Another Monday…

So last Monday I went back to work, as usual, after having been out in the field learning a bit more about the inspection side of what the company does. Around 3:30 that afternoon, I was called into the Regional Manager's office, and told that after 60 days (it was a 90-day probationary period), the company had evaluated and re-evaluated where the position needs to go, and decided that it's just not a good fit for me. I was completely astounded. As far as I know, I didn't do anything to bring it on. I was never told that the position was being reevaluated, or that they were considering changing the duties that had been outlined when I was hired. I was there every day, on time, without leaving early or taking any extra time at lunch. I did what I was asked or told to do. I spent a week out in the field, hiking to places I could not foresee what I might encounter. There were 2 poles that I could not get down to, because the grade was steep enough and my balance is poor enough that getting down there would have involved sitting on my ass and sliding down, then hoping I could crawl back up again. The inspector I was working with said it wasn't a problem, and I took him at his word, since I was hired as an Administrative Assistant.

On the up side, if there is one, I did have plenty of time to finish my dress for the wedding I was in this past weekend, as well as helping the bride finish a couple of other projects that HAD to be done, including one that we didn't even discover until Thursday night, when we were supposed to leave just past noon on Friday to head out! The wedding was lovely, we had a good turnout at the wedding, at faire, and at the reception. My dress turned out better than I expected, though there are a few things I will tweak for the next Irish dress I make. This one will strictly be a March/early April and November/December piece of my garb. It cost me about $10 to make, including fabric (must LOVE the $1/yd room at one of the Fabric District shops), thread, plastic zip ties, grommets, and ribbon to lace with. My next one is going to be reversible, I think, but I've not chosen colors, although I have found a lovely green that I like at Joann's in a 97/3 Cotton/Spandex.

I've taken today to try to get caught up on the rest I didn't get over the weekend. Tomorrow I'll finish updating my resume again, get some applications going, and get some Ebay listings up, in order to start some income generation to tide me over until I can find something full time.

Projects

                                                                       

Ok, I’ve not posted much of late, but I have been a bit busy with a couple of projects, and, of course the job search. One of my fellow Wenches, like so many others, is an amazing seamstress, and has aspirations of being a custom seamstress, and she offered to teach some of us some of her secrets. First up was a corset. Specifically, a corset meant to be worn as the foundation garment that they are actually supposed to be… Amazingly, her own such corset seems to have some sort of magic, as it fit several of us, all of varying heights & girths amazingly well, and our individual patterns required minimal tweaking from hers. It did take a couple of us some trial and error, as we didn’t think to take notes (as someone else took them and offered to type them up and email them, though that has not happened yet), but eventually we got them finished. Well, some of them are finished. One is still waiting on grommets, because someone who was told they could borrow 3, wasn’t told that the ones in the baggie (the only ones I could find in the house) were set aside for the corset. My corset is FAR from perfect, and it probably won’t get worn much, but I did learn that I CAN make one, successfully. I also suspect that I am going to want more boning than what is in there… (they are relatively narrow, and made from ¼” fish tape, cut to length). It’s not particularly pretty, however since it’s an undergarment, it doesn’t have to be beautiful, necessarily.

I also think that my layer that pads between the outer layer and the boning layer is a bit too thick and, umm, fluffy.

  

I also think that for an outer corset or bodice, I want it to be a bit longer in the front. That corset or bodice is going to be an ongoing project, as I have a vision in my head of how I can create covers to go over it for a couple of specific outfits that I only wear once a season, and just can’t justify a whole corset or bodice for that one day. 

In May, I am in a wedding, which, while it won’t actually take place at Scarborough, it will be part of our faire day, and I’ve got an Irish dress to make for it. The fabric is purchased, as is the interfacing, and the thread. Pretty much I have to get it made, get the boning, and the grommets/lacing for it. My biggest issue with all the Irish dresses I’ve tried on, is that they land in such a spot that my tummy pooches way out and, well, makes me look about 5 months pregnant. Yeah, NOT a look I want to have, thanks. I’ve been told by 2 different seamstresses that I can adjust the waist of the dress to drop farther down, and not have that look. I’m going to try on the one that I already have, with my corset under it and see what I think of the look, before I get out the muslin and start mocking up the pattern with any adjustments I think it needs, before I start cutting on the real fabric. We’ve got a pattern, however it seems to be pretty much a front lacing bodice with a skirt attached to it, so I may just use my corset pattern and make adjustments on that.

My other new project is still ongoing. For some reason I got a bee in my bonnet about learning blackwork embroidery. I’ve had more than one person tell me I’ll go blind doing it, and I just might, but I’m going to give it a shot. Once upon a time I did a good bit of counted cross-stitch, and actually quite enjoyed it. I bought a piece of waste canvas when I was at Joann’s yesterday, and some black floss. I found an awesome site at Blackwork Archives with some not terribly difficult patterns, cut a piece of waste canvas to the size of the simplest pattern, basted it onto a white hanky, and started this little quest.

Now, I’m not sure what I am going to ultimately do with the skill, since I wear essentially peasant or pirate garb, it’s not like I have a court gown to wear with a blackworked chemise, but I guess we’ll see where it goes. The corner of the hanky that I did finish is a decent enough job for the first time out, I think. My next piece of waste canvas will be 14 count, rather than 10, as I think the 10 is resulting in a bit of a big design. I also am going to work on learning to stitch evenly, without the canvas, so that I don’t have to spend a lot of $ on waste canvas, and because the waste canvas is a bit of a pain in the ass to get pulled out of the stitching.

I LOVE digging through the remnant bins at Joann’s, and even at our local WalMart, which is one of the few that still has a decent fabric department. I’ve managed to score, in the past few days, several pieces of twill or duck cloth in 53” or 54” widths, each just about a yard, for between a buck and 2.50 each! Yep, I’m gathering fabric that I can use for either bone casings, or corset layers. I am always on the hunt for bargains, and I’m pretty sure my fabric is going to outgrow my tote AND my shelf in our cabinet. I am going to try to only keep current project fabric in the cabinet, to avoid cluttering it up, but we’ll see what shakes out.

Crossing things off the list

Today I realized that I haven't posted in awhile, and in that time, I have managed to cross one of the books off my "read before buying anymore books" list. I finished the Dairy Queen, by Allison Rushby. It's a fun little story, and I suspect that part of the reason I was drawn right into it, is because it starts with the main character feeling like her world has fallen apart, which, in a lot of ways, is how I've felt over the past 8 months or so. I have also begun reading the Elegant Gathering of the White Snows, and am enjoying it as well.

This week's major accomplishment is my corset.  One of my friends, who makes absolutely AMAZING court dresses and other garb, has been teaching a few of us how to make our own amazing stuff, starting with a corset. I HAVE decided that I'd just as soon rather buy precut boning the next time around, instead of cutting my own, and having to file the ends, and wrap them, etc. I am also having issues with my layers being a bit too thick, I suspect because of what I used for padding to smooth the outer layer so the boning doesn't show through. Class again on Sunday, so hopefully she has some ideas how to address that, and by the end of Sunday, or Monday at the latest, I will have an awesome foundation garment, that will give me at least several options.

I also have an awesome skirt rolling around in my head, that I think COULD work with a couple of different things that are ALSO rolling around in my head.

Keep in Mind:
Hate is like acid. It can damage the vessel in which it is stored, as well as destroy the object on which it is poured - Ann Landers

Playing Catchup Part 2

Let's take a look at my To Do list before Faire starts on April 4th, in no particular order:

• Make a pattern for wrap pants off the pair I borrowed from a friend 10 months ago
• Sew 2 pairs of wrap pants using above-mentioned pattern
• Make favors using my new stamp and fimo clay
• Sort out the tote full of accessories
• Pack the garb tote for opening weekend after narrowing down what to wear to 3 or 4 outfits to choose from
• Charge camera batteries
• Get the toiletry bag packed for the season

Now, that doesn't even include the sewing I need to do before 3rd weekend, and then that for Final weekend (Memorial Day).

So the weekend after NTIF, when I *should* have been home sewing, or making favors, or sorting garb & accessories, I went to Midland. If you are at all familiar with Texas, you're probably thinking MIDLAND???? Why on earth would anyone go to Midland voluntarily? My best buddy lives about an hour and a half south of there, and one of my favorite pipers' EJ was performing with his band Clandestine at the Scottish-Irish Festival out there, so we decided it would be a grand time for us to get together, giggle, shop, and hear some rockin' Celtic music. I flew out to Midland and Darla & her boyfriend (who shall henceforth be referred to as SFB, I'll let you decide what it means) picked me up at the airport on Friday afternoon and we headed directly to my favorite candle shop The Candle Cafe. I was quite restrained, as I was flying home and didn't have a lot of extra space in the suitcase for candles. I came home with her newest cherry scent, amaretto, and and aspen woods.

We stayed at a motel that I'd booked (and prepaid) online.

Yeah, note to self, NEVER THERE AGAIN. It was a "Suite" yeah, this is the bedroom. There was an 18 inch or so space between the beds. Note the lack of a nightstand... yeah that was in the corner near the foot of the bed on the left. The space between each bed and the wall it was up against was about 3 inches, at best. The closet, which clearly should have had a door, did not, simply because there isn't space for it to open , or if it was open, to close, so they just took it off completely, apparently, it doesn't show in the photo because it's to the right of the bed on the right. These next 2 shots are from the bathroom, which DID have a door, with a locking knob to boot!

Love the peeling wallpaper and water damaged ceiling... scary, when you consider we were on the 2nd floor of a 3 story motel. Clearly they are "remodeling" or something. Especially lovely is the use of MASKING TAPE to tape the seam at the wall & ceiling in the BATHROOM

Yeah, pretty isn't it??

The coffee pot didn't work, which doesn't matter to me, since my coffee is Dr Pepper, but SFB was cranky on Saturday morning. The festival itself was fun. Smaller than NTIF, really probably less than 25% the size of NTIF and maybe half the size of Texas Scottish Festival, but hey, Go Permian Basin for having a Celtic festival! Probably 90% of the vendors I'd seen the previous weekend, but they are awesome vendors, and I found stuff that I either didn't see at NTIF, or caught a glimpse in passing but didn't stop to look, or I looked but left behind for whatever reason. I made some awesome purchases that I'll get a lot of enjoyment and use out of.

We won't go into SFB making a complete ass of himself at dinner at a little Mexican restaurant trying to show off his Spanish skills by talking to the obviously ASIAN waitress in Spanish, and then deciding to publicly proclaim that all of his relationship problems are my fault. Whatfreakingever. Yeah, there's a reason he's SFB!

I flew home Sunday afternoon in time to get to Burleson for dinner with friends after their Pirate Invasion at Weston Gardens, and was still home by 6 to do laundry and start getting ready for the week.

This past weekend I had lunch and time to hang with my friend Erin wandering through Joann's looking for fabrics for later in the season sewing projects. Sunday I went to Benbrook with some Faire Folke for rat pucking practice and visiting. Sunblock Nazi (that would be me) FAILED and I wound up with a bit of sunburn around the top of my forehead and on my arms. Poor Isa's face is peeling already from her burn. Sad thing is, we BOTH had SPF 70 sunblock with us, and just didn't use it! Yeah, epic FAIL for me!

OK that's enough rambling for one night... Gardening posts start tomorrow or Friday....

Up & Down

This has been one of those up and down weeks. I used to have them ALL the freaking time, but in the past couple of months, since I've been uterus-free, they've not only gotten less frequent, they seem to have gotten less severe as well. Of course, it may be that they are still as severe as they ever were, but since I am feeling a little more balanced, the little stuff doesn't bother me as much.

On Sunday I got to visit with my sweet little kitty Molly. She lives with my friends Erin & Tony, but has been jointly claimed by another friend and me. She's not squatting or crouching down, she has really short little legs, sort of like me (well, and Erin for that matter). Erin used to breed and sell designer cats, including dwarves, sphynx, bambino, and others. Molly was born deaf, and therefore became a family pet, rather than a breeding cat. As much as I would love to bring her to my house, it just isn't fair to expect her, as a not young cat (I think she's about 5 or 6), to be moved into a strange house with not one, but 2 senior (both over 10 years old) cats that she doesn't know. Our other friend lives in an apartment and can't afford the additional pet deposit either. So we just love her when we are over there. And she loves us! My kids were all over me, trying to identify the white hair all over my red shirt when I got home!

On the down side, I've been frustrated most of the week because I want something that I can't have. At least right now. It's frustrated me off and on for several months, and I've truly learned more patience than I ever thought I had, but for some reason this week has been especially frustrating. There are one or two things that I could do and possibly rectify at least part of the situation, but I'm too big of a chicken to risk losing what I do have in order to POSSIBLY get what I want. Yep, that's me, covered with feathers and squawking bawkbawkbawk bukawk.

On the up side, only 2 weeks until NTIF, the local Irish Festival, which, at least for me, marks the beginning of the festival season. Most of my piping and drumming friends will be there, with their various bands. Some I've not seen since Dickens on the Strand in December, others its been longer, but either way, I'm looking forward to seeing all of them again.

It's also time to start getting busy with my sewing for Scarborough Faire. I've got several pairs of wrap pants to get made, as well as redoing some of my skirts that I made the first year I was making garb. I was going with EASY, at that point, and so not making panel skirts, or circle skirts. Yeah, 5 or 6 yards of fabric at the hemline is great. That same amount up around my waist, notsomuch.

There will also be SOMETHING using this fabric:

Awful isn't it? I think so too, but once a year something totally awful can be funny, and I assure you, once it's done, it's gonna be funny as hell, and I will post the evide-, umm, I mean pictures.

This weekend I'm hoping to get back to doing some cooking, so I can have better food than a frozen pizza for dinner in the evenings. This means I have to clean out the freezers and see what I've got in there to thaw, and what I've got in there that's just plain too freezer burned to salvage... The fridge got cleaned out last night, I need more veggies now. Darn, gonna have to make a trip to Central Market tonite, oh the horrors!