Homebodies - Thwarted
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- Published on Saturday, January 28, 2017
By Rita Friesen
The Neepawa Banner
Lovely word, let it roll around in your head for a bit. Thwarted: (1) to oppose or defeat; keep from doing something; (2) to go against; oppose, hinder. My day was filled with great intentions and I was thwarted at every turn.
Truly. There are a number of unfinished projects cluttering my home. Some are well started and some still a fomenting idea. Several years, ago I began a crib quilt. The top is carefully pieced, the backing pinned in place and the hoop centered. Why have I not stitched it? Two reasons – one, I began it while Ed was with me and I intended to quilt while keeping him company. His journey was short and little time was available for sitting and sewing. And two, the project lost its allure. So today was the day. I usually quilt with embroidery cotton, and among the stash of colours was one lacking, the one I wanted. A quick trip uptown and I found a purple thread that will do. But by the time I had everything assembled it was supper time. Thwarted.
The tie quilt. I had half of the ties pinned in place and decided that the old adage – when doing a thing, do it with might, a thing done half way is never done right- applied. I unpinned them and waited until I had some iron-on interfacing. Sadly, I ordered less than half the amount required. Now six of the 20 ties are backed and ready, but I am far from finishing the lap throw. Another two meters of interfacing, please. Thwarted.
Decided to re-arrange the furniture in the living room. I have the plan in my imagination. It necessitates the relocation of the TV and that requires an extension on the cable. It was after business hours when this impulse struck, and I know myself well enough to know that it would be unwise to have no electronic companion for 18 hours (I might have to read, or play piano, or, last resort – do housework!). Thwarted.
See how the word resonates with the emotion? Heavy and uncomfortable. Thwarted. Not one to waste too much energy with trivial unhappiness, I am thankful that I now have the thread for quilting, and I now know that interfacing the ties works, I am ahead on my projects from where I was yesterday. The problem is that there are at least three other projects I am eager to begin. Big projects. Like the steamer trunk filled with fabric to be pieced into quilt tops. Like the wall in the spare bedroom that I want to paint. I have the paint, a tinted oil based undercoat and the brushes and rollers. I am not thwarted on this project, simply awaiting warmer weather to allow me to open a window. If, perchance, I was in control of the weather and not managing it well, then I would be thwarted. It’s all good.
