Stitching, Sewing, Resume-ing?

I had my last severance check last week, but have applied for a few jobs I'd really like this week, and so life goes on. One I'd love to have has called for two phone interviews and said they'd like to do a third this week. Alas it is Thursday and I haven't heard from them.

And so, in between putting in apps and submitting resume's (oh, and that lovely crack that appeared in the living room ceiling and had to be taken care of pronto) what other fun stuff have I been doing?
I found my camera. It was right in front of me! LOL. So typical.

I did finish my kitchen piece, as I told you in my last post. Hopefully this will be the first of either 3 or 4. Or who knows, maybe 5? I couldn't seem to get a good picture but this one will give you the idea.

 I had originally planned to make a hanging of them, with a pretty quilted border, but then got the idea I'd like to frame them. Unfortunately I didn't leave more than an inch and a half at the top because I thought I'd be making that hanging, so probably not enough space to frame prettily. Still, thrilled to bits to have finished the first one.

Now my embarrassing little bit of progress on the HAED Bulletin Board SAL.

The picture says it all I'm afraid.
My stitchy bug isn't gone, but wanders for days at a time only to return briefly.

I also stitched on my tablecloth a bit but completely forgot to take pics of that.

As to sewing, well, my sewing room isn't heated, so when it is warm enough I go in there to play-er-sew.
I absolutely have to show you a pic of my back vent. This is the same skirt I made before, only altered a bit at the waist. I love the fabric, which doesn't show true color in this pic your about to see. It is one of those really fine quilting cottons that are so difficult to find anymore, and that I can't normally afford. There were only a few yards of it on the sale table at, I believe, 80% off. I bought what there was and was able to squeak out this skirt. Here is the pic of the vent. I'm pleased with how well that came out, as my last one looked a little off.

The waist came out a little too large. I think I over compensated. The colors are much more rich and wonderful than what is showing here. This is Simplicity 2154, a great retro pattern, but the skirt is more of an A-line than the pencil skirt it looks like on the pattern cover photo, so be warned. The waistband is hand stitched and I hem-stitched the hem by hand as well. Who says I'm not stitching?

And lastly, a little glimpse of my next two sewing projects when the weather warms up again. Well, of the fabric anyway.

Not really true to color again. It is hard to get a good photo without the natural light. It gives you an idea though. The print is a lovely soft rayon and I am thinking of making the blouse from Colette's
Sewing Handbook with it. BTW, the book is less if you buy it from somewhere like B&N or Amazon. There are 5 patterns included in it.

Naturally that led me to think I should try the skirt from the book, with the pretty little scallops, out of the yummy linen/poly/rayon blend. They go together perfectly! And while that was unplanned they would also make a darling Easter outfit. I haven't had a new outfit or dress for Easter in years. But only if it warms up enough to get in there and work on it.

And that is about all for now.

Happy stitching my friends.

Short and Sweet

With more to come soon.

I've misplaced my camera and have to find it before I can do a proper update.

I've been stitching a little, but nothing outstanding. I finished my first kitchen piece!, and started my table cloth and taken a few stitches on one of the little kits from the stash I got earlier this year. I've put in a few stitches on the HAED Bulletin Board SAL, but nothing like what I had planned. Sewing and important life stuff has thrown me off my stitching for most of the month.

I've made 2 skirts and a shell top to go with them. There is a whole story behind that simple little shell. I've sewn endless blind hem stitches between the two skirts, (one on the bias, yuck) and as much on the shell since I hand hemmed it and then went back and blind hemmed all of the facings down.

Photo's of all soon with any luck.

And my big splurge this year (okay, it is me and it was 40 percent off plus my discount card), was this Ottlite with magnifier.

Fortunately I don't actually need the magnifier yet, but these things are supposed to last for years and I'm looking ahead to the future. I am not 100% satisfied with it. Apparently there is no way this model is able to hold itself up if you have both the magnifier and lamp leaned over a bit. It very slowly nods down and you have to prop it. For lamp only I can lean the magnifier back the other way and it acts as a balance and the lamp stays perfectly in place. Other than that it is perfect in every way. I decided not to return it (as I thought about doing shortly after I opened the box) after reading multiple reviews that it always does this on every one of this particular model and reading how satisfied others were with it even with this flaw. There is no way, I've read, to tighten it enough to make work properly without stripping it. Having worked with it for over two weeks now I can tell you that I'm happy I kept it and have already gotten used to the lamps one peculiarity.

I'm reading a ton of stuff lately and beginning to wonder if I don't want to possibly make all five garments from the Collette Sewing Handbook. It would be a sort of adventure. Especially since I'd have to alter the bottom halves of anything I made due to being one size larger from the waist down than I am on top. The book is wonderfully clear by the way. Basic pattern altering is described but if you need more there is always Sewing with Nancy's Pattern Fitting with Confidence, which would cover just about anything else you would need. Love both those books.

I've be reading a lot of fiction, or rather re-reading, from The Da Vinci Code (did this guy ever check his facts?)  to Jurassic Park. Also re-reading Elizabeth George's inspirational books. I have 4 or 5 of those and love them. At the moment I am reading her Putting on a Gentle and Quiet Spirit for the first time. Also reading a different sort of sewing book, mostly about knits, called Improv Sewing. Not sure about this one, mostly about knits and a lot of the projects can be found on the internet for free. I haven't given it a thorough read yet though, so I'm withholding judgement on it until I have.

Ok, enough for a short and sweet. I will get back to you with pics soon.

Happy Stitching everyone!
Karen