Mrs. Schmenkman Quilts

This past week has been a real downer in the creative department. I’m hoping to shake that off sooner rather than later (a phrase a former boss used ALL THE TIME to the point I cringe every time I hear it or use it myself).

After sewing up the snowflake braid top, I hit the wall. I also came to the end of the applique flower-black flannel program and knew I had to write up ACCURATE finishing directions and package up PILES of finishing fabrics. I don’t necessarily think I am a procrastinator, but I will admit I am a dreader of things. So I have been away dreading and doing and feeling overwhelmed. I’m about halfway done with packaging up the piles o’ fabric and I’m hoping the finishing directions are accurate. Almost there.

And while these things are going on, I try to conjure up fun little things to do. Small diversions that won’t take up gobs of time. Yesterday I made a Park Slope smock/apron for a certain household third-grader. I will have to get her to model it soon.

I did this today–which goes back more than a year ago:

It is also a work-related to-do, so I did try to stay focused with my fun.

With that, I hope you are all well and I hope to be back soon with cheery-business. Gosh, it looks like the fixing up and the painting of the garage that has also been going on is finished–I would post a picture, but it’s still not photogenic. Mmmm, grey worn out garage, how lovely!

An annual late summer ritual of mine is to purchase a big thick juicy copy of this:

And what is this wonderful pile of reading material?

Ah, yes. The September issue of Vogue–all 798 pages of it. And, truly, you wouldn’t know I had this fascination if you saw me. In fact, one would probably think I had never cracked the pages of a fashion magazine (or even looked in a mirror). Sure, I love shoes (comfy shoes…) and bags, but shopping for clothes is like torture. I make an annual rapprochement with some low-end jeans maker wherein I attempt to find jeans that:

a) don’t fall too low on the hip,
b) don’t fall too high on the waist,
c) aren’t crazy wide,
d) aren’t crazy narrow,
e) aren’t too stretchy (ewwww),
f) have a nice selection of pockets (five, perhaps–a girl must have her Burt’s Bees handy, after all), and
g) don’t require that I wear high heels.

And then I buy four pairs. Cuz next season, they may not make the “winning” combo. I have meager fashion wants.

Still, I do enjoy the annual page-turning of the ginormous fall Vogue. I can’t tell you how many different varieties of lipstick and mascara applicators I have learned about so far–and I’m not yet half-way through. Who knew? Why does this intrigue me? I’m not sure, but it always comes out just about the time school starts up again. Going back to my school days, I always loved paging through the fall Seventeen magazine. I was more interested in clothes then, but the images also made me think of new beginnings for the school year ahead.

Ahhhh, who am I kidding? I think I will write off my Vogue interest as just another venue in which to look at pretty fabrics used in interesting ways.

But, as we speak, my eight year old daughter is leafing through old copies of Seventeen dug out from under my childhood bed (yes, I have piles and stacks in two states). I understand the fascination. I am also happy that I am not there to field questions about feminine hygiene products. I’ll leave that to my mom whom she is visiting. Ah, fall.

With that said, I skipped fall and went right to winter for the project I’m working on.

Snowflakes. Bah! Just when you think you have done your civic duty and made the last two shop hop quilt samples, another “opportunity” arrives home with you in your tote bag.

Well, I’ve been wanting to make a braid. Maybe not this braid. But it hasn’t caused me any construction distress, so I’ll cut it some slack.

Snowflakes, indeed!