The sweetest handmade bunny treat bag

One of the things I’ve enjoyed doing lately, is sewing the free patterns that some of my favorite Instagram maker accounts have posted.

This morning, I saw the free bunny treat bag that Chouette Kit from France, posted. Including printing and cutting out the template, the entire project took less than 30 minutes.

And it’s so sweet. I used a scrap of a vintage tea towel and some of a modern linen blend that I had leftover after making a shirt.

Bunny Treat Bag post on Instagram.

Your Friend,
Anne Dovel

What about that fabric stash, quilter?

My last soapbox on the masks, concerns the meme that basically criticizes quilters for their stash of fabric, saying that finally, they’ll have a reason to use it.

Okay. Here we go. Quilters receive a lot of criticism, from themselves and from non-quilters, about buying fabric “just because.”

There are people who spend thousands of dollars going to football games. Hundreds are spent on hair color, nail polish, tattoos. Tens of thousands on antiques and antique car collections. And a quilter comes home with $100 worth of fabric for her stash and it’s …excessive?

I don’t buy into that. If your family has no food to eat, and you come home with fabric that you don’t have a plan for and have to find a place to shove it because all your cupboards are full. Yes, I believe that would be irresponsible. Someone needs to point that out to you. You aren’t reading this blog, so we are an an impasse.

If, on the other hand, let’s say you use fabric. You don’t want to always be running to town, wasting hours, when you come up with a project you want to sew, and keep a good stash of a wide variety.

What about people like me, who just really love textiles. I love the texture, design, color, feel. Why is it any weirder for me to buy a couple yards of a fabric that I love, instead of buying clearance stuff at Target to fill my shelves? (Nothing against Target)

People often like to tell others how to spend their money, if it doesn’t line up with their priorities. It’s okay. It is, what it is.

On the flip side, if you follow me on Instagram, I always encourage you to use your fun fabric. Either display it, so you can see and touch it, or make it into something. It’s so much more fun to use favorite fabrics, than to hide them away. It’s more fun to use beautiful quilts, than hide them in a vault to keep them safe.

And guess what? If you use those beautiful fabrics that you bought and are saving for just the right project, you’ll find more beautiful fabrics. You’ll make room for new discoveries. It’s like how meditation can help clear out the cobwebs so you have room for other thoughts. When you use fabric that you’ve hidden away, it opens up space in your storage or life, for new treasures.

When we had little to spend on fabric, I got so much joy out of buying even 1/8th yard. It was often my time out of the house, when the hubs would come home and give me a break from the demands of being a mom. I would go to the quilt shop, buy a snippet of fabric. It’s all I could afford. But, it brought me great joy. A

And, then, I would save it. Not use it. It was special fabric, I should have a really special project to use it in.

Let me tell you, when I finally flipped that thinking around, and started using my favorites, it brought more joy than when I found or bought it. Because, instead of folded up in a tub, hidden away, it’s now a runner on my dresser, or a placemat, napkin or mug rug, that I see every day. And it brings that charm into my whole house, instead of hidden away in a tub.

More on how to use your fun fabrics, in the future.

Until then, you’ll find me using recycled/upcycled fabrics and brand new fabrics, on my Instagram page.

Your friend,
Anne Dovel

What about those masks?

I mentioned in yesterday’s blog post, about the masks that my dad asked me to make, but I didn’t finish, because I got on a facebook stalker rant.

Will I wear a face mask? I suppose I will, if the situation warrants it. One crafter got an earful from an Instagram blaster (those people who live only to post negativity on strangers’ feeds) saying she shouldn’t be trying to sell her cloth face masks. Why the heck not?

This is a soapbox for another day, but this goes back to the age old opinion that if you know how to sew, you ought to be willing to do it for free for those who don’t.

No. You don’t have to. I don’t go to a lawn service and ask them to mow my yard for free, because they have equipment and know how to mow so well. I don’t walk into a store and ask for everything to be free, because obviously, the store is great at procuring goods.

If it is on your heart and in your mission to sew face masks (yes, yes, yes…they are not medical grade, never will be, and yes, yes, yes… they are really to protect others from your spit, not so much the other way around and yes yes yes yes…your BEST defense against this Covid19 virus, is washing hands with soap and water while you sing the alphabet song and keeping your distance. Okay… disclaimers present) where was I? If you want to make hundreds and donate them, do.

But, here’s where I get my hackles up. When some negative, ignorant person, sitting behind a screen tells someone they shouldn’t get compensated during a crisis? Again, I say…why the heck not? It’s their time, they bought the fabric and elastic, and they have bills to pay too.

That’s my soapbox for April 7. If you want to sew and donate, do. But, if you want to sew and sell, be proud of that. You should be compensated for your time and materials. If someone says you shouldn’t, that’s their perspective.

I will say, from a marketing perspective, don’t overstock your etsy shop with masks. This time will pass. And unlike the memes that say we will all be changed after this, I don’t agree. I think those who take something from it, and decide to change, will. Others, once the crisis is over, will gradually go back to the same way they lived before. It’s always a choice.

My last soapbox on this will “air” tomorrow. It’s regarding the meme telling quilters that finally, they are using that stash. Oh, it’s a good thing I’m all alone here on my blog. And I don’t swear. Not out loud.

Your friend,
Anne Dovel

You don’t need to be on the front line of every battle

You don’t have to be on the front line of every battle. 

Friends who sew, I’m speaking of mask making specifically here. Although, I remind myself of this every time a good cause comes along. 

This month it’s masks. A few months ago, it was bags and pouches for baby animals. Then, there are baby quilts for hospitals, state patrol, fire departments, animal rescue. The list goes on. Meal trains, nursing home caroling, babysitting, painting shutters, and on and on. All good causes. 

But, you can’t do them all, and be effective where you are needed most. I can’t remember when it was, but I found myself spinning like  a top. 

In some ways it was energizing. In some ways, it was an ego booster because people would comment they didn’t know how I did it all. In reality, I was mentally and physically exhausted enough that I was forgetting things...appointments, meetings, birthdays. 

Before I run out of space, here. My encouragement to you, if you are seeing thousands of masks being sewn and you don’t have the energy or passion for it. It’s okay. You don’t have to be on the front line of every battle. 

What can happen when you jump to the front line for every thing, you run out of energy, you get burned out and then when a front line come along that is non-negotiable, will you be able to be there? 
At Christmas, my mom was in the hospital for 7 days. My siblings and I came up with a rotating schedule, so someone could always be there. She was home on Christmas Day, but when I got back to my home, with my adult boys and hubs, I told him. I love you. Merry Christmas. I didn’t make cookies or prepare a huge meal. I had been on the front line that needed me most, and now it was time for me to sit and knit and be calm. 

Yesterday, I made 2 masks for my folks. They asked. They would do anything for me. 
Choose your front lines. Don’t feel guilty. For some, making masks is keeping their hands busy, so they don’t worry as much. For others, it’s because they feel guilty. 
Do what you love and help out where you can. But, be mindful of how many front lines you are on, and where are you needed most? If you have been thrown into schooling your kids at home, and working or having others in the household suddenly working from home, you have your front line. It’s not as glorious, I know. It’s never as glorious. Posting a picture of your child finally getting their math done, and you trying to stay patient about it, doesn’t make a colorful picture. But, it’s your front line and it’s important. 

Your friend,
Anne Dovel

How I really feel about angry stalkers on facebook

I figure I’m the only one reading this, so I feel a little safer voicing my opinions. And even though I sometimes keep things to myself and just listen to others, I do have opinions, just like everyone else. Opinions and perspectives; we all have them. And a phrase that I turn to frequently, when arguments arise, is “everyone is always right from their own perspective.” That helps me slow down enough to at least consider that their perspective has merit. I’m still right from my perspective, of course.

So, this thing about the masks. I’ve made 2, for my parents who asked me for them. It appears that Nebraska will start asking people to wear them when they go out.

You would not think something so simple would cause such anger and controversy, but I think there are some people who are simply on Instagram to comment on all mask pictures that homemade masks are not medical grade. Honestly, why people think it’s okay to blast a complete stranger, from their keyboard.

I posted something on Facebook recently; a link to the American Heart Association. And within 10 minutes, someone I’ve never spoken to or with, wanted to voice her opinion and “put me in my place.” Thank you, stranger, for your perspective. And that’s how you diffuse an otherwise, harmful back and forth. I just thanked her for her perspective. And then, in my own house, I told my hubs about the incident. Because it is almost an “incident.” There was anger in her reply to my link and to my perspective.

And after that, I decided, if I ever post on Facebook again, I’ll keep it fun and snarky, as usual. Because people, I’ve found, don’t want me to post anything serious, or even thoughtful. They want to laugh, and that’s not all bad.

I do know brands that post in order to get a rise out of people, intentionally, because they know that people will get in a debate, on their post, and friends, that makes the mystical Facebook algorithms talk to each other and say, hey, there is engagement here. Let’s show this account more often. You don’t think they would do that intentionally, do you? Create a post that they know will cause debate? Yes. They will.

I don’t, however. I don’t like anger and discord as part of my brand, especially from strangers who have never engaged with me personally, or with my business. Be off with you. Go spread your “I am always right and you never will be” on your own page, instead of stalking mine only to comment when it suits your agenda.

And that, friends who are not reading this because I haven’t posted about it, is how I really feel.

Now, let’s go sew!
Your friend,
Anne Dovel

Facebook fast day 5

Today was a momentous day. I went to Facebook to tune into church, but didn’t get drawn into any scrolling. I listened to our church service on Facebook live, shared it as a watch party.

This is not the first time I’ve done some sort of facebook fast. I worked with a business mentor years ago, and she challenged me to stop being available “24/7” and in order to make a break with that habit, she told me I needed to take 72 hours off.

The first 24 hours was the most difficult, because my habit was so strong to check for emails, messages, likes, and posts. Once I settled down, I picked up an old knitting project, found books I had wanted to look through, picked up a journal and by the end of 72 hours, I had gotten to the point where I thought it would be nice to just wait a couple more hours to open up my computer and phone.

What I’m saying is, I know the drill. And each time I challenge myself in this way, it’s easier. And, I learn more about myself.

Since we have church at home now, I’ve been making sourdough waffles on Sunday. Today, I used most of my Einkorn sourdough excess and some all purpose. Einkorn makes really good pancakes and waffles, but has been a little tricky so far, in the bread department.

Today, I also made a quick trip to the garden to bury some compost, finished 4 more six-inch star blocks for a quilt that might have the most pieces that I’ve ever cut for a single quilt, and little bunny got one ear.

Tomorrow is Day 6, already!

Until tomorrow,
Anne Dovel