It happens every September. I blog like mad all summer, I save some posts up for the start of school, and then school starts and… crickets.
My husband was sick 5 days into the school year, and I made it 9 days. I wake up in darkness, and I get desperately sleepy by 8:30pm. I’m getting back into driving 2.5+ hours a day. We even coped ok with having to buy a new car sooner than expected, when the driver’s door stopped opening on our old Pontiac.
I love my job, but I’m a crap blogger at this time of year. I’ve got posts ready that I could put up on the blog, but I’m too worn out to reply to comments, so I won’t post them. WHICH IS OK! I’m not really apologising… just putting my thoughts out there, because I love blogging and it’s part of what keeps me happy and positive.
So instead, find me elsewhere on the interwebs:
- On Cali Fabric’s blog, with matching t-shirts for my sister and I.
- At Spool and Spindle, teaching t-shirts in October and t-shirt hacks in November. I’m so excited for the hack class!!!
- On Instagram, where I tanked out of the #sewphotohop in the first week!
- On Facebook, where Nicole Morgan and I started a closed group called “Sew that dang coat already!” for people like me who make big promises but never actually make that coat!
- On the Curvy Sewing Collective, trying to politely tell beginner sewists not to get sucked into the quest for perfection with WAY TOO MANY MUSLINS.
- On Facebook in the Curvy Sewing Collective Community closed FB group. We started this group in August, and holy moly, it’s unstoppable! I honestly can’t stay on top of it (lucky we’ve got such great volunteer mods, because otherwise it would take more time to run than the actual CSC website, with is time-consuming enough!) If you are looking for a welcoming and inclusive place to ask any question about sewing, or get 40 compliments on any picture, this is your place. As always “curvy” is undefined, so if you sew or want to sew, you are welcome.
Here’s what else Instagram says I’ve been up to:
Making a Pinterest-inspired asymmetrical tunic that I didn’t like, and turned into pyjamas; Trying out a MyImage magazine from MadeByOranges.com; Making a simple kimono tee because somehow I don’t have enough tops in my wardrobe.
Sew That Dang Coat Already; Volunteering at the Terry Fox Run; Buying kitty fabric at Fabric.com and stripes at Fabricland!
Funny that I started this post thinking I’d been silent online… I guess I’ve been busy enough! See you back here when routine settles in and my body catches up with the demands of the day!
Crafting A Rainbow 
Thanks for posting those other places to connect with curvy sewists Gillian. I know blogging can be enormously time consuming! I can’t imagine how you keep up with everything you do – incredible and inspiring 🙂
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I love the online sewing community so much that it’s nice to be able to contribute back – but I admit, right now my side projects are taking/getting way more attention than this blog, which was my first and favourite project! 😉
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I just had a long conversation with one of the librarians at my school about how physically exhausting teaching is. You more or less expect the mental drain, but the classroom requires serious physical stamina and it definitely hits you like a ton of bricks at the beginning of the school year!
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That is such a great point! No chance to sit, no chance to relax… it’s a big shift from vacation!!!!
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You are (somewhat) local AND you teach too? We should be friends haha. Are you elementary or high school? I’m high school with the DSBN. I always have these grand plans that I will somehow be able to fit in sewing time during the school year and magically have a clean house and all my work done too but *sigh* it never happens. I haven’t been hit with the sick yet, though a lot of staff and students I know are. Fingers crossed I can keep it at bay! Thanks for sharing though, it is nice to know it’s not just me!
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Hi! DSBN – that’s Niagara, right? I’m in the Upper Grand DSB – I live in Guelph but work an hour north in country schools. What do you teach? I’m elementary ESL, and my husband is highschool English and Drama!
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It is Niagara. I’m high school Drama and Biology but I mostly do Special Needs (I have some much fun with those kids). My hubby is Drama and History but he is leaving the field for social work (they are *actually* hiring SWers).
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Being back at school is a huge shock to the system, so I do understand, although we get nothing near your big block of holidays here in Australia. A 2.5 hour commute to work! How can you even function with anything after that. You are a machine!
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Oh don’t worry too much – it’s 2.5 round trip, not each way! Still a slog but not as bad. I”m rather envious of British/Australian school years… I’d happily give up some of our summer vacation in return for more frequent breaks through the year. We go straight from Sept to Dec, then two weeks off… then Jan to march, one week off, and through til June again. A break mid fall sure would help kids and teachers stay happy and healthy! 😉
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Wow you’re definitely keeping busy, you’re all over the internet!! And don’t stress about taking a break- I’ve had to skip a couple bra-a-week challenges, and I’ve missed things here and there and I don’t think people noticed it nearly as much as I did. And blogging is a lot of work! Hope you get over your cold quick and you settle into the school year 🙂
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You are quite right – other people never notice as much as the blogger does! I do feel guilty when i can’t muster energy to reply to comments though – that’s bad blogging manners! But again, we all do it some times! (My post on CSC has 40+ comments waiting for me, and I just can’t face that right now!)
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Teaching is exhausting!! I’m 5 weeks in and already losing valuable time to work that could be spent sewing (granted, the job keeps me in fabric, sigh).
I think it’s awesome you start ESL so young! Enjoy the school year!
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I figured the start of the school year was leaving you pretty busy. I know it’s been busy for us as a family with soccer season upon us and me in Fabric Mart’s Fabricista contest right now. I finished the tunic that I was puzzling out–the one similar to yours. It’ll be up on Wednesday. I’m really happy with how the proportions worked out, but it was definitely a challenge trying to get it to fit my waist without losing the flare and drape of the geometric hem.
I hope school work eases up soon for you!
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I totally fell off the #sewphotohop wagon too! John was like, just give yourself a pass. So I did. I’m glad that you are too!
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Sheesh girl…no wonder you’re tired! Heather says it best….give yourself a pass.
I made my harem pants out of that same fabric as your asymmetrical tunic. The fabric sure isn’t aging well. Fading and pilling. 😦
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Yikes, hope you’re feeling better!! It’s such a pain in the neck to be sick and trying to get through the work day. 😦
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