First, I went to the post office to pick up three parcels with customs fees. Apparently, the border agents have more time for packages right now. I doubt that I've paid duty on three packages in the five years since I moved to this house. Unfortunately, a lot of the jewelry supplies I want come from the United States. Good for the US - bad for exchange and duty.
Second, I went to the grocery store. I think the silver lining of this coronavirus situation will be a new appreciation for what we took for granted. Because there absolutely were not any on the shelf, I could not buy canned corn, paper towel, brown sugar, butter, parchment paper, or baking soda. That sounds like a lot of people are baking which would be a very poor choice for my hips so luckily I wanted the baking soda to neutralize liver of sulfur before disposing of it. I bought a version in the pet aisle. I doubt the combination of soda and OxiClean is going to be an issue for me but it's a powder product, meant to be sprinkled, and OxiClean is meant to be wet, and I just don't get it. Maybe because I don't have a pet. OH... maybe it's that kind of wet!
Not being able to buy what I want is a new experience that I'll have to learn how to navigate especially when it comes to unfinished projects. Since my twenties, when I was drowning in them and made a decision to finish things as I went, I rarely have more than one UFO and that's only because I literally don't know what to do and I go back to it once the next project is finished. Right now, I'm making my daughter a prototype of this gold purse that I bought at the thrift store. I wanted to repurpose the purse zipper from a previous prototype only it's too short. Our local Fabricland is closed so I will need to order it on-line while moving on to the next project and possibly the next, which is a foreign concept. I am going to need a strategy.
The exterior fabric is a dark blue upholstery remnant that I layered and stitched with denim blue thread. Originally, I'd intended to cover the surface with free motion circles only I didn't have the mental fortitude for circles, reminded myself it is a prototype, and used straight lines instead. The lining is made from remnants of a skirt. I had two pieces large enough to cut out the main parts and the rest is pieced.
For the flat interior pocket, I pieced the outside and used a fuchsia cotton for the inside rotating the tube slightly so the fuchsia created a band that will make the pocket both easier to find and more fun. The fuchsia was also a remnant.
The flat pocket will go on one side of the lining and this zippered one on the other side. The zipper is re-purposed. It had some paint on it but that's okay since it's the perfect colour. I do not have a lot of practice sewing welt pockets with or without an exposed zipper. Before beginning, I reminded myself that at one time I couldn't insert zippers or make buttonholes and I can learn this too. The stitching is...
... less wobbly to my naked eye than it is in this detail image but it is good and done and I learn to do by doing. On a funny note, I did a super good job and then realized that I'd make a measurement error and the opening is 6 1/2" when it could have been 9 1/2". Oh well!
I use that same reminder to encourage my jewelry work. I'm getting better at wire wrapping and forging but need significantly more practice with findings and stringing. This piece ended up a tad too long but as I'd already redone attaching the clasp three time I left it for now. I look forward to the day when my technical skills catch up with my design ones and I see substantial progress. For now, let's just call it organic and rustic.
Talk soon - Myrna
Grateful - YouTube and on-line classes
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