Anitra's Space

On 11 January 2010 I entered the Trimaris Winter Arts and Sciences Faire at Brandon Rotary Camp.  My entry was Blackwork  Embrodery on a sideless surcoat.

I entered as a Journeyman, because I had been told previously that my blackwork was 'too good' to enter in the Novice Category.

Because I had decided to enter at the lasgt minute, my documentation was spotty.  (Part of it was this blog.)

Because of my documentation, the judges dropped my category down to Novice, although one of them said the quality of the embroidery was Masterwork.

The main probem (aside from inadequate documentation) was that the pattern was 1500s, the garment was 13-1400s.  I really need to find documentation of sideless surcoat use in the 1500s!!

And then I won Crown's Acclaim!

(For those who don't know, that is the equivalent of Best in Show in a mundane Art Show.  And this was my first-ever entry!)

Today is Tuesday, 29 December 2009.

Three more 14 hour days - Saturday, 10 a.m. to Midnight; Sunday Noon to 2 a.m.; and Monday (yesterday) from 10 a.m. to just before Midnight, and the embroidery is finished, all but the blank spaces on the back that need to be plotted first.

When I did the stitching the areas did not line up very well on the back.  So there are two corners that are not the same.  So I need to plot the spaces and see what elements from the main pattern can be put there.  Probably crosses, they are small and easy to stitch.  I am also considering 'signing' my work - putting my initials in one of  the spaces.  Plotting will probably be done later today or maybe laer this week - I have various things to do at home that may have to take priority.  Also some family time - Rick is off Wednesday, Thursday and Friday this week.

Stats update:

Surcoat cut and started 20 June 2009

Embroidery started 23 July 2009

Embroidery Officially More Than Half Done 23 September 2009.

Embroidery Officially Finished 28 December 2009

Hours (estimated):  320

Floss (estimated):   20 skeins

I am estimating that I have about three to four hours to go to finish the sideless surcoat. 

I took a couple of pictures of the finished back and almost finished front.  In the New Year I will upload them to my computer, then post them to the website.

I also have to print out this blog to show as documentation - if I have the documentation pulled together in time I plan to enter Art-Sci in a couple of weeks.

Back to the stitching ....

The back of the Sideless surcoat is finished.

I have done all the main stitching, and just have the 'spaces' to finish up.  Because of the nature of the pattern, there are places that do not match up correctly, so I have gaps to fill.  They will be filled with rosettes where large enough, crosses where not, and perhaps my initials.

And I'm back to job hunting again.  The job I have will last until Tuesday, then it ends.  (I knew it was temporary, all along.)  I do hope to be called back in January, though - and I've been told I'm eligible for callback.

Pictures will update a little later.

Happy Halloween, everyone!

I am not going anywhere - I am going to sit and stitch and wait for little monsters!!

We don't usually get too many, as we are on a quiet side street, so I anticipate a lot of stitching time.

I actually got to stitch yesterday for about four hours.  The cross row is completely finished, the s row is almost complete on the outer pass.  When I finish it on the outer pass (around the neck and arm openings) I will go to the inner pass on the opposite side of the pattern.  Then on to the main pattern!

Pictures of the embroidery are up - I don't know what was going wrong last time I tried to upload, but this time it worked like a charn, and I didn't even have to resize them.

I have now worked four weeks, and I love it!  These people are fantastic! I hope I get to stay.

Because of my schedule, though, I am not getting much work done on the surcoat.

Today, after about a week hiatus, I finally finished the crosses rows, the most boring part of the pattern.  On to the S's!!  And I have tomorrow off to work on it, too.

Thursday I went to Jo-Ann's and found a great sale.  Spent too much money, saved almost as much as I saved.

Went back today and bought more .....  But not as much, just some storage boxes.

Thursday I also bought more black floss.  About 20 skeins.  I just might have enough to finish now .....

I haven't kept track of how much floss I have been using, so I have estimated it.

When I pull the floss from the skein I pull three loops, more or less.  This is about 1/8 of the entire skein.

Each 'pull' has six threads in it.  I am using a single thread doubled, so each 'pull' gives me six needles-ful.

There are 48 of these single threads per skein.

I can stitch three singles in each hour of sewng, again, more or less.  So it takes me about 16 hours to use a full skein of floss.

I estimate I have stitched for at least 160 hours, so I have used ten skeins of floss so far.

It will take at least another ten to complete the embroidery on the surcoat.  I will also need to embroider the matching coif and the bands on the sleeves of the tunics.

I am coming to the end of the second week at work.

I was working 8 - 4:30 last week when I got really ill.  They let me start late Friday because I didn't feel well, then when I still couldn't work properly, they let me leave early.

I thought it was stress from the long commute and the new (and unfamiliar) schedule, so they let me go part-time until I could sort my system out.  So I have been working 10 - 5 this past week.

It was food poisoning. 

I am almost recovered now - it has taken about a week, it was that bad.  I was well enough to stitch for a few hours Sunday, and have been back at work this week, as stated above.  I hope to pick up more hours next week, although that will cut into stitching time even more.

I have quit gaming.  It is more and more difficult to make the long trek out there, and although I enjoy spending time with friends, we are starting later and later, and my work schedule is forcing me to go to bed (most nights) at 10 and sleep until 6 in order to leave at 8 for the two-hour commute.  If I start at 9 next week I will have to leave even earlier.

I start my new job tomorrow.

I made contact with another staffing agency.  I told them my experiences with the other agencies, and found out who I can talk to (anyone in the office, they don't compete) then I got a call from them Friday with a job in Palm Harbor.  I wasn't sure where that was, so I asked if I could drive down there to find out how doable it is - especially since the hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and I am Not a Morning Person.  Turns out it will be doable, so I called this morning and let them know I was interested.

They set me up with a phone interview at 11 a.m, then called back about ten minutes after the interview ended to let me know I have the job!  So I start tomorrow at 9.  First day will probably be paperwork and training.  Since I don't know anything about what confidentiality rules I will be under, I am not saying anything more.

Of course, this means I won't have as much time to work on the sideless surcoat anytime soon.  I had been putting in 12 and 14 hour days, but with a one and a half to two hour commute each way, I won't have a lot of time for stitching.  Or blogging.  SCA participation might not change as long as I have weekends off, though.

Since I will be working for the staffing agency there is a possibility the job will end sometime.  But the agency tells me they sometimes keep people who are a good fit, and have actually had people hired directly into the company.  So I can hope.

I am now Officially More Than Half Done!

I stitched for about 12 hours Sunday (after getting back from an Event!) then another six hours Monday, and - in a one hour stint (all I could manage around family obligations) completed the final S curve and started back around it.

Since all the pattern is on the fabric now, and since some of it is completed, I am now Officially More Than Half Done!

Not sure I'll be able to stitch today - more family obligations.

So:

Surcoat cut and started 20 June 2009

Embroidery started 23 July 2009

Embroidery Officially More Than Half Done 23 September 2009.

Three months - half the embroidery and all the hemming to go.

Then on to the tunics .....