Monthly Archives: June 2015

The adorable, always humorous MBA Jane is my way of honoring our Sisterhood Merit Badge program, now with 6,450 dues-paying members who have earned an amazing number of merit badges so far—9,160 total! Take it away, MBA Jane!!! MJ 

Wondering who I am? I’m Merit Badge Awardee Jane (MBA Jane for short). In my former life …   

For this week’s Stitching and Crafting/Sew Wonderful Intermediate Level Merit Badge, I knew I had to conquer something. Namely: my phobia of printed fabric other than stripes or plaids.

Why stripes or plaids, you ask? My, so inquisitive. Is it because I have a secret obsession with Scottish prints? Was I a candy striper in another life? A Scottish candy striper, perhaps?

Well, no. I’ll tell you the real reason.

They’re so much easier to sew straight lines on.

For example: I made calico print curtains. They hang at diagonal-type draping (not what I was going for). I sewed a batch of polka-dot printed pillows (they were supposed to be square; let’s call the finished product … umm … hexagon-tangle). I made Mr. Wonderful a homemade button-down shirt (the buttons don’t exactly line up).

I’m a mess when it comes to straight lines. I was afraid to show myself at my monthly Sewing Sisters Club. I was ashamed to walk into JoAnn Fabrics and Crafts. I couldn’t even muster enough self-confidence to rifle through the fabric bolts at my local flea market. Something had to be done. I couldn’t live like this!

So, I did what any self-respecting farmgirl would do in a situation like this: I pretended to be infatuated and passionate only about stripes and plaids.

I had no choice.

Don’t judge me.

Eventually, the siren call of gingham was getting too much to bear.

I couldn’t look away from paisley. I found myself sneaking peeks at geometrics. I made puppy dog eyes at toile. I fell into a small coma at a fabric sale and when I came to, I was petting and cooing over a camouflage bolt.

*gasp*

When I found myself clutching a square of trompe l’oeil at 2 a.m. one night, in a clammy sweat, I knew something had to be done.

I sat myself down with a yard of plain blue fabric, and decided to learn to sew a straight seam, once and for all. I gave myself a stern talking to, a pep talk, if you will. It went something like this, in case you, too, need a blueprint for overcoming your straight line phobia:

“Okay, Jane, my girl. Easy does it. Deep breaths. Just use your handy dandy fabric pencil to mark lightly on your fabric … I said, lightly, woman! For cryin’ in the night. Okay, okay, I’m sorry. You’re doing fine. It’s a bit diagonal, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t straight, does it? Good. Good. Very good. Um, not so good. Alright, time to sew. Now, now, no shaking. Not with a needle in your hand. Very good. Okay, we’re getting somewhere. This isn’t so bad. Steady now, girl. Steady on …

I ended my 12-step program as I end each 12-step program:

With a set of lovely … and straight—well, straight-ish—curtains made of chintz. And a set of throw pillows made of toile.

photo, PoshSurfside.com via Flickr.com

Feeling proud of myself and my new badge, I decided to conquer another fear: my fear of that peach cobbler in my freezer getting freezer burn. Only one way to remedy that.

 

Welcome New Sisters! (click for current roster)

Merit Badge Awardees (click for latest awards)

My featured Merit Badge Awardee of the Week is … Katie Wright!!!

Katie Wright (#5600) has received a certificate of achievement in Stitching & Crafting for earning a Beginner, Intermediate & Expert Level Crochet Merit Badge!

“I have crocheted for years and enjoy making scarfs, hats, and even have enjoyed doilies and bags. I do also make dishcloths, but prefer the knit ones to the crocheted ones. I have made some pretty potholders also.

For my Beginner badge, I made a scarf, crocheting it the long way and using up scraps of yarn. It was crocheted in the back of the stitches and made it ridged, which adds to the texture and prettiness of it. I actually made three of these scarfs and have two to send in my box to the Native American Elders Project in Utah, which I mail out each August with hats, scarfs, socks and mittens, and this year, even a sweater.

My scarf turned our very festive, and I worked on it once at my knitting circle so I could show another lady how to crochet. She likes knitting better, but she at least tried to crochet.

For my Intermediate level badge, I decided to make a carry tote, actually making two: one for my library book tote, and the other I am using to take to a friend’s home, where I am teaching not only her, but her two daughters, ages 8 and 6, to crochet. I have crocheted in front of them, and at my knitting circle when I was working on a scarf and also while glamping and a friend came to visit.

My totes are so nice. I used double strands of yarn and also sewed a corduroy lining for them. I used one of them at the grocery store and the cashier checked it all over as she was learning to crochet, so I shared to pattern with her later.

For my Expert level badge, I have been teaching several people to crochet, and have a few more ladies that have asked me to do so. I start them with a chain and then in making a scarf or dishcloth, and then they can move on to a hat. For my project, I again took much leftover yarn, and used some double and some single and made granny squares, small ones, about 4 inches square. Then I crocheted them together into a very long shawl for myself. I put fringe on it, also in multiple colors. It is cheery, heavy, and warm, and I use it when glamping, either early morning just to pop out with my Daisy Dog or in the evening sitting outside by the campfire.

I believe this piece turned out very lovely. I have had lots of compliments on it. My daughter-in-love (yes, love, not law, but she and my son are legally married for 25 years now) is an avid crocheter. She checked it all over when coming out for breakfast one morning recently while I was glamping near the lake. She plans to make one for a friend and use up some of her scrap yarns.”