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Site Owner: | Christina |
Site Name: | Desert Agave |
Site URL: | https://christinasocorroyovovich.com/blog/ |
Articles Posted: | 19 |
Bio: | Born and raised in Madison, Wisconsin, Christina Socorro Yovovich has lived in Albuquerque, New Mexico since 1998. She sews, embroiders, and writes. |
Doing it the Hard Way Posted on Dec 19, 2022, 9:12 pm
I make excellent oatmeal chocolate chip cookies... Almost three years ago I baked a batch for my son’s birthday and sent him to school with them. He came home and said one of the kids told him it was the best cookie she’d ever had. A day later, the schools shut down because of the pandemic, but I like to think that wasn’t my cookies’ fault.
Special Breakfast Posted on Dec 18, 2022, 5:12 pm
Every Sunday morning our family has what we fondly call Special Breakfast.
Early Morning Posted on Dec 17, 2022, 10:12 am
At this point, I’m not sure if he just isn’t paying attention, if he’s messing with me, or if he’s politely not mentioning it because he knows it is meant as a gift for him.
Meditation Posted on Dec 16, 2022, 12:12 pm
My mother-in-law passed away this month three years ago. Her death was sudden and unexpected — a terrible accident — and it still feels like a horrible surprise that she isn’t still with us.
Breakfast Songs Posted on Dec 15, 2022, 11:12 am
I am not a monster, so of course I sing to my cats.
Loud Posted on Dec 14, 2022, 12:12 pm
Thump thump thump.
Free Posted on Dec 13, 2022, 12:12 pm
Today I am feeling a little free.
Soup Posted on Dec 12, 2022, 1:12 pm
Back in my 20s, I really liked to cook. Cooking probably counted as a hobby for me back then. I considered myself to be good at it, and it was a pleasure. At some point in the proceeding 20some years, I lost my passion for cooking. I’m still the family’s cook, but my efforts are pretty much utilitarian these days, and I don’t take much enjoyment from it. I feed us because we need to be fed.
Making Posted on Dec 11, 2022, 2:12 pm
I was a little melancholy yesterday morning. That probably inspired my blog post for the day. I’m not sure why, maybe just the bad dreams I had all night. Luckily, in the afternoon I had plans. They weren’t leaving the house plans. Instead, I shut myself in the guest room, which is also my sewing room, and participated in a couple sewing circles over Zoom.
On Christmas Posted on Dec 10, 2022, 8:12 am
As a kid I wasn’t that into Christmas. My parents were divorced, and every year there was some push and pull about when I was going to be where. I found it stressful, and in general found the expectation that I be happy and grateful and sweet stressful too. I can remember from a pretty early age opening presents and reminding myself — act happy, act sweet, smile, say thank you. It was a lot of pressure, opening presents.
An Anniversary of Sorts Posted on Dec 9, 2022, 12:12 pm
It is sort of my two-year anniversary of getting onto the path of this stitching and sewing thing. Two years ago today I posted on Facebook that I’d read an article in Slate about latch hooking rugs, and how it was the perfect pandemic hobby, and I’d ordered a kit. (Note: turns out I really hated latch hooking rugs.)
Hemming with Cat Posted on Dec 8, 2022, 8:12 pm
A short entry containing a picture of a very smug cat.
On Overlockers and Fun Posted on Dec 7, 2022, 1:12 pm
Overlocker is actually the British word for the thing. Here in the USA we call them sergers. But I dislike the word serger. It feels squishy and hissy in my mouth, and it doesn’t really describe what the thing does. In contrast, overlocker is a nice word with corners to it, and it handily describes what the thing does –it locks threads over a seam.
Errands and De-fluffing Posted on Dec 6, 2022, 2:12 pm
A quiet little entry about some pleasant errands and tending to the needs of my 1941 sewing machine.
Tinkering Posted on Dec 5, 2022, 2:12 pm
I’m making some plans for this coming week, some tinkering plans. My Singer 221 got kind of clanky by the end of my jacket project. Clearly it needs some spa time, with a good cleaning and oiling. Then I’ll clean and oil the Singer 66, which will be fun as I have yet to do anything to the machine but admire it.
The Gift Posted on Dec 4, 2022, 4:12 pm
I got a little emotional as I finished my jacket up yesterday. I sewed most of it on my 1941 Singer 221, which is the machine I have been teaching myself to sew on. But I finished up the cuffs on the Singer Stylist from the 70s which I inherited from my late mother-in-law
Early Morning Posted on Dec 3, 2022, 10:12 am
In the past year, I seem to have lost my ability to sleep in. It isn’t a big deal. I can still get to sleep at night, and sleep through the night, but once morning hits, I’m awake, even if it is 5:00 a.m. This is a little ironic because my baby and then kid used to rise at 5:00 every day, and I complained about it mightily.
Beautiful Machines Posted on Dec 2, 2022, 12:12 pm
I've become a little obsessed with vintage sewing machines. I love them. There are sewing machines out there covered in gorgeous decals that are 100 years old and yet STILL WORK. They are simple enough that a regular person armed with a screwdriver and some high-quality sewing machine oil can take care of them and keep them running. And the machines were mass produced enough, and are unpopular enough, that many can be purchased for not that much money.
No Words Posted on Dec 1, 2022, 11:12 am
I’ve been trying to sew myself a linen jacket. I’ve also been trying to learn to sew in little 1-3 hour chunks of time, instead of completing a garment in a four-day marathon. It is hard to find three to four days where all you can do is sew, so I figured I’d better learn how to fit the activity into my life in a different way. The result has been that I’ve now been working on this jacket for over a month. It is the project that will never end.