Gifts

My weekend junk store partner came bearing her own treasures to offer… a vase made by her very talented husband. He is pursuing a master’s degree in ceramics while she works at a production jewelry company and pursues her own art work in metals. Can you imagine the kind of amazing Halloween costumes their children will have one day? Cool Christmas gifts? Or science fair projects?

Anyway, I’m honored to display art work produced by friends. Maybe someday my friend will let me show off and brag about her own work that she is much too modest about.

On an entirely different level of creative production, I decided to go into my craft room/pit of destruction and pull out the first sewing project that I came across and get at it. Nothing like digging out a quilt that was promised to your brother years ago. And the really horrible thing is that I was able to complete the piecing in two nights at the machine. Oops, guess I shouldn’t have filed that one away for so long. I still have to finish tying this, but I may just have a finished gift to bring home at Christmas.

This is one of my favorite quilts to make. I made a large one for myself years ago and use it pretty much year round. I’ve made one as a wedding gift for another friend and have at least two more planned. It’s pretty much a no-brainer sewing project and you can feel good about making good use of old jeans that are too worn out for the Salvation Army. I hit the jackpot a few years ago and scored two garbage bags full of jeans for a quarter a piece so I’m set for a good while. If you’re on my Christmas list, you may just be getting a denim quilt under the tree…

And since I’m really trying to do this post-a-day month, I may just post instructions for this no-brainer, just for the heck of it. After all, Lone Knitter, you’re going to need some simple sewing projects when you convince your mom to give you her machine!

On a not really related note, it seems the commercial world has decided that since Halloween is officially over, it is time to bombarb us with messages about the holiday season and its all-too-quick approach. Actually, I saw Christmas cards at Target a few weeks ago, but they were discreetly displayed in the back of the store for the super-organized among us to start those letters. Today, I came across three Christmas internet ads while doing my usual poking around. Ugh. In my own little act of celebrating the giving aspect of the holidays while staving off the last-minute panicked run to the mall, I'm going to try to prepare and/or give a gift of some sort every day for the rest of the year. This may be getting together something for the numerous family and friend birthdays coming up as well as actual Christmas gifts or donating a "gift" to charity, be that a financial gift or an item to take to Goodwill. I must admit that this is partly a selfish act as it would be nice to start the new year with a lighter closet and a few checkmarks on my list of crafty projects that I'd like to make for others. Hopefully it will also keep my own urge to get into the holiday panic (and the accompanying credit card bills) at bay.

National Blog Posting Month Entry #1

Treasures

I spent a lovely weekend pursuing an old hobby: hunting for treasures (or junk as the case may be). I used to be a regular at thrift stores and rummage sales, filling my trunk with all sorts of baubles and bric-a-brac. I'd pick up this and that with the all-too-common justification, "I can make something out of that."

Enter FlyLady and I reformed (for the most part), realizing that I had more projects than I could ever complete, more gee-gaws than I could ever display and more second-hand clothes than I could ever wear. I've been off the rummage sale circuit for several summers now and my Amvets trips are generally to deposit rather than accumulate.

However, I do miss the thrill of the chase and what better reason to return to the musty aisles than a visit from an out-of-town friend who loves a good junk hunt?

So, Saturday afternoon we headed out and returned with arms full of goodies, which is a big improvement over returning home with a car full of goodies. The damage to my storage was minimal, a sake set and a polka dot dish for the kitchen... some lace, vintage tropical fabric and appliqued quilt blocks for the craft room... and a wire baseket to "fauxganize" something."

I'm really enamoured with this find... 24 blocks on canvas, approx. 24"x24" with flannel flag squares appliqued in the center (and all for only $12). Although these pictures make them look rather bright, the colors are muted and look old. I can't find any rhyme or reason to the countries chosen and I have no clue how I'm going to piece these. Right now I'm thinking I want some sort of folk art flannel like this, but this may be put on the back burner until I get to the big quilting show/event/shopping spree in Paducah, KY in May.

To be perfectly honest, I actually got a warm-up sesson last Wednesday when another friend invited me on an Amvets hunt after I made a total pig of myself at the Indian buffet. All you can eat chicken malai, um, sure, I'll take more of that. And yes, I'd love to give that nifty pink dish set a new home, thankyouverymuch.

It's very nice to rediscover old loves (even if they smell a bit musty) but I think I'll stick to my thrift store avoidance for the sake of my bank account and my closet. Well, I'll stay away for a week or two at least...