Excuses Excuses

In addition to starting a new job and raising two boys under two years of age, half of November and practically all of December was swallowed up by sneaking around and constructing Pete's Christmas present. We have a three gift formula modeled after the gifts presented to the baby Jesus by the magi.

Gold:  frivolous or expensive gift fit for a king
Frankincense: something to be used for spiritual purposes
Myrrh: something homemade

Here's what I came up with...

Gold and gems of ministry quilt

Close-up of Blue Base gold gift

Frankincense: Service Quilt

Red quilt zoom

Sham Wows

 I pulled Pete's mom into the project in mid-November when she attempted to drop off  some of Pete's t-shirts that he was storing at her house since we got married by saying, "So, I hear you've been saving t-shirts to make quilts for your kids someday.  What do you say about making one for Pete?"  And so the adventure began.

I am quite the amateur when it comes to sewing.  I don't even have a machine of my own so I borrowed my mother's and proceeded with the guidance of a small book that Cathy bought about t-shirt quilts made simple.  After rifling through Pete's closet and remaining t-shirt collection at his parents we acquired some 24 ministry t-shirts  or so from various conferences, mission trips, retreats, or events.  The original plan was to make one queen size quilt.  I wish I would have had a photograph of Cathy's face when I said, "I think we might as well just make two."  There was a momentary silence than an exclamatory, "Two!?!?" followed by a nervous giggle that dissipated quickly when she realized I was serious.

The workdays to follow were driven by the ongoing struggle between the intrigue of possible beauty of the finished product and accomplishment and the devastation of blundering, beyond repair, the beloved archive of a comfortable wardrobe.  I only wish I would have kept a journal of the various episodes to document some of the drama.  At this point, however, I shall only document some of the highlights and lowlights that contributed to the rollercoaster experience.

In no particular order...

Lowlight #1-  Keeping secrets from my husband.   I mean, I definitely wanted him to be surprised but it was very difficult to conceal so many joys and sorrows and laughs and frustrations from the person I am one with.


Highlight #1 - Pete's mom describing the adrenaline rush and saying "I feel like monk" during one of our many secret meetings while an unsuspecting daddy was away earning a living.

Lowlight #2- Realizing that there was a tangle in the bobbin thread that was messing up the stitching after the top of the 1st quilt was nearly complete.
 
Highlight #2  -Grandpa Schafer as the stealthy Subway supplier- taking orders, running out for sandwiches, and seriously helping to leave no traces of evidence by smuggling out wrappers and other incriminating remnants to be discarded elsewhere.


Highlight #3  - Making the pillow shams ALL BY MY SELF.

Lowlight #3  -  Hearing Pete say upon opening the third and final gift, "No.... Not the orange shirt."  (He assured me later that he was just joking but I'm not entirely convinced)

Highlight # 4 -Aunt "Yinda's" expression and exclamation as she and I were moving the extra table back under the stairwell when the creak and clatter of footsteps above announced that Pete arrived home earlier than expected.

Highlight #5 -Getting to know Pete's sister Lisa's in-laws better while having the privilege of using an open arm quilting machine Ed's father got for his mother many years ago

Lowlight #4  -Hearing the news of the Newtown, CT school shooting while working on the quilting at the Snyders.

Lowlight #5  -Ironing.... although it's growing on me.

Highlight #6   -Finishing the quilts entirely on  Monday, December 17th. A whole 8 days before Christmas.

Lowlight #6   - Neglecting some of my wifely duties or postponing them to a later date to have more time to work on the quilts.

Highlight #7   - Pete mentioning on the way over to his parents' to open his gifts, "It sounds like everyone knows about this gift except for me and my dad" and me, unable to contain the laughter, "You think you're dad doesn't know about it!!!!????!!"

Lowlight #7  - All the miscellaneous threads and random straight pins that littered the floor after any given workday.

Lowlight #8   - Realizing after completing both quilt tops that we had completed "the easy part"

Highlight #8   - Luke's strawberry jam contribution to the display.


Highlight #9   -My mom needing her sewing machine back to construct my dad's "costume" for the Gospel choir concert days before the big party workday which included Aunt Linda coming from Medina.

Lowlight #9   - Cutting one of the larger square sets too small and needing to add extra fabric to correct the mistake

Highlight #10  - Meandering...the quilting pattern that I used that isn't really a pattern at all.

Highlight #11   - Taking advantage of Small business Saturday and getting a discount at A Quilters Haven

Lowlight #10/Highlight #12  - Hearing the skepticism and doubt of Aunt Linda's swimming friends as she relayed the saga and intentions of my project in addition to the fact that I have two young boys and succeeding regardless.

Highlight #13   - After intentionally wrapping the two quilts in different shaped packages to draw out the novelty and the "big reveal" Pete's dad says nonchalantly after the first quilt is opened, "Wait 'til you see the other one."

Highlight #14   - Spending quality time with family, united for a common cause.

Highlight #15    - the finished product(s) to bring comfort and warmth and suitable adornment for the boys' bunk beds someday.