Some recon projects

I whipped out my sewing machine the other day to do a few reconstruction jobs I've had in the sewing pile for a while. The first was a skirt which I loved colour wise, but it was a weird length, kind of mid calf on me, which just isn't very flattering; I like em either ankle length, or just above knee length. So I chopped off a lot of it until it came to just above my knees. I can either wear it with some black tights and long boots, or a pair of jeans, and I'll be able to wear it with my new red necklace!

 

 

 

Then I had a cheap pink crew neck tee shirt which was oh so boring and not my favourite neckline. I hate crew necks, so I decided to chop this about a little. I sewed a v-neck of ribbon, intending to cut the neckline away, but then I was struck by inspiration and tried something else instead.

 

 

I left the bias edging in place and cut a v shape out below it. It looks kind of cool on, but I think I need to add something else to it, it still looks a bit plain!

 

 

I eventually varnished the red Fimo beads and made a bracelet up for my partner in the HP swap. I don't always varnish Fimo, but I like how much better these beads looked after varnishing.

I started my homework, an grammar assignment based on identifying particular words in a sentence, is it a noun, an adjective, an indefinite article, etc, etc. Harder that it seems. I learnt English language and grammar at school, very young, and we did all that stuff then, but that was, um, many years ago, and once you learn to speak and write your own language perfectly, you tend to forget all the rules and regs that go with it. I'm taking a TESOL course which will qualify me to teach English to students where English is not their first language. I think we actually do several classes in a language that none of us speak so that we as teachers can understand how it feels to be taught in a language that we don't understand. I've heard rumours that the tutor might teach in Japanese. That'll be interesting. I think Americans have much more do do with Japan than we do here in the UK. I often see American craft sites and blogs taking inspiration from Japanese culture. With my art students I'm exposed to Chinese, African, Russian and European cultures far more. One of last years Units for my A-level students was the Art of Tibet, and another had an African Art and Craft theme. They get to pick from a choice of five or six. I was curious to see how some of my Chinese students approached the Tibet unit, most of them are Buddhist and were able to either visit Tibet during their Christmas break or to draw on memories of the place. Most of them have no idea of the Chinese/Tibet controversy as the Chinese Government controls what the people are told about. I remember discussing iconic imagery with a Chinese student and referring to the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989 and the photo of the Unknown Rebel by Jeff Widener and he had no idea of what I was talking about.

Anyway, I'm off to bed shortly, I've been inducting art students at college all day, very boring and very tiring. The first full days work I've done for a few months and it's only been just under a month since my stroke. Wow, that makes me sound like an old woman! I say the words 'my stroke' and it doesn't sound like I'm talking about me. Ah well, it's good to be actually earning money again!