Sketchbook- Daily Life

I chose the theme last month for the "Sketchbook Challenge" blog.
It was "Urban Sketching".
If you regularly read my blog, you'll know that I love getting out and sketching outside - not only around my own town/city but every where I go.
Since I started sketching public places, I've hardly left my home without a sketchbook or pieces of drawing paper in my possession.

I know that I have said it before, that you've read it in any sketching /drawing book, but it really does force you to look at your world differently!
You have a greater appreciation for the world around you - for the potential sketches- for the layout that nature provides you.
Every single direction that you look lends itself to a sketch or drawing.

Like this, for example...

My husband got a little too much sun/heat one day and had to go in for IV fluid replacement.
What's a doting wife to do after she has tucked him in and done every little thing that she can think of to comfort him?
Why draw him, of course!

Draw.
Every.
Day.

Cleaning up Your Art Making Equipment...

This evening I was sewing away, making my sketchbook for the "Sketchbook Challenge"
(yeah, I finally made my mind up on which one to use - a new one!)  when I broke a needle.

Drat!

Put in a new one.

Change to a heavier thread (I'm trying to be breve with thread this year!) (I was trying an embroidery thread) when I broke another needle.

Darn!

Change the needle, try a different type this time.

Noticed that my stitch wasn't "right".

Re thread, try again.

It still didn't look quite right so I thought I'd take a look under my throat plate...

Now, my sweetie keeps my machine clean for me - he does a great job too

but I've been so busy the past few months making books that I've been a little slack in asking him to clean it for me.

I've been sewing paper, upholstery fabric, heavy coated fabric, leather...you get the picture.

So I looked under the plate and

EEEEWWWHHHAAA!

Dust, paper dust, fabric dust, dust bunnies and their extended families!

I called my handy man in to help me.

I told him that I had been sewing paper.

And heavy upholstery fabric.

And coated fabric.

I'm standing there watching him clean my dirty, dirty machine and I saw this whitish ...um, particle stuff around the bobbin case.

I asked "Eww. What is that?"

Sweetie "I don't know baby. It looks like plastic."

Silence for about 10 seconds.

Me "Well, I have been sewing plastic too."

Laughter...

The moral of this story is that if you sew all those things on your sewing machine
you really should clean it REGULARLY.

Frequently.

(Addendum - after the extensive cleaning she is sewing great!)