We’re officially over a week into 2009 and how am I doing? I’ve ripped apart the craft room closet, come down with a cold, and gone through a finishing streak. Not bad for a week, huh?
My big hurrah! this week is finally finishing a project that’s been hanging over my head. A thread crochet blanket repair that I’ve had for more months than I care to admit to. A woman came into the shop (when it was still at the old location, if that tells you anything) distraught that her grandmother’s thread crochet afghan had been damaged. One motif, near the center of the blanket had been snagged (or chewed on) and was unraveling from the center. The motif wasn’t hard to reproduce and the repair itself wouldn’t be too challenging. No, the big challenge was two parts. One, finding an appropriate thread to match the one in the blanket (no easy task) and two, making myself do it. I hate working on commissioned pieces. As soon as I agree to one, I start balking. The little rebellious gremlin in my head stands up, stomps its feet, and says “I don’t wanna!”
Over the summer, I solved part one of the challenge. While yard sale-ing on a whim, I came across a box of old doilies. I grabbed a couple for a buck in shades and weights that I thought similar to the blanket. And lo and behold, I got a pretty good match! Now I just had to deal with the avoidance.
Last night I finally overcame that. I decided that I was just going to buckle down and do it. Removing the destroyed motif was the hardest part. I had to be very careful to not snip the threads of the adjacent motifs. With it removed, I recreated the motif pattern (I ended up using a size 7 steel hook to get an approximate gauge). The untrained eye really can’t tell which one is mine and which one is from the original craftswoman. I can tell because I’m looking for it. I think all in all, the repair looks rather nice. I’ll be extremely relieved to deliver it tonight and wash my hands of it.
I don’t think I’m going to charge her as I’ve had it so long. Just getting it out of my life is payment enough at this point. Now, what’s next on the avoidance list? I believe it involves a bow tie…
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Just for fun, a random picture… This was two years ago in May. Do you think my cherry tree will produce this year?
Images like this are what remind me that, despite how dreary it is outside, spring will eventually find us again.
