sofa cosy … chapter one
2010
Oh! I missed a day. I was hoping for a post each day this week. Then along came yesterday. My little mushroom project was drawn, all cut out, pinned on, laying on the kitchen table awaiting a lovely day at home. Instead, we had a crap day, with temper tantrums (the adult variety – oh so mature), miskept appointments with VicRoads …
(here’s a little I love Queensland better rant – what’s with the making of an appointment to renew your license, and having to wait four weeks to get one, and then sitting in the ridiculously over heated, over crowded VicRoads office, listening as one poor sap after another is called and fails to show up – this misdemeanour costs you $46 – and then realising, after we have sat an age and Julian’s number is finally called up, that our appointment is NEXT Thursday and no they cannot just fit us in despite the fact that the last four miscreants have failed to present – argh! I loathe over-bureaucratisation and Victoria does it really well. okay. that’s my rant. back to the scheduled performance.)
… bad headache and stuffy nose (from crying) and then a new-to-me pain relief tablet that made it impossible to coordinate my mouth and brain. I gave up and went to bed.
Here I am today in serious need of something restorative. I tried eating the remaining 7 gingerbread biscuits in the jar. Nah. So I ate the half jar of honey roasted macadamias. Nah. Mushroom applique? No thank you. Knitting? Can’t be fagged. Crochet? Too much effort – it’s stuffed in a bag after taking it work for a show and tell earlier in the week. Do I sound cranky? You betcha. And submerged in self pity with an occasional wave of self loathing sinking me to even greater depths.
Then I remember the feather cushions – six to be precise – that were bought during a very unpleasant trip to Ikea yesterday (oh yeah, I forgot to mention that – don’t worry, I ‘ll say no more.) Might as well get stuck into them. Somehow, we have misplaced almost all our cushions during the move. It’s a mystery that I know will be solved one day when I open a box in the garage and say “A-ha! Here’s all the cushions!” Until then, I’m making new ones ’cause our sofa is looking really bare.
During a lovely browse around the web EARLY yesterday morning, I sighed with pleasure over Alicia’s two inch squares, Anita’s flying geese, and Erleperle’s Dresden Plate. Voila! Cushion inspiration. So this morning, after all that munching, I clomped out to the sewing room and cut 100 wee squares out of ten favourite fabrics (no, not really, they were just the fabrics lying around, I was to cranky to pull out any boxes) and sat at my machine, fuming and stitching, ranting and unpicking, and wishing for a time machine and ironing. Did you know that little two inch squares are REALLY fiddly to sew up? There are MILLIONS of corners to match. Not good, when you are already cranky.
But then came the quilting. I could squiggle my way over the neat 100 piece square, or stitch in the ditch, or make little checks or diamonds. Yeah, done all of that. So I wracked my dried out, scratchy brain (I could have gone inside and looked at one of several quilting books but … you know) and decided on a little chevron pattern. And it was good. It was simple and therapeutic and effective. What I had been searching for all day.
By the time the backing was on (the bottom off a long forgotten curtain that was clearly too long) and the binding cut, I am relieved to say my spirit was soothed and Julian can now come home without fear. After taking lots of photos of the finished product in the very poor, late afternoon light (it must be going to rain tonight – the sky was black with promise), I am almost happy. I shall fold the washing, do the dishes, put on the dinner. The house will be cosy, and tidy and sweet. Julian will come home. The weekend will begin. And we’ll just forget Torrid Thursday ever happened.
postscript … There’s nothing quite like browsing my favourite bloggy neighbourhoods to bring a smile back to my face. You must head over to mainemama and check out this list. I smiled, I laughed, I slapped the table with delight. I think I’m cured :-)
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There, there, now. Everyone is entitled to a day like this. Hopefully, just not too often. The trick is to just let it happen and get over it. Isn’t it wonderful how sewing can be so restorative? Love the pillow. Thanks for the links. MaineMama’s list made me chuckle!! Hope you have a glorious weekend to make up for this one big burp!! ~karen
Is it wrong of me to be glad we were sharing a crappy day yesterday? I’m glad neither of us were alone, it makes me feel better. We can hold hands and eat too many biscuits together and laugh the tears away.
Anita’s geese are wonderful, aren’t they? Sewing flying geese (even if i don’t match up the points or clip my gees wings a little) makes me so happy. Something very calming about concentrating on triangles.
ps – I found my scissors underneath a pile of fabric scraps (naturally) and my credit card was in the cat’s health records and shoved in a drawer (not quite so obvious, but at least it’s found!)
Ugh. Day of days, huh? I’m very sorry to hear it. I hope the weekend is pleasant and erases the memory. The pillow IS gorgeous. It has curative properties, I think. I need to make some pillows — although I think putting in that PRETTY binding would have me cursing. How DO you do that?! Have you told us this before? I’ll need to do some re-reading. It’s funny to come to your post to find out that things worked out for Katy. ;-)
wow, just wow. For a day like that all I can offer are HUGS!
and a smile :)
I think it was an ugly day all around, glad you made that delicious pillow. DMV is hell here in California too. With an appointment you still drive 1 hour, stand in a line outside around the block for an hour and a half, get inside, wait to be called, be told no, you can’t have a state ID. ick.
I love your cushions! Here is also one person, who had a miserable day today, but let´s hope all will turn well again! On Sunday we celebrate Mothers´Day in Finland. Have a nice weekend!
I had a similar relocation dislocation when I moved from Brisbane to Sydney (even though I had originally come from Sydney!) QLD can do that to you. Your cushions are totally gorgeous. Hope your weekend is lovely.
So sorry that Thursday turned out to be so freakish. Hope you are all smiles today :o)
Your pretty pillow is looking so inviting in that chair and the quilting on it is cute!
Have a wonderful weekend, cheers!!
Oh my gosh, I can’t imagine spending a day like that. I love your sofa cusion. It’s just beautiful and great. I also really laughed at the list over at maine momma. Take care and have a great weekend.
How beautiful your pillow turned out, that should bring you lots of cheer in coming days. Wishing you a happy weekend!
Being cranky all one day makes one cranky the next, I understand! Love the cushions and glad you were soothed in the end. They are very attractive and I like the chevron idea. Happy Mother’s Day!
Just love that cushion. So bright and happy and cheerful. Glad your day ended on a plus :-)
Cheers
Lynne
happy Mothers Day for tomorrow
Thursday was like that too here. Glad its gone. I really liked your picture of the rows of squares honey-combed together, waiting to be aligned. Very nice.