A Maker's Thought

It's been a while since I've share a post like this, but something happened last weekend that I don't want to forget. Plus, it serves as a very good reminder that our gift of making is something pretty special, and being able to share that beyond ourselves is worth the risk.

So remember those green potholders I shared a few weeks ago?

I made them to be able to write a tutorial on how I make scrappy potholders, and at the start, I didn't really have an idea of an eventual recipient. But for some reason, as I was making them, it came to me who I wanted to give them to. There's a server at a local restaurant that I visit fairly often. Usually it's mom and I or hubby and I, but whatever, she sees us coming and welcomes us in. We chat about our week and no matter the day, she makes us laugh, serves us well, and makes us glad we came.

So just before the last time hubby and I were headed there, I whipped up a gift bag and popped the potholders in. I can't say I didn't question whether taking the gift to her was a good idea. I mean, I've never taken a gift to a restaurant server before. But I just wanted to show our deep appreciation for the joy she adds to our visits.

After our order had been placed, I told her I'd made her something. She pulled up a chair to open the gift bag, peeked in, and wouldn't you know? She nearly cried. That there were potholders in the bag was meaningful to her. That they were handmade was meaningful to her. She thanked me over and over again. 

All this to say, if sharing one of your handmades crosses your mind, just do it. Risk feeling foolish. Risk an apathetic reaction. Because there's a good chance you'll experience what I did.... sincere appreciation from the recipient, and a personal gratefulness for your own giftedness as a maker.

A Maker's Thought

Recently I had the opportunity to give a trunk show of my quilts – from the very traditional first to the most recent improvisation, and many in between. Right off, it was a pleasure, as I could tell that my audience was thoroughly enjoying the show, so to speak, and engaging in a way that encouraged me on. And I walked away with a full heart, thankful for our time together.

Once home, I received an email from one of the attendees… And she said what I thought in the moment to be the best thing ever. “You gave a fascinating talk (which was nice enough to say.…) and have driven me straight to my machine.” I think my heart stopped for just a second while I took that in. Something in what I had shared had sparked in her the NEED to create. I could not have asked for more.

All that to encourage you to be intentional about sharing your creativity. Who knows, you might just kindle a spark for someone else.

A Maker's Thought

A woman walked into my dayjob office yesterday, and at once admired the quilts hanging on my walls. She mentioned that she had quilters in her family but had never quilted herself. I encouraged her to tell me more, and she shared that at age 12, she won first place in a Singer Sewing Machine Contest for a dress she had made. This was a two-week event where she'd go every day to sew for a couple of hours. I likened it to 'sewing camp' and she nodded in agreement. So I was duly impressed! And then she told me, 'After I won first place, my mother and grandmother took the dress entirely apart because it wasn't perfect, and sewed it back together again." I think my mouth was hanging open at this point. She went on to say, "I don't remember feeling particularly bad about it, but sometimes I wonder if that's why I no longer have any interest in sewing." YA THINK?

My eyes were a little misty as we parted ways, and I could not for the life of me imagine how that must have felt to have your winning project disassembled because it wasn't good enough. And it made me oh-so-thankful for a girl scout leader, a home-ec teacher, a grandma, a mom, and eventually a family, who have valued my skills (or at least my attempt at them!) at every stage. A variety of  objectives are wrapped up in my sewing and my quilts, but perfection, to be honest, is not one of them. A striving to do good work, oh yes, but the delight in the process, and the knowledge that it is good enough must have the last word.

A Maker's Thought

The other day, I joined a group of friends mid-conversation, and immediately realized that one of them was telling about the 'knitted' hat and scarf combination that she was wearing. I burst out with 'did you make it?' She looked at me funny and then shared what the others already knew: she had purchased it on her recent trip to Peru. It was creative and lovely, and she had bought it directly from the maker, and even had gotten the opportunity to take a photo with the maker, and I thought all of that was very cool. But as I walked away, what struck me was that my mind immediately goes to the thought that something might be handmade and that everyone could be a maker. And I reveled in that moment where anything was possible, and in my little world sometimes even probable. And I kinda liked that. All that to say that I'm glad to be immersed in a community that allows and encourages and sometimes even presumes that to be the case. Of course we need to be careful about that presumption bit, but anyway, that's my thought for the day....