I have been a big fan of animated sitcoms ever since I started watching The Simpsons . . . when it first started in 1989 . . . and I was five years old.
I love them for their sharp humor, colorful designs, and the way they can covertly tackle topics that live action shows can't. One of my favorite shows is Futurama, about a pizza delivery boy who gets cryogenically frozen on the eve of Y2K and wakes up in the year 3000. I started watching it in high school and stuck with it through two cancellations and four direct-to-DVD movies. Indeed, Futurama is responsible for my marriage. I met my husband at an event for Jewish grad students. Futurama is his favorite show of all time, and he was instantly smitten with me for my ability to quote the show verbatim. For our first Halloween together, we went as Fry and Leela, the show's main romantic couple.
But it is almost Halloween, and I am not here to talk with you about romance. I am going to talk with you about Futurama's villain--Mom.
Mom is the CEO of MomCorp, a large corporation that she uses to amass her fortune and monopolize the world's resources. One of the businesses she owns is Mom's Friendly Robot Company, which manufactures all the robots in the world. She can use this to her advantage, inciting a robot revolt with the push of a button that she keeps in her bra. In interviews, she speaks with in a sweet grandmotherly tone and wears 1890's style clothing. In private, she wears a skin-tight catsuit and reveals her ugly personality through colorfully vulgar language. She has three bumbling sons that she berates when they inevitably fail in their tasks. Sometimes it looks like she will rekindle her on-again, off-again relationship with Professor Farnsworth, but the relationship always ends when Farnsworth remembers how evil she is.
A few weeks ago, &Stitches announced they were doing a "Fictional Villains Stitchalong." I immediately had an idea--an embroidered portrait of Mom with one of her famously filthy quotes: "Jam a bastard in it, you crap!"
I'll admit that I briefly considered a line from a deleted scene, "Make that bitch your bitch, you bastard!" My husband felt that this one was more creative in its use of swears. When I showed him the finished product, he said, "This is why I love you so much." Clearly, sharing pop culture is the secret to a successful marriage.
A swap is an organized event where participants are paired up with each other so that partners can send each other objects. You can find swaps for any interest you have--coins, postcards, books. If it is a crafting swap, the partners make unique gifts.
At least one website exists to facilitate swaps. Swap-Bot is celebrating its 10th year. Users can start swaps and the site takes care of a lot of the administrative tasks, like sending out reminder e-mails.
I first learned about swaps while browsing the more nebulous world of Instagram. An IG friend posted pictures of things she made and received for swaps. I asked where she found out about them. Due to the nature of this social media platform, there is really no central location to find out about swaps. My IG friend gave me the names of some users that are known for starting swaps on their own, and told me about one that was going to start up soon. There always swaps going on. Some are specific to one craft, like sewing or knitting. Some are very specific to one theme, like Downton Abbey or the Muppets. I am really jealous of all the Muppets swap participants.
The way a swap works on Instagram is that the organizer posts a link to a sign-up survey (usually on Google Docs). The survey asks for your name, mailing address, whether you are ok with international shipping, and your preferences. A few days later, the sign-up time ends and the organizer assigns swap partners. The partners must make each other a gift by the deadline, usually a few months later.
To insure that participants are making good on their promises, the organizer requires that people occasionally "check in" to confirm they are still participating. This might involve posting a comment on a certain date, or taking pictures of their works in progress. Some organizers have larger demands, like posting a Pinterest inspiration board.
By the deadline, participants must ship the gifts to their partners. At this point, organizers usually require participants to send them tracking numbers. When you receive your gift, it is good etiquette to post a picture of it to publicly thank your swap partner. If someone drops out along the way, the organizer will ask someone to volunteer as a "swap angel." This is a person who makes a gift so that the dropout's partner isn't left empty-handed.
I signed up for the "Positive Vibes" swap. The organizer touted it as being good for beginners. It was open to all crafts, and you just had to make something that would give the recipient "positive vibes." I received a partner in England. The swap began in June--back when I had unrealistic ideas about how much time and energy I would have to craft as my new job started. As I adjusted to my new job, I had to think of something to make that would be impressive, but realistic in the time I had. I decided to make her tatted items. She would be unlikely to get tatting from other people. She liked goth imagery, so I figured that black, white, and purple lace would be right up her alley. It was intricate, but small enough not to break the bank on shipping. I made her a flower bookmark and two blank greeting cards decorated with flower motifs. I also included some fancy and unusual chocolate items. She posted a "thank you" and seemed to really like what I sent her.
She made me a small sewing bag with a cute design. She also included some thread, needles, and other small items. It is the perfect size for taking my embroidery on the go.
How was my swap experience? I came up with a list of the following pros and cons:
Pros:
1. You are making a gift for someone who will appreciate it.
Every crafter has at least one sad experience in which they painstakingly make a gift for a loved one, only for the recipient to give an underwhelmed, "Oh. A hat. Gee, uh, thanks. I guess." The worst story I read was from a woman on Ravelry, who made a cable-knit hat for her brother-in-law and gave it to him at the family Christmas party. The next day, she was taking out the trash when she found the hat--wadded up and stuffed in a bush. These experiences have given rise to the term "knitworthy"--someone who has proven themselves to be deserving of the work of your hands. Yes, it is inspired by Seinfeld's "spongeworthy." (Insert any craft in place of knitting. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has even proven herself to be tatworthy.) I've frequently heard the tip that you should reserve your show-stopping handmade gifts for other crafters because they are the only ones who will appreciate the time and skill it took to make it. With a craft swap, that is guaranteed.
2. You can step out of your crafting comfort-zone.
We all have our preferred colors, patterns, and materials. If you sign up for a swap, the combination of a theme and your partner's preferences mean that you can try something new.
3. It makes mail fun again.
I love getting fun mail. Is there any mail more fun than a package just for you?
4. You build a connection with a far-off person.
Wether you get a partner on the other side of your country or the other side of the world, you get to exchange something with someone you would have never met otherwise. It makes the world just a little bit smaller and friendlier.
Cons:
1. Deadlines and requirements are stressful.
There's deadlines for sign-ups, deadlines for check-ins, deadlines for shipping. I was especially worried about the shipping deadline. The last date for international shipping was the beginning of a 10-day long stretch of rain, and I went nuts trying to find the post office in a heavy downpour. I reached a post office, only to discover that it had closed at 4:30pm instead of 5pm. I went back the next day to ship my package. The organizer said that we all HAD to post tracking numbers to verify that we had shipped the package. Well, the clerk explained that the only way to get a tracking number on an international package was to send it registered mail, which would have been an extra $13 and make the package take longer to reach its destination. Yeah. That wasn't going to happen. I just stuck with regular shipping and posted a picture of the postmark from my customs form. Still, for something called a "Positive Vibes" swap, the whole thing was really stressful.
2. It's costly, especially for international swaps.
The cost of shipping a package can be a barrier for some people. However, there are swaps for smaller items like bookmarks and cards that can be accomplished with one or two stamps.
3. There's a risk of public humiliation.
Yes. You read that correctly. Public humiliation. The swap organizer said that good swap participants have the chance to be part of an invitation-only swap. If you dropped out or left your partner hanging, she threatened to out you on Instagram and ban you from all of her future swaps. I read that and thought, "Yes, it is rude when people don't fulfill their end of a swap, but we are all adults here. Outing someone publicly? She has to be joking."
She wasn't joking.
She did a post listing all of the people who didn't follow through on the swap. I didn't realize that Instagram was the middle school cafeteria in a new medium. For someone who hosted a swap focused on positivity and has Bible quotes in her profile, the organizer came across as very petty.
Will I participate in another swap? I'll have to think carefully before I do. Even if I have free time when I sign up, unexpected events could make my life busy. As a first time participant, I was also very anxious over the swap's requirements. Still, I'm glad I did it, and my partner and I ended up very happy with what we received. In the end, that is all that matters.
After months of tiptoeing around, I can finally tell you my big news.
I got a new job!
It is my first full-time job after several years of unemployment and under-employment, and it is a job that I have always wanted in my field. I am so happy to have this opportunity, but it also comes with many adjustments. I have moved across the country. I bought a new (used) car--and before that, I was in therapy to get over my phobia of driving that I have had for half my life. Some days, I hardly recognize myself or what I have become.
All of these changes have had an impact on my crafting hobbies. The biggest change is that I have MUCH less time to do it. Obviously, part of that is due to my working more hours. It is also because of my fluctuating energy levels. Some days, I come home with enough energy to work on a project. Other days, I come home and my only goal is to stay awake until a reasonable bedtime. I didn't realize what a big adjustment this would be.
My new town also means that I have to work to find my crafting camaraderie. Home Ec Workshop in my old town was a special place that embraced a variety of crafts. I could bring knitting, embroidery, cross-stitch, or tatting and know that I'd be welcome to work there. In my new town, there really isn't any store like that. (And certainly none with delicious Breakfast Boats.) Most stores and groups focus on one specific craft. There's a knitting store with drop-in time, but I doubt I can bring non-knitting projects. I found a tatting group of real, flesh-and-blood tatters. They are very nice and welcoming, and I am looking forward to learning things from them that I will not get from a book. Finding outlets for embroidery and cross-stitch is much trickier. There are almost no stores in the area for supplies, and I couldn't find any pre-existing groups. I actually started my own on Meetup.com, which I will talk more about in a future post. The friends I find may effect which crafts I end up focusing on.
All of this means that the list of patterns and WIPs (Works In Progress) that I have has gone from improbable to impossible. With my new schedule, I just can't have as many projects going at once as I used to if I hope to complete anything.
That is why I made a New Year's Resolution. You might be wondering why I am making such a resolution four months early. Between Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year) and most of my jobs aligning with the school calendar, it always felt more natural for me to make New Years resolutions in the autumn. According to this article, non-Jews can also stand to benefit from setting goals at this time.
My resolution is the following:
Make a comprehensive list of WIPs I have in each of the crafts I do. For the purpose of this list, I included both projects I have started and projects for which I have bought supplies. I also included time-sensitive projects that I will need to start in the next few weeks (like blankets for Babies In Progress). I am in a temporary living situation, so I am leaving off projects for which I do not have immediate access.
Starting on Rosh Hashanah, I will not start a new project until all of the WIPs I have in that craft are completed.
I'm not sure what will happen when I have completed this list. Should I make a new list? I see this mainly as a way to reduce the amount of projects I have going simultaneously as I transition into my new life. By the time I have completed my goal, I will hopefully be used to my new situation, and have a better perspective on my crafting needs for the future.
And now some pictures from a WIP that is winding down. The Story Time Sampler frame for September was Black Beauty (AKA, Tina Belcher's favorite frame.)
I have so many projects that need to be completed (more on that in my next post). Maybe I felt the need for a short project to get me through a long one, like a cup of sherbet used as a palate cleanser in the middle of a multi-course meal. Maybe it's because I've been watching The Golden Girls much more than I used to. (It's the only show that seems guaranteed to be on 24 hours a day on at least one channel.) I used to watch it on Saturday nights with my mom, along with spin-offs Empty Nest and Nurses. I still remember the night when they did a massive cross-over event centered on a hurricane hitting Miami . . .
Anyway, I finished this piece in a week.
I stitched this on a piece of oatmeal-colored aida cloth that came pre-stretched on a frame. Michaels is selling them in packs of three. They seemed like the perfect background for stitching a quick project or gift. I love the way the finished product looks, but working on it was sometimes tricky. The biggest issue was that they did not sand down the wood frame enough, and I was close to getting splinters from it. If I use them again, I will have to get some sandpaper.
The pattern comes from Wee Little Stitches. Their specialty is patterns of "pixel people" versions of characters from movies and TV shows. I have a few of their patterns on file that I want to make as gifts for people.
This one is for my parents' friend and neighbor, Laura. Laura and her husband have been my parents' neighbors for decades--even through several moves! Their daughters were some of my best friends growing up, and I have so many fond (if nonsensical) memories of our families getting together.
My mom was diagnosed with ovarian cancer this year. Her prognosis was good, but she would still need to go through treatment. Laura was a big source of help and cheer during this time, which put my mind at ease when I couldn't come in from far away. I wanted to show Laura my appreciation, and she is a big Golden Girls fan, so this seemed like a natural gift. It will also last longer than cheesecake . . .
I am long overdue for a project update. I am slowly plugging away on the mystery Steotch-along. In fact, I'm so slow that it is no longer a mystery to me. And frankly, it shouldn't be a mystery to anyone else after seeing this shot of my stitching after "Week 4."
My husband is already calling this one for his work desk. Believe it or not, I am almost done with the cross-stitches on this. Week 5 is completing the cross-stitches, week 6 and 7 are about backstitching for definition, and Week 8 provides a quote for a final touch. The fractional stitches (as well as all the endless but slightly differing shades of brown, gray, and peach) are making this one a challenge, but it is fun to see the picture slowly develop into an image with weight and shape to it.
I also completed both July and August frames for Story Time Sampler. July is "The Lady of Shalott." This is a poem by Alfred, Lord Tennyson based on a King Arthur legend. People who are more familiar with the poem were in a heated debate about whether she should be smiling, as the FPS characters usually are. I decided to give her a more pensive look.
July 2015
August is The Phantom of the Opera. This is my favorite frame after The Wizard of Oz. The characters look so adorable, and I like the lush curtains surrounding them. It brings back fond memories of seeing the musical on Broadway with my dad when I was in high school.
August 2015
Four months left!
FPS also started their latest club pattern, A Very Merry Christmas Town. I completed Clue #1. At this rate, I am going to run out of friends to give gifts to!
Clue #1
Things have been busy, but I am getting back into the groove and looking to new crafting adventures. Find out more in future posts!
Yes, I know that I've been posting infrequently. I don't want to leave my dear readers hanging, but I can't reveal the details yet.
I can tell you that part of what has been occupying my time is that I have been directing a production of Henry V for high school students. The show went up at the beginning of the month, and my kids were amazing! It's traditional for the cast to chip in and get a gift for the director. In this case, my stage manager (and fellow stitcher) gave me a piece of embroidered art! She stitched the names of all of the cast members on linen next to a bunny. I believe the bunny is a reference to our favorite group game we would play for energy. DON'T LOOK IT UP. It will get in your head and never leave. Anyway, I nearly cried when she presented it to me in front of the cast.
People are finding so many inventive ways to use embroidery--even animation! One duo used embroidery to create an animated music video of "Chad Gadya," the song that traditionally closes the Passover seder.
Sure, it's machine embroidery, but I can forgive them because it looks awesome. You can read more about their process on this blog.
Sorry for the radio silence in the last couple of weeks! I have had a lot of exciting developments in my life that I will explain later. (I will tell you that no, my husband and I are not expecting a bouncing baby stitch.) These changes have left me with little time to stitch or write, but I am getting back in the swing of things. In the meantime, my mom sent me pictures of Mary's poem, which she had framed and gave to Mary.
Mary loved it so much that she hugged it. It will be there to remind her of her husband's promise to be there in the breeze.
