Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Mail Call!

Pick me – Pick me!!!

Yes – I was picked!!!

No I did not win a giveaway – that never happens. But, I received a package today, a little one but one with a whole lot of fun inside. What is it you ask – it is a book – a very nice book, a book I have been waiting on for some time. “It’s Quilting Cats & Dogs” by Lynette Anderson, it is so pretty inside, I love all the projects. I am not a big fan of cats, I do not hate any animal but a cat would not be on the top of my list of “gotta get one of those” pets. But I want to make even the cat projects, she makes them look so cute. I love Lynette Anderson’s style, her fabric choices are right up my alley. Love, love, love this one.

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Several weeks ago I received the new book by Barri Sue Gaudet (Bareroots) called “Quilt a Gift", it is also fabulous. I work a lot with wool and this book uses wool but it uses wool felt, not felted wool (big difference).

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So now it looks as though I might have to make a little spot in my studio for wool felt. I have some that has been given to me by generous friends for my kids to use, but it too is not like what is used in this book.  I will have to do some searching. I have seen wool felt at JoAnns and A.C.Moore but not what I am looking for. This is the first project I want to do – can you believe it is only 25” X 21”, oh my goodness – it is too cute!010

I was supposed to be working on the rest of the Halloween projects as I told you before. But I have done everything but.  I tried again to straighten embroidery floss. I have so many different kinds, and they are in so many different places.  Yesterday I was try to figure out why my muscles in my shoulder were hurting, then I figured it out, it was from wrapping floss onto cards. Heehee. Who says I don’t work out.  I have the best shoulders in town – well at least my right one!! So here is what I have been doing:004

I have been in a cleaning out mood lately. I have been watching many episodes of the “Hoarders” on A&E channel. It is killing me. I want to clean out, clean up, pare down, etc, etc. I get that way after I watch it, I think that is why my husband lets me watch it undisturbed. He is sneaky!

My mother was a  hoarder. But a closet hoarder. I mean she had every available space filled with something, nothing, stuff, stuff in everything, stuff under everything. Her house was clean but she had the “stuff” hidden everywhere. I am looking at my thread picture above thinking I might have got that trait from her. She had this apothecary type table she got when she was in Korea and every drawer was filled, there had to be over a hundred little drawers in this thing. One drawer would have little erasers, another pencils, another safety pins, Exacto knives, etc, etc. She had the largest collection of Exacto knives I have ever seen, they were everywhere, in the table, in the desk drawers, in little stacking boxes around the house. I cannot explain to you how “crazy” she was about filling all available spaces but she was. She had boxes like this all over her house:

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And inside of them, insignificant stuff like this:

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She did not sew, or make jewelry, but she had little boxes full of the stuff everywhere.  Occasionally, 6 months after one of my kids birthdays or 4 months after Christmas she would send us boxes of these boxes. Why – I don’t know – maybe she ran out of room at home or maybe it was just her way of sharing.

I did not know my mother well. Growing up we did not get a long and when I was mature enough to get a long or tolerate her,  she was dying or on so many pain killers she never could remember what we had talked about the last time to know we could talk about something else besides the fact that she was dying.

I wonder sometimes what her plans were when I go through these boxes she sent. Was she picking out the stuff for me or what? Had she planned on one day making something with all this stuff?  I will never know.  Her last week of life I was there, I stayed in her house with her as she lay dying.  I went through room after room of stuff like in the picture above, trying to help her husband out for when the time came, but it was useless – there was too much for me to go through in the time I had down there. It made me sad, and it makes me sad now, to know she had this compulsion to keep all this meaningless stuff. I believe she was filling a void, like the people on the show “Hoarders”. Why can’t they see what they are doing.

I don’t know where I was going with this conversation – but I think I got off track. I was going to erase all that I just typed but decided to leave it, maybe someone can relate, maybe someone has all the answers!!

Now that I am in this melancholy mood I guess I will tackle the kids homework – that should cheer me up!! LOL

10 more posts and I can have my giveaway!!!  If I am good that could be just 10 more days!!

Have a great day!!

Jennifer

7 comments:

Sammy said...

Hi,
I read your post, and I know how hard it is to talk about the people we are very close too. But I am really glad that you did not erase your thoughts.I wish I could do anything to comfort, or give you some answers, all what I could say is what you wrote really touched my heart.

Take Care,

-Samya :-)

Lee said...

What you wrote also touched my heart. My Mom just passed and she collected dolls. She never displayed them, but she bought them. She would get pretty excited about them. She took me to the shop where she bought the dolls and come to find out...it was a shop selling handmade quilts and other patchwork crafts. This was 20 years ago, but I will never forget it. Needless to say...dolls no, patchwork YES!

Hopefully, when we pass our children will understand us more than we understood our parents' generation. Keep communicating and maybe they will know us better.

Enjoy the "hidden" treasures in the boxes for what they are...treasures!

I am reading "Anne of Green GAbles" for the first time. Anne had such an imagination and was quite the chatterbox. Imagination is such a good thing. I guess when we get "grown" we kinda' stop imagining stories and what life could be like. You are good to imagine your Mother wanting to craft. She may not have had the confidence in her talent to do anything.

We are sure glad you have the confidence and the talent to create.

Creating helps us to keep our sanity....too bad your MOm didn't!!

See, I rambled on and on too!! Guess it was the mother topic???

Anonymous said...

Enjoy your new books... they are lovely !
Maybe you have visited there already but if you ever go to Apex, NC ... I believe that
Plain & Simple quilt shop has wool felt (by local designers). I'm leaving you their website, maybe you could give them a call and ask (they don't have an online shop/catalog yet):
http://www.plainandsimplequiltshop.net/

I too get in the organizing mode often, specially of my craft items/closet. Of all the areas in my home that closet is the one that requires constant TLC.
Have fun !

There is always a reason for things... and your mom may have had her reason(s). I agree with Lee... enjoy your treasures.

Unknown said...

Thank you "My 1st Bambina" I worked there for almost 3 years I have not been there in about a year and a half but I think they only have felted wool not wool felt. Thank you for the idea!!! :)

Anonymous said...

I had the feeling that you knew about P&S, Lo and Behold ... you used to worked there :-). I just recently discovered it , lol !

I hope you find the wool felt you are looking for !

Donnie said...

I don't know what to say about your mother except that I understand. My brothers and I said that there are some women who just can't connect, no matter how hard they try, with their children. My mother passed 2006 but the last 3 weeks of her life is something I will always treasure. My younger brother had passed 3 weeks prior to that and Mom was so confused she didn't remember that she didn't like me. It was the best time of our mother/daughter relationship. Thanks for sharing.

Unknown said...

Oh Donnie thank you for your comments, very nice to hear. I know not everyone has a great realtionship with their mother but when you are one who doesn't you feel like you are the only one. I hope that sounds right.