Tuesday, December 18, 2012

The Season Of Excess Expectation

I'm not talking about kids and toys or teens and electronics. I'm talking about how much I think I can get done in the time available. Specifically, how fast I think I can work to get the last gift finished and in the mail before Christmas. You probably have your own version of this holiday classic.


For the record, I love making gifts. But yes, I suffer from Excess Expectation. My expectations didn't seem so excessive when I made the plan. After all, Bill and I sort of takes turns on making the majority of our holiday gifts, and this year is his year. I did help him cut copper pipe one day while he assembled and soldered.


He also made gifts for all the young fishermen, and I just made little bags from recycled T-shirts to hold them. Easy peasy -- something I could do while watching a movie.


For my mom, I made a bag of stationery from fabric scraps in my Black Hole.


They're still on dial-up, so no worries about letting the cat out of the bag. The bag for the stationery I made with fabric I designed and had printed on Spoonflower from a photo I took of my mom's old Singer sewing machine. That's the machine I started sewing on. One of the first things she had me do, lo these many years ago, was stitch on heavy paper. I had major flashbacks while stitching 24 pieces of stationery.


Dad is also getting a gift made with Spoonflower fabric. This one is made from a photo I took of a wooden serving tray he made years ago (there's a photo of the tray at the link). I made a drawstring dresser caddy that folds flat when not in use.

There were a few more small gifts on my to-do list that I can't show just yet. The chances of those beloved young people reading my blog are slim, but it is possible.

And really, with Bill doing so many of our gifts, I figured there would be plenty of time for me to make this gift for his sister (who does read this blog, but also knows what the gift is because we talked about it and she gave me the measurements).


When it's done, this gift will measure 8 feet by 12 feet. It's a piece of netting to spread over their koi pond to keep the neighborhood heron from eating the fish.

When it's done, it will have taken less time than knitting a sweater or crocheting an afghan. But it's taking longer than I estimated, mainly because of the materials I'm using. I usually net with linen or hemp and for this project I'm using bonded nylon. If When I'm not careful, the knots slip.

This net won't be perfect, but it will do the job. It's designed to do it unobtrusively so as not to distract from the flower garden around the pond.

With a bit of luck, it will be in the mail in time to arrive Christmas Eve. But before it goes, we're getting a picture of it spread out. Will probably have to do that outside.

Good luck with your own holiday preparations!


4 comments:

  1. I would write more, but I have to finish knitting this shawl, block it, and wrap it by Friday.

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  2. Oh Im so excited to be getting the net. Thanks so much in advance. Hoping, just hoping I finish my present and get them mailed by Friday. Like you said excess expectations. Just because the family Christmas is over doesnt mean Christmas is

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  3. Good luck, Jeannie. Nothing wrong with stretching Christmas out, right? Glad you got all your bears done!

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