tie one on

This apron is my entry for March/April's tie one on. The theme this time around was rick-rack. I spied this pattern in a special issue, devoted to aprons, of MaryJanesFarm magazine. A very dear friend allowed me to borrow it and I recently returned it with drool all over it. You can still order this issue and it is what I plan to do next! The apron has a lovely trim of rick-rack around the edges and the pockets. But I think the real show stopper is the faux smocked waistline.

I spent a couple hours curled up in the corner of the couch pulling the squares together. And it was in that position, I had an epiphany. A young lady was over while I was working on it and we had a conversation that went like this:

young lady:What are you making?

not so youny lady:An apron.

young lady:Are you going to sew the waistband on,too?

(waistband is not sewn on til faux smocking is complete)

not so young lady:Well . . .yes. How else would it get there?

young lady(laughing):You buy an apron with it already there.

not so young lady:Yes, but I like sewing. It is something that can not be undone.

AHA!

So much of my life as a mother is just re-doing something that someone else has undone. I am speaking of the temporal things like dishes, laundry, clean/dirty/clean/dirty bodies, meals made,meals eaten and then dishes again . . . list goes on and on. But, I am also speaking of the eternal things. I spend so many hours in conflict resolution I could work for the goverment! Day in and day out, I mend rifts in broken relationships, listen to both sides and help each come to a resolution. I deposit words of praise and encoragement to build them up and gently (or sadly not so gently) point out blindspots and areas were their behavior hurts (others and themselves). I get glimpses of fruit- a quick apology, an unexpected blessing of servant's heart toward a sibiling; but for the most part, I am tilling and sowing. The reaping will come much later. Sewing is instant gratification. There is an end result. It actually becomes a finished task!(well,usually:) Sewing keeps me sane. It keeps my brain from turning into oatmeal. It nourishes me,too. The act of creating something from a bit of string and fiber is soothing .

Yes, sometimes the project does not go the way I want. But, then I can pull out the handy-dandy seam ripper and make it over. I can dig out all those misplaced threads and began again. This time a little slower and a bit more careful. How a I long for a seam ripper to tear out the misplaced words I have spoken. The unkind, thoughtless gestures of a big oaf of a grownup. *Sigh*. . . but always my children (and my husband) shower me with grace. And it is good.