Dispatch no. 69 - Updates Podcast

https://www.trustadvocate.org.au/another-lesson-in-lime/ apparently you're not the only one with ceiling issues (this is the historic house built in Melbourne in 1860ish where they filmed some of Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries amongst other things. )

Tiling is quite easy to do, and should be moderately fast. I did it with watching about 2 YouTube videos.

Hey I'm back to reiterate that I think it is a terrible idea to get rid of your dishwasher when you eventually go to remodel. I think it's a bad idea not to be using the dishwasher you have already, even if you live solo! Please hear me out: You live alone. You have no one else to share the burden of cleaning and maintaining your house with. That is already a lot of work! You have a full time job as a YouTuber, which you also do all of (no editor etc). That alone would be exhausting but you’ve also been working your ass renovating your house, mostly solo. Which is so much work! Dishwashers were invented to alleviate the work loads of women. It's a labor-saving device, same as the washing machine. You do so much already. Saving some of your time and energy using the dishwasher you already have would leave you more time and energy for things like writing or even admin. As a person who has lived with a 1970s dishwasher, they work fine, if a bit noisier than modern machines. Even old machines use less water than handwashing the same amount of dishes. There are techniques you can employ to make it work the best it can (i.e. running the hot water in your sink until it's as hot as it goes and using store brand loose powdered laundry detergent) friend of the vlogbrothers, Technology Connections, has a definitive guide to how to use your dishwasher for more tips! You can also make it more you in the meantime. The front panel probably comes out and is a different color on the back. Mine was bisque on the front, black on the back. Most dishwashers had this feature. And if not, you can paint it. Or cover it in cling film! A stained glass-look dishwasher would be nice, I think. So please also don't get rid of your dishwasher when you remodel. Get a smaller, prettier one perhaps, but get one regardless. Think of it this way: what if you become disabled in a way that keeps you from handwashing dishes and you chose to live in a home without one. Then what? Do you modify the custom cabinetry? Do you take up precious countertop space? Do you try to squeeze one into your laundry room/pantry? Use disposables? There are lots of reasons why handwashing the dishes isn't possible and you would need the accessibility of a dishwasher. Again, your time and energy are already an incredibly precious resource. Please consider taking a page from the women who came before you and use the labor saving device. Please give it a try. You deserve to use your time and energy on other things. Like writing (yay!) Or admin (less yay!!) Thanks for reading this too-long comment! 🧡🧡🧡

Glad to hear Xander is doing okay. Dan, (the 13 year old, asthmatic, immunocompromised guy there on the left lol) decided to develop a bacterial URI on Friday and my vet could squeeze me in on their half day yesterday. Luckily, he's has decided that life is worth living again after the application of anti-inflammatory nose drops and lemon-flavored antibiotics. I had a whole weekend planned that was the taken up by Dan becoming the main character. He's fine now and much more himself, but medicating a cat twice a day isn't fun

I aspire to be as on top of the admin as you are, damn. So sorry so much of the house urgent repairs decided to make themselves the squeaky wheel at once. Fingers crossed for your taxes to be much less than you anticipate and the roof work to go smoothly when you can get it done. Your entire Drafting Dangerous series is wonderful. Even as someone who's watched your videos for years, I'm learning new things or thinking about drafting in a new way that's invigorating. I'd love any kind of trouser video from you, trying to adapt to a different learning style has made trousers incredibly challenging and now I'm cut-shy As a last note, I'd absolutely buy a ebook or print on demand book as a supplementary material for when I have questions in the midst of a project. Being able to look something up in the moment keeps my momentum going, whereas if I decide to rewatch a video I'm just as likely to not come back for....some time.

Administrator here, and it turns out the coping/admin skills I have developed over 30+ years were completely wiped out with perimenopause causing my undiagnosed ADHD to surface. I am not sure how I do it anymore either now!

Not sure if you're watching Bridgerton but this story has a lot of stuff about trompe l'oeil in it. https://youtu.be/bAQoaOs4rHI?si=hZWWEfuSt3czFa5B

You'll get there!

So, pattern drafting. I've been drafting my own patterns for decades now. Thanks to you I've had a great upgrade with the alpha numeric paper. So much better 😃. But I am having difficulty with my dart legs being two different lengths and facings not lining up. I make a sleeveless dress with armhole facings, front neckline and back neckline facings and the shoulders do not line up. They're slightly better than the dress with sleeves and only front and back neckline facings. These are really strange. I usually have to hand sew them to make them lay flat. I am good at walking my seams, using notches and sewing curvy Princess seams, so I know I am not just bad at sewing or inexperienced. So, I am asking you to help me understand this part of pattern drafting, please. I love your stuff. I have learned more from you in the last few years than in all my decades of sewing most of my wardrobe. Thank you ❤️

Your explanation of the dart angle was extremely helpful to me. My best-fitting bodice has curved darts and I'd been wondering if it was possible to change it to plain darts so I could make that pattern my block.

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I don’t know if there are Mennonite communities in your area. I live in the Finger Lakes area and I have had amazing luck hiring them. I have met some wonderful caring folks. I know looking in at their communities can seem pretty backwards but my youngest is trans and my second oldest is in a biracial marriage and there has been absolutely no adverse behavior. The opposite actually. Yes the men are the ones coming into your house but the women in the family are the ones doing the emailing, billing etc. And they are very inexpensive compared to others. I’m a single older disabled woman so yeah I have to trust who comes in my house.

Sheesh. I’m having flashbacks to when we moved to our house. The scary stuff that we found due to an enthusiastic DIYer. E.g removing a chimney breast and propping up the remaining stack in the attic with brackets…. in terms of darts, I’m fascinated on how you cope with designs like halternecks, strapless, one shouldered, where there’s less real estate to play with. Where do the darts go? Science? Witchcraft?

Good to hear from you, I've been wondering how you were weathering the most recent "snowmageddon" I think they called it. Sounds like you've thought things through carefully in logical order and you're on the right track: taxes, get on the roof repair contractor's schedule, work through your stash and use paint you've already got on hand! I'm one of those who mentioned go fund me, so am trying to think of solutions for your situation... would it increase your uTube income if we started sharing your very informative videos on social media among our various sewing connections and platforms, building followers for the channel? I first found you when looking for ways to learn and better my sewing skills, and you are a great teacher Bianca. You've taught me so much. If we can help you in that or other ways short of actually donating cash... well I for one want to help.

It is good to hear that you are coping with all these trials and tribulations, and the main bit of getting your taxes done! I don't understand US taxes, but there are similar woes of getting them done before the deadline here. Having a house is a constant joy of repairs and demands for money too, some of these that are not evident at time of purchase case can be a shock. Good to hear of your plans. Take care of you.

It's more admin, I know, but if insurance could save you 5-20k, that would be a huge relief.

Look for French Navy sequins. It's a colour halfway between royal and navy blue. I feel your pain with the repairs on your home. It never ends.... sorry.

Oh god, I totally agree with the repair people etc. I'm way too awkward for random men coming in my house and wandering about 😆 When I bought my first house, I had to get the kitchen and bathroom fully replaced back to back so it was a solid month of people coming in and out. Wasn't my favourite time! Glad the repairs seem to be holding for now ☺️

As a person with consistent wasp problem, there is an easy and free solution! Wasps are extremely territorial. You can create a fake wasp nest out of beige fabric, yarn (I crocheted mine), painted spackle, duct tape, kraft paper, or painted flour paste on a balloon, and install it up in your attic. Your winged neighbors will move out. The decoy doesn't have to be photorealism to work

Glad Xander is okay! And for women’s health issues, I bet there is a planned parenthood or something similar available while in insurance limbo that would be not costly to get what you need. I’d look into that. I understand the issue of missing meds. I missed 1 Paxil on accident and it was a 3 day doom. So excited for what you have coming up and yes, the dart videos are super helpful.

I have noticed that my favorite sewing creators have also become home owners and no surprise pivoted into reno related videos. There is a pants fitting method by Ithica Maven that I would love for you to demo/critique, called "Top Down, Centre Out". It can be used to fit any pants pattern. I would love to learn along with you, see you create a custom fit trouser block. It can be done solo too, also a plus.

We are considering a house - I say that "we are considering" but it's really my significant other is really keen for me to buy a house instead of paying the crazy rent. I hear stories like yours and agree, it's another level of adulting that I might not be ready for (in my mid-50s). That said, your interior design skills are amazing! And that is super inspiring. It will all be worth it once you have it done, but keeping you in my thoughts. And hey, at least your taxes are done! One less item you don't have to do. You can move on from that now and you'll know soon when you can start to repair your roof. [trying to give you silver lining.]

My goodness, that sounds like a very foolish gutter design, what with how good the freeze-thaw-freeze cycle is at bursting things open! Could you tack a bit of screen over the hole for now to keep out the wasps?

The bathroom tiles are probably moving because of the water coming in. Guaranteed the gutters have leaked before and caused the same issue. When you do the tile put in a heated floor system! You won’t regret it. We got ours from Costco online for a good price. We also have had to replace the windows in our old timer (1927) from the 1980s aluminium crappy ones and went with sash replacements. the windows don’t get fully replaced- and we went with wood ones bc the vinyl ones need replacing after 20 years or so and they fit inside the windows making them smaller and that was a nope

When we did our windows we were able to finance it, as we also didn't have the whole 20 grand in the bank. I hope the company you work with has a similar set up!

Nice. 👌🏼 😅