catching up

in which our plucky heroine sleeps in...

Is it possible to actually catch up on sleep? Ifso, I have managed to do that, since I woke up twice last night, once in the wee small hours, and once again in the predawn hours, and both times I told myself to go back to sleep. It helped that I didn't wake up in the middle of a nightmare, and I'm not sure about the waking up at almost 11am, but this feels like a step in the right direction.

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~ 100 day stitch book project - day 57~

Day 57/100 (page 12) ...when I was discussing this current page with my pal Ursel, somehow the word persistence turned into persimmons! So I thought it would be fun to add some persimmons to the page. Somewhere in the back of my mind I was remembering the painting "Six Persimmons" seen in a book years ago, but rather than look it up, I decided to first create my own interpretation. As always, I am continually being surprised by the direction each page travels...

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My grey popover dress is sorely in need of mending or refashioning before summertime, as the thin rayon fabric is worn to ravelling around the armscye. Since the fabric itself is not very robust to begin with, and I have been wearing it every summer and more since 2015 when I made the dress, it has lasted really well. What I am thinking I will do is to make a new popover dress from some of the rayon in the "textile aging facility" and apply the grey dress neckline and hemline trimmings, since those are not particularly worn out yet. I will however, salvage the large embroidered floral patch I put on the side of the skirt, made to cover a large tear, and add it to one of the pages in my stitchbook project.

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"A parure is defined as a matching set of jewelry that’s intended to be worn together. A full parure is typically comprised of three or more jewelry pieces such as a ring, a bracelet, a pair of earrings, a necklace, a brooch, or a tiara... "

I was really struggling, but I've finally come up with a concept that connects with my Enamel Art Jam prompt of "Thrilling Reverie" -  Space Travel! Now to spend the weekend brainstorming ideas. This is going to be fun, a way for me to connect family history, childhood fantasies, and current artistry together. I am thinking of making a parure consisting of a pendant, a brooch, and a pair of earrings, either set into a shadowbox environment, or maybe as a sort of sculpture? Per aspera ad astra...

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March SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	page 9	chore jacket snaps	recycle bin
2	strawberry needlekeeps	rain capelet neckline	yard waste bin
3	page 10	Stanley power strip	ceiling fan blades
4	page 11	-	more ceiling fan blades
5	-	-	yard waste bin
6	x	x	recycle bin
7	x	x	crocs of slip-n-fall
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x
10	x	x	x
11	x	x	x
12	x	x	x
13	x	x	x
14	x	x	x
15	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. Ursula Vernon aka T Kingfisher, is one of my current favorite writers. I just finished reading "Swordheart" and enjoyed it very much... I also went online and re-read "The Tomato Thief"
2. Squee! (a tiny splurge)  I ordered this card from Lucy Campbell's shop. I've loved the image ever since she first posted it ages ago, but it was far beyond my budget for artwork. When I saw she had it printed up as cards, I made haste to order one, and will look forward to being able to see it every day.
3. I have arranged a ride for my dentist visit later this month. I am always grateful that my friends are willing to help me get where I need to go. I mean, I can get there on the bus, but it does take at least two hours each way.

Time of Isolation - Day 1103

slow and steady Sunday

in which our plucky heroine gets off to a gradual start...

more time spent on small scale improvements today, along with social time, which is its own small improvement. I wish it had been less blustery today, as for the second day I have not managed much in the way of sanity strolls. Tomorrow I shall ignore the weather unless it is actively snowing, and get out for a good long walk!

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~ 100 day stitch book project - day 45 ~

Day 45/100 (page 9) - after four days of being really unsure about this page, it finally turned into something I really like with the addition of the Alambama Chanin reverse applique layer. I am surprised at what a difference such small changes in the page make in what it evokes (in me at least). This process feels like how I imagine improvisational interactive dance must be, in these pages the interaction is between me, the assorted materials, and the image forming on the page

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The high neckline on my rain capelet has been bothering me, pretty much from the start. I used my partlet pattern, and while that design works well in a flexible fabric, the combination of the robust DWR outer layer and the fleece inner layer was just too stiff, and both poked me under the chin, and was uncomfy at the back of my neck. So, I took chalk and marked the outside along my neckline, ran a line of machine basting to hold the lining and outer layer together, and then cut most of the excess away, except around the zipper...

I then took seam ripper in hand to unpick the (complex) zipper stitching. Small wire cutters were carefully deployed to remove the molded zipper teeth one by one, while leaving the zipper tape intact. Once taken down far enough, some of the excess zipper tape was cut away and the rest folded and tucked between the layers of fabric, and the fold just above the teeth was overcast to create a sturdy "stop" for the now shortened zipper.

All that remains to be done tonight is to cut a piece of the same synthetic/lycra knit used for the rest of the edge binding, and re-bind the new upper edge. Given how much precipitation is forecast for the next ten days, returning this capelet to active duty is a Very Good Idea!

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The tiny oil filled radiator arrived yesterday, and is already making my computer time much more pleasant. My house is at a temperature that is comfortable when I am moving around doing things, but when sitting really still at the keyboard, that bit of extra warmth is really welcome. I hadn't thought of suchlike, until it showed up on one of the "buy-nothing" groups I follow, and eureka, a new idea! Plus it was couriered across the city by an old friend I hadn't seen in ages, so we were able to have a short porch visit, for added gratitude

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I've signed up to participate in the Enamel Art Jam 2023 (coordinated by Sandra McEwen), as an encouragement for allowing my own creativity to expand in a playful way... I will have 3 months to create an artwork that reflects the "unique two word theme" assigned, which in my case is "Thrilling Reverie".

I started by looking up defintions:

Thrilling = heady, exhilarating, pleasurable excitement...
Reverie = daydream, fantasy, fanciful/impractical...

The one requirement is that whatever the finished work is, it must include vitreous glass on metal enamel.  Not sure if I want to make a wearable piece, or an artifact, or something that combines both. Back in 2015 I made two shadowbox artifacts that hold wearable jewelry; revisiting that concept with new imagery and techniques could be worthwhile:

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March SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	-	chore jacket snaps	recycle bin
2	-	rain capelet neckline	yard waste bin
3	-	-	ceiling fan blades
4	-	-	more ceiling fan blades
5	-	-	-
6	x	x	x
7	x	x	x
8	x	x	x
9	x	x	x
10	x	x	x
11	x	x	x
12	x	x	x
13	x	x	x
14	x	x	x
15	x	x	x

today's gratitudes -
1. The adorable and useful wicker market basket cart arrived today.
2. Sunday is zoomday, with food for thought and time with friends
3. rain capelet refurbishment, a timely task completed

Time of Isolation - Day 1091