Monday, December 26, 2005

GIRLS' QUILT

Special thanks to the members of Support4HomeSchool email list who talked me step by step through this project. I can now share a "bit". Krista mentioned that she wanted a "blanket" for Christmas...not a problem at all...Walmart is right down the road. Then she commented that she wanted "Mom and Arielle to make it"....THIS was a problem. I don't sew.

{excerpt history of our family boycott on Walmart - SHS can SKIP }
We began the odysey with a trip to Walmart to buy supplies and ask questions. When I told the clerk, "we have a few questions" she said, and I quote, "Oh GOD, what do you WANNNT?" I told her we'd buy our supplies and ask our questions at Hancock fabrics. A few minutes later, in another part of the store another clerk yelled at Arielle and I for smelling some cologne that Arielle wanted to buy for Mike. I DID write a comment card with date, time and clerk's names and quotes. I left my phone number, name and address and said that we'd not be back until after Christmas without an apology. After a week Mike thought I should contact the manager and make sure she had seen the comments. She had. She told me it was against her policy to "contact customers and apologize for the clerks, I'll deal with it." I decided it was against my policy to give my money to businesses with rude customer support. SO....all through this season we have explored our other options in our new homeplace....and we've found that other stores in town have GREAT customer service and that online shopping is WAY cheaper because we don't have sales tax, impulse buying or shipping in most cases. Not having walmart as an option caused us all to be much more thoughtful about what gifts we wanted to purchase...instead of roaming the aisle looking for things that cost $10. {grin}

{Quilt story resumes}
We headed to Hancock and found friendly clerks, better fabric selections and answers to our "how to" questions. Through this project I learned to thread a machine, sew a somewhat straight seam, wind a bobbin, replace a machine needle (3), adjust tension and how to stretch a 45" piece of fabric to a 90" blanket. It was good.

The quilts were from Mom and Dad and Arielle. They were both in the same box and it was funny that they each reached for their quilt immediately....Krista purple and Bre pink. These blankets, and the ones we made my parents, are "prayer blankets". Each time we tied either fleece or yarn we offered a prayer for the receiver of the gift. We told them that we wanted them to be reminded that they were covered with their family's prayers whenever they used them. As Arielle said...after we had finished tying one said of Grandpa's no sew quilt...."that's a LOT of prayers for Grandpa, I think I've run out of prayers". {big grin}


The daughter who started the project...
Bre thinks the blanket will make a nice travel companion....

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Never had this problem at WalMart, but then I usually just try to get in and out of that insane place as fast as possible :-)

Aren't the lights in your neighborhood beautiful?? Truly the best in town.

DeEtta @ Courageous Joy said...

Janet! You read me? {grin}

Yes, the lights here are AMAZING! It's been a joy to drive home each night in the neighborhood.

Anonymous said...

Those quilts are so nice and warm. Loving using them. G'Ma T

DeEtta @ Courageous Joy said...

Oh good - I'm still glad we didn't make the ones with the pocket for your feet. {big grin}