That would be paid work, for lawyers. I should be grateful. I dinged the agency my availability online; they called me right back; I have an interview tomorrow; and could be back on payroll on Monday; but I am kinda miserable.
The interview is over, and I am less miserable, cautiously encouraged even. It was, in fact, the most agreeable job interview I have ever experienced. Not once did I hear an idiotic: “Tell us about a situation where ….” They told me what they need. I told them I have been doing just that for quite some time now. I am hired, but they haven’t decided when I am to start, and, if it weren’t til, say, Thursday of next week, I would have time to pop down to the first day of the Pacific International Quilt Festival in Santa Clara and check out the vendor hall! It was at the PIWF last year that I got the 3″ round Christmas print circles to make into Yo-Yo’s and stick on Styrofoam balls for tree ornaments. That was fun. I want to do that again this year. In the meantime, I have started another larger rice bag to piece together in the car which I will show you later. And I am continuing work on an idea for a hand sewing tool to make and sell.
Now, as any needlewoman … person … will tell you, you can’t just lay your needle down anywhere when you need to stop and rethread. It will disappear. Up to now, when I need to put the needle down, it gets stuck through the top of my shirt pocket, which is certainly functional, but inelegant.
A needlewoman of days gone by would often, having sit down to a spell of work, wear a chatelaine. That’s French. And it derives from the chatelaine of the manor, the lady of the house, making her morning rounds, supervising the servants, with her keys and other small tools hanging from small chains on her belt or a silver chain around her neck.
This is an emory pillow that hangs around your (my) neck from a length of black ribbon through a jump ring. Once upon a time, when everybody hand sewed, and owned a red tomato pin cushion, that pin cushion was topped with an emory acorn, a little red fabric acorn attached to the top of the fruit with heavy string, and this acorn was stuffed with emory grit, sand.
This is the same hard sharpish sand they face an emory board with. When you thought your needle was getting dull you would poke it into the acorn a few times to sharpen the point, and it would take rust off your needle also. This is a passable first effort. I have not embroidered in many years, and I’m recovering memories. This is bordered with cotton floss and the flowers are wool. The cotton makes a more defined stitch. The wool has a softer look. I will get better at this, and I’m having fun.
An Old Knitty Lady 
One response to “Back to Work?”
A needle sharpener that uses sand!? That’s pretty neat and I like the aesthetic s of it too. Kinda punk rock to walk around with needles hanging from your neck. I like the idea!
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