Maybe before the holiday rush, where we get so focused on making things for others, and trying to get it all done, it might be fun to post a secret santa wish to share with the group. My fellow Gatherings affecianados, what do YOU want? This is not the “peace and good will” sort of wish, or the hope he notices me pining, or even the “two front teeth” desire.
This is the unabashedly “just for me,” been trying to buy it notion, will make me laugh when a look at it, will lighten my load, will make it easier to indulge my creative passion, might-not-never-get-it-but-don’t-cost-me-nothing-to-dream-about-it, gosh it would be really nice if, “yeah I said it so there,” “just because I want it type” wish.
Why? Because if nobody asks you, your friends at Gatherings understand your passion for your creative side. We know there’s no such thing as too much fabric, a craft store not worth visiting at least once, the glory of finding just the right wool for a project, the reason a template 1/4 inch larger than the one you bought last week makes perfect sense, the joy of just sitting with your stuff imagining the next, the magic of listening to a clump of stuffing talk to you until you figure out what doll is waiting to emerge, the utility of a magic wand for difficult clients and projects, the peace in finding the perfect shade of whatever….and the satisfaction of a finished project.
So my creative friends what do YOU want this year?
Replies
OOps I forgot my wish:
A Fairy Studio Godmother. One who can read my mind and clean up my workspace perpetually-- but understands even the scraps have significance. And, who will acquire the perfect blend of old and new storage solutions. One who understands that some of the pretty touches are just as important as the creature comforts. And finally who will lean over my shoulder when I forget that 3rd step to that technique I read about somewhere and drop the hint so that frustration is banned from my workspace.
Rodezzy I sense a doll there somewhere!
I love your idea of a sewing fairy godmother doll. What would she look like to you? I'm thinking bifocals, for one thing. Maybe a white ruffled blouse, full gathered long skirt, and a crocheted shawl? White hair pulled back in a bun?On second thought, maybe she should look like a magician. Definitely a magic wand.
Edited 10/2/2008 8:57 pm ET by Josefly
HMMMM. what would the studio fairy godmother look like? She'd have to have a delicate balance of efficiency and irreverence. Efficient to get the job done and irreverent enough to defy conventional norms that say throw it out and start over. She must be fashionable, so I'm thinking a long strand of pearls and fabulous pumps!
Red hair then, I insist.
Red Hair is required. Agreed! and a wand in one hand and a martini in the other!
A full-size (3 foot by 6 foot) cutting mat at a rock-bottom price.
With a coupon, I know that I can get one for about 40 or 50 dollars, but my thrifty nature just won't let me splurge that much on what I know would be invaluable to have on hand. If only my sister hadn't scored one for just $5 at a yard sale, I might be able to give in to temptation!
An embroidery machine. Please. Cathy
A housekeeper so that I can just sew all day and someone else would do my laundry, tidy the downstairs and make meals--sort of like Alice on "The Brady Bunch." Seriously, if I ever won the lottery, I would hire someone to do this stuff in a heartbeat.
Annie in Wisconsin, USA
~~Doodlestein Designs Quilt Patterns
~~Finely Finished: Machine quilting worked on a treadle sewing machine.
See patterns, quilting, and National sewing machines at: http://community.webshots.com/user/damascusannie
Edited 10/4/2008 12:47 am by damascusannie
Ok, so in the same theme, what you want then, is a WIFE. tee hee Cathy
Yes, actually, that's EXACTLY what I want, but not one like me--we'd have a great time together, but it would defeat the purpose! 8^)
I have put that wish, one for a wife, on my wish list for years as a joke. Funny thing is, I seldom ever get anything on that list. Maybe they think the whole list is a joke? Cathy
Ah, yes; a wife for sure, because a house keeper will only clean ...and I want someone who will cook as well.
On the other hand ... if I were to really think big, I'd like a bull dozer ...so that this little cottage could be flattened quickly and another house (with no repairs required, no painting needed, all new plumbing, wiring etc.) put in it's place within one week.
I want a place for everything and everything in its place!!!
What am I saying?!?!? Extreme Home Maker Over: Old Peoples Edition ...I WANT YOU NOW!
OK; I feel so much better now. Just took a deep breath. No more rants, no more frayed nerves, and no more shouting. I said it, and now I'm fine. Back to normal ...and appreciate this little cottage with all of its flaws. It's home, it's welcoming ...it's ours. And we've got projects to keep us busy for years. What more could we "project people" ask for? Nada! giggle
Edited 10/5/2008 6:17 pm by sewslow67
This is just too funny! How did you know that a bulldozer was on my list also? This ancient old ontario farmhouse just gets to me some days.....Cathy
LOL! That is funny. I kind of wondered if there would be others like me, and I figured I might find out if I just said what I've been wanting to shout for months, now. I just hope we can all "get it done" before it's too late to enjoy it ...giggle
I really do appreciate that CHL suggested this idea too, so that we could all feel free to express our feelings without judgment. And it's just too funny that so many of us want the same thing ...a wife!!! tee hee
Definitely a housekeeper or win a lottery so I could work part time. A dressmaker's Judy would be a more practical wish.
Jane
Hi Jane, glad you made it home safely. It was nice to meet you and your DH when you were out here. I guess that is the point of this post. We all wish for the practical stuff most of the time, so this is the chance to wish, or express that wish for the illogical, impractical, expensive, or other wise unobtainable wish. Like a trip on the Star Trek Enterprise. Now that would be a fun one. Cathy
I'm still recovering :^) It was great to meet you and DH as well. To others out there, my uncle passed away and I flew home for the funeral. I'm glad I went, saw family and met lots of people I haven't seen since I was tiny. One woman there was a nursing student who helped babysit me (my mom was a nurse) when I was an infant.
It was wonderful to immerse myself in the Scottishness of eastern Ontario. I was sooo homesick. I was eyeing up all those old farmhouses you want to get out off! Maybe when I win that lottery! My DH is a carpenter so the fixer upper aspect isn't a big deal. My sister had a beautiful 1806 house with tin ceilings.
Jane
If you talk about the Star Trek Enterprise, the thing I have wanting for years and years is a transporter - you know the 'beam me up Scottie' sort of thing. I truly hate the process of travel - anywhere. It exhausts me. I do have a housekeeper who is actually a home helper, but I wish I would win a lottery to give her more hours - and dare I say, a less chatty nature:0. Then, having more time, I wish for more energy to do the sewing and quilting I want to do. Aging and arthritis has slowed me more than I could ever have imagined it would by this stage of my life. I had thought I may want a serger or embroidery machine, but they would be more things to learn how to use and more need for setting up. Strangely, the thing I hate most about sewing machines is threading and rethreading them. I keep hoping my pixies will do it for me but maybe a sewing room fairy will come along and show the pixies what to do.Edited 11/14/2008 6:54 pm ET by Sancin
Edited 11/21/2008 1:49 am ET by Sancin
A transporter. Yes. We could avoid all the stress, the discomfort, the waiting in line, the increasingly intrusive security to-do, the cramped uncomfortable airplanes with the too-many-times-circulated air, the stiff, achy bodies after being in a car all day. I like to think I'm not just an old fogey - I really would like to see friends and relatives more, see new and interesting places - but the traveling is exhausting. A genie might be just the thing.
Yes, a transporter would be wonderful. Then we could all get together and meet and sew!
How about those wonderful medical devices that just scan you and fix what is wrong. And the non invasive surgeries. I saw the movie where they gave a lady a pill to grow new kidneys, sewslow would love that!
Someday, maybe, someday........Cathy
Yikes Cathy,
Your Fairy God Mother will have to "sip an adult beverage" on that request and get back to you. Mind you she didn't say no and she applauds your creativity. It's creativity like that which brought us sonograms and what not.
Whilst the Studio Fairy Godmother is sipping adult beverages, indulging in brie creations, and pondering the wishes of creative persons making requests, I would like to take the opportunity to thank her for all her help and support.
Thank you for the giggles, and permissions granted so far, and the guilt lifted. Thank you for the time granted. Thank you for the creativity granted. Thank you for the open and honest forum for expressing our deepest wishes. Cathy
I had to run thru this thread quickly and speed read and you guys are a "hoot". I love it. I've got to start putting together my quilt guild newsletter now, I'll come back to you guys later. And I'm washing a few loads in between. So much work, so little time. giggle.
I am sure it will take you quite a while to catch up on the novel that has taken place here Rodezzy, but it is a fun read. Lots of little gems and giggles. Cathy
Yes dear lady, I spent too much time reading yesterday. I'm breezing through here today and need to get on with some other stuff, like cleaning. Must wash these dishes in my kitchen. It's not a lot, but they need to get done. I need to do some other work around here to prepare for a practical arrangement for my laptop and printer, and my sewing spot. Got some sewing that needs to get done. I'm supposed to be making a couple wall hanging for a co-worker out of her grandmother's old tableclothes. So, I want to get it done before Christmas. Not like thats a long way off. It's bearing down on me like a snowball down a mountain. he he
Know what you mean. My energy levels have been low, and a lot needs doing. But it is so much more fun to be here with friends, tee hee. Guess we both need to get to it hey? tee hee Cathy
If my sewing fairy godmother is listening, I want a place to wear all the fabulous clothes I'd love to make (silk taffeta party frock), but never make because I never go to those sorts of parties.
Your Studio Fairy God Mother suggests you host your own parties to wear your dresses.
Seriously, invite your friends.... and their significant or insignificant others to formal dinner (either at your house or go to a nice restaurant).
(Candidly, we're thinking of doing it for inauguration weekend... so many relatives coming to the area for the events.... and the thought of heading downtown to a ball during that madness is well terrifying). So, we suburbanites are considering having our own remote ball!) No crowds, no drama, lots of girlie formals!
I'm in Baltimore and there are 3 Inaugural balls that I know of...great opp to wear a pretty ball gown!!! hmmmmmmm
Back in the day when I lived in D.C. (OldTown Alexandria), I might have scored a ticket to something fun. I get to do military balls every once in a while. Actually did my gown for the last one and it turned out great! But now the hubby is in Iraq, so no fancy soirees for a while. If the sewing fairy godmother is listening, what I really want is my husband back. Before the next snow would be a nice touch.
I will keep him in prayer! God bless him for the sacrifice he has made!
I come from a military family, so I know where you are sitting. My prayers for all those serving away, and their families waiting for them to return. Cathy
The Studio Fairy Godmother is listening, and this issue is much to serious to treat lightly:
Though it may not be politically correct, your studio fairy godmother believes in the power of intercessory prayer (prayer on the behalf of others) and that's the commitment she will give you: that she will keep you and your husband in her prayers. She asks that our Heavenly Father keep a hedge of protection around your husband and that He see fit to bring him home safely to you and your family. And because she believes that all things are possible through Our Savior, she hopes that you rest easy in the belief that He is the one who can answer this particular prayer, only He can protect your DH and bring him back safely.
And, I'm headed to Alexandria today (Cameron Station to be specific) for a meeting.
Be sure to swing by the Pentagon and tell the Secretary of Defense he can shovel my driveway at 0600 tomorrow after the snow because the bus comes at 0640.
I remember Cameron Station--through the haze...
But hey, my black silk taffeta should arrive in the mail shortly, and I can't wait to play with it! Look up Vogue pattern 8020, and tell me how awesome that would look with a black velvet bodice and silk taffeta skirt.
I was an attendant in a friend's thanksgiving wedding a couple of years ago and we had dark green velvet bodices and tafetta skirts. It's one of the few bridesmaids dresses I kept-- it was perfect for winter formals.... very classic, yet chic. I wore with a classic strand of pearls, with a campy "diamond neckace" with a huge "emerald" and once vamped up with ropes of pearls. It was my go-to dress for formals. I wore it until I gained too much wait to wear it well (if you know what I mean). If I hadn't gained wait, I was planning to remove the sleeves to breath new life in it! So I applaud your choice. I hope you post pictures when you're finished!
I can relate to that! My social life could use a boost! It would be so fun to create at least one silk garment for special occassions! If money was no object, I'd go buy the fabric just for fun! I have a Vintage Vogue pattern ready and waiting. Mary
Sancin:
The Studio Fairy God Mother asks you to consider your studio, your favorite crafts store and 3 hours of time your very special transporter. It can make you temporarily put the rest of your personal drama in perspective, and give you the reprise you so desperately need. in a pinch, 20 minutes catching up with your friends here in this forum will give you a quick beam up.
enchanting!
There really are too many things. Some I know will happen eventually, like a bigger space in which to work, so I can set up my cutting table again... or a new sewing machine...
Three that are doable, but maybe not practical, are an industrial steamer, a pants press (which I would only use for iron-on interfacing, so it really is impractical) and a large --like 3' x 5' ironing table.
And my pie-in-the-sky would be an assistant. Someone would keep me stocked in tailor's chalk and millinery needles, who would fetch me coffee and fend off bill collectors, get my scissors sharpened, find my seam ripper, and tell me how fabulous I am.
Your Studio Fairy God mother stopped by to remind you to look up for your extra space. Up the walls and suspended from the ceiling that is.
As for the assistant to keep the bill collectors away.... hmm she's going to ponder that one. And, get back to you!
I like this thread. I suppose another five or six hours, and the corresponding amount of energy, for certain days when I'm 'on a roll' with something. But I'd have to be able to select the days myself! And more sunshine please - we've had a grey wet summer here in my part of the UK.
CAn I also have a one-stone weight loss which I absolutely promise to maintain!
Why not go whole hog and ask for the weight loss to be permanent? tee hee Cathy
If only. . .!!!
The studio fairy godmother is all about granting wishes. One stone's worth of weight, done..... uh please educate our ignorant studio fairy: how much is a stone? I really do learn so much from this group.
That's fourteen pound to you! So I hope I'll wake up in the morning and it'll be done!
the fairy studio godmother has decreed it is so. But not in the morning.
My wish? I wish for TIME. Time to make all the projects that are in my head (or at least a lot of them!). Time to sit and dream of new and wonderful projects. Time to really get to know my embroidery machine and serger. Time to explore fabric shops that I've never been to. Time to read my sewing and craft books (and not just look at the chapter that solves my immediate dilemma). Time to sit with my Mom and share new sewing ideas and techniques with her.
I do make time to sew, but there's always the laundry, dinner, cleaning, errands, appointments, etc. that I also have to take care of. Oh, and there's my job, too. Uninterrupted, unconstrained, and unscheduled time would be such a luxury!
Whenever I go to one of my favorite fabric shops, they always ask "Is there anything else we can get for you today?" I answer, "If you are selling time, I'll take a large chunk!"
Dear Studio Fairy Godmother,
I think I really and truly need someone organized to put my house to rights, just the way I want it. Then it would be clean and I would have the time to spend in my studio and my kitchen doing the things I really need and want to do. I really hate picking up after everybody else. Can I have Mary Poppins? Thank You. Cathy
Hi Cathy, I'm not the Fairy Godmother, but I'll pass your message along to her. I imagine she's pretty busy right about now, with so many of us asking for her services! If Mary Poppins isn't available, maybe Samantha will come and twitch her nose and your house will be all spiffy and spotless! :-D
Sorry Vickie, meant to re address! Must have been the miff I was in! Yeah, Samantha would do just as well I think! Either Santa or the Studio Godmother could deliver either right now and I would be extatic. Spent all that time cleaning up for the Thanksgiving weekend, and now I have to clean twice as hard afterwards...... Uggh! And all I want to do is sew.... :( Cathy
The Studio Fairy Godmother, dear that she is, stopped by with the following message:
"Poof" you are granted time to do the creative things you want to do. She has cautioned each of us not to squander it worrying about the other things that you would normally do. You are to schedule 24 hours of this time between now and the end of the year.
Of course, our Studio Fairy Godmother is generous, and she is also bequeathing you the ability to look the other way while the dust bunnies enjoy their temporary freedom to dance across the floor a couple of days. Studies have shown that when they are liberated to support the creative spirit, the world, particularly YOUR WORLD really is a better place.... and because you have been so diligent about keeping the other stuff done until now, you now have her permission to be a teensy bit lax on the dust bunny patrol all for the cause of creativity.
I know that we have to keep our surroundings and familes so they are not neglected but I don't think any woman lying on her deathbed ever said that she wished she had kept her house cleaner. She would probably wish for the other things that she felt she never had time for. I just wish for a fabric store that has beautiful natural fabrics that I can touch and dream about were in my city. If my fairy godmother would just open a fabric store for a few days that would be wonderful.
TW
she's gonna work on that one. can't just open ANY fabric store for you. You deserve something yummy and something that has interesting, uncommon treasures.
I LOVE YOU! Thank you so much! Thank the Studio Fairy Godmother as well. I am sitting here with tears of laughter running down my face. Thank you for the timely reminder. Or rather the kick in the pants. Thanks. Cathy
What a relief! Thanks to the SFG-M for that reprieve!
I'm very touched by your wish for time to sit with your mom and discuss sewing ideas. I'd bet that's something she would love. It was a hobby my mom loved, too, and she was always so much more creative than me. One of the gifts from her I consider most important in my life was knowledge of how much pleasure sewing can bring. And I guess she got it from her mother. And my daughter, relatively late to sewing, is loving it now, too. It is a wonderful way for moms and daughters to relate.
You know I learned to sew from my mother too. My sister and I are slowing clearing out her house for sale-- very melancholy effort. She was such a task master-- making me rip out stuff and do it again if it wasn't right. But I did learn so much from her and from the process. She was very meticulous.... We just found a large photo album from one of her classes. In it, she has stitched mini samples of various skills in progress with her neatly printed instructions on 3X5 Cards on each page. It was done long before she started having children. However, in the notes, I can hear her voice! Priceless.
So to each of you on this day, as we start this week, the Fairy Studio God Mother sends you a healthy dose of love from whomever started you on this wildly creative journey. This week, stop and remember when you were initially inspired to sew, knit, paint, craft or whatever. Dig deep and refresh that passion.
She admonishes you this is our time of year!!! Embrace it. Revel in the madness! If it's rainy outside--it's a perfet time to stay inside and get it done. If we're blessed with a sunshine drenched day, get out and get inspired. We've got much to do, much to finish before 2008 draws to a close!
What a treasure to find her stitch album. Precious memories of your mother--yes, priceless.
Darling, you have NO IDEA of the TREASURE you have just found! You have holding in your little hands, the exact treasury of your mother's learning curve of skills, the history of her sewing experience, and her sewing dictionary. She slaved to perfect each of those samples, and the cards to explain each technique. I cried for days when a mouse decimated mine! Each sample is an exact 1/4 size representation of each technique. You will find them an invaluable reference, and example of what to aim for in your own sewing. Take good care of it, as it becomes more valuable with each passing year, just as an embroidered sampler does. Add your own samples as you learn your own new techniques, and a family heirloom worthy of passing on through the generations is created. You are lucky to have this gem. I am slowly recreating my samples, one at a time, and adding new techniques at the same time. Cathy
Thank you for your kind response.
The reason I've been off since October is we are preparing her house for sale. The gems keep a coming. I've got several trashbags full of fabric in my garage that I need to now integrate into my stash. The fairy studio godmother has banished me from the local fabric stores (a pity because we just got a JoAnn's that is as big as a box store around the corner).
I found an exquisite pair of buttery yellow leather gloves that my mother had folded in a purse that has never been used and wrapped in a soft yellow wool tissue crepe with a note pinned to it saying "easter?" She never made that outfit, but so like her to have all the accessories ready to go! I've been grinning and fingering that wool for about a week now.
And we found an entire filing cabinet of decades of patterns.
While I can't bear to part with any of her fabric. The fairy studio godmother who bestows so many wishes to us all has tapped me on the shoulder and indicated I really need to cull the fabrics and find worthy places to donate some of it.
All,
Your studio fairy god mother now bequeaths each of you a burst of energy to get all that matters done. Note she is distinguishing between "all" and "all that matters." And she has added a shot of discernment to know the difference. Finally, she has served up a chaser of creativity and self confidence to make it happen.
The season is upon is, let's enjoy the excitement of it all. Happy creating!,
CHL, It is a hard job, but the Fairy Studio Godmother is a good helper. She and all her little creative friends wish you light work with the task at hand.
Your Mom sounds like she was a really creative special lady. I can only imagine what else she had tucked away in special packages for future projects. I am sure you will make good use of many of those special finds. Cathy
Thank you Cathy.... I'm on a mission to get it all over here to my house and then-- let the exploring begin! Although my mama's angel is ragging on how messy it is over here!
I love that story about the gloves and the matching fabric. Your mother sounds like mine - she had wonderful ideas, and her ideas continued long after her ability to carry through on them abated - isn't it nice that that creative urge lives on? Sewing had been such a wonderful, fulfilling part of her life, I guess she was still drawn to shop in the fabric stores even when managing scissors and pins and needles became impossible. My daughter and I have been chatting, via computer, across the miles, about how much we enjoy talking to each other about sewing, and that was one thing I could share enthusiastically with my mom. I like to think she's somewhere where she can see what she left to us.As you find the time to go through all that fabric, I wish you fond memories, and the ability to take only what you really want, and let the rest go.
I appreciate your reply. My mom sewed a lot more when I was young, making most of the clothes that my sister and I wore. Several times, all three of us had matching Easter outfits. She went back to work when I was in college, and retired from the bank several years ago. Now that she has more time, she is getting back into sewing again, although does not sew clothing any more. She has taken an interest in quilting and making purses (perhaps from seeing ones I've made?) We enjoy going to quilt shops together. Occasionally she will browse through my Threads magazines. There are a lot of new techniques, materials, and ideas that I'd love to share with her.
Her mother sewed a little, mostly out of necessity, but was more of a crochet-er when she could find the time. My sister doesn't even sew on buttons! So it's special that my Mom and I share this hobby. And how special for you that the love of sewing has passed down through generations in your family.
This post is archived.