Corset progress

Hello everyone! Hope you had a nice week. I'm back in Paris after a couple of relaxing days at my parents' home. I stitched and started working on my article... I feel relaxed about that, so I've decided that today is corset day! I want it to be done for my birthday, so I'd better get going! And I found the cutest trim while fabric shopping in Lille...
I thought I'd share a progress picture between two steps:

The layers are all sewn up and assembled together, and as you can see I put the busk in (that's what serves to close the corset on the front). The next step is to sew plenty of channels to put the boning in. Then set the grommets to the back edges (which is the scariest part by far!), and eventually finish the raw edges at the top and bottom (bias binding + cute trim).
So I'd better go back to it! Have a lovely week-end everyone!

A milestone reached

This is not a stitching happy dance, though... but still, it's a major one. And believe me, I was litterally dancing and singing all over the flat!!
I finished my 120-page dissertation yesterday (it's the introductory dissertation to my PhD thesis, which I'll be completing over the next 3 years). There are still the introduction and conclusion to write, but it's like adding the backstitching to a design requiring very little of it. And my supervisor told me to wait a few weeks before writing them, so that I can take some critical distance from my work.

I still have to write a 20-page article before the end of May. But that's very doable (it's on a topic I'm quite familiar with already), which means I shall really have more time to sew and stitch now!

I think I need a few days' break before starting on the article. Sew... Let's get some of those sewing projects done at last! I haven't done any sewing for so long - although my project list hasn't stopped growing in the meantime...

Here is my current challenge: a corset! I've been petting the idea for a few months now, even though I didn't mention it on my blog (I wanted to wait until I got a real start on it!). My challenge is to get it done by my birthday!

I got the supplies (pattern, boning, laces, and busk) online from Venacava, which I highly recommend to anyone wishing to jump into the corsetry adventure... Their service is great, they're the cheapest store by far, and their shipping fees are very reasonnable.
I'm actually mixing up two patterns: my base is Simplicity 9769, but since it's supposed to make a one-layer corset (which I find nonsensical - this would never sturdy enough! Besides, the finishing wouldn't look nice on the inside), I'm also using the instructions from Butterick 4254 (view C).

The trickiest part in corset-making is the fitting. It has to be so precise! This is why you need to make a mock-up. I started making the mock-up a week or two ago, and I finished it yesterday, attaching some boning and lacing to check the fit. Since I'd researched on the Internet about that pattern, I knew that the bust was too large for most women, so I graded the pattern to make it smaller in the bust. And... It fit perfectly at the first try! How lucky is that?
The great thing is also that since the mock-up works well, I can now use it as the lining!

I was so excited that I had to start on the outer layer... Even though it was getting late and Seb was already sleeping. I mean, I've been - litterally! - dreaming about starting on that project for so long! That was also an efficent impetus to get going on my dissertation... Once I could start it at least, I simply didn't want to stop.

But... I have to go spend a couple of days at my parents' in Lille. I promised I'd go this week, right after I was done with the dissertation. This is the only week my brother has been able to take some free time for 3 months (he's been working non-stop at the hospital, week-ends included). I'm leaving this morning! I'll be back on Thursday.
So the corset shall have to wait... But I'm taking books for when I'm alone, so I can get a start on that article. This way I can afford to spend some time on the corset when I get back in Paris!
(and don't worry... I'm taking some stitching with me as well!)

See you in a few days!

Took a small Stitching Break :)

I was feeling exhausted yesterday, as our cat had been asking - demanding, should I say! - to play and cuddle all night long, for the second night in a row...
Therefore I didn't manage to get much work done, but... Besides my work, I also had to get going on my sisters's birthday gifts... So I finally got to stitch the kit from the Victoria Sampler "Beyond Cross-stitch" series I had bought for her. All in all, I don't feel I really wasted my time after all, despite the crappy state I was in. My sister's birthday is next Fiday, so this had to be done!

"Periwinkle" from VS Beyond Cross-stitch, Level 4

Sorry the picture isn't too good... I should have laid the piece onto a white background. I plan to finish it as a mini-pillow or ornament, so I'll take a better pic then.

I immensely enjoyed stitching this! I want to try more of those specialty stitches!

The next "specialty stitch" chart on my list is The Orchard, which Carol sent me so generously a few weeks ago... I'd have loved to start with it Carol! But... I purchased this kit from Victoria sampler especially for my sister's birthday, so that was an emergency case!

Kitty kindly let us sleep tonight, so I got up at seven and started working already! Back to work now! I'd love to crochet a purse for my sister too, so I really need to get done with that dissertation as soon as possible!


Have a lovely Sunday everyone!

Stitching Blogger's Question: Model Stitching

Have you ever been asked to do model stitching?
Did you do it? If so, what was your compensation? (money, stash, etc.) If not, why not?
If you haven't done it, if you were asked would you? Why or why not?

I've never been asked to do model stitching, and if asked, I wouldn't. Honestly! Where would I find the time? I already struggle every week to get a little stitching done in my own projects... Plus, I know I would worry about not getting the projects done in time, about making a mistake, etc. ... I've got more than enough stress through my job. Stitching and sewing are precisely my way to relax from my work!

Busy but Happy!

My friend Karen emailed me because she was worried not to see any update on my blog. I'm really fine! But stitching and sewing have had to be left on the back burner for a little while, as I'm very busy finishing my dissertation at the moment. I'm feeling really inspired in my writing right now, so I'm making the most of it!

... And as you can see, my lovely kitty is helping me a lot!

Don't worry, I'll post an update soon... This time it shall be sewing and not stitching.

SBQ: Seasonal Stitching... & my Inner European

Do you stitch with the seasons?
(This could be reflected by the colors that you stitch with, the themes that you choose, or even that during your favorite season you stitch more (or less) than in others.)

Mmmm... I don't think my choice of themes is much influenced by the seasons. I mean, I'm certainly more inclined to stitching flowers and nature in Spring and Summer; but, on the other hand, I just happened to finish a Christmassy design on Easter day (Santa Claws, on San's round robin)... I chose the design simply because I found it cute.
However, I stitch much more in the summer, because that's when I have the most time (Ah, holidays...).

Now, on to something completely non-sewing related... But I've been reading this blogthing on so many blogs that I had to take it too!
Now, while a number of my friends have been revealed as French (which I was quite happy about! ), here's what I was told:

Your Inner European is Italian!

Passionate and colorful. You show the world what culture really is.

Who's Your Inner European?

I'm not really surprised. I've been an opera lover ever since I was 12. I keep singing in Italian!

Thank you all so much for your appreciation of Newton! Oh, I really hope my friend will be pleased with it. I mailed it out yesterday evening. Can't wait for her to get it!

Newton mini wallhanging

Promises, promises... Here's the wallhanging, all finished.

(My usual photo hosting service seems to be down tonight, so I'm using Photobucket instead - hopefully you won't see any difference!)

I was planning on something more sophisticated at first (with binding and so on), but as I looked at little Newton I realized it may perhaps not be suited for that kind of design - a battered teddy after all! So I opted for a "folksy" style instead. What do you think?

Thank you all so much for your comments on Newton! I really want it to reach its recipient fast. And San and Kim, you're both right - I got inspired by Stitch 2005, and even more by San's energy. A final incentive to stitch him fast was that there's so much I want to accomplish - especially with all the new projects that have been hatching in my head since I saw San's achievements at her home and the wonderful works exhibited at Stitch 2005!
I just hope I'll manage to find enough time to go on with that rhythm... But San, you have definitely inspired me a lot!

I really enjoyed completing this project. Maybe some of you remember that Seb bought me a Newton's Law kit a while back, and I told him to keep it for my birthday instead of giving it to me straight away, as I had so many projects anyway... Now I really look forward to stitching it!

Newton's done!

I had a small happy dance yesterday evening! Got to bed quite late for that - but hey, I felt that was worth it!

After taking the pic, I added my siggie below the design, and some personal words for my friend to the left.

Next step is turning it into a mini-quilt. That's why I finally opted for a pink flower (instead of the blue one in the original design): the fabric I want to use is printed with little pink flowers.

My first Newton

I'm finally fulfilling a long-wished-for project: stitching a Newton's Law design.
This isn't at all what I was intending to stitch this week, what with the new stash I acquired at the London Stitch Show, but well... I just wanted to make a special gift for a friend. This one is from the latest Quick and Easy. You can see it on the cover:

And here's my progress on him:

It's going quicker than I expected! Which is always nice, isn't it. :)
I'm stitching him on the pastel pink aida I bought for my round robin. So I think I'm going to change the blue shades for the flower into pinks.
I plan to turn it into a mini quilt. I hope to finish it soon, so I can send it to my friend ASAP!

Have a great weekend everyone! It's so cold in France...

Stitching Blogger's Question: Specialty Stitches

What is your next specialty stitch?

This question's very intereasting and thank you Jenn for thinking of it ! Like Carol however, I'm not sure whether it means what is the next specialty stitch I plan to learn, or what is the next specialty stitch I'll be stitching!

I'm not too sure yet which pattern I'll be choosing next for a specialty stitch. It'll be either The Orchard which Carol so thougthfully sent me when she saw how much I loved her own finish (thanks again Carol! . It features a little bit of pulled work, wandering stitches, fan stitches, and herringbone. Or, I may start a "Beyond Cross-stitch" kit from the Victoria Sampler - maybe for my older sister's birthday at the end of the month?
I got acquainted with those samplers through Kiwi Jo, who stitched a lovely heart from that collection. I got one through Ebay (with my sister in mind), it's "Periwinkle" from level 4 (the eighth from the top), featuring honeycomb stitch and hemstitch. We'll see how I manage!

I remember making one or two projects using only specialty stitches about ten years ago, and loving the textures they created. Unfortunately after that, my studies got in the way and I had to give up stitching altogether. When I came back to stitching, I somehow forgot about those stitches and simply resumed cross-stitching. However, seeing others' beautiful endeavours at specialty stitches over the last few months made me want to start them again! So Jenn's question was highly topical! Thank you Jenn!

The London Stitch Show 2005

Sorry for the delay in telling you about my week-end... So much housework and "usual" work to catch up with!
This weekend was so packed with fun things, I know I'll be forgetting half of it... Luckily San reviewed it too, so hopefully between the two of us we shall have it covered.

First, I need to show you the wonderful doily San gave me on my arrival.

Isn't is gorgeous? I feel so touched that she crocheted it just for me! And she chose my favourite colour too - pastel blue...
On Friday San, her mother and me chatted and stitched and crocheted (at least San did, I didn't start crocheting until the next day). A very nice and cosy afternoon. I was marvelling at San's lovely interior. Stunning cross-stitched pictures everywhere, lovely doilies, and everything is so fresh and feminine!
(The places where I lived used to be in the same style... until I moved in with Seb, who's of the sober type. Somehow we met halfway, me giving up on some of my cute things and he getting more sensitive to having some ).

On Saturday morning we got up early to go to the Stitch Show. I was soooo excited, this was my first show ever!! It was hard for me to imagine in advance all the stitched pieces I'd see. I mean, I've always been the only one to stitch among my friends/relatives and the first time I saw someone else's stitching, it was in December 2004 when I met San. This explains why I'm answering last week's Stitching Bloggers Question only now!

First we met Allison, a friend of San's. Oh she's so adorable! We all got along great, San, her mother, Allison and me.

Of course we had to start with Margaret Sherry! We were so lucky, her stand was empty when we entered the Olympia, so we had a good chat. Dear Margaret is just as sweet as her drawings! And it was so nice of her to show us all her drawings and sketchings. From now on I will backstich MS designs with grey thread, in order to imitate pencil: they will look so much more like the originals!

Admiring dear Margaret's work

She was so sweet that she signed autographs and even offered to have a picture taken of us both. See how delighted and honoured I looked!

Then I oohed and aahed at all the stunning stitched pieces exhibited everywhere. I was truly dazed. Had to take pictures of the Mirabilias, here's one sample:

To the right, you can see the Petal Fairy, my favourite... I almost bought her. Almost. But I felt so bad because DBF isn't keen on these designs at all and, hey, I can't decide for our decoration on my own. Plus it'd be such a big project to stitch for me, I feel it has to be enjoyable for Sébastien too, since he'll be looking at me stitching it for so long.
Of course when I came back on Sunday night and told him about it, he was upset that I didn't buy the material pack, since he knew I so wanted her! Ah well... My birthday's soon...

Don't worry, I bought other kits anyway! I bought a Forever Friend teddy hugging the letter "i", quite lucky as there were only 4 letters available! I also got the Lavender Fairy, and a beautiful bigger project which I can't talk about yet... *wink to San who knows why*. Plus a pack of aida pieces, of different sizes and colors, and another of evenweave pieces, each pack for one pound!
I also got a mini kit (a previous freebie from Quick and Easy), a little dog peering from behind a door. I started stitching it on the Eurostar back to Paris, as an extra gift for my brother's Bday, but... there aren't enough threads in it! I was quite annoyed as I put 2 hours' stitching into it...
But that didn't stop me from being absolutely delighted by these three days with San! . Just imagine: uniting my passions for English and for stitching (oh I was really missing England!) - and all this... with San!

I also planned a sewing part to this report... but dear, I've written so much already, I'll have to blog about that another time! And I'll need to blog a little about crochet too...