Having decided it would be easier to add one more row to the length and width than to quilt a wider border, I dug through my scraps to mark and cut more 4"prints and sashing strips.
There was only a little left to do today to sew those new strips in place. It was a busy week and a number of train trips I was unable to get a seat, but the times I did, I could complete at least three blocks each way.
Sunday, as I was sitting at the end of the car with an open seat beside me, a lady moved from farther down the car to the seat beside me to complain about my sewing. It is bad manners, unsafe, I might endanger children ... on and on until her stop came up. I felt like telling her I have been doing this for over 50 years and so far, no one has ever been hurt including my own six kids and four foster babies... but I didn't see any point in arguing so just said "sorry" and kept going with her ranting in the background.
At other times strangers do talk to me about what I am doing out of curiosity or because they are interested in making things too. In all these years the only other time I was yelled at was while in a hospital waiting room in the late 1960s. And once, while I was darning socks in a Dr's waiting room, the doctor came walking through and, though he said nothing, he went and rounded up his nursing staff and returned with them, asking them if they knew what "this lady was doing." Then lectured about what I was doing called darning and how women used to be thrifty by making repairs. I wonder if every woman had a darning gourd in her sewing basket.
So ... now I have to go back to my stash to find border material ... and put away all the other scraps in piles on my sofa. Once it becomes a flimsy and is ready to quilt, it will no longer be take-along work and I need to prep some more stitching so that lady will have something to be irritated about. Just think how brave she must have been to confront a foreigner on a public transport.
Meanwhile, the "Cookie Factory", run by my granddaughter Leia, finished up a double batch of very fancy Christmas cookies.That little girl who could not part with one of her cookies a few years ago is now making more to share with all her friends. We also set up the tree and decorated it with a new string of lights and many years of collected ornaments. Now that my assistant can reach the top of the tree, my work was more about taking boxes in and out of their storage space. Then, on Sunday, when I returned home after church and a concert, I turned the corner of the street to see twinkling lights adorning my garden strip. The elves (named Norie and Leia) had found the outdoor lights and strung them up and down the strip from tree to tree and bush to bush. I guess when Christmas comes, I won't be able to claim it snuck up on me. (still a few weeks to get my act together.)
I hope the lady regrets her words one day. Keep on stitching, that is the way things get done, bit by bit. Love the quilt blocks, this is another beauty.
ReplyDeleteYAY Your top is almost complete, my friend :D
ReplyDeleteAaah, there will always be grumpy people, no use waisting our time, just ignore them, pffff....
Our tree has just been decorated, and the house has suddenly got a lovely Christmassy feeling ... how nice and lovely from your helping little elves. ENJOY
XOXOXOXOXO
NADINE
The grumpy lady - I laughed when you said she must have been brave to confront you! Perhaps by sewing, you normally keep people and germs away. ;-) She should have thought about that. She could have been infected with the sewing germ. Ha!
ReplyDeleteSandy in the UK
People can be so odd at times. I know when I am in public I have quite a few different comments, mostly just wanting to know what I was doing or they tell me how their mother or grandmother used to sew...but never have I had anyone complain that I was endangering anyone. Live and let live, I guess.
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of adding more blocks instead of border, easier to sew the squares together and more portable for you. I cannot believe the lady did that, some people. It is fun that Leia is at an age to do things with you and help out, glad she and Norie can visit so often.
ReplyDeleteDebbie
I think your quilt top is looking great. They are always such fun.
ReplyDeleteNow i thought of looking up how many people have been injured by someone stitching on a train, but i thought better of it. It would be a waste of time. Maybe you should have told her the only people injured are those who sit next to you and are rude. Okay, maybe I am being too cheeky.
Keep sewing on the train you crazy wild woman!!
it always amazes me that a complete stranger feels they have the right to criticise another person! Who knows what is going on in her life to make her so miserable .. much better to concentrate on the cookie factory and the joy of that x
ReplyDeleteThose few people who complain, wouldn't appreciate a quilt, anyways. Just ignore them. I take hand projects all over the place. I was even stitching the binding down, while waiting for hubby's barbershop chorus concert back in November. I got a few odd looks, but, then some people started asking me what I was working on. That opened up lots of conversation (all good, thank goodness) and surprise that someone my age (54) would be interested in quilting. (Yes, I put the quilt away before the concert started).
ReplyDelete15 added blocks mean 15 more things to spy! I'm sure the kid would rather look at them than a border!
ReplyDeleteAh yes, the danger of old ladies brandishing needles on public trains! Then again there is the danger of old ladies brandishing their sharp tongues on public trains as well! Beware!
What a lovely pre-Christmas present your elves gave you!
Thanks for providing good information,Thanks for your sharing.
ReplyDeletegay
I can't believe people would complain about your sewing in the train! How rude! Some people just like to find ways to make other people unhappy.
ReplyDelete