2.22.2021

Remember Water Cooler Chats?

Remember Water Cooler Chats? | oonaballoona by marcy harriell

My subconscious obviously knew my somber-hued mood wouldn't last forever, and with a great amount of foresight, chose this FANTABULOUS TECHNICOLOR PALM TREE BIG CAT IN THE JUNGLE PRINT. I have been LIVING in this longline sweatshirt slash turtleneck since I whipped it up a couple weeks back. And I do mean whipped it up, in an absolute frenzy of sewing, brought on by two fully filmed, fully BOTCHED, attempts at a coffee video tutorial. The sound engineer, she was *not* on her A-game. In fact, I'm in the middle of editing our third attempt at bringing Rob's black gold to the masses, so I'm just here for a hot second.

Remember Water Cooler Chats? | oonaballoona by marcy harriell

Side hustles notwithstanding, have you noticed that working from home means you're ALWAYS AT THE OFFICE? And the boss can't tell you're on lunch, or your pipes are frozen, or your kids are starting a dumpster fire (I'd be the kid in that situation). 

Hey. Let's take a quick coffee break together: we're out back in the employee parking lot, jackets on, but I'm just stomping around in this here sweatshirt thingamajig. Extremely caffeinated. Assuring everyone that I am totally warm enough, encased in the softest organic fleece ever...

Remember Water Cooler Chats? | oonaballoona by marcy harriell

George asks me where I got it, to which I reply I MADE IT (George is new to the office, I love new hires, they haven't been bombarded by my coffee break sewing yammering yet). His eyes widen, maybe from the newly acquired information, maybe from the volume at which I have given him the newly acquired information.


I tell him all about how I DIDN'T NEED NO STINKING RIBBING!!!!! I used the fashion fabric to attach bands at the hem, and at the cuffs! (Blinking, he wonders what "ribbing" is.)
 

And then Delilah from accounting says, LIKE SHE ALWAYS DOES, When are you making me one? And I laugh and laugh, and as usual she doesn't get that my laughter does not mean what she thinks it means, and yeah, eventually I'm going to have to tell her my rates so she can get offended and avoid me at conference room birthdays, it's inevitable.  


But y'all, I assure, when a few of the folks from HR say they wish they could sew...Y'all! You can totally make something like this, you really can (I've said this maybe a thousand times, much like Delilah, I'm hard-headed). I didn't even use a pattern for this! For real! I've got a video on it. 


Some eyes roll a little bit...they know allllllll about my YouTube channel that I mess around with on the weekends. A few of them watch the videos and laugh, a few of them never watch the videos, and laugh. The few of us that count sewing as a superpower give each other a knowing look, and make a mental note to gab WAY more about what handmade goodness we're wearing today, when we go out for margaritas later. 

So, my homebound office mates, there's ten minutes of warp speed, music video sewing up on the channel, if you want to see me make this from stitch to finish. It's copied from an old, worn-out RTW cropped sweatshirt. No instruction...purely for inspiration!

And, laughs.

Okay, break's over. I'm off to record a voiceover audition, upload a self-tape, edit an article, and get on that coffee video. I hope you're safe and warm, wherever you are, and taking a break when you need one.

I immediately turned my honorarium into fabric when I collaborated with The Fabric Godmother for my last post. I've got three decidedly neon animal prints to play with--well, two, now that I've sewn up every bit of this bad boy, which sadly is out of stock, or I'd buy it all. Might have a scrap or two for a headband. MAYBE A MINI TURBAN!!!

37 comments:

  1. Such a joyful print. Love the blog x

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  2. Oh my gosh...your post is so entertaining! I was a bit surprised to see you sewing knit fabric...the print must have been what won you over...or maybe it's the office dress code, LOL?

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    1. Yeah, it’s been a minute since I’ve used a knit! Weirdly, it’s what I started out sewing. Our apartment in NY is always so hot, I never had a need for a knit 😅 I guess that was my office dress code!

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  3. Another bright and beautiful creation that matches your personality perfectly! Bonus points for warmth, too!

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    1. 🥰🥰🥰thank you! It’s definitely easier to be my happier self in all this color 💗

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  4. I love your office dress code. And my kids would totally start a dumpster fire. But let's not give the the idea, right? ;-)

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    1. I now want to do a video on “Quarantine Ideas For Kids” that no kid should ever watch 🤣😂🤣

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  5. This.is.awesome. From start to finish. :)

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  6. Love this print matches your personality, now I need to re-watch that video on how you made this outta of the blue...ok copy from sweatshirt!

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    1. It’s really so easy! I’m going to do a proper tutorial on it soon!

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  7. Opps, forget to ask how do you figure out how much fabric to purchase to have a knee length dress? I'm only 5 ft!

    Want to sew this up between mask making and hand quilting

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    1. I believe I had 2 yards of this fabric to start with—it was a 60 inch width though! I’m 5’3 for reference 😊

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  8. It looks very cute on you! But of course, everything always looks cute on you! I'll check out the video and might sew one for myself!

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    1. 😁😅it’s high time I posted a couple fails, cuz they sure still happen!

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  9. I can truly say ALL your posts are FABULOUS because 🌸YOU🌸shine like the sun!☀️

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  10. I had to go into my physical office today, to take delivery of a laptop and send it off to a WFH employee. I was SO SAD not to be able to socialize with my co-workers...our office has been empty since March 12, 2020. I threw out an expired can of tomato juice from the fridge, did my Zoom calls from my office, and headed home.

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    1. That last sentence... with that sad can of tomato juice...that just about sums it up. You ought to celebrate with office Bloody Marys when you return! Virgin and spiked.

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  11. Thanks for the fun read! And for reminding me that taking a bit of time for reading blogs can be both educational and entertaining!

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  12. that fabric is AWESOME....as are you.....I am so glad you talk sewing to the non sewing folk....My former boss would say I might as well be talking in any given foreign language...you and your posts make me smile

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    1. 😊thanks Megan! We’re doing a service, really, with these immersive language sessions...eventually one or two of those coworkers will wake up with the strange desire to learn to sew...

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  13. Cozy brilliance!! Love it, you're fabulous:-)

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  14. Simply double the amount of coffee you normally add, and VOILA! A delicious brew awaits! It's sure to stand up to the creamer of your choice, and help you march on to victory for a multitude of hours.

    So what's Rob's concoction?

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    1. 😂🤣😂me, every time I pour coffee....

      That Rob is a coffee geek. He’s got a tutorial up on the channel now! Which I am drinking at this very moment.

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  15. So infinitely fun, and I really want to take coffee breaks with you! I have missed my sweater dresses so much this winter, but alas none of them are nursing-friendly. Nor as crazy fun as this print, of course.

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    1. I can imagine a sweater dress wouldn’t grant the easiest access.... but I think our next visit should be more than a coffee break in an airport 😅😅😅(for Rob’s sake as much as ours)

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  16. Great fun blog - thank you for the unrelenting cheeriness! Gonna check out that video.

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    1. Thankya Jeanne! I like “unrelenting” as a descriptor. Aptly put 😁😅

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  17. Oh man. I absolutely love this. I love how the boots keep it from looking too much like pajamas, but we all know it's just as comfy as pajamas!!
    Off to find your YouTube channel now!

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  18. You make this world a better place Marcy Harriell. 🙏🏽🌍🌟

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  19. Oooo! I hope you don't mind me commenting on such an old post but I have to say I LOVE this! It looks soooo comfy and of course, colorful. I could live in something like that.

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i thankya truly for taking the time to comment, i love a good conversation-- and hope you know my thanks are always implied, if not always written!