Friday, May 25, 2018

Friday Smiles : A belated birthday gift that went awry


I'm once again starting off this Friday with a few jokes, quotes, and laughs I found while cleaning my office a few months ago.  I'm sure you are aware I'm here for Annie's Friday Smiles.


EVER WONDER ...

Why don't you ever see the headline
'Psychic Wins Lottery'?

Why is 'abbreviated' such a long word?

Why is it that doctors call what
they do 'practice'?





Q: What do you get from an Alaskan Cow?

A: Ice Cream!





There were three fathers-to-be in a hospital waiting room, waiting for their babies to be born.

The first nurse comes out and tells the first father, "Congratulations you're the father of twins!" He says, “Great! I am the manager for the Minnesota Twins."

The second nurse comes out and tells the second father, "Congratulations you're the father of triplets"! He says, "That's cool! I work for 3M."

The third father opens the window and jumps out.

The third nurse comes out, and asks, “Where's the third father?"

One of the other fathers said, "Oh he jumped out the window."

The nurse asks, "Why?"
 
He replied, "He works for Seven Up!"

Now my tale of woe, or how NOT to create a belated gift.

It all began when I was working on a belated Christmas gift.  BTW, I still have two more to make.  My internet friend Kathy wanted to be able to add something to her fabric journal, or possibly wanted to find a way to keep the fabric from fraying.  I really do NOT remember, because it's been awhile ago.  Regardless, I had already covered the back of a quiltlet with stabilizer that had glue on only one side.  No wonder it was so inexpensive.

That meant I needed a "glue" of sorts to hold the two sides together.  I chose Stitch Witchery by Dritz.  It comes in different widths and thicknesses, but this is the type I always buy.  It is called "regular weight" and the size I bought was 5/8 inch (1,6 cm) wide.



This was now ready to be attached to the stabilizer and the front fabric which you can barely see in the background.  You might remember this fabric I dyed using Rit Dye for a Second Thursday Tutorial a few months back.

Fast forward because I forgot to take photos, and you will see I am ready to add holes to the quiltlet.

I also forgot to sew the handmade tag to the back before I attached the back to the front.  I had to use the Stitch Witchery to hold the tag in place.

I further forgot to place a small piece of cardboard in the assembly before I glued the pieces together.  I had NO MORE of the front fabric, so had to use fabric from the back for both the back and front.

Here is the piece with all its mistakes, or as I told Dianne, the recipient, worts and all.   Had I not been so distracted by the Stitch Witchery, I might have remembered to sew the label in place to the back and add a piece of cardboard before ironing the two pieces together.

I originally planned to make this for Dianne for Halloween, since I know she likes Halloween as much as she likes Christmas.

I chose one of Tim's paper dolls for the focal image.  I thought the book in her hand reminded me of a book of spells.

I had these rather "cutesy" decorations I had been given and used them on this quiltlet.

I purchased the fabric specifically with Dianne in mind.

I colored a piece of card stock using both black and green shimmering mists, then punched out a bird.  The bird is holding the spider web string in his beak.

As troublesome and badly created as this was, in the end, I sent it off to Dianne.  I just hope she liked it for what it is (a gift made from the heart), and not what it could have been.  This may not have been funny to me (or to some), at least at the time, but I hope those of you who sew got a smile out of my mistakes.

Thanks for joining me today and thanks for your continued visits.  Now let's visit Annie's Friday Smiles, where it never hurts to begin the weekend with a big smile, just like Annie's.

16 thoughtful remarks:

Valerie-Jael said...

I am sure Dianne will be delighted with the quiltlet! You certainly gave it a lot of effort. Have a nice day, Valerie

Rike said...

A gift made from the heart never can be "badly created", I guess Dianne will love it!

Meggymay said...

I'm sure Dianne will love this gorgeous gift. You took time to make something by hand and sent it with love, that is the greatest gift you could send someone.
Yvonne xx

Felix the Crafty Cat said...

Hi Elizabeth, I'm going to pop back later as I have friends coming for lunch but just wanted to wish you a happy weekend. The post looks interesting so I will be back to have a proper good read later. Happy creative weekend, Angela xXx

My name is Erika. said...

Happy Friday! This is a gorgeous piece. I don't see your mistakes. I just see a really pretty quilt with a bit of an edge- a good edge. I love the little spider addition. :) Nicely done and I think it is good for more than just one October holiday. Have a great day. Hugs-Erika

CJ Kennedy said...

i must be dense because I don't see any mistakes. The quiltlet is awesome. Halloween is my favorite holiday so I love the theme.

RO said...

I love your work, and know that the gifts all come from the heart. Stitch Witchery sounds like a cool name, and now I'm fascinated too. (lol) Happy Friday and Hugs...RO

Jeanie said...

What a wonderful project. And yes, you will see your mistakes LONG before or after Dianne notices them! We're our own worst and best critics. I think it's absolutely love and I especially love the cover art.

Nancy said...

Well the wonderful vintage look of your piece more than makes up for any mistakes. I heard a saying that gave me some encouragement: "A mistake is merely evidence that someone tried to do something." Better than not trying, don't you think?

Caty said...

This is a wonderful gift Elizabeth!!! gorgeous !! I really don´t see where your mistakes are !! And I´m sure your friend loves it!!
So funny the third father jajaja
I wish you a very nice afternoon, big hugs, Caty

Lisca said...

I don't see what you did wrong with that quiltlet. It look nice to me and I am sure Dianne will love it too. Just the fact that you made he something, is great.
I love the vintage look of it and the little references to Halloween wilol certainly be appreciated.
I smiled and giggled at the jokes, especially about the guy who worked for 7Up.
We are leaving on Sunday morning for our road trip through Spain, France, Belgium, Holland, Germany and Denmark. We will be away for about a month and I will be blogging and commenting minimally as we will only have wifi in the evenings at a hotel (if we're lucky) and I will be using my iPad which, to me, is not as user friendly as a PC. I just have to remember to take some pictures with the ipad so I can put something on my blog.
Have a good week,
Keep smiling,
Hugs,
Lisca

Annie said...

I’m sorry I’m so late in calling by but my day has been a really busy one with many customers and lots of sewing but thankfully I’ve got it all done now so can enjoy the weekend.
Your funnies made me chuckle...thanks for sharing.
Hugs,
Annie

Lisca said...

Thanks for your lovely comments. Yes, Of course your can put my blog on your side bar. I'd be honored.
Bye for now,

mamapez5 said...

An interesting piece of work. I am sure we all wish we had done some things differently, but I am also sure Diane was delighted with it.
Your jokes made me smile, especially the one about the babies! Kate xx

Anonymous said...

I think it looks great and she will love it. Experimentation doesn't always work out but we have to keep trying. All of us have expected one result and got another. xox

Dianne said...

Oh dear E, I'm sorry it didn't go as smoothly as you planned, but I think it turned out beautifully, and I l♥ve it! It's hanging in my 'studio' with all my art journals nearby. All the little steps in creating a piece can certainly be crazy-making...I can identify! I was recently finishing a pincushion that I had cross-stitched, and sewed the WRONG sides together when I began sewing the 'pillow!' I had almost finished sewing all 4 sides when I discovered it and had to rip it out and start over. You aren't the only one who has things go wrong, you're just the only one who admits it on her blog! ;) I don't remember if I properly acknowledged the receipt of your gift, and if not I apologize. It is wonderful, and will be added to my Halloween decor this year! thanks again, and your post made me smile. ♥