TIF Challenge July, first thoughts

I know it's past the end of the first week of July already, but I've been very busy working on a couple of hand sewn garments for an Exhibition for the local Heritage Centre, and the deadline keeps changing. Don't you hate that when it happens, VBG.

The theme for Sharon's July TIF Challenge is "what is it to be at the half way mark?"

When I first read it my immediate thought was that I'm already past the "half way" mark in age. The average life span of an Australian woman is 83 years, and I'm only 30 ish years away from that!! Then there's the issue of my dear SIL having a serious illness recently. It really does make you examine what you've accomplished in your own life up till now.

When people ask what I do for a living, I have to admit I don't "go to business" as my Nanna used to say. I "freelance" from my home doing historical and theatrical costuming. Not quite the brilliant career as a fashion designer I saw for myself when I first left High School, but very satisfying in its own way.
I've been married to the same wonderful man for 34 years, been a stay-at-home mum and raised 4 bright and independent young people. We now own our own home, and I keep in reasonably good health. I've been lucky enough to be able to indulge myself in quite expensive textile hobbies, realise my ambition to work on some great professional theatrical shows and for the Australian Opera. I've been fortunate to be a (nervous) guest speaker at various club meetings and done several local radio interviews about our local historic house where I volunteer. I've dressed in historical costume and gadded about the countryside being shot at by re-enactment "bushrangers", visited cinemas in themed costumes and hosted school groups at historic sites in appropriate costume. I'm an enthusiastic volunteer for organisations I belong to as well. And I'm going to be a Nan soon!!

You could say I've had an interesting life so far, and I'm just over the half way mark!! Tonight I made an appointment to see an illusionist who needs some new costumes made, and last week I made a Narnia lion costume for the dancing studio. Life is never dull in my corner of the world, that's for sure.

I think this month I'll have to have a closer look at Sharon's suggested palette of colours and design some stitching around that. It's been a couple of months since I produced a finished piece, so I'm thinking ATC size, perhaps for a promised one to one swap I'm arranging? Watch this space !!!