Last May I posted Procrastination Tuesday, sharing a list of things I’d been putting off and why. Here’s a small excerpt:
Three years ago, I bought some beautiful purple fabric for my sister Sharon. She wanted me to make a bolero-styled shrug. We found a used pattern online, I washed the yardage to remove the sizing, and then life got busy. Enter the pandemic when we all had time. Determined to get it done, I hauled out the pattern and prepared to cut and sew. The pattern pieces are too big for any of my surfaces, so I took them downtown, where I volunteer. None of those surfaces were large enough either, so I brought it back. I have three painful labrum tears across my right and left hip, making crawling around on the floor painful, so I gave up.
Gardening Nirvana, May 2021
My solution at the time was this:
On Procrastination Tuesday, I drove to an alterations place, checked my ego at the door, and dropped off the fabric and the pattern with the purveyor. I will finally be able to deliver on that soft, purple shrug.
Gardening Nirvana, May 2021
Well.
That relief didn’t last. When I left my materials at the shop, we were easing out of the pandemic (or so we thought). It was the start of the wedding season. I told the purveyor “no rush,” thinking it would be done in a month or so instead of the usual two weeks. July rolled around, and I hadn’t heard a peep. I called the shop and asked for an update. He said they’d been busy, but he would have it to me in another week. July became August, September, and still nothing. I called again. I said I had been more than patient, and that my sister’s birthday approached. Sharon’s November birthday came and went and I was fuming.
Sometime in late November, I went to the shop to collect the pattern and fabric. Mike drove, but opted to stay in the car. I married a wise man.
At the counter, I contained myself, but I told the owner, “This is no way to run a business.” He kept apologizing, but his words seemed trite after seven months and two false promises. It took him a few minutes to find my things. Finally, he handed over a bag with my material covered in sewing lint. The kicker? He said: “I can have it done in a week.”
In the end, I cut, sewed, pressed, wrapped, and delivered the shrug to my sister for Christmas.
She loves it. The fabric is warm and soft, and the oversized fit means she can wear several layers. In addition, I had enough material to make a substantial facing to add warmth.
The end. [snort]
Gardening Nirvana 
No wonder you were fuming. What. The. Heck. However, as we would say in French, tout est bien qui finit bien. The shrug is such a lovely color, and the pictures do a wonderful job of showing how cozy it must be. And doesn’t Pauline’s scarf complement the shrug beautifully?
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Thank you, Laurie. Everything sounds better in French. 😉 My sister and I both have one of Pauline’s scarves. I feel Pauine’s energy when I wear it. I miss her. I am so glad to have this project done, and in the end, perhaps the universe wanted me to make it after all. Bending nearly in half over two short tables was tough, but as they say: “I got ‘er done.”
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I’ve often thought that everything sounds better in French. 😉 Wonderful to have the scarves. And yay for getting it done.
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It’s a lovely make and, thinking positively, you made it yourself, saved some money, and delivered a pretty handmade piece 🙂 well done!
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Thank you, Judith. Agreed! And I hadn’t even thought about the money saved, though my sister is worth every penny. 🙂
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The shrug looks beautiful Alys! I guess the universe is telling you that there’s not way to get out of procrastinating; you just have to do it lol! BTW, That scarf is meant for it – you may have to make one for yourself too. Maybe 2022 will be the year I finish all MY procrastination projects. Or maybe not.
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Thank you, Sara. I think you’re right, too, that I was meant to sew this shrug. You accomplish so much in a year, it’s hard to imagine that you have anything undone. I wish you luck with the list, though. I was thinking recently that setting out projects by month might be a good approach. Otherwise it can seem daunting.
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I love that you have one of Pauline’s scarves. I sure miss her. You make a beautiful model, Alys! The shrug is gorgeous!
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Thank you, Jill. I feel close to Pauline when I wear that scarf. It’s always nice to bring it out again when the temperatures drop.
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Wow! What a gorgeous shrug. I have the same problem here with laying out and cutting fabric and often I wind up on the floor. We can’t all be like Kelly with a dedicated craft room!!! I’ve had the same issue with people not getting things done (including myself), but it’s always satisfying when I take the reins and run with it. I too miss Pauline, but I have my rivers and oceans dangler to remember her amazing creativity (not to mention some wizard fingerless gloves). And you DO make a beautiful model and I love your hair in those pictures!!!
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Thank you so much, Lisa. You’re right about the satisfaction of getting things done yourself. Since it was my intention from the start, it all finally came full circle. I remember those fingerless gloves and of course our gorgeous light-catchers. Pauline is everywhere.
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Holy Cannoli ! I can’t believe they hung on to your project for 7 months and didn’t even take the notion to get it done. Unbelievable!
I’m betting that Sharon is living in it, it looks so soft. You girls are lucky to be tall, shorties like me could never wear this style. I’d look like a football, LOL. It turned out super cute my dear! You’re so crafty with your sewing machine 💗💗💗
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Here you are making me giggle again. I think you’re adorable and could pull off anything you choose to wear. It’s all in the attitude I believe. Sharon is wearing it and enjoying it. It’s so soft and warm. If that big pattern wasn’t such a challenge, I would make her another one. In my theater days, we had large, cork-topped cutting tables. I was quite spoiled. When I sewed at home in my youth, I used a cardboard Simplicity cutting “board” gifted by Sharon, but the days of crawling around on the floor are long-past. xo
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PS, Pauline’s scarf matches perfectly! She’d be smiling 💗
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xo
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The shrug is amazing. The color lovely and the way it fits looks comfy and elegant at the same time.
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Thank you so much!
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A pandemic tale if I ever heard one. I’ve heard similar about other vendors… I guess good help is truly hard to find these days! Taking the bull by the horns, you managed to create a beautiful garment, complete with love pressed in. ❤
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Thank you, Eliza. That’s lovely. xo
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Whattha! Good grief, the pandemic is a very poor excuse for that level of non-service. A lesson to us all to never use the phrase “no rush”… In the end, though, the fury fuelled a super result. Gorgeous fabric. While I don’t love purple, I do love paisley, and this is just beautiful.
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Thank you, Kate. The shurg is soft and warm, and in Sharon’s favorite color. I’m so glad it’s keeping her warm.
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That shrug is beautiful!! You did a lovely job even though it was painful to get up and down. UGH!! I would not have been very kind to that shop.
I am excellent at procrastination and I’m really good at “sewing by check” on a lot of projects. No shame in that but I’ve not tried to hire anyone in the pandemic.
Anyhow you got it done and it’s gorgeous.
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Thank you, Amy. The fabric is soft and lush and such a rich shade of purple, my sister’s favorite. I’m so glad it’s done and that she loves it and I’m happy it is helping keep her warm, too. xo
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The shrug looks so colorful! How can you not smile when wrapped in that? 🙂 I love the idea of just tackling a project you procrastinated on. This makes me want to jump into some of those projects, like finishing a sweater I started knitting–GULP–12 years ago. Ha!
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Hi Serena. Thanks for commenting! There is something so satisfying about finishing what crafters call “UFO”s or unfinished objects. Knitting is so relaxing, too. I hope you go for it.
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Well done for surmounting your pain and finishing the job – and for fuming
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You made me smile, Derrick.
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Anonymous is Derrick
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Hi Derrick!
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I loved the fabric when you bought it and I love it even more all together. Oh fuming is a good place to start. I might be speaking french with that man who put you off so often but not the kind Laurie was using. 😦 It’s very disrespectful and bad for business. You modeled it well as did Sharon. Hugs to you both.
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Hugs back your way, Marlene. You’re right of course: it is disrespectful. If he had called and said “I just can’t to it at this time.” I would have at least felt seen and heard. It’s really disappointing. In the end though, Sharon has her beautiful shrug from fabric purchased on my visit with you. It’s come full circle. xo
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What beautiful, beautiful fabric!! I am kind of outraged for you about how that business owner behaved. I don’t usually recommend poor yelp reviews, but in this case I think that it is called for. I am inspired to sew for myself after seeing what you made and congrats on a good outcome and a great gift.
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Thank you! I used to sew a lot of my clothes in high school and college, but I’m mostly limited to Halloween costumes these days. As you know, there is real pleasure in creating something useful and beautiful with your hands. I’m going to see if I can find some fabric I like on Spoonflower for a summer dress.
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I also used to sew all of my clothes. 🙂 A summer dress sounds really nice.
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It’s so beautiful, Alys.
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Thank you, Amanda!
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How frustrating for you; I might have used some stern words and taken back the material after ninety days or so, so you are more patient and understanding that I would have been. That said, it looks like it turned out perfectly in the end, and the color is gorgeous and will work nicely with Very Peri (periwinkle) being Pantone’s color of the year!
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Hi Julie. Thanks for reading and commenting. I hadn’t hear Pantone’s color of the year, so thank you for pointing that out. I’m so glad it turned out well. My sister loves it.
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crazy that the business suddenly said as you were collecting the fabric, that it could be done in a week…but it does look marvellous the finished garment. Good things always need time out…(or words to that affect).
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That was the third time he promised it “in a week’s time” so it’s just as well. I’m glad I was able to sew and deliver for Christmas, and I’ve learned a lesson in the process.
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it looks lovely, soft, cosy and comforting ~ much better sewn than that chap wold have done. Your work was done with love (and a little fuming!) It is such a sweet photo of your sister.
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Thank you, Anne. In the end I’m glad I sorted it out and finished the shurg before Christmas. I think the universe wanted me to make it after all. xo
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That fabric is beautiful and what a lovely gift!
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Thank you. It’s pretty and pratical, my favorite.
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