After all the internal work I did regarding my budget and gifts, I still fell into the trap of making just a few more gifts. One of the groups I am in offers its members quick quilting or sewing projects each week, and this week it was those mini rice bag hand warmers.
It was promoted as a 'stash buster', and even recommended using up flannel scraps. Each little bag is a 4" square and is filed 3/4 full with rice. There is even a template so the instructions for use in a micro are included.
I have flannel scraps. I have rice! This is perfect. So I made a list of all the younger generation in my family and thought, "I can do this!" and started cutting. Then, I would walk from the cutting mat to my list so I could add names as I remembered the little darlings. This project is so easy, I thought, that I can make a pair for the two older Granddaughters' boyfriends.
Wait. A pair. Two hands - two handwarmers.
Then I counted and discovered there were 29 people on my list which meant I needed to make 58 little 4" handwarmers. After almost 45 minutes cutting, I spent another 35 minutes chain stitching the first side. Two more sides to go, plus filling them with rice and closing up that seam. Well, it did stash bust the flannel, using up almost half of the small pieces I had in a bin. I really didn't match fabrics to make matching pairs. If I know kids, they will get used, brought in and either forgotten or tossed in the 'mom pile' for her to sort and remember. Next time, if they get brought out, all that will matter is having one for each mitten.
Those pieces were strips I had cut from a quilt I made my younger Son last year (the back was flannel pieces too). I loved how it turned out so cozy and hated tossing the scraps, so was glad to find a good use for them.
I'll work on this project today, and also finish up an apron that is going to one of my other Nieces. Its a new pattern I am trying that uses 7 different FQs.
There is still time for easy.
Turns out that I wrote down the wrong number on the package that got the scanned label sent to a different city. It finally arrived at the correct home, probably because someone in the USPS was doing their job, read what I wrote AND intended for the city, and got it to the right destination in spite of what the scan indicated. Lesson learned, however. I really need to be more careful.
Later, I worked to finish the 24" square mini quilt for a SSSwap in my partner's preferred colors of Lime Green, Pink and Turquoise. Hmmm. The Lime Green shows up differently in this pic, however matches the Lime Green in the Turquoise print. Hmmm. All three of the fabrics here have dots which sold me as the coordinating factor when I was in the fabric store. My partner told me she likes these non-traditional colors, so I did my best when shopping. I selected a darker Teal-turqoise for the binding that felt like it tied the others together. The Pink is a fabric with very fine lines of Red & White.
Is nothing what it seems? I knew I could trick everyone's eye with this Red & White and they would see Pink. I knew it because of my experience over time.
When I was a kid, I remember asking adults in my life if we all saw the same things, like colors; or if we just all named what we saw with a word that everyone simply called it the same ...and then saw the thing differently. I know that is hard to grasp.
How more simple to understand that people see the world differently from each other. Right? Needless to say, most of the adults around me had no answer that would have satisfied me. Over time, I learned that what I wanted to know was simply the difference between objective and subjective observations.
Yes, I was "one of those" who never stopped asking why a jillion times all the time, and drove everyone around me crazy.
I read the zip code in my address listing wrong last week. I saw an 8 where in fact, it was a 6. The PO clerk keyed in my zip code but not the city I put on the box and made the bar code that went on the package. She didn't look beyond her task, and I didn't check for my intention. My fault. Now I know better.
There are all sorts of scientific means for observing data and coming to conclusions that provide empirical evidence.
What I know is that 8's and 6's are solid objects. An 8 is an 8 and a 6 is a 6. Object/Objective.
And Lime Green, while you can see it in this photo and know what I am calling or naming it to be, the color Lime Green will look different to everyone and is subject to any number of factors that range from facts to emotions & perceptions. Subject/Subjective.
Go into a paint store looking for that color and you will come home with several paint chips that look different in morning sunlight than they do under lamplight. Everyone sees the world differently and makes choices based on what they value. It doesn't mean one color is right or wrong. It is simply different. And being different is ok. We go for what works for us and learn as we go.
That is a mighty simple way for me to define the differences between Objective and Subjective theories. But its what I got for now.
Over the last couple of months, I participated in several swapbot exchanges meant to fill our stockings for the holidays. What I like about doing these particular ones is that you send to one partner and someone else sends to you. That way, there is no expectation or disappointment. I am keeping all the small wrapped gifties unlooked at.
What I realized is that I have had the same stocking for a long time now, maybe at least 13-14 holidays, and while I made it too, I am ready for a change. It has stuffing in the heel and toe because of the angles and small spaces, and really is more for decor than for use as a holiday stocking. Picky, I know, but its always bugged me. It will be wrapped and sent off to use in a White Elephant gift swap. Whoever gets it gets to chose what they will do with it. It will be out of my hands.
As I went looking for those things I sent my #2 Grandgrrrl yesterday, the bin used to store soft holiday items held some quilted fabric pieces. I think they came from my friend Virginia's Mother. I cut out a shape that is more utilitarian for gifts, sewed the two pieces together and now just need to find a plain fabric for the cuff. This will work better for me and will hold all the swaps I've received.
Yesterday, the PO delivered the 'undeliverable' box I sent. Thing is, I have no idea what they did or what changed. However, Bob got his quilt, and loved it. Haven't heard if the misdirected package found its way yet. Good thing it wasn't a box of cookies!
There is a sort of awesome power to chose our attitudes when things go in a different way than we expected. Its about perception. When I feel the most centered, I am able to see any challenge as an opportunity for growth. Nothing in life calls for us to suffer.
There are many layers to what we experience. Yes, a physical wound or dis-ease brings us pain. Yes, emotional and mental wounding can bring even more pain to the point of trauma. Sometimes it depends upon how old we are and who is the one inflicting these challenges. A child has less experience in coping, however, those responses a child has to her wounding could set her up for life to respond in the same way.
I am not sure what it takes for us to see old patterns and decide to make a change. Maybe, one day, we simply have had enough. Maybe one day, someone steps in and says or does something to help us see that there is a different way...that we don't have to keep doing something we don't like doing.
Just like that stocking. Its pretty enough. I made it. Its pretty enough. It doesn't hold what I want it to hold or how I want it to hold. Its pretty enough. I can make a new one. I can make a new one every year if I want and give away the one I used the year before. And it might be pretty enough, or be one that used up fabric from a woman's stash whom I appreciated as the Mother of a very dear friend.
I don't know what she had planned for the fabric. Its become a stocking for me this year. If something else comes about that changes my thinking, I just hope I remember this process. Its pretty enough. Does the situation, person or object serve my needs and greater good? Is it time to release the person or object and let it pass onto someone else who has needs it will fill? If so, then there is a blessing way we can give it in the form of a note or a card. I am learning through these swaps...learning how to be generous, learning how to take care of myself and learning how to heal.
Its interesting for me to see my Grandchildren grow up. Many people lock each other into an age, or a behavior, or some expectation. I don't think any of my Grandparents did that with me. If memory serves, and I haven't re-written history, it seemed that they treated me as an adult once I became one, and were there for me, listening and open to when I did visit or call. I don't remember too much of their advice beyond childhood things. It is my hope to do that with my own sweeties.
How this works, in my opinion, is that whatever I do stays in present time. Grandgrrrl #2 is a cat-lover and just adopted a sweet little fluff, so I made a set of french-seamed pillowcases. They really are easy to make, and like I have said quilting cotton is not Egyptian cotton, so these pillowcases are more for seasonal decor than anything. My own set is on my bed already and it is fine. I found a set of 'three little kittens' ornaments to include. I haven't put up a tree in a few years now, and did have some lovely pieces on it that I want to share.
I finished this mini scrap quilt for her too. Its the size of a table topper but could be hung (finished at 17" square). I might add something to the back for hanging before shipping it to her along with a note saying what it is and options for use. The pillowcases are a given.
Then I made a quick little 7" pillow. I personally like these on chairs for just a little more back support. They serve as an accent in any corner or room in the house.
When young people leave home, most kick around from place to place for a few years before settling down. However, that first year of holiday seasons away from home is hard too. We all become little kids in spite of wanting to be independent. Its such a bittersweet time. There is so much fun in creating the atmosphere that we want, starting traditions that are meaningful for who we are: Some come from our families, some come from the families of our partners or friends, and some are things we dream about.
These small handmade gifts to her are non-invasive and will be things she could use with joy in celebrating the season. After all, they are something homemade from her Granny. All that is left is my note to be included with it all.
I hadn't heard about a quilt I shipped, so checked the tracking number on it to discover they are returning it and say it is undeliverable! I checked the address in my files, and it is the one they say is on the package. I checked another address on my receipt to discover it is going to the wrong city! At least two of the packages I sent that day are misdirected. My total bill was over $94!!!
Needless to say, I have a trip planned to the PO this morning to see if I can get this resolved.
I've read that the highest incidence of missing quilts happens when they go through the mail system. I thought I was taking extra precautions in how I shipped that included a tracking number, but human error still happens, and every clerk I speak with just shrugs and says either that they don't know what happened, or wants to turn it back to me to say I did something wrong. I am willing to admit my own errors, however in this case, even their records say I had the right addresses on the packages.
We do live in an era where few people are willing to take responsibility for their company as well as their own work. and why is that? Simple accountability goes a long way. I started adding the 'tracking' factor just because I never knew if the package arrived, as well as sometimes having a carrier leave a package out in the weather to get rain/snow damaged.
Its like I have to pay more to ensure their system. No wonder people get frustrated. I am not just pointing my frustrated consumer finger on our postal system. It happens elsewhere in other stores or with other services, which is why I think consumers get so upset and lash out. Sometimes their anger is a release from feelings about many similar issues, and they have reached the end of their patience. Its hard to start fresh.
And this is yet another bugaboo that goes with this season.
One of the things I look at is the rising cost of postage because almost everything I have for my family needs to be shipped. If the quality of service has dropped, then what re-course do I have as a consumer? This will be one of the questions I ask today when I go in. Meanwhile, I need to keep doing what I am doing, and be sure to double/triple check addresses and bring a list of them with me to check the receipt before I leave the office. I want to be sure I AM doing my part in keeping the system running to serve my personal needs.
How did it get so complex? and why?
Yes, why yes, money does grow on trees. At least it will for my Grandchildren this Winter Solstice.
I found this idea online to use those styrofoam tree-cone shapes for the base. Each tree fits 20 bills of your choice. The one to the right is finished though might be re-done to get the bows evenly placed. Its a simple enough project and perfect for those teens who like money rather than token gifts a $20 bill could buy. Sure its not much, but it should be fun. I think I will try to find some quotes about money growing on trees (or not) and include it with each package.
Bills are folded accordion style the long way with a bobbie pin in the middle to make them fan out into a circular flower look. They get placed starting at the bottom and working up, trying not to have spaces show up or add bows.
My neighbor has 12 Grandchildren, and liked this idea so much, she bought supplies for it too. Later this morning, we are going to sit on her porch and start working on them, one at a time. Luckily, her kids are local so she bought gift boxes. Mine, on the other hand, need to be shipped, and so I bought these long wine-bottle gift bags and tissue paper to keep the postage costs down a bit. Folding & pinning money is actually boring, so working with my neighbor and chatting while we do it will ease that boredom.
I also did some hand work attaching binding to a pair of mug rugs I am giving, and have a couple more projects left to do before the end of this month.
And then, there is the wrapping and shipping.
There is a joy in the wisdom about holiday gift-giving that I gained over the years. When I look back over the years and how this frenzy started, I could see that it was media advertising that started all the stress. I grew up in a family that did not celebrate Christmas with gifts but by gathering for family dinners...first on Christmas Eve with a meal consisting of 7 different fish dishes, and then again on Christmas Day with turkey, chicken, beef, venison, pork, duck and home-made sausages. There were veggies and salads, potatoes and pasta. While it looks like a lot of food, usually you would put a spoonful of this and that on your plate, and still have room for pie or some other fancy desert.
No, it was the advertisements when my Sons were young. They showed games, and motorized airplanes, and Legos, Star Wars figures and ships, and things that every kid had to have. So the push was on for me to shop the early-bird sales or miss out and run the risk of disappointing my Sons. Thing was, the toys usually broke on the first flight, or had parts missing and still were disappointing. Next year, I tried harder.
Every year, my anxiety grew, and as prices rose, my income did not. The pressure was intense and it became more difficult for me to stay sane and centered, and loving.
This last decade is the one that marks the most of my personal growth with this issue, and in truth, maybe only the last few years. There are a lot of reasons for the change in me about my attitude towards this season. Some changes came from within and some came from outside me.
I still struggle to be sure of what I am doing, and struggle to make sure I don't rush to the store (outside of town of course) to buy one more thing to make their gifts not look so light. I haven't owned a TV for decades now, so I don't get the advertisements. I make most of my gifts and have become ok with that. And them? The objects of my affection? What do they say or think?
My guess is that they will remember the handmade gifts long after the store-bought ones went into the landfills. At least, I hope that is the case.
Its almost noon here, and I've spent the morning running errands. This small valley town closes on Mondays, so fewer people are out. There are only a couple of bigger stores like Home Depot and KMart that stay open, plus the grocery stores. And after unloading a full trunk in my Saturn Vue, I was ready to do house chores like watering plants, and mopping the hard wood floors.
I did get outside to see the pond in the west garden. Leaves are peeking fall colors and this pic doesn't do them justice. What I did discover is that the pond has a leak. My guess is that raccoons have just played around in it a bit hard. My next chore is to remove the stones and the pond frame and replace the piece before winter sets in. With a working motor, it is a source of moving water for the critters and birds. Soon enough the leaves will fall and it would make it time to clean out the pond anyway.
I was reading about being blocked in working with quilting. The article spoke about quilters needing to step back and away for awhile. Some never return and others come back refreshed. It gave me pause to think about how quilting fits into my life rather than BEING my life.
Each year, I made a list of quilts I wanted to create and get out, and then worked almost non-stop. This year (2014), I moved some of the quilts on that list to the 2015 list and gave myself some space. Its been ok. At first I thought that I would probably try and do them, but I kept my word and let myself relax. Right now, I have only a few quilting projects to work on in the next few weeks and really like being able to walk outside in the gardens, walk through the stores without pressure and plan a few things to do that are non-quilting.
I want to take some time and write letters to the elders in my family back in the midwest. Mail is so fun to receive. My life is busy just like everyone else's but those moments of connecting to folks I love is really, really important to me.
The leaves outside tell this story. Brilliant colors that start with green, move to the yellows and now to those bright reds. I know that a good wind can take them off their vines, because it will be time for that change. If the colors are like the seasons in our lives, then the vibrant reds tell the story of life just before it blows away. I just don't want to miss those seasons. And I will get back to quilting soon enough.
