70 skirts in a day!

I have an interesting job. I am paid by the city. My position is in a private school. My responsibility is to the city. The school benefits from the city placing a practitioner in their facility. Stage set.
The school is in the final weeks of preparation for the year’s musical production (every four years this is produced). The costumes have been cut. The pieces delivered by the parents to the school. Plastic bags everywhere. Yesterday an ancient sewing machine was delivered that has not been used in years. (It was not tested.) No one in the school knows how to sew.
The machine does not work. I took it apart. Cleaned and oiled. Still does not work. OK This morning I brought in my machine and sat and sewed 70+ skirts and started on the vests. Sweat shop.

I finished the shawl!
My first knitted shawl.

I am now working on shawl clasps. Or what used to be called sweater guards. Finding the hardware is difficult, may have to fabricate it myself.

This wears like a cape. Is soft and has a gentle drape. For the security I want a little something to fasten when walking outdoors. I am so very pleased with my first attempt…errors and all.
Valerie

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it’s DONE!

The PayPal buy now button will get you a box of goodies. I have added on a couple of dollars to the Priority Flat Rate to cover the PayPal fees and tax. These are the medium size and are surprising me in the amount they hold.

Please choose dependent on location!

Several readers have contacted me and asked to trade yarn for a box. How very wonderful! This has been my answer;

Over the last two days I have gotten a few offers of yarn for a swap. And I absolutely love the idea.
To be fair, since I kinda put this out as a free-for-all, if anyone wants a box of what I have to offer for the price of shipping, great! If someone is inclined to reciprocate (send me a box of yarn for and I pay the price of shipping) I will be a most happy camper.

Tonight I filled 11 boxes. I don’t seem to have made a dent…



Valerie

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progress

I have started this twice and am happy to say I have figured out how to knit this! It is from Meg Swansen’s A Gathering of Lace.  The shawl I selected as my first is really quite simple. It is one by Robert Powell called Rippling Rainbow. I am using a yarn I had on hand, no color changes as the one I am using is variegated. It may be a bit much. I am committed. The first picture is from two days ago. And the second, today.

Amazing.
I am considering destashing some of the supplies and materials I have for clay work. My thoughts are to fill priority mail boxes. Each box to contain books, tools, clay, powders, paints, stamps, etc. Those who are interested to pay for the postage. Why? I have picked up clay only once since last May. I have lost interest. Time to change focus. Please leave a comment if this seems to be the thing to do, if there is any interest.

In another direction…I never mentioned I have a piece in the current Bead Star! And it softly rustles just like the leaves it looks like. Great piece to wear.






Valerie

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time

Over the last couple of days the concept of time has been flitting around the edges of my conscious thought. I remember when my children were young and would say “I’m bored”  or “there is nothing to do”. I am too removed from my own childhood to remember/recall such thoughts. I wonder if I had such moments, it was a different time

Today is Friday. What happened to the other days since the last Friday? In recent years there is so much to do, so many projects planned, so many people avoided…not enough time.

It is not just the responsibility of being an adult and parent that clogs the day. It is everything else. The more I learn, the more I want to know. The more I know the more I want to do. The more I want to do, the more time I need. The more time I need….oh please.

What is your day like? Here is mine: Up at 8am at work by 8:30am. Home by 4pm. Prepare supper and housework 4-6 (about). Turn on computer. And sit down in studio. Studio time (concentrated) for the next 5-7 hours, with family interruptions. And that is it.

Seems like I have plenty of time. Let’s examine ‘studio time’. I generally spend an hour or two in research and prep. Another hour may be spent with orders/clerical type work. Actual time left for creativity and doing? 3-4 hrs. And last night I redid everything I had done the previous two nights!

time
I need more time.

The days pass too quickly, and the weeks fly. The months and holidays are here and gone in a blink. And the years, the years are passing.
A year no longer seems a long time. 10 years a conceivable time. Even 50 years makes sense. Ahh, is this what is meant by understanding comes with age? Is this waxing melancholy???

2010 should bring you the time you need.
Valerie

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