Sunday, February 27, 2011

It's Been Awhile

How easy it has been for me to ignore this blog! Life happens, and my life since last November has left me enervated. (Or maybe just lazy.)

The hub had his surgery the first of December, and for a while it was a rough road for the two of us to hoe. He's all better now though, much better than before. (Somewhere in there my computer died, but better it than he.)

I have been doing things, just not recording them with pictures. Sorry. I made a bedskirt for my sis, pre-surgery, and a trio of Euro shams, post. I meant to take pictures in situ but somehow always forget my camera when I visit.


This is the only thing I've completed and photographed, and that's simply because I listed it on Etsy. That will make me get my camera out!

Then I had the brilliant idea of turning vintage earrings into wedding shoe clips. I still think it's a good idea, but I'll leave it to someone who doesn't respect the workmanship of old jewelry the way I do.


Instead I've added the earrings to my Etsy shop so that that other someone can use them for crafting--and I need never know. Aren't these gorgeous?


And these? They're a brand I never heard of before: Sphinx. Seems Sphinx was a jewelry-maker out of Chiswick, England. (Doncha love how they pronounce Chiswick? Chizzick. Or dictionary style: /ˈtʃɪzɪk/.) They were in business from 1948 until 2000 and made high-quality, upscale costume jewelry, sold at, among others, Saks 5th Ave., Neiman Marcus, and Bloomingdales.


These are unsigned but look at the quality! I love them, just think they're a bit large to wear as earrings. But wouldn't they look great on a headband or as part of a fascinator? Or even as shoe clips.

Lastly, what I'm working on right now, and hope to finish today is a throw pillow. I bought several gorgeous pieces of decorator fabric from a lovely Etsy shop Fabric Samples. The one I'm working on today is crewel.


Isn't it lovely! I'm using a beige ultra-suede for the back. At first I considered serging the edges of the crewel, but, as always, I have to do things the hard way. I've decided to do a Hong Kong finish on the crewel, serge the edges of the muslin I'm lining the front with, and leave the ultrasuede as is.

I'm hoping to get most of it done today. We'll see.

So that's sorta kinda bringing things up to date with me. 'Til next time....