That's me. And just what does all this have to do with 30-inch long zippers? Easy. I spent less than an hour and over sixty dollars at Jo-Ann's, where you can buy everything from fancy knitting yarns and a dizzying variety of stuff for the seamstress to exotic papers and craft supplies of all sorts. The occasion was compiling a gift for the Alaska granddotter, who loves to do wonderful things with colors, paper, scissors and glue.
The excursion brought me face to face with these bright, shiny new quilts -- made locally or imported from a third world country as decor -- I wondered.
Also knitting samples and a classroom to encourage folks whose modern grandmothers neglected their needlework lessons. (A pity that these arts have to resurrected by marketing people, but I guess that beats losing them entirely.) Besides, members of the modern generation are much more used to learning in a classroom setting than at any relative's knees as I did and my mother before me did.
Our shopping for the granddotter's present, however, began in the fancy papers department, where we found a grand book of samples. Thence into the crafts supplies.
Here's the sixty dollar basket, which also included yarn and a crochet hook for that all-important needlework lesson from GD's mom, plus colors which incorporated glitter, as well as punches to create heart and flower shaped holes -- and other goodies. The dotter looks overwhelmed by the experience!
Most remarkable discovery of all -- a magazine for bloggers, if you can imagine. (And, yes I can -- as a one-time magazine editor, I'm only too aware of the specialty magazine biz. If it involves products, there's a magazine for every interest -- and I mean every.) Don't know how it's going to fare in the current economy, however. For the record, the "blogger's" magazine is basically about decorating one's blog artistically. Go figure. A Couple of Links for the Day: Rich went looking for a ghost town down in Stanton and what did he discover: modern prospecting groupies. And, I don't know how this blog found me, but it did and I was fascinated: the World of the Indian Woman -- primarily about modern handicrafts from the subcontinent.
Jo Ann's almost always has what's needed for creative projects.
ReplyDeleteOmegaGDotter is nicely spoiled indeed by Indulgent GJ. :)
~Anon in AV.
I guess lots of parents and grandparents stopped teaching the children to sew and knit when the stores started to have clothes sooooo cheap, and there was no need to make your own any more.
ReplyDeleteThey forgot the simple pleasure in making something with your own hands - which your grand-daughter clearly appreciates!
That shop looks such fun.
ReplyDeleteThe scrapbooking craze always seems to me a reaction to the digitalised world, but I'm afraid a rather pointless one to my mind, which produces little that is useful or beautiful. Knitting has never had it so good though. partly because of on-line sites, blogs, free patterns, etc
I've come across that blogging mag before, I think Nina from 'Ornamental' featured in it once. Seems a weird kind of contradicion doesn't it, a print mag about blogging? But then again, why not? I still favour printed instruction manuals for things.
I loved your oil plumes and sunburst plants; the latter look good if you whizz up and down them really fast, so they seem to be bursting open like an animation...
anon av -- I will occasionally indulge myself with a what if afternoon at Jo-Ann's. Curiously enough, I have discovered that when it comes to yard goods, the neighboring WallyMart is almost as well stocked.
ReplyDeletestitch -- I made things for the dotter when she was an infant because she was so very little. Later, I bought. However, my mom did make some lovely things for her, including a beautifully smocked little dress. I have noticed that as a result of buying my clothes, I don't have the attachment to any garment that I had when they were home-made.
lucy -- I always did my knitting and crochet when sitting with my husband, who liked to talk. Now that I am alone, I am either on line or reading, so the needlework is past tense. As for the animation effect -- it works with all kinds of converging lines; great fun, it is.
Ooh the possibilities one sees at Jo-Annes! I know your Granddaughter is having fun whiling away all those dark and snowy days with her colorful projects..
ReplyDeletelindaG -- the endless possibilities at Jo-Anns turn out to be self-defeating. Too many choices blow one's mind and you have to run out of the store before you start screaming!
ReplyDelete