MAKING THE BEST OF A CHALLENGING TIME – Around The Frame

Did you miss your favorite Waynedale News writers? The downturn in the economy has left very few businesses unscathed including the Waynedale News, that didn’t publish two weeks ago. Soon, we all hope, organizations and people will be having garage and estate sales while churches will be having fun fests and other fundraising activities. Consider placing an ad in the Waynedale News. Since it is published online too, I can attest that many people outside of the Waynedale area read it. How do I know? When a new customer walks into my shop I will ask them how did they find me and many times the response is “I read your quilt articles in the Waynedale News.” I’ll follow up and ask if they live in Waynedale and often the answer is “no.” A good percentage don’t live on the southside either and a few are from out-of-state who subscribe to the electronic version to keep in contact with their former stomping grounds. Let’s all do our part to keep the Waynedale News free!

It may seem like an eternity since you’ve ventured out for more than the necessities of life. I wonder how many have you enjoyed a slower pace of life, not to mention the gas you’ve saved by not driving as much. Have you found craft projects you started and never finished? Do you have fabric that you purchased because it “spoke” to you but haven’t touched it? Do you have a pattern you were going to get around to, but set it aside? Did you want to teach your kids a new craft skill but with their hectic school and extracurricular activities couldn’t find the time?

This is a classic situation of when life hands you a big lemon, you make lemonade! What a sense of accomplishment you will feel when you complete an UnFinished Object (UFO). What great bonding time when you teach a child how to hem, sew on a button, cross-stitch, embroider, latch hook a rug, or woodworking skills. Think of the skills you are teaching: how to follow instructions, how to read a pattern or graph, how to thread and manipulate a needle, separate floss colors, latch yarn, how to calculate yardage, small motor skills and safety rules. I remember when a few classmates and I brought stitchery kits to Wayne High School and worked on them at odd moments. It was amazing how a few minutes here and there added up to major project progress!

If you need someone to teach you craft skills, there are plenty of places to ask for assistance. Online you can ago to www.meetup.com and learn about all sorts of local craft groups. The only Fort Wayne cross – stitch store is located on Bluffton Rd, there are two knit/yarn shops and two quilt shops in Fort Wayne. All have knowledgeable staff to assist you.

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This time of isolation will pass. While we all itch to get back to “normal” take time to reflect on this time you spent together and how you creatively used this family time. Perhaps you won’t view it so much as a major inconvenience but as a gift!