This time of year, moms are thinking
about the new school year. Now that my son is grown and college is
his responsibility, I’m free to think and worry about and plan
other things. Some years, it’s all about the upcoming holidays,
décor and gifts. Other times, like this year, it’s all
about calendars, organization and making my house look like the home
I want it to be. Of course, my stitching comes into play in a lot of
this, whether it’s making quilted tote bags or tablecloths
embellished with machine embroidery.
My husband is in a career that has a
messed up schedule. Most of them work 48 hours on and 48 hours off,
while others work weekdays, and some work weekdays, but also put in a
24-hour shift sometime during that week. It’s confusing for them,
and nearly impossible for us wives to figure out, especially when
they get a 4-day break once a month and an 8-day break once per
quarter. How do we plan our days, parties, and more? When do I have
a full day to devote to playing with my machine embroidery
designs?
Three years ago, I took over making the
pocket schedules and wall calendars for everyone. These calendars,
through an intricate system of color coding denote days on shift,
days off, and whether those days off are the normal 48 hours or the
more anticipated 4- and 8-day breaks. Last year, I took it a step
further and created a planner for each of the wives. These include
extra calendars, like showing who is off at the same time. It also
includes our contact information, conversion charts and lots of local
information for getting around and enjoying our brief stay in Greece.
As well as enjoying what I can do in
the realm of machine embroidery, I love using my computer for
paper crafting in an arty way and in putting together things like
those planners. Most of the wives make some sort of ornament or
small gift to give at Christmas, so while I created the planners, my
embroidery machine was right beside me, stitching out lovely
free-standing lace ornaments. My husband and son got involved by
adding hot-fix crystals to the rinsed and dried ornaments and also
added pretty ribbon as a hanger. Every year, we also create a CD of
holiday music. These all packaged together quite well, and we all
had a blast doing it.
This year, I need to update the
planners and create additional ones for the newcomers. I need to
collect phone numbers and email addresses, find out kids’ names and
everyone’s birthdays! I used to be an office manager, so this type
of thing lets me enjoy the work I did for so long.
However, this year, thoughts of the
planners have me thinking of my home. Doing animal fostering as I
do, the house gets to be a real jumble. Ordinary, every-day cleaning
just doesn’t keep it organized. Two weeks ago, it got a thorough
going-over because my son had a house guest. Since this is the first
girl he’s brought home, I wanted everything to be perfect.
Unfortunately, I forgot about making the new couch pillows with that
great free embroidery design I found. Instead, I concentrated
on making our American-Clutter house look modern and European. I
succeeded to a degree, but then had nothing on hand to show our guest
when she asked what I do. This got me thinking about what I really
want my home to reflect.
I realized that the kitchen was a
success. It has everything I need, much like a great embroidery
space, and my supplies, whether kitchen or embroidery supplies,
are placed for easy reach. There’s a bit of decorative jumble, but
color is the key ingredient. Splashes of red in the mahogany and
white space make the room look light and bright! The lack of clutter
helps!
So, while I plan my next fabulous
embroidery pattern, I’ll be sorting my home with the thought
of open spaces and lots of color. No clutter, but a healthy jumble
of decorative items that show we live here and love it. Pillows with
fabulous floral embroidery and curtains trimmed with
free-standing lace embroidery designs. Place mats and runners
from a pattern at my favorite embroidery design gallery.
A bowl of fruit on the table in the
great room, and my home is ready for me and any guests! Come on
over! We’ll have coffee and a good chat!
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