Why We Do What We Do

I stayed late at the store a couple of weeks ago to finish a project that I was anxious to photograph and send to my daughter. I had a great idea and I badly wanted her to agree it was great and that I was brilliant. Those sort of moments can’t want until tomorrow! Brilliance demands immediate corroboration. She’s a night owl (at least compared to me), so even with the 3 hour time difference, she’d still be awake. The little bit I had left to finish shouldn’t take more than about 15 minutes. I was already blushing a little imagining the praise she would undoubtedly heap on me!

I glanced at the pattern, picked up a piece of fabric and . . . wait – what? Did that pattern say I needed a piece of elastic? I grabbed the pattern envelope and checked the back page. Fabric; fabric; fabric; optional embellishment . . . nope – elastic was not listed. But, sure enough, it was right there in the pattern instructions. Elastic.

I was done for the night. I unplugged the iron, turned my sewing machine off, locked up the store and drove home (sans praise). This is a quilt store. I didn’t have any elastic.

On the way home, I thought a lot about that. I thought about finding something online that you have to have and how anxious you are to get it and make it. It’s so fun to find a great project - like our Boutique Shoulder Bag. This is one of our SassyPacks that comes as a “complete kit”. That means, aside from basic sewing supplies, it has everything you need to finish the project. In this case, that means the fusible fleece and the fusible interfacing arrive with the fabric. The magnetic purse snap is in the kit. The D-rings for the strap show up on your doorstep with the pattern and the lining fabric. When the mail carrier delivers this package, you don’t need to get in your car (or back online) and go find the plastic needlepoint canvas that’s used to mold the bag’s curvy design. It’s all there in one neat little package, ready for you to begin – and finish right away. That’s a great idea - I love that it.

Wow! We’re right back to “brilliant”!