I have unfinished projects in storage. I like to start things; I just don’t have good follow-through. Maybe lack of discipline isn’t quite the reason, though. Sometimes projects just aren’t as much fun as I envisioned. Perhaps they are a bit too challenging, or maybe I realize too late that the finished project isn’t a fit. Still, facing those UFOs is discouraging, so the last couple of weeks have been difficult as I sorted through leftover projects and supplies stored both at the farm and in town.
 |
| Finished piece for sale on eBay |
When I became a grandmother, I wondered if I should make it for myself. After all, one shouldn’t compliment oneself. An open door is one thing. Anyone can see when a door is open, but it’s not up to me to say that my heart is open. However, now that Silas has come, I truly believe he recognizes that my grandmother’s heart is open to him. And besides that, it’s just a phrase in praise of grandmas in general. Maybe I could make it for my wall after all. But before I could finish it, I had to find it. I went headfirst into the project bins – and didn’t come up with it.
I went through everything once, and then I went through again more carefully. I made decisions and parted with some things I no longer care to finish. And you know how it is – when you’re really looking for something, you find other missing things. My joy knew no bounds when I found my long-lost thimble in the very bottom of the least likely bin. If I hadn’t been searching methodically, I never would have found it. And I found an heirloom charm bracelet stored with some keepsakes.
 |
| Wrinkled but still readable |
However, I still didn’t find the “Grandma” piece. I just couldn’t believe that I had actually parted with it, but I couldn’t think where else to look – until Friday morning, that is, when we went to the attic for the artificial flowers for the cemetery. Mike offered to retrieve that box for me, but some vague feeling nudged me to climb the attic stairs, too. And while I was there, I searched a large bin of leftover fabrics – and there was “Grandma.” Yay!!!
"Are you going to finish it now," asks a son. Hmmmm. Well, I want to. I hope so.
Cleaning the cubby hole and straightening the vintage sewing room then became a “buffalo,” but I have now tackled it, put things away, and set up my sewing machine.
It was good -- all of it. KW
9 comments:
I think it's perfectly appropriate for a person to proclaim that their door and heart are always open.
Was this a kit that came with the embroidery floss or just a pattern and you purchase your own floss? I notice that the colors that are done are different than the ones in the picture. Nothing wrong with that--they are very nice.
I don't remember the details. I'm guessing that it was just an iron-on transfer with instructions. And I think the reason the colors are off is that I tried to use just the crewel embroidery yarn I had on hand. I wish I had stuck with the recommended colors, but oh well. It is what it is now. I don't think I have the transfer.
I like your color choices. Don't second guess it! No one actually has yellow hair like the girl in the picture. The dark color for the words will be a nice contrast to the bright colors of the children's clothes.
Oh! I've been overthinking it for years! It's a buffalo for sure! For one brief moment, I considered buying the finished product from eBay. They only want $30.
Well, my little girl wasn't blond, you know. And besides, this pattern came out of the '70s -- brown, gold, avocado green, orange. We can think outside that box.
It's not complimenting yourself, it's stating a fact! Just pick it up every day and do a little bit and one of these days it will be done. You know that old story about how to eat an elephant--just a little bite every day.
Elephants now? Do they get along with the buffalos?
That's good advice, Chris. I've been looking over my stash of crewel yarn and Perle cotton this afternoon. I became thoroughly confused and decided a trip to JoAnn's to buy the "right" colors is in order. As we know, we don't have to stick with the suggested color scheme. In fact, I notice that in the finished picture that I posted, the boy is wearing blue. The suggested color is olive green. I had already decided to change it to blue.
Elephants are bigger than buffalos so they can win in the long run! :-)
Update: I went to JoAnn's this morning and as I rather suspected, they do not carry Persian (tapestry) yarn and their Perle cotton colors are limited. I then did some armchair shopping, and if I found color choices, shipping was exorbitant. The leftover threads I'm using now look wonderful to me. I am blessed to have them. I will begin to take bites of this elephant now.
It will be wonderful!!
Post a Comment