Silver Linings in a Pandemic

 At Hip Stitch: 

Sometimes positive outcomes come from initial negative ones. A husband and wife came in, not wearing masks. Honest to God, I spaced out that I should have reminded them that it's required. I haven't had to do that in ages (months?)

We struck up a conversation, saying our hellos. He said to me something along the lines of "isn't this whole thing (mask wearing/pandemic) ridiculous?"

I responded, "No, I really don't think it is," and we had a tiny bit more back and forth before I said that it's ok for us to agree to disagree. And that was that. No anger, no tantrums, no defensiveness, nothing

negative. His wife was shopping for fabric, he was along to be with her, and that's where the focus was.

And I was a little unnerved by the whole experience (our staffer Lisa stepped in and offered them masks to wear, which they put on), and then we went on with our day.

How.....refreshing.

And thinking about sweet Madelyn, a new quilter who came in a few months ago to shop for her 1st projects, then brought this finished top in to proudly show it off. We posted it on Instagram, and her mom chimed in with how proud she was, and then the icky comment came in - an opinion about mask wearing. We removed the comment - that was not the place for that negativity.

Here's Madelyn with her beautiful quilt:

Making this week:

A finished sweater -  blocked to get the size and fit just where it should be.  This all wrapped up today, so only a picture of it in the drying phase:

  But, a FINISHED sweater - yippee!

Learned this week:

Sometimes, it's perfectly ok to politely, respectfully, simply - agree to disagree. And then go on with our lives.

Silver Linings in a Pandemic

 At Hip Stitch: 

Rachel:

I've known Rachel for at least a year? (honestly, remembering anything is a challenge these days)

She teaches at a local elementary school, and is my "National Parks" customer.....I love when I've known a customer enough to know their fabric style & taste.

I love that she's a regular - that Hip Stitch is a place to be and leave the stress of teaching behind, that she brings friends in to the store. I love that she loves the National Parks. I love that she can come in on any given day, and if I'm not having the greatest day, we can at least smile at each other and say hi, and other days that are better we can have a good chat. I love the comfort of her visits.

Making this week:

Quilting!  (not piecing, but QUILTING)

It's time to get this one quilted:

On the back porch....a sheet first, then the backing then batting, then the top.  Took my time - used these:

The Elmer's to touch up the skinny scallop cut strips that came loose; THIS spray for attaching the batting to the backing, then the top to the batting.  THIS pen to draw the first lines for quilting.

Then, one of THESE needles to start, to make it easier to get through the glue and the Steam a Seam.

Two hours later - time for a break when the bobbin thread runs out.  This time with my quilt and my machine and walking foot and a great podcast and the sun shining in the window has been lovely!

Learned this week:

My friend who lives in Maine sent me a link to THIS NPR story on:

Solitude.

Pandemic Isolation.

Creativity.

Journaling.

Silver Linings.

Silver Linings.

Silver Linings.

Silver Linings in a Pandemic

 At Hip Stitch: 

Sabine:

It was close to closing time, and quiet young woman came into the store to shop. Not sure whether it was shyness or just needing to be left alone to browse, we said our hellos and offered assistance if needed, but otherwise took her cues and left her to be on her own to shop.

When she came to have her fabric cut, I asked her if she was visiting because she had a distinct accent. Oh my gosh, what a fascinating young woman!

She - Sabine - had just finished hiking the Continental Divide Trail, which took her 4 months and 10 days - Canada to Mexico. She hiked it with a few friends, and her trail name is "Mermaid" (I didn't know that was a thing - trail names!)

She said the best thing about doing it was being able to take off her mask. (oh, there's nothing like the outdoors). And that she missed her sewing machine.

Now THAT'S my kind of girl.

(She's also hiked the Pacific Coast Trail, by the way)

Making this week:

I posted this on the blog a few weeks back, have looked and looked at in person, but it wasn't 'til today that Cathy from my weekly Zoom Happy Hour group noticed that 3 blocks are turned the wrong way.  

Holy cow, do our eyes decieve us or not?!?  Can YOU see those blocks?  And now that I see them, I can't UNSEE them!  As I told the group, it's a good thing I like to seam rip!  (my mother liked to seam rip too.....is that a hereditary?)

Learned this week:

A fabulous podcast series on beliefs on Kelly Corrigan Wonders, and so far I've listened to her interview:

Suhag Shukla, who is the Executive Director of the Hindu American Foundation on all about the 3rd largest religion in the world (she says 'treat others well, and treat the planet well')

Anne Lamott, who is described as a woman who is "celebrated for her raw, hilarious accounts of stumbling toward her best self"

Rainn Wilson, (yep, "Dwight" from The Office) - and why his religion is the most important thing in his life.

There are 7 more in this series - I highly recommend this to ANYONE. Huh - opening our minds a bit and listening thoughtfully,,...what a wonderful thing to do......

Silver Linings in a Pandemic

 At Hip Stitch: 

Maria

Maria came to take a class in September - garment making. During a break in the class, she and I wer e chatting in the kitchen. We have a storage cabinet in the kitchen where there's a collage of photos of customers from over the years. Suddenly Maria stopped talking and said "that's my daughter!" Sure enough, her daughter, who is now a freshman in college, was in a picture when she was......6? Holding a sweet little doll she made at Hip Stitch!

Now THAT was a really neat moment!

Making this week:

The sweater is looking like a sweater!  Bring the time change and the cold weather on.....I'm ready for you!

Learned this week:

Remembering how much I LOVE to teach, but during a pandemic, the choice I made to move to private lessons from teaching a group was a GREAT decision.  I've been doing exclusively private lessons for about 6 weeks now, and have taught folks how to use their machine, how to read a pattern, how to sew curves, how to make alterations - giving individual attention to someone and following them on the path they're on is so much fun - in these mask wearing days, it's much for meaningful to sit side by side and make eye contact and have a geniune conversation!

Silver Linings in a Pandemic

 Charming customer: 

 (this week I was the customer!)

Gayle

While visiting my daughter in Bowling Green, Ohio, last weekend, we were walking down Main Street (yep, there's a 'Main Street' in this wonderful little town), and stopped in our tracks when we saw a signboard out in the front of Coyote Beads that had something along the lines of "just in from New Mexico". Wait.....what?? We went in to this charming shop full of gifts, jewelry, candles, and lots and lots of other goodies. We met Gayle, the owner, who travels to New Mexico a few times a year to shop for HER shop (she had just returned a few weeks ago)

What a great shop - a wonderful, gracious owner - and YAY for another small business that is surviving the pandemic!

Making this week:

The blocks for Mountain High  are DONE!

One row is together (they're put together on the diagonal - can you see the one all connected?)  I'm loving this quilt!

Learned this week:

Time for silence.  When I sew, knit, putz around the house....or am at the store....there's often music playing.  Or a podcast going when I'm at home.  And music is fun and motivating, and a podcast is entertaining or educational or both.  I've been learning to live in comfortable silence now and then.  It takes a concentrated effort, and makes me uncomfortable for a few minutes.  But then my brain calms and settles, and thanks me.  And hey, the creativity is still there!

Silver Linings in a Pandemic

 Charming customer:

Kathy

Kathy is a kick-ass independant woman who solo travels around the country. She has grown kids, raised them on her own, and now just, well wanders. (See her FB page HERE)

She's absolutely sweet and charming and gracious and was a joy to meet. We hope to see you again, Kathy, if/when you make your way through Albuquerque in your travels!

Here's the profile pic on her page:

(doesn't this just make you want to hit the road?)

Making this week:

The sweater is coming along - a body, a sleeve.

Knitting on the airplane flying to Ohio to visit my daughter, knitting with my daughter in her adorable tiny apartment, and more knitting to come on the flight back to ABQ tomorrow (a few tears while knitting because time with her was too short).....the sweater is coming along!

Learned this week:

Man, do I love the younger generation!  Being around my grad school daughter and her friends this weekend gives me such hope and confidence that the world will be ok.  Yes, they're very different than me at that age, yes, so much has changed in the world.  But this is THEIR time - they have the energy, the intelligence, the caring for their world, the passion to make a mark, a difference.  It's quite breathtaking to be a witness to it all.

Plus, any kid of mine who is a full-fledged adult but still gets just as excited as I do about spotting frogs in a pond is my kind of person:

Silver Linings in a Pandemic

 Charming customer (from a few weeks ago):

Mildred!

Oh my gosh, what a treat to meet Mildred, who was in Albuquerque recently for the Senior Racquetball Championship!  She fell in love with the “Chuckwagon Charlie” kit we have, and I enjoyed helping her pick out fabrics to make it customized to her taste.

In the process of chatting, I learned about why she was here, and she very modestly told me all the winnings she took!  How awesome is that?! 

(I couldn't successfully link the page to her info, but if you google "Senior Racquetball Tournament Albuquerque", you can find your way to her.)

Making this week:

Knitting!  The cooler weather beckons....

This sweater:

With this yarn:

Bottom picture taken against a backdrop of a peek of Aspen trees in the beauty of Northern New Mexico.  A fall drive was a balm this past week.

Learned this week:

Bloom where you're planted.

A reminder to take in the here and now and appreciate what's right in front of me.  (Don't we all sometimes long to be somewhere else, at another time, maybe, where it may seem things would be.....better?)

I didn't attend the Balloon Fiesta this year, but I made a point to stop and linger and gaze while looking at the balloons in my driveway each morning.

I drove (well, my husband drove, I knit)  to northern New Mexico to just see Fall.  And it didn't disappoint!  Smaller, less traveled roads,  unplanned stops (the Vietman Veteran's Memorial in Angel Fire.  Profound. Sacred.)

I've live in New Mexico for over 30 years.  Even after all those years, I remind myself to bloom where I'm planted.  How lucky I am to be planted here.