Durable Utility
It has been a remarkable adventure these last five years after I bought my new sewing machine. Talk about live and learn.
It was in the early summer of 2015 that Dennis and I went to Arizona to see my aunt in Phoenix and also to see Dennis’ son in the Meza area. My aunt Lorraine has been an avid stitcher for decades. Lorraine sent home some items she wanted to share from her sewing room. Sweet! I knew I would put the items to use and not store them in a drawer. One towel in particular that Lorraine had embroidered has been in use in our kitchen since that time in 2015. Lorraine’s favorite was to embroider recipes on kitchen towels. This towel has been looped on a drawer pull in our kitchen as a catch-all for sticky hands while baking, making meals and even spills. This towel has also been in the laundry continually over these five years. The stitching is as vibrant now as then.
I have since over the five years embroidered everything from quilt blocks, t-shirts, bath towels, coasters, pillows, clothing and kitchen towels. The stitching and the end product is durable and has utility . . . not to be looked at or stuck in a drawer. The only difference from Lorraine’s stitched out designs and mine are that I like to cut the connecting threads as in the case of this kitchen towel. Not just pretty to look at but to use in making everyday chores at bit fancy. Why not? No ho-hum needed.
Today we are still feeling some of the effects of the snow storm of Thursday. I have no idea what the winds are doing to the roads but the winds are raising continual sounds from the wind chimes on the northwest corner of the house.
While the sewing machine has been embroidering, I have pulled out scraps of quilt batting. I am determined to hand sew enough scraps to end up with a 75″ x 75″ piece. It will take some hand stitching going back and forth in a zig-zag pattern with the sides butted up to each other so there is no overlap. I do know that there is a tape sold at JoAnn’s for just such a job but my way will do just fine as a trip out of town for such a meager item does not pencil out.
We are having cheeseburgers for supper. N0 buns on hand but sliced bread will do just fine for the two of us. We make the best of it. Making the best of each situation is not an act to impress but habit forming. I like it. I like it a lot. That’s who I am . . . durable and having high utility.