Saturday, November 26, 2016

Christmastime! And Gilmore Girls!

John got invited to go see the Wizards game tonight.  At first I was not super psyched about it... and then I remembered that the Gilmore Girls redux is now available on Netflix.  Done and done!

Thanksgiving is in the rearview and it's time to jump full throttle into the December holiday season.  The tree is up and the decorations are on display.  As each year passes, I feel like I've got my shit together, Christmas-wise.  I grew up in a house that had rock solid traditions.  Maybe it was because I was the third and there were many years of refining before I could remember.  But everything seemed so effortless.  Nothing fancy - mostly handmade items saved over the years.  Each of us had our own ornament boxes - my was a Vodka case procured from the local liquor store.  I believe there was also a Cutty Sark case.  It was so magical to pull out each ornament, unwrap it from the old newspaper and put it on the perfect spot on the tree.  Most of my ornaments were homemade by my mother and my aunt.  I still have all except one late edition painted porcelain chili pepper... not a huge loss.  My mom made ornaments for every person she knew, I'm convinced of it.  Family, neighbors, church friends, co-workers.  Seriously.  Like, dozens every year.  So many people still remark to me how special it is to have those small remembrances of her.  I do not know where she found the time or energy, but mostly I don't know how she was so organized.  So able to hone in on a project, start it, work on it, complete it to perfection AND actually hand it out to the people she intended to give them to.

I flail.  I start things, I put them aside forever.  I can't make a decision so nothing gets done.  I only chose things that don't require accuracy because I can't focus long enough to measure things properly, make colors coordinate or line rows up.  I don't cook because more often than not I leave out at least one key ingredient or skip a crucial step in the process.  My life lacks cohesion.  Eclectic might be one way to put it.  Mish-mash might be more appropriate.

Finally, finally, I'm building my own traditions for my family.  Tree the day after Thanksgiving.  2 (and only 2) Rubbermaid tubs of curated decorations to put out on the sideboard.  It filled me with crazy joy when the Rupper pulled out the stockings and excitedly announced to e. harrison which one belonged to whom in our family.  We made crafts - the ugliest paper plate Santa Claus you've ever seen.  But we made them.

Tonight, Lorelai, Rory, and I pulled down a box from the inheritance filled with Christmas fabric.  I found a kit that I'm sure was bought at fancy quilt shop by my mom.  A pattern with all of the appropriate fabrics in all of the appropriate measurements.  Cohesion.  She always read an instructional manual all the way to the end.    

I decided to cut out.
And then I thought I'd see how far I could get putting the pieces together.
It's a simple project, I think the final measurements will be 26" square.  But still, the pressure I felt that all those little points had to line up and all the seams had to be pressed the right way was so very real.  It felt like I owed it to her, to slow down and breathe and concentrate.  I should do that more often.


Wednesday, November 16, 2016

Done!



Finally!  I feel like I've been working on this quilt forever.  Or, I guess to be more precise, I've been putting off working on this quilt forever.  Now we move on to my second favorite hobby: the procrastination of sending the finished product to its recipient. 

Tuesday, November 15, 2016

Binding Marathon Pt.1


1 Baby Quilt.  3 Doll Quilts that have been sitting around for ages.  Progress feels great.  At least something is heading in a positive direction.

Monday, November 14, 2016

A Little Escape

John is out of town for the week.  While I miss his company and his cooking, it's not the worst to have a few quiet hours to myself in the evening.  Quiet is not exactly the appropriate word, since a good amount of that time was spent with the sewing machine at full tilt.  It gave me something to do besides repeatedly check my Facebook and Twitter feeds and refresh various news outlet websites waiting to find some nugget of hope to hang onto.  I felt like I had a handle on something, was in control of something, and could make actual real tangible progress on something.  Because right now the rest of it feels like a real freaking mess.  The train went off the rails and I don't know who to look to for guidance as to how to put it back.  One thing I've learned and know for sure is that time will heal, that pain will fade.  But my worry is that the pain is not over yet.  Every time it seems we're at rock bottom, the trap door opens and down we go.  I know it will be okay, that we will survive this.  But the journey is not one I'm particularly looking forward to.

But.  Quilts.  Quilts for cute babies of wonderful friends.  New beginnings, fresh starts, hopeful futures.  The sun will rise in the morning.