane’s Holiday Zine. I saw one over at a friend’s house this week and had to order it–loads of fun! The button and yarn wreath project is absolutely priceless.)

I also may screen print on the outer leg, similar to the way Melissa has for the pants she sells in her shop in Massachusetts. But, I’ll have to experiment with the way wicking fabric takes screen printing inks.

I’ll keep y’all posted on my progress!

~Sarah