Anna's Handbag and my Family Tree Cross Stitch

I finally finished this bag for Anna today.  She picked out the fabric about a month ago, I think.

Also, I forgot I hadn't shared this yet.  I made this for my parents for their 35th anniversary.  (Which was last November, but better late than never.)

Crocheted sweater for niece, Emily

I made this last weekend for Em.  Hopefully it will fit.  I'll find out on Easter. 

Made from a pattern by Amanda Tipton I found free on Ravelry.

My Grandma Turns 90 this Month

I wrote this article recently for the newsletter of a professional organization I'm in.  I thought I'd share it here, too.

My grandma Evelyn turns 90 this month.  She lives in the house in Creighton, Nebraska, that she and my grandpa built 30 years ago when they moved off the farm.  She gave up her regular garden several years ago, but my Dad built her some “feed bunk” boxes that are several feet off the ground so she can still tend her plants. 

Reflecting on what I’ve learned from Grandma, I think some of the most important lessons have been about relationships and how to treat others.  These skills are important whether you’re dealing with family, friends or co-workers.  All the technical know-how we possess isn’t worth much if we don’t have good relationships with those we work with.  I thought I’d pass along some of what I’ve learned from her.

1)                          Recognize birthdays.  I’ve heard Grandma say that “everyone deserves a birthday cake”.  Acknowledging birthdays represents acknowledgement of a fundamental respect for another person.  To Grandma, a birthday cake isn’t frivolous or just for kids.  It’s a sign of fundamental recognition of the dignity of another person.  In the world of work, acknowledging birthdays with a call, a note or an e-mail can be a way of showing respect and strengthening relationships.

2)                          Share what you know.  Grandma has always been willing to let others “help” and by doing so, learn a skill.  It would have been easy, and probably less stressful, for her to send the grandkids off to play while she made bread or cookies.  Instead, she let us pull up a chair and, in the meantime, we learned measuring, mixing, kneading and baking.  At work, it’s easy to keep knowledge and skills to ourselves, believing that it’s just faster to “do it ourselves”.  But this isn’t our job.  If we’re not sharing knowledge, we’re not performing our job 100%.  Next time you’re about to start a project or go to a meeting, invite someone less experienced along to see how it’s done.

3)                          Recognize a job well done.  This one’s fundamental.  My grandparents didn’t stint with praise when it was due.  It never failed that when we ate dinner with them, a few minutes in Grandpa would look around the table at us and say, “Isn’t this the best dinner? Tell Grandma what a good dinner she made”.  And we’d all agree that Grandma had made a good dinner.  It’s so easy to forget how little things like that make a big difference, especially when it’s something someone does for you every day, like making dinner or distributing the office mail.  Tell that person often that they’re doing a good job and the difference that it makes to you.

4)                          Assume other people’s actions come from good intentions. Grandma is one of the kindest people I know.  I’ve rarely heard her say a bad word about anybody, and if so, only in a whisper.  I strive to be like that, but it’s hard when snark and sarcasm are accepted forms of humor.  It’s easy to believe that others’ actions are motivated by bad intentions, while our own actions are motivated by outside circumstances (a theory called the fundamental attribution error).  It’s like the difference between Theory X and Theory Y in management.  If we believe people are inherently lazy and will avoid work, as in Theory X, we will treat them very differently than if we go with Theory Y and believe that most people WANT to do well.  I’ve found that I feel better and have better outcomes when I remember that people are generally motivated by good intentions.

Happy Birthday, Grandma!

Gathered Clutch with Flower

I made this for my sister, Sara, based on one she saw at DSW.

Free Cross Stitch Pattern based on 18th Century German pattern

I've been doing a lot of cross stitch lately and love the old patterns.  I charted this pattern based on a design in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.  The design is by Margaretha Helm from a book published in 1742.

If you use this pattern, I'd love to see what you make.

Cleverscene Upcycled Garments

I love how these men's suits have been taken apart and reconstructed into handbags.  These are from Cleverscene

I'm going to try this: Felted sweater upcycled into tote

I came across this post from The Inadvertent Farmer the other day about making a tote bag from a felted sweater (I love how she talks about cleaning out the camel house!) 

I found  a 100% wool sweater at Salvation Army the other day, washed it in hot water, and honestly, it's about doll size right now.  We'll see how that works out.  I also bought a sweater that was marked cashmere at the same time, but hot water washing did not have the same effect.  Must be a blend, or maybe cashmere doesn't felt?  Not sure.  I'll post the results of my project here when I get it accomplished.