Well, bless my heart

Got my sew on at 2 a.m. yesterday. I seriously just went to the sewing room (yes, I have an entire room full of crap to tinker with, jealous?) to make sure the iron was off before I went to bed. I had sorted through all my scrap fabric and resolutely placed all but the vintage stuff in the yard sale box. (I know, Nettie, but I've seen the error of my ways.) I noticed that some of the 'scraps' were actually yardage, and that's not really 'scraps' if you can make a whole something out of it, right? Then I remembered a coworker who volunteers at a children's shelter had requested anything we could give, as the shelter was over capacity and short on supplies.

As I am a HUGE fan of instant gratification and problem-solving, I started a new project at 12:30 a.m. (Disclaimer: I work evenings. I usually get home about 11 p.m., so 2 a.m. is when I try to go to bed...so not as insane as if I had to work at 8 a.m. Point is, the sewing machine sucked me back in when I was just trying to put safety first. Damn your evil mindgames, Brother XL-3010!!!)

I dragged all the fabric out and started matching sizes and colors. I even washed the fabric, cause who knows how long it's been in that cardboard box in the closet? Some of the scraps were from my mother's maternity clothes.

Yes, hoarding runs in the family.

So I've got fabric lengths washing, drying, and spread all over the room. Wayne is fast asleep, and blissfully unaware of the crazed actions being carried out just across the house (read that in a TV crime-docudrama announcer voice. Did I mention that I'm awake late at night and TV is CRAP then? Oh, you inferred. You're a smart cookie, Nettie.)

Out of all the chaos, I manage five blanket and pillow sets. Yeah, I matched fabrics and filled bobbins with all those weird-colored spools of thread that were filling up a drawer (honestly, sea foam? What godawful outfit did I use this for originally?) and sewed for two wee hours. I was actually SWEATING, I was so into this. Normally, the queen does not sweat, and will avoid any activity that is rumored to make oneself do so. But it's for the CHILLENS! Actually, I only finished three blankets and two pillows, but I have the others all sorted and pinned and ready to go.

It was so fun! I had three different floweredy fabrics that I matched all up, some scraps left from making curtains for Wayne's Simpsons themed-room, even an embroidered cowgirl wallhanging from my childhood that I repurposed. I swear my scrapbag was cosmically connected to the great Craft Goddess, because I just kept pulling out fabrics I could actually use. There was some red corduroy I have never seen before in my life, but it was perfect for the pillows. (Having spent lots of time around children, I know the importance of texture in a lovey/blankie/binky. At least one surface needs to be nubby/satiny/velvety for maximum comfort. It's just the way the world works.)

I even found a use for the red fabric with stripes of hearts, cats, and sheep. Total countrykitschcrap that I would never have in my house if it weren't for the immunity of the scrapbag (article 54, subsection G, paragraph 2: Any fabric that wouldn't normally be allowed in the house is allowed in the scrapbag. No matter the heinousness of the pattern, the unpleasantness of the texture, the stains, the rips, the tiny size, any and all fabrics are allowed because you might need it some day. )

And the reason I had yards of this stuff? Because my mother lovingly sewed it into a pinafore dress for my first grade Christmas pageant. Yes, over twenty years ago she got a great deal on YARDS and yards of this fabric, and made me a dress out of it to wear with white tights and saddle oxfords. I think she actually had more left over than she used in the dress.

Reason I remember it so well? I was picked to be one of the narrators, and the others were SECOND GRADERS. It was a high honor for a first grader to be chosen and I was the only one. Bwwwahahahahaha! Let's just say Queenie here has never had a problem with the talkin.

Back to point: I finally went to bed at some ungodly single digit hour, and woke up with a crick in my neck from hunching over the sewing machine. (Luckily, I know how to alter patterns so that I can make housedresses to fit my old lady hump I'll have from all the bad crafting posture.) So I prompty retired to the couch, where I did the handsewing, tacking, and pillow-stuffing while watching my fa-vor-ite show, A Haunting. Nothing like having the bejeesus scared out of you while surrounded by pins, needles, and scissors.

Now I have to get off the computer and finish the other three before Saturday when I have to turn them over to her.

I promise to have pictures as soon as I find that damn cord!