I used to love reading Martha Stewart Magazine when it was a fairly new publication because it was exactly like the experience of talking to someone who was beautiful, seemed delightful and charming but as the conversation continues you realize that what at first glance looked like charm was just a thin veneer over bonkers.
You could read directions for making a pretty blanket for your bed but if you bothered to check the fine print you might notice that the pretty blanket was made out of cashmere that cost $300 per yard and you needed about two and a half yards to replicate that adorable project.
Or the adorable cartridge pleated curtains somehow had only half of the instructions included in the article. It's a project that is hard even with complete directions but with incomplete directions it is impossible.
Today I was thinking about a little aside in a longer article where Martha mentions that her mother made something like 600 napkins for Martha's daughter's wedding. Martha said something about what quick work it was and how delighted her mother was to do it. Bonkers!
Today I was involved in a wedding project that was similarly bonkers. The food for the wedding reception will be served in a gym. The groom had hoped that the gym would be less gym-like.
I conferred with my friend Celia who is quite brilliant at transforming our synagogue gym into something beautiful. We stood next to one another at a bar-mitzvah and lobbed ideas at one another as we ate. we came up with the idea of tulle curtains.
Today was curtain making day. I had to make 16-foot long curtains. With help of my friend Laura, we made 24 curtains today. I know, bonkers.
I decided to sew in the synagogue sanctuary. The space was long enough to lay out 16 feet of tulle. I marked my cutting lines in masking tape on the carpet and cut one 40 yard bolt into 16 foot lengths. I then cut shorter 4 inch wide headers for the curtains.
Then it was time to sew. I brought my machine from home.
I had neglected to bring my thread stand, but I found something that was a terrific substitute.
During services, this stand holds the Torah scroll.
So far I have used up four bolts of tulle. I have made 24 curtains. I will finish tomorrow.
Yup, it's bonkers but it will look beautiful.
You could read directions for making a pretty blanket for your bed but if you bothered to check the fine print you might notice that the pretty blanket was made out of cashmere that cost $300 per yard and you needed about two and a half yards to replicate that adorable project.
Or the adorable cartridge pleated curtains somehow had only half of the instructions included in the article. It's a project that is hard even with complete directions but with incomplete directions it is impossible.
Today I was thinking about a little aside in a longer article where Martha mentions that her mother made something like 600 napkins for Martha's daughter's wedding. Martha said something about what quick work it was and how delighted her mother was to do it. Bonkers!
Today I was involved in a wedding project that was similarly bonkers. The food for the wedding reception will be served in a gym. The groom had hoped that the gym would be less gym-like.
I conferred with my friend Celia who is quite brilliant at transforming our synagogue gym into something beautiful. We stood next to one another at a bar-mitzvah and lobbed ideas at one another as we ate. we came up with the idea of tulle curtains.
Today was curtain making day. I had to make 16-foot long curtains. With help of my friend Laura, we made 24 curtains today. I know, bonkers.
I decided to sew in the synagogue sanctuary. The space was long enough to lay out 16 feet of tulle. I marked my cutting lines in masking tape on the carpet and cut one 40 yard bolt into 16 foot lengths. I then cut shorter 4 inch wide headers for the curtains.
Then it was time to sew. I brought my machine from home.
So far I have used up four bolts of tulle. I have made 24 curtains. I will finish tomorrow.
I am enraptured with your lovely, practical, creative ideas, dear friend. Acts of bonkers love, one and all! I cannot wait to see the gym "turned tully".
ReplyDeleteWow! But we do it don't we. It is like we take up a challenge thrown almost instinctively. They know we can do it. We find out as we go on that we walked into this on our own accord! So, we do it, feel amazed that we managed it. Some people show us how hard they realise it was, but only some.
ReplyDeleteAnd then, having shown we Can do it, no one stops with the challenges! and we do it again. Repeat!
So, the other, bonkers question is, what will you do with it after?
Keep sewing your love into each one!
Our synagogue does a tribute evening each year to honor members ( and raise money). The brilliant Celia each year manages to make the synagogue 's social hall and gym look magical. This year the tribute will take place in April, the curtains will be used then and will probably be combined with other stuff to make the gym look even more fabulous.
DeleteThanks to the lighting, the curtains looked amazing. Without lighting, not so impressive.
ReplyDelete