Dodgy Picture but... Ta Da!
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Weekend Wrap Up
What a great weekend! The last few days have shown that things always happen for a reason and no matter how bad things are perceived to be, there's always a silver lining.
After my disappointing trip to the Eye Institute (where I was told I'd have to wait another month before I can throw my goggles out to sea), I spent the arvo furthering my latest crafting escapade - lacemaking.
I was telling MP about the Lace Making Guild of NSW and he alerted me to the traditional heirarachical structures of experts within Guilds. A quick search of "Guilds" on Wikipedia revealed that, "Before a new employee could rise to the level of mastery, he had to go through a schooling period during which he was first called an apprentice. After this period he could rise to the level of journeyman... After this journey and several years of experience, a journeyman could be received as master craftsman"
As Barney Stinson would say... "Challenge Accepted!"
My aim - To become a Master craftsman.
(And now I've made this announcement on this blog, there's no turning back.)
So I spent Friday and Saturday persevering through Rosemary's sampler chapter where I learnt the basics to lace making. Her second chapter on braids was boring as bat poo, so after a few stitches, I decided to ditch it... landing myself on the chapter where my journey into creating something that actually resembles lace begins - The world of torchon (pronounced "tore-shone") lace.
As always, the weekend went by way too quickly and I didn't get to indulge in torchon for as long as I wanted to. (Progress photo below). On the upside, now I've got something else to look forward to at the end of the working day.
A trip to St Ignatius College yesterday landed me in a market full of ballerina tulle, felt toys and teddy bears. Where was I you ask? At the Sydney Mathilda Markets! This is the place where (one day) I aspire to have my own little tressle table, selling my wares. I just have to work out what my wares are... but I guess that's part of what this blog is about. Here's some pictures from the markets -
After lunch at Sambal (where Mrs.P gave us a whole Singaporean Chilli crab to take home!), the rest of Sunday was spent cooking up a feast for friends who came over for dinner. Neil Perry's vegetable pot pie, Jamie Oliver's tomato salad, Guy Hannaford's roast potatoes and green salad. Our fridge is now stocked full of left overs. Love it!
After my disappointing trip to the Eye Institute (where I was told I'd have to wait another month before I can throw my goggles out to sea), I spent the arvo furthering my latest crafting escapade - lacemaking.
I was telling MP about the Lace Making Guild of NSW and he alerted me to the traditional heirarachical structures of experts within Guilds. A quick search of "Guilds" on Wikipedia revealed that, "Before a new employee could rise to the level of mastery, he had to go through a schooling period during which he was first called an apprentice. After this period he could rise to the level of journeyman... After this journey and several years of experience, a journeyman could be received as master craftsman"
As Barney Stinson would say... "Challenge Accepted!"
My aim - To become a Master craftsman.
(And now I've made this announcement on this blog, there's no turning back.)
So I spent Friday and Saturday persevering through Rosemary's sampler chapter where I learnt the basics to lace making. Her second chapter on braids was boring as bat poo, so after a few stitches, I decided to ditch it... landing myself on the chapter where my journey into creating something that actually resembles lace begins - The world of torchon (pronounced "tore-shone") lace.
As always, the weekend went by way too quickly and I didn't get to indulge in torchon for as long as I wanted to. (Progress photo below). On the upside, now I've got something else to look forward to at the end of the working day.
A trip to St Ignatius College yesterday landed me in a market full of ballerina tulle, felt toys and teddy bears. Where was I you ask? At the Sydney Mathilda Markets! This is the place where (one day) I aspire to have my own little tressle table, selling my wares. I just have to work out what my wares are... but I guess that's part of what this blog is about. Here's some pictures from the markets -
After lunch at Sambal (where Mrs.P gave us a whole Singaporean Chilli crab to take home!), the rest of Sunday was spent cooking up a feast for friends who came over for dinner. Neil Perry's vegetable pot pie, Jamie Oliver's tomato salad, Guy Hannaford's roast potatoes and green salad. Our fridge is now stocked full of left overs. Love it!
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Friday, May 27, 2011
Goggles for another month
So anticlimactic...
The script for my right eye seems to have worsened over the last two months so I have to wait ANOTHER month before I can be goggle-free.
And to top it off, I've got to spend a whole month physically wearing goggles. (i.e. no contacts)
.... On the upside, a day off work to get on with the lace!
The script for my right eye seems to have worsened over the last two months so I have to wait ANOTHER month before I can be goggle-free.
And to top it off, I've got to spend a whole month physically wearing goggles. (i.e. no contacts)
.... On the upside, a day off work to get on with the lace!
Learning Lace Making - Day 1
So last night after date night dinner at New Shang hai (where we had the most indulgent prawns EVER. They were deep fried in salted egg yolk... Hello High Cholesterol!), I came home and officially started my lace making journey.
After three hours of pricking, sticking and winding, I finished up with these...
... and that's as far as I got! Didn't even get to start loading them onto the pillow!
So I'm beginning to see that this learning process is going to be a long and arduous one, but I am DETERMINED to become a Lace Making Master (... ok, maybe not master. Amateur? Novice? Greenhorn?).
I am DETERMINED to persevere. (That'll do for now.)
This is just going to be a quickie post as today is the big day! I'm finally going under the knife (well, laser in this case) and bidding farewell to my goggles forever. Tomorrow, I will be able to wake up and SEE without spectacles! A very big moment which I celebrated with a big breakfast this morning (so the valium they're going to need to knock me out with, will take).
After three hours of pricking, sticking and winding, I finished up with these...
... and that's as far as I got! Didn't even get to start loading them onto the pillow!
So I'm beginning to see that this learning process is going to be a long and arduous one, but I am DETERMINED to become a Lace Making Master (... ok, maybe not master. Amateur? Novice? Greenhorn?).
I am DETERMINED to persevere. (That'll do for now.)
This is just going to be a quickie post as today is the big day! I'm finally going under the knife (well, laser in this case) and bidding farewell to my goggles forever. Tomorrow, I will be able to wake up and SEE without spectacles! A very big moment which I celebrated with a big breakfast this morning (so the valium they're going to need to knock me out with, will take).
Learning Lace Making - Ready and Willing
So I've decided to learn the traditional craft of lace making. This all came about after a Melbourne crafter blogged about her lace making experience last year, subsequently planting a seed in my head which only now is starting to bud. I contacted the NSW Lace Making Guild a few weeks ago to ask about lace making classes, and got a reply back from the fabulous Vice President Ruth Budge.
Ruth Budge. Such an amazing woman. One of the most funny, articulate and technologically savvy "seniors" I know. After a week of bantering over email, I went and visited Ruth last Saturday spending three hours with her, sipping tea, eating muffins and just chatting about randomness. I found out that all the lace making classes across Sydney are held during the day. (As Ruth admits, their primary demo is 50+.) So the only learning option for a corporate crafty like me is to do as Ruth did... Buy Rosemary Shepherd's infamous lacemakers bible "Bobbin Lacemaking", and teach myself.
So I did! I bought the book from the Powerhouse Museum (who has a whole exhibit dedicated to the history of lace making) and just this week, I received my package containing bobbins, pins and threads from the ONLY Australian online supplier, Josco Lace Supplies. (Seriously, the lady has a monopoly in the market... Potential business opportunity here!)
So I have everything needed to make my first piece of lace... well, everything except FRICHEN TIME!
It's been such a hectic week. I got my parcel on Monday but that night, I had dinner with my darling friend T who was only in town for two days. Yesterday was family dinner at my sister's. Tonight is dinner with the future in-laws. Tomorrow is date night. Then I'm going to be on valium for two days as I'm going under the knife on Friday to forever be rid of my spectacles. (I'm actually very excited about this.)
It's looking like my big lacemaking debut will have to wait until next weekend.
*sigh*
... But that's the life of a corporate craftie.
Ruth Budge. Such an amazing woman. One of the most funny, articulate and technologically savvy "seniors" I know. After a week of bantering over email, I went and visited Ruth last Saturday spending three hours with her, sipping tea, eating muffins and just chatting about randomness. I found out that all the lace making classes across Sydney are held during the day. (As Ruth admits, their primary demo is 50+.) So the only learning option for a corporate crafty like me is to do as Ruth did... Buy Rosemary Shepherd's infamous lacemakers bible "Bobbin Lacemaking", and teach myself.
So I did! I bought the book from the Powerhouse Museum (who has a whole exhibit dedicated to the history of lace making) and just this week, I received my package containing bobbins, pins and threads from the ONLY Australian online supplier, Josco Lace Supplies. (Seriously, the lady has a monopoly in the market... Potential business opportunity here!)
So I have everything needed to make my first piece of lace... well, everything except FRICHEN TIME!
It's been such a hectic week. I got my parcel on Monday but that night, I had dinner with my darling friend T who was only in town for two days. Yesterday was family dinner at my sister's. Tonight is dinner with the future in-laws. Tomorrow is date night. Then I'm going to be on valium for two days as I'm going under the knife on Friday to forever be rid of my spectacles. (I'm actually very excited about this.)
It's looking like my big lacemaking debut will have to wait until next weekend.
*sigh*
... But that's the life of a corporate craftie.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Corporate Craftie
Suited up by day, tangled in wool and threads by night, I, the Corporate Craftie, dream about the day I can quit my day job to pursue a career crocheting granny squares.
I dream about owning a successful Etsy store, spending the days sipping hot tea and plodding around in slouchy pyjama pants. I dream about days trawling through craft blogs, planning masterpiece creative projects and photo documenting my days on my old and trusty Digital SLR. I fantasize about the day i am able to drop the "Corporate" in my moniker and be a free creative soul with flexible working hours, living on a reasonable wage...But alas, it's the later that stops me from taking the plunge.
Corporate life, as tough, ruthless and (at times) unbearable as it is, provides me with the one thing that a career as a straight "Craftie" does not - financial freedom. The freedom to buy expensive wool, to blindly sign up to creative classes, to dabble in new crafts and to spend a small fortune on handmade goodies. Crafting is a passion as oppose to a means to put food on the table. Crafting is an escape.
After reading about the closing down of 'Notions', a small crafting business from Hobart, the reality hit me like an express train. That the grass may not be greener on the other side. (http://notionshandmade.blogspot.com/2011/05/decision-time.html) In the same week, I also read about the dilemmas that 'Ink and Spindle', one of the most inspirational craft businesses in Australia, were having with design fraud. (http://inkandspindle.blogspot.com/2011/05/this-is-what-you-get-when-you-mess-with.html)
These blog posts have had me shirk back into my corporate nook.
So I've decided to start this blog. A blog to document my search for balance, a resolve, a bridge between my double life as a corporate lemming by day and the crafty artisan at night.
My name is Jacki. I am the Corporate Craftie.
My name is Jacki. I am the Corporate Craftie.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)