So, I have a client, who is also a client of a state government agency. He has a case worker from this agency, to whom he has to report every week. Often, I’ll take him in to report because it means that I know he’s done it. The case worker and I have a chat while he’s there - she’s lovely. Today we had a case conference about him and during a lull in the conversation, she exclaimed “I know where I know you from!”
It turns out that about 8 years ago, I started a new job. It was the week after my father died and looking back, I didn’t do the job justice. I left after 6 months to go overseas. My client’s case worker was the person who had held the position before me. So I would have seen her name on all the case notes, etc. No wonder her name (rather than her face) was oddly familiar!
I made two more pairs of undies today, one for Willow and one for me. I thought the white elastic and stitching might lighten my pair, but they really just look like granny undies! I have found another pattern that looks a bit more modern. Willow chose the purple elastic, so that’s what I went with.
Must admit that I never thought I’d be showing off my underwear on this blog!
A has asked me to make some boxers for him, but he is very, very fussy about the boxers he likes to wear, so I don’t really want to put all that effort in only to find that he won’t wear them. I might see if I can chop up one of his old t-shirts and at least have a go.
One of my problems at the moment is that I’m not very organised. I seem to have a habit of losing things and buying more of them, only to find the original. That’s why I haven’t yet bought another pair of pinking shears. Mum’s heavy black handled pair is around somewhere. I’d love to take the time to categorise my fabric. I’d also like to categorise my patterns once I get them back from the friend I’ve lent them to. When I was tidying everything up before, I just dumped anything that looked remotely like a pattern in this 100L tub. There are patterns traced onto baking paper, newspaper, interfacing, etc… vintage patterns, books to make Barbie clothes, modern pattern books and so on. Hopefully she can find something interesting, if not useful in there!
I have been doing more than just sewing lately - it was a long weekend here in Adelaide, so we went down to see A’s mum yesterday. On the way we stopped at a friend’s house, who has four children. My two, and A played with them nicely while we talked about sewing.
This week at school Willow is having swimming lessons, since she’s not terribly confident in the water and she misses out a day because of the public holiday I took her to the Adelaide Aquatic Centre. We hadn’t been there for a couple of years, but we had a great time. It was amazing to see the different cultures there, a big group of Indian people, a Chinese mother with her daughter and baby son, a group of young Aboriginal boys. Even over the short time we were in the water I could see her confidence increasing. It was a nice way to end the weekend, plus a good way to get in some exercise since I couldn’t get to the gym today.
Unfortunately I forgot to take my camera or I would have some photos.
Papie is the word Dexie uses for paper at the moment, very cute, we think. I recently printed off 24 A4 pages to make up a pattern, sticky taped them together and traced it on to thin interfacing. When I was finished with the paper, I turned it over and gave it to Dexie to draw on.
A complained that I hadn’t made anything for him. So I made this oven mitt. I traced a pattern off one that he likes, but made it bigger for his manly hands. Notice the strawberry in the background?
I’m quite pleased with how the quilting turned out. I have enough left over to make a pot holder, so I might do that later. Now I know how to drop my feed dogs (only been sewing for over 20 years!) I might even try free style quilting.
Yesterday we went to a friend’s house for lunch. She is a sister sewing enthusiast and we swapped some patterns. I have some of her precious Ottobre patterns. In one of them I saw a pattern for girls knickers, which interested me, but there was also a pattern for women’s knickers. In Mum’s stash there is a bag of knicker elastic, so I thought it was a good opportunity to try something new.
I started with an old Country Road top, the lace had come undone, so it was really only for wearing around the house.
I stitched the seams together with the overlocker.
The end result. I was sure that there was some black elastic in there, but purple would have to do. The pattern didn’t have a crotch and three seams joined in that area, so it really needed one. Next time I think I’ll cut a bigger gusset out, use only green fabric and white knicker elastic. The good thing about the green fabric is that it is quite, ahem, supportive - good for my 30-something bum.
Sorry for the previous melancholy post. I wanted to write about two people who made comments to me recently, comments that meant a lot.
One of my clients is going through a property settlement, her lawyer is an amazing woman, someone I admire very much. She told me the other day that my assistance has been invaluable.
Tonight I did a pilates class which was a bit more full on that I am used to. The male instructor told me a few times that my poses were perfect. Ok, so he was probably just being encouraging since it was my first time in his class and I know that there were other people there who were far better than me. Regardless, it was nice to hear.
I don’t like to talk about work very much, but the last four clients I’ve seen have been suicidal. There is a point where I find it a bit overwhelming and I need to look after myself - I think that point is about now. Not that I’m about to quit or anything, but it is good to have a chat with my colleagues or my supervisor.
Vicarious Trauma, also known as Compassion Fatigue is a bit of a buzzword at the moment - the concept that you, as a worker can be affected or changed by a build-up of the traumatic stories you hear from clients. I do try to focus on what strength and courage my clients have - that they have survived to this point.
This song is popular at the moment and driving home tonight I heard it. The lyrics really resonate with me, especially the part about holding hope. That is my job, to hold hope for my clients, to help them see that there are reasons to live, that tomorrow will be better.
Lyrics to The Cave :
It’s empty in the valley of your heart
The sun, it rises slowly as you walk
Away from all the fears
And all the faults you’ve left behind
The harvest left no food for you to eat
You cannibal, you meat-eater, you see
But I have seen the same
I know the shame in your defeat
But I will hold on hope
And I won’t let you choke
On the noose around your neck
And I’ll find strength in pain
And I will change my ways
I’ll know my name as it’s called again
Cause I have other things to fill my time
You take what is yours and I’ll take mine
Now let me at the truth
Which will refresh my broken mind
So tie me to a post and block my ears
I can see widows and orphans through my tears
I know my call despite my faults
And despite my growing fears
But I will hold on hope
And I won’t let you choke
On the noose around your neck
And I’ll find strength in pain
And I will change my ways
I’ll know my name as it’s called again
So come out of your cave walking on your hands
And see the world hanging upside down
You can understand dependence
When you know the maker’s hand
So make your siren’s call
And sing all you want
I will not hear what you have to say
Cause I need freedom now
And I need to know how
To live my life as it’s meant to be
And I will hold on hope
And I won’t let you choke
On the noose around your neck
And I’ll find strength in pain
And I will change my ways
I’ll know my name as it’s called again
We have been thinking about how to help Willow get organised for school. We were contemplating a sort of row of hooks on a plank of wood, but we can’t agree about where to put it. The idea is that she’d hang her recorder off the Monday hook, her library bag off the Thursday hook.
In the interim, I’ve made a calenday (yes, that is a mistype, but I think it’s kind of appropriate). Most mornings she’ll come to me and ask what she’s doing. Some weekend mornings she starts stressing because she’s not ready for school. So the calenday is my solution, loosely based on the concept of compix, in a Word document.
Willow’s reading skilz aren’t great yet, so I used clip art as well as the words. On 7 A4 pages, I typed the days of the week up the top of the page. On Monday to Friday I put a picture of a book for her reader and a bag for her school bag, on the weekend I put a picture of a family (she complained because the boy was bigger than the girl, then she decided that the boy was the little one but he just liked pink!)
Willow has to wear a sports uniform on M, W and F, so in the middle of a separate page, I typed sports uniform and put a picture of a polo shirt and shorts. For T & T I put on another page a picture of a girl in a dress. With these ones, I cut off the top so that you can put them in from of the day pages and still see them.
On different days she has Music, Art&Craft and Library, so I typed these out and put the appropriate pictures in. These are down the bottom of the page and I trimmed these right down so they go at the very front, all in a plastic sleeve. The ones that aren’t being used can go behind the day page.
The idea is that once we have done her reader we’ll change it over for the next day and talk about what will be happening then. It’ll hang up on the edge of the whiteboard, in clear view.
I’m planning to make some more pages up for shopping, parties, sleep overs, other school activities, swimming and staying at home, as well as anything else that comes up.
Doing this has made me realise that we often forget to talk to her about what’s happening ahead of time. Possibly as a self protection method, for when things don’t go to plan!
Possibly as a self protection method, for when things don’t go to plan!