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Wednesday, January 17, 2024

FLYING BY THE SEAT OF MY PANTS

Back in November, a Pilgrim costume that I was making for one of the dolls came to naught, so I quietly quelled my disappointment and put it away, noting in my planner to attempt it again next year. Chris commented on how organized I am, saying that she just flies by the seat of her pants.

Well, in reality, so do I. Nothing in my crafting world is of earth-shattering importance, especially the doll clothes, but I do find that it helps now and then to note projects I want to finish. Otherwise, I will totally forget. I’m great at starting and not so good at finishing.

Well, I needed something simple to do when the doll dress didn’t work out. Not wanting to start an entirely new project (that I might not finish), I went out to the shed and retrieved the unfinished placemats I’ve dithered over for years, and I do mean years! These were a fabric panel that I bought at the old PayLess Drug Store more than 20 years ago. They closed out the fabric department well before they became RiteAid. I miss the old PayLess in more ways than one, but I digress.

And I finished those eight placemats, thus providing a festive table dressing, freeing up a storage bag, and eliminating one pesky reminder that I have something to finish.

Things just happen to interrupt my crafting world. Some relate to living, like a trip to the farm, an afternoon of geocaching, or social gatherings. Others are life-changing, such as the coming of a new grandchild or the passing of a loved one. And some things come along that must be done in the moment, like a sock monkey, a Christmas gift for little Silas. We crafters must be flexible.

It was two days before Christmas, and I was ready to put Sock Monkey away, another unfinished project. I figured that I just wasn’t going to have time to finish him, but I decided to work along in quiet moments and see what happened. As Sock Monkey took shape, it was therapeutic for me, and yes, he was finished in time to be delivered by Santa. 

While in Boise over the weekend, we had occasion to drive through a residential area where some houses were still lit with Christmas lights. It lifted my spirits to see the lights reflected on the cold snow. KW

4 comments:

  1. Sock monkey is so cute!! Oh, well done! And I, too, miss the old Payless and it's fabric department. I bought a lot of fabric there when we lived in the valley. The place mats are beautiful and FINISHED! Yay for you! I've actually spent the day in my sewing room working on a project I've liked for years and finally ordered the design and went to it. A few hiccups to start but I triumphed in the end.

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  2. Thanks, Chris. So good to have your comments.

    The panel was to make four placemats bound with bias tape. I backed each mat with fabric and made eight of them. I just stitched around the mats and turned them. It took me years to make up my mind to this plan.

    Glad to hear you have triumphed on your special project. XO

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  3. Silas loves sock monkey. It’s another addition to his crib crew. Haha

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  4. I'm glad to hear that Silas loves Sock Monkey. During your Christmas visit, I wasn't sure that he did. I was prepared that he might not, and I was fine with that. I just didn't think your home needed another construction vehicle.

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