{Happy with Husband Pieter's Grand Prize for Jingle In Your Pocket for Christmas}

Yay, Friday, December 16 was such a very special day for both of us.

After breakfast husband Pieter took a shower and was getting ready for posting my parcel, that I'd sold...

I heard his phone ring so I answered and walked over to my husband.

The lady calling started talking about the Jingle In Your Pocket drawing and that Pieter had won the Grand Prize.

WOW!

Not a good photo but this was in Saturday's local newspaper.

Yep, Pieter did win the Grand Prize of $ 1,000 and he is holding out the gift certificates of $ 100, $ 20, $ 15 and $ 10 each for promoting shopping at home.

That's what the entire event is all about, organized by the local Chamber of Commerce.

That was indeed a very lucky day for winning the $ 1,000 grand prize!

It sure did make me sing and dance better when we did perform for our Dublin Rotary Club where husband Pieter is a member too.

After a very tough year, we feel like this Grand Prize was a GIFT from HEAVEN!

The Dutch Government has not been treating us justly and only for POLITICAL REASONS...

It especially applies to ex patriates...

Since 2015, both of us can no longer have a fiscal partner; which results in a lot higher additional taxes over our Dutch pension. 

Two examples of a single breadwinner (top) versus two breadwinners (bottom).

The figure in red is the taxes that need to be paid and in the bottom part it is simultaneously for two; which is a LOT less than for one. 

So they no longer let us have a fiscal partner, meaning we both pay the HIGH WAY...

We hope that the March 15, 2017 elections will change that, mainly for the benefit of the Elderly and that they again learn how to take care of their own country! 

Political Decisions like that, have hurt law abiding and deserving citizens.

The EU Elites and Establishment in Brussels never feel that pain...

{New Quilted Graduating Ombré Silk Velvet Bottom}

As already mentioned in my previous post, see link below, today I show you what I finally created from yet another remnant of my French Graduating Ombré Silk Velvet.

Yes, this was my very special project!
A new bottom for my treasured French Ormolu Jewelry Box!

Again, from a remnant, used for my own sewing creation in Graduating Ombré Silk Velvet.
This photo is from December 9, 2004.
Yes, I also did make a matching Silk Hair Bow Barrette...

Using the same batting for quilting...

Sewing on the barrette clip...

Fastening it with the silk charmeuse band in the center.
Tricky to hold it all in place while threading your needle but it worked.

In Atlanta at Holly Lobby on November 18, we did find these perfect Czech Glass Beads in Metallic Gold! 
Also the matching DMC embroidery floss.

From left to right: French Graduating Ombré Silk Velvet, some stiff material (?).
Together with my dear Friend Ellie, I found it in my hometown while in The Netherlands.
To the right you see a remnant of batting for quilting.

DMC Embroidery Floss; Czech Beads, Pencil and Silk Charmeuse for lining the underside.

From the original example, I did measure and pencil draw these lines for quilting.

Putting the beads inside small Pillivuyt ramekins and threading my gold tipped sewing needle with 2 strands of embroidery floss.

This is how I did sew the beads on:
First the big bead, secondly the smal one and than going back with the needle through the big bead and into the fabric again.

First of course I had stitched the stiff filling, batting and silk velvet together!
Rounded corners, like the original and this is how it looks now from the underside after sewing those beads on. 

With Basting Thread, I did tack the Silk Charmeuse with its right side onto the Silk Velvet.

But what a HELL OF A JOB to reverse this!
Turned out that the stiff filling was way too stiff to handle.
It got all warped up!
But slowly and with perseverance...

Yes, the battle was almost over here...
Wearing still my shorts a couple of weeks ago!

Now I had to hand sew the opening that I left unstitched, between two rounded corners...
Using silk thread, from Britex Notions (link below).

Also the quilting I've done with this Japanese KINKAME silk thread.

Here it is; completely DONE!
Very hard for making half decent photos in the December light...

Also the Graduating Ombré Silk Velvet has its shine and different color nuances.

This photo is taken outside with daylight.
Now you clearly can see WHY I opted for this golden brown Ombré Silk Velvet Bottom.
It goes so perfect with the Ormolu. 
Also love the beveled glass panels!

In full daylight...
So happy for having this little, but very complex task accomplished.
Hope you like it too!

Thank you for your visit!

Related posts:
{My French Ormolu Jewelry Box got new Bottom} | previous post by me where you see also original
{My French Ormolu Jewelry Box & Silver Angels} | previous post by me
{My Sewing Creation in Graduating Ombré Silk Velvet} | previous post by me
{Did I loose my strength?... Like in Samson and Delilah?} | previous post about my braid on ombré
Britex Notions
Beading on Quilts Ideas Video Intro | How I got the beading idea...

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{My Sewing Creation in Graduating Ombré Silk Velvet}

During our time of consulting, we often came in San Francisco, California and my favorite store was Britex Fabrics.

It was there, that I did find a beautiful French panel (that's what they call the piece of about 1.5 yard) of Graduating Ombré Silk Velvet.

I'd been looking for a kind of Golden Brown color.

From Laurèl, Escada group, I did have this Giraffe print skirt and wanted to create a top to wear with it.

That's the disadvantage from Premium Outlet shopping; you snatch up one piece but can't find the matching top...

Photos are not high quality and these are taken on May 23, 1998.

From the Dutch Nouveau magazine, I got this idea for using two types of silk in a graduating color of golden brown. The above piece is from Ritmo di Perla. The edges are done in a silk charmeuse and the rest is silk velvet.

From a Burda pattern, I selected this top.

It was not an easy one as the silk charmeuse had to be padded for all the rolled edges along arm holes, neck and bottom. Also where my hand is, an invisible zipper had to be sewn in.

CHALLENGING...

Showing you the other side where you clearly can see the graduating of color!

But I loved the result and felt proud for having tackled it.

Happily with husband Pieter during a wedding...

The front of my sewing creation I like the best!

Have you ever worked with silk velvet or any rolled edges?

This post I've created for a reason, to show you another project that I completed by using a remnant of this very Graduating Ombré Silk Velvet; 18 years apart from creating my top!

Below you also find a link to a post where I have my LONG BRAID framed on this Graduating Ombré Silk Velvet 

Thank you for your visit!

Related post:
{Did I loose my strength?... Like in Samson and Delilah?} | previous post by me