Post 660 Preparation, progress, replacement and remediation

Most of the past week has been spent preparing for the Certificate Workshop I agreed to take for the Guild next April. It’s months in advance, but I’ve promised to help my brother write a book on the same timeline and the workshop is my top priority. I want to be sure it’s ready to go before I plunge into the book.

The workshop is on Early Medieval Embroidery in Britain. I already have the talk I gave to the tour group- a bit long for Certificate students, so I edited the PowerPoint. From that I prepared student notes, then set about designing projects. There are significant challenges in this. Our tools, materials and conditions are all very different. Do I try to give a sense of what it was like to be an early medieval embroiderer or focus on design and pattern? I have also been asked not to use wool because of allergies. In the end I have created five options for students, two focused on joining stitches and three on design. Within the options I am focusing on linen and hemp, but students can also use silk.

Once I’d worked out the options and created related diagrams, I needed to work the examples myself. I have one more to work. I called at the Guild last Thursday to gather some resources students will need. I got linen thread, but  gold couching thread or wire is proving more elusive. I think I have a solution at Spotlight . I’ll visit tomorrow. Once I have that I can make student kit packs and finish writing the information to go in the Guild Newsletter. I hope by the end of this week the preparation will be complete - except for the last sample. I keep finding additional details. Today I discovered that linen thread was commonly waxed in the period. I'll try that in the last sample.

On Saturday morning Matthew and Mark ( I confess, I did ask them where the other 10 apostles were🙄) came to assess my shade blind damage. As I suspected, it is not repairable. The small tear in the fabric, which has been there for years, is affecting the weight and catching on the winding mechanism. I see the problem. The blind is probably 25-30 years old. Contemporary versions have more weight at the bottom of the blind and more protection of the winding mechanism. While they got it working it has not lasted . They are preparing quotes for replacement but will not be able to do the work until after Christmas. The blinds, I realise, will not go in the lift, so will either have to be carried up the stairs or somehow hoisted over the balcony. In the meantime, the curtains are getting a workout to avoid glare, 

Today I managed to swim! It's an effort to get there but I feel great afterwards. Today I took a bath towel rather than a beach towel.  It was a good move. It's less weighty and easier to manage in the confined changeroom spaces. 

This afternoon a message from our Strata management company requested I, and owners of the two apartments below mine, get our airconditioning units in the basement inspected to identify any ways of reducing the vibration noise transmitted up the wall on which they are mounted. - a follow-up from the noise problem on the ground floor apartment directly above the units. I had discussed the issue with the technician who serviced my aircon in August. The technician had no solution.  I phoned my service company when I got the request today. They were helpful, are preparing a quote and scheduling the inspection. The manager thinks some of the noise can be reduced by pads.

I also completed the online self-assessment form required for my driver's licence. I'm assuming tomorrow's optometrist appointment will support my assessment! 

I’ve made a little progress on the fourth cushion. It has been my soothing project to counterbalance all the above. Thirteen hexies down, thirty six to go!