"Quilter's Block"

Dear Friends and Family,  last week I was in a sewing "funk" . . . "quilter's block" I called it . . . similar to writer's block, I suppose.  I just couldn't bring myself to sit at the sewing machine and do anything . . . nothing was inspiring me . . . winter doldrums? who knows! 

      One evening I was sitting in my chair getting ready to listen to a web cast on something from Bernina.  I was staring at my pile of "stuff" near my sewing machine and thought I could just do some seam ripping while listening to the presentation.  I picked up a summer shirt of Jeff's that needed the collar turned . . . something I'd never done, but thought I should so he could still wear the shirt.  This would fall into the category of MENDING.  For those of you who know me really well, you may know that I don't do MENDING . . . I've convinced my hubby, Jeff, that MENDING, for me, is a 4-letter word and I just can't do it . . . my sewing machine is meant for a "higher" purpose . . . sewing buttons on, repairing hems, fixing this or that were things I couldn't bring myself to do . . . my hands would start shaking at the thought of it!  

     When we lived in PA and worked our "regular" jobs, we accumulated a pile of MENDING over the course of a year.  Then my parents would come visit and my mom would take pity on Jeff and do the MENDING (for her favorite SIL!).  God bless her!  I just didn't do MENDING.  One weekend my BIL, Scott came to visit.  He said he had a favor to ask me . . . would I do some MENDING for him . . .  ARGH!. . . he need a button sewn on or something . . . I thought "Hell must have frozen over; Jeff will have a fit if I do Scott's MENDING and not his own . . . this can't be good!"  Now seriously, this was a big dilemma for me . . . my stomach still gets queasy thinking about it!  I did the MENDING for Scott and swore him to not flaunt it to Jeff . . . I felt like a traitor . . . unbelievable!  When I met Jeff he would repair his pant hems with staples or Scotch tape . . . not the kind of thing a seamstress wants to have to admit.

     Anyway, here I was, after all these years of avoiding MENDING, actually thinking of sitting and doing it  . . . my mother would be so proud!  I started the web cast and sat ripping out the seam of the collar so I could flip it over, re-insert it and sew it back on.  Once I had the collar pinned in place, I paused the web cast and went to my sewing machine to finish the task.  I sewed it in place and was getting ready to button the collar down, but one button was broken and had to be replaced . . . imagine me, sewing on a button!  I did it, buttoned the collar and showed Jeff.  He said "Wow, that looks like a professional did it!" . . . I was tickled pink!  I told him the shirt had special meaning to me . . . it was his favorite summer shirt and he'd worn it on our first date . . . he got the biggest smile on his face and it made me realize that MENDING isn't a 4-letter word . . . sometimes, MENDING can be an effort from the heart.

     Here's hoping all of your stitches, whether for quilting, sewing or MENDING, are happy ones!

All the best,

Kim