Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Crafty-ness?

I have found that I seem to want to know how to do everything when it comes to crafts. The bad thing is that I have a hard time sticking with them for very long.

My Aunt Helen started me out when I was very young. She taught my little sister and I how to do counted cross stitch on gingham cloth. We made little red and white checkered aprons. My Aunt sewed the aprons together and we did the cross stitch, only I didn't finish mine. I was supposed to have three poodles on mine but lucky for me I started with the one in the middle because that was the only one I put on. My sister that always finishes what she starts finished hers. I have a hard time finishing things. I love to start 'em, hate to finish 'em. I went back to doing counted cross stitch and I did finish some but I also have quite a few that remain unfinished.

Mom taught me to crochet but my afghans are not square but in my defense they are warm. Well, they were. They seem to be gone now. I also have a box full of snowflakes I crocheted. They, of course, are in the box. Not flat and starched and ready to hang on a tree. No way. That would mean that they are finished and I need to make more. Lots more. I mean, I have to make enough for both of my boys and now I have so many grandchildren that will need them, I have to keep them in the box until I decide to sit down and make lots and lots more of them. When will that be?

My Aunt learned how to knit so she could teach me. She went on to make sweaters. Beautiful, long, coat like sweaters with double threads of black and white or other colors as wanted but, I never got past making scarves.

I painted on ceramics (I think I have one left) and tied macrame planters. Didn't do this for very long.

I sew "Easy Quilts" but haven't done that for at least four years. I have a list of 'em that need to be made. They never turn out perfect but I am proud of 'em when I do get 'em finished. The hard part about making them is that I have so many dogs and can't lay the fabric on the floor to spread it out. I haven't quite figured out how I'd get them pieced together. The last ones I made were for three of my grandsons and with the quilts I also gave them a new pillow and pillow case. I have really let my other grandsons and granddaughters down. I don't mean to play favorites. I just have such a hard time finishing things. I wonder if there is something in my past that is stopping me from finishing things?

I tried to teach myself how to paint the Donna Dewberry way but I just can't seem to do it without a teacher. I signed up for a class at the local collage but I was the only one to sign up so it was canceled. Same thing happened with the Yoga class I signed up for. That might have been a good thing. They say there is a lot of farting going on when you do yoga and I seem to be full of gas nowadays. Phew! Getting old is a bitch! I laugh. I fart. I cough. I fart. I just can't catch a break! Or, maybe, it's the people behind me that can't catch a break. Or, oops, maybe they do (break wind) but don't want to.. OMG!

I also work on my family history and I have quite a bit of it done and really should be thinking about putting it together but, I doubt that will ever happen.

Now what I make is soap and lotion. I love it. My soap leaves my skin soft instead of dried out and it smells so good. And the lotion! Let me tell you about the lotion. I always have dry arms and I kept trying new, improved lotions to moisturise them and I really thought I had found some good ones. That was until I was in a "soap swap" with some other women that make soap and one of them sent us lotion. I even bought some from her it was so good. Then I broke down and bought the stuff to make it myself and haven't been happier. I put my lotion on and my arms are good for the whole day. And, like the soap, I can use any fragrance I want. I thought that if I wanted my arms to be nice and moisturised I needed to keep reapplying the lotion all day. I was so shocked when I noticed that with the homemade it actually absorbed into my skin. I think I have found something I'll stick with for awhile.

So, what crafts do you do? Or, are you wiser than me and leave it up to other people? I am convinced that my house would be less cluttered if I didn't have so much craft stuff around. You know, I might get back to making some of that stuff. Can't get rid of it. NO way!

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