One down, four to go!

Good morning, neatniks, slobs, and vicarious downsizers.

So I did it -- I sold a sewing machine yesterday!  I am loathe to tell you which one for fear it might be your favorite and I don't want to cause a ruckus.  OK, it was my Singer Genie.  I know many of you love the Genie and I loved mine too.  But I never used it.  I have three other Singers, albeit without the irresistible flower-power details. 

One of my strengths -- and potentially a weakness too -- is that once I set my mind to do something, I do it.  OK, sometimes I do it.  Well I have set my mind to cut my sewing machine collection in half and keep only the machines I use.  The machines I'm selling (on New York Craigslist; I don't do shipping with things this heavy) are all in excellent shape, I'm just tired of having stuff around I don't use, tripping over sewing machine cases, and vacuuming the dust bunnies that collect behind them.

I have someone coming to see another machine today, plus a lamp and a mirror.  Like I said yesterday, I'm on a roll!

I hope you will still visit here at Male Pattern Boldness when I only have six or seven sewing machines.  It'll still be just like before, only less cluttered, aside from all that vintage luggage.

And now dear friends, I must ask about the clunkers.  I have two: a Necchi Lydia with a broken cam shaft that only sews straight stitch and an ulcer-inducing vintage Huskystar serger 535D serger that cost me many days' work to thread and set up correctly, only to go all wonky when I tried serging through eight layers of denim a little more than a year ago.  Then I gave up on it.  It's mechanically fine but might need some tuning up, I'm honestly not sure.  I refuse to invest another minute in that machine and now that I have my Brother 1034D, I don't need to.
 



Should I try to sell these machines or just bring them to the thrift store, or the curb?  The Lydia is gorgeous and a great mid-century display item but I'm all through with display items now that my living room is a sweat shop.

Sad to say, neither machine has brought me much joy and in the case of the Huskystar, considerable agita.    

I can't tell you what a thrill it is to declutter.  It's not about the money; at this point, I would practically pay someone to take these off my hands or rather, my kitchen floor.   The universe even placed a two-drawer Sterilite plastic container unit in my dog-walking path yesterday afternoon which I'll use to store...gee, I'm not even sure.  Still, what is that but a sign that I am on the right path?

And now, the moment you've all been waiting for....

Whoops, wrong photo!  From this...



To this.



Big improvement, no?  (That Brother sewing machine in the background should be gone by week's end.)   I think so.

OK, I must go back to decluttering; wish me luck.  And then, perhaps someday soon, I might actually get back to sewing!

Have a great day, everybody!

UPDATE (1:20 pm): Sold another sewing machine -- Yay!

T.I. - Poppin' Bottles Ft. Drake

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Mastering the Sewing Mess

Friends, I am on a bit of a decluttering roll -- some might say obsession -- here at MPB headquarters.  I am committed to downsizing however I can.  I have Too. Much. Stuff.

Can I interest you in a slightly used chihuahua?  Two?



The last four days have been hectic, with family dinners, guests (hello, Mom), travels, and new eBay purchases -- all related to helping me declutter of course.

Some might say these items will only bring more clutter.  Some would be wrong.  Look at this lovely vintage luggage set and tell me these aren't the perfect vehicles for organizing sewing supplies, storing Cathy's burgeoning accessory collection, or perhaps putting away some summer items of my own.

This is of course the seller's picture, someone who obviously doesn't know how to art direct vintage taupe.  (NEVER photograph with flash, on beige carpet, or against dusty rose wall.)  It's no wonder there was only one bidder.  (Guess who.)

Meanwhile, back in reality, every time I walk to the refrigerator, I am confronted with this:



I suspect even you are growing tired of seeing this cluttered kitchen table, where I can barely squeeze myself (let alone my sewing project) to make a buttonhole with my Singer Spartan or attach an invisible zipper with my Viking.  This surface is going to be reorganized and it's going to happen today.  Will you hold me accountable readers?  I ask very little of you.

When I see photos of other sewists' sewing spaces (courtesy of Denise of The Blue Gardenia), like Robin's below, I just want to cry.

No doubt Robin is a classic anal retentive type and not much fun to hang out with, but just look at that order.  It's hostile if you ask me.

Consider Sigrid's sewing room.  If you're thinking sickeningly antiseptic, you're right!  An affront to us all.

And this takes the cake -- Myrna's sewing room.  So calming, so zen.  Do you think any real sewing goes on here?  Nonetheless, Myrna wrote a book about setting up your sewing space and you can buy it here.  What unbelievable arrogance!

Where's the creativity, that's what I want to know, the gemütlichkeit? 



Is the opposite of anal retentive, anal expulsive?

Anyway, I have made progress in my organization.  Look how I've been storing my extra patterns:





I love these collapsible fabric boxes and they come in groovy prints.  At the Container Store.

Readers, we're running out of time.  I must start organizing.  And then reorganizing.  And reorganizing again.  I like the idea of One thing comes in, two things go out, but is that sustainable?  In the end isn't one left with less than nothing?  Think about it.

How are your organizational skills, dear ones?  Do you long for a less cluttered lifestyle but can't resist stopping every time you drive past a garage sale?  Have you considered getting a job at Goodwill just for the employee's discount?  When you see a sewing space like Robin's, do you want to knock everything on the floor and stomp on it...or am I the only one?

Jump in -- but don't trip on anything!

FUNKY & UNIQUE CHRISTMAS FASHION TRENDS

BY LAVIN

GIVENCHY

Most of us avoid walking in poo,

 but the INSA Dung Heel encourages as much.

 The 10-inch heels are made of elephant dung.

Dragon-i 8th anniversary party in Hong Kong

A few days ago I flew to Hong Kong for the 8th anniversary party for Dragon-i nightclub! It was a really fun night and they went all out decorating the venue, it looked fantastic. Verne Troyer aka Mini Me and rapper Coolio were also flown in for the event.
I arrived late Friday night, my driver picked me up from the aiport and I went straight to the hotel, watched a movie and fell asleep. The next day Coolio, myself and the rest of the gang went out for a yummy lunch before we headed to the venue for a sight inspection and sound check. Afterwards Verne, myself and the rest of the guys headed to dinner at Isola restaurant, which had the most beautiful view of the water and the Hong Kong city lights. We ordered the biggest bottle of wine I have ever seen! It was the equivalent of three bottles!

After dinner we headed back to our hotel to have a rest and get ready for the event. We arrived just before midnight and I kicked off the entertainment with my contortion performance in a black and gold swarovski encrusted costume! Afterwards Verne Troyer greeted the audience with a brief introduction before he and Coolio sprayed the audience with bottles of Dom Perignon champagne. Coolio then performed three songs, including my favourite song of his, Gangsta's Paradise! Then it was time to party! We had so much fun and I have to say that Verne Troyer really is the sweetest guy ever! Later in the evening Verne and I were treated to a special magic trick by Asia's premier magician Lawrence Sullivan, who showed us some amazing card illusions and even smoked a Sharpie pen! Video of the magic trick posted below!

With Verne Troyer on our way to the Dragon-i anniversary party

With Coolio on our way to the event

With Coolio and Verne Troyer

With magician Lawrence Sullivan

With Verne Troyer

 

Thank you to Dragon-i for a fabulous evening and happy 8th anniversary!!

Gala performance at Gold Coast convention centre

Backstage with my beautiful dancers before my performance at the Gold Coast convention centre in Queensland!

Kaptai Picture

1. BeraidDhaka.zip. 


2.  Kaptai.zip.

Wallpaper collection bangladesh Beraid Dhaka Picture collection 

1.72 MB File And Kaptai Picture 334.98 KB collection for free collection

Decluttering: Part 2

Readers, I must provide some backstory to yesterday's post.  I used to have a lot of clutter -- no, not clutter exactly.  Stuff.  And I've gotten rid of tons of it, primarily on eBay and Craigslist, but also through donations to thrift stores and just throwing stuff out.

Here's an eensy weensy taste; thank goodness I took pictures!

Vintage TV sets, and the phones, readers, the phones...








 



Danish modern barware.



Funky decor items; I could write a book.


 





Fifties dinnerware.



Miscellaneous.









But there's more, friends, much more.  I have discarded hundreds of record albums.  But I still have quite a few and I don't even have a stereo set up anymore.



So you can see why I need to get rid of some of those sewing machines (I fear my Elna Grasshopper may be first to go.).  And I still have many more items hiding in closets and cupboards I now need for all my sewing paraphernalia.  I still don't know where to store my sleeve board, for example.  Where do you keep yours?

Readers, thank you for allowing me to unburden myself this holiday weekend.  I know it's a lot to handle and probably stirring up difficult memories for many of you.   You probably long for more sewing projects and less catharsis.

Now that we've returned from Michael's parents, I must go to the flea market later and see if I can find more Samsonite luggage to store things in.

And who knows what surprises may lurk there?  It is the holiday season, after all!

Arabia Ruska dinnerware for four, anyone?