Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Of Mattresses and Applique


rug in bedroom
Originally uploaded by ooh_food
Applique. How I do love thee, Applique! I used to look forward to "Bunty," on Mondays when I was a girl. "Bunty" was a schoolgirls' magazine/comic book. It was within those pages that I was first introduced to "Uncle Tom's Cabin," "Pocahontas" and other worthwhile reading material, as well as to the likes of "Uggy Muggy From Mars," which is, inexplicably, burned into my memory. Bunny Hill Designs Block of the Month inspires the same excited anticipation in me as "Bunty" did. I wait eagerly for the fifth of every month, and hold my breath to see what Anne S. has decided I'll be stitching, on and off for the rest of the month. I am her slave. Which is not like me. I like to blaze my own trail. I don't like to make quilts that anyone else can make. What's the point? I want what I spend hours doing to be unique. In the same way, I dislike cookie cutter houses. I want mine to be different. Cookie cutter children? Not in this family!

But I digress......

It may be that I like the discipline....I have to finish one block before the next one comes out. I need that. Anything to prevent me from constantly starting new projects, while those already underway languish in quilters' purgatory! [Was it a Freudian slip that I wrote quitters' purgatory there? And hastily corrected it!] Besides, I decide which fabrics and which colours to use, so it really will be unique!

The OC smiles indulgently. Isn't it nice that the little woman has a hobby, although, God knows, a little dusting wouldn't go astray around here. We'll be able to plant tomatoes on the book shelves soon, but it keeps her happy and off my case, so it can't be all bad.

Yes, I read minds too. Another of my fabled talents.....Now, where was I?

Ah yes. He who would like the dusting done is away for the week. My mission, in his absence, is to hunt down a new mattress set. And yes, I have made a start. Yesterday afternoon I visited two mattress stores. Customers were thin on the ground. Salesmen almost fell over themselves in their rush to my side. Not a good sales tactic, as such behaviour tends to make me want to turn and dash right back out. Better to leave me alone for a while, then sidle slyly over, so as to be available when I start to look confused. Available to spout a befuddling barrage of mattress information. More information about mattresses than a person could possibly store in her head, nine and a half percent percent of which actually registers with a brain cell in there. If you haven't been in the market for a mattress lately, let me tell you, it leads to befuddlement!

To my credit, I stood my ground and resisted the impulse to run. I listened, while most of the information washed harmlessly over my head. I even lay down obediently, and nodded sagely, if somewhat self consciously, from a reclining position at the finer points of traditional spring mattresses, and sleep numbers mattresses, and memory foam mattresses, and the dizzying variety of thicknesses and densities, the relative pros and cons of each explained to me in excruciating, mind numbing detail. Mattresses were pointed out to me that had the endorsement of the Chiropractic Association. Then there were the pillow tops, the bases, and of course, the prices. Oh my Lord, the prices!

"I only want to sleep on it!" I almost said, then thought better of it, not wanting to get into a discussion with Mr. Eager Salesman of other bed related activities. And it's true, we spend a large enough percentage of our lives sleeping, that it's probably wise to invest in something of substance and reliability. While being bamboozled with figures and statistics and prices, I made a concerted effort to look intelligent, and give the impression that I found it all fascinating. In spite of the fact that I was beginning to think my brain must be made from exactly the same high density foam about which the salesman was waxing so poetical.

I came home with a handful of business cards and a head swimming with information. The OC was very pleased when informed, last night on the telephone, of the progress made.

And now it's Tuesday, and I should sally forth again to do some further mattressy investigations. But first, I told myself, since I am being so virtuous, and loathe to venture out into the killer heat, I could do a little applique first, to bolster my resolve, as it were.

So, having made a start yesterday, I agonized for a while, today, over which fabric I should use for the flowers. Decision made [with difficulty,] I cut them out. Then I thought

"I really should go. Sooner out, sooner done."

But then I remembered that supper was ready, only to warm it up, so what's the hurry? A person could sew on at least one petal, just to see how it looks. Of course, that was so easily done, and looked so nice that a person thought she might as well sew on another. Then, there being only five petals to a flower, a person thought, if she did one more, she'd be more than half way to a finished flower.......Do you see where a person could go with this?

Exactly! All five petals are sewn on.



A person thinks they look gorgeous. So, sighing with satisfaction, she has now pushed herself away from the sewing table and is bravely heading out the door to go and look [God help us!] at more mattresses. Wish a person luck, please.......

19 comments:

Unknown said...

that block is just lovely. i love tisket a tasket, but i'm a bit biased...
and i'll have a new blog soon.
www.katiedidit.net
and how did you know it was me before the ninja kicks, hmmm? i think that's the first time i've ninja kicked anyone.
too bad it was pretend ninja kicking!!!

Stomper Girl said...

Good luck Molly. I hate that sort of shopping, where the repercussions of your decision will live with you for years to come, every day of your life. The pressure gets to me.

Oh sorry, did I just make that worse for you?

riseoutofme said...

A person is very funny this morning.... now I know why the person was unavailable yesterday ... would it be possible that the person will be finished lolling horizontally and will be at home dusting this pm?

Thimbleanna said...

Oh dear person, how I do love reading your blog! You have my sympathies on the mattress shopping -- good luck! Your block is beautiful -- I've resisted so far, but seeing those flowers...well....{closing my eyes very tightly}....

StitchinByTheLake said...

You are so entertaining Molly! I too did the mattress hunt a couple of years ago but horrors I had to buy two sets! Because of HUGE snoring issues my husband and I no longer share a bedroom (well, except occasionally said with a blushing face) so we needed two new sets. I chose the Temperpedic memory foam which I love, love, love. However, if you are at all warm natured you wouldn't want this one because it does hold in your body heat. My husband, who has a built in heater set on double high, chose a pillow top which he loves. And I can actually sleep on it too and be comfortable. In fact, it's so comfortable one friend who spent the weekend with me and slept in that room (and yes husband was away lest you think we're weird) wrote down the name and promptly went out and bought one for her bedroom at home! As to the applique - it's a favorite of mine too (behind embroidery but ahead of piecing)and I love your petals. :) I can see why you wanted to do "just one more." blessings, marlene

meggie said...

I excitedly download each block... & have not begun! What the block is, I have no idea.
Perhaps a mattress shopping expedition might spur me on!

Pauline said...

you make me chuckle - and did your luck hold? do you have a new mattress? and are all the petals in place?

Wanderlust Scarlett said...

I wish you the very best of luck, along with patience and a good dose of humor... none of my love is lost on salesmen... *ever*...

Your handiwork is quite lovely, as always!

;o)

Scarlett & Viaggiatore

Micki said...

I loved your block and your post. Good luck with the whole project! I love applique too!
Micki

raining sheep said...

I can't but laugh with glee at your posts --- the humor is just so great. When I made my quilt I loved the square by square construction. Every square was a project. It just felt soothing for some reason. (and...I don't dust...I pay some other poor soul way too much money to do it for me)

Anonymous said...

Good luck with the mattress hunting. Your vack will thank you for it. Think of the amazing work you will be able to do when you wake each day rested, refreshed and pain free :)

heartinsanfrancisco said...

My rule is that the person who desires the dusting be done is the person who should do said dusting.

As long as the unctuous salesmen don't offer to lie down next to you as you recline on one mattress after another, you can probably abide the process.

And yes, the flowers are gorgeous, like all your projects.

heartinsanfrancisco said...

Rhubarb,

What's a "vack?" I certainly hope I have one, too, and that it is properly grateful.

persiflage said...

Good luck with the bed buying, Molly. It must be the season! Bed buyers are everywhere - well, actually they are in the furniture shops, testing, testing testing. The reason is that here we are having end of financial year sales and the prices are reduced by about 40%.
My new 'ensemble' is to be delivered in two days. I am afraid I did not research very intensively, but did lie down on several, before opting for a softer mattress.
Dr P grumbled about it all, but now appears to be reconciled to the expenditure, saying that just because he grumbles (very loudly) it does not mean I can't go out and buy it (or whatever). I am glad he has clarified that small matter.
Last week I moved the old bed to see what lay beneath, and as I suspected, it was not a pretty sight. Dust lay thick and black. So that is all vacuumed up, and I need not blush on Tuesday when the bed is delivered.
I admire the beautiful sewing! You are clever!

Pam said...

A very gigglish post, Molly. And pretty pictures. How nice it must be not to have to work. Ah, but then, I'm not going to have to work for seven weeks, starting on Friday. So then what will my excuse be for not being creative???

silfert said...

You know, if you cut out five MORE petals, you'd have a nice little start on a matching pillow...

jkhenson said...

loved the applique, Molly!! Glad you let yourself have fun instead of mattress shopping or, ack, dusting! It will be nice to have indoor tomatoes, in that dust, don't you think?? :)

PBS said...

Oh that's very pretty! Pressure-shopping isn't usually very fun, hope you got through it OK.

Anonymous said...

Much more fun doing applique than shopping Molly! I ventured pout on the mattress purchase adventure recently,visiting many places. The day after we purchased from elsewhere, a family firm rang to say had we decided anything.Felt I really shouldn't have to explain the why's and where's and when's to them as requested, but it's competitive out there, and in this economic climate I think they were dissappointed not to get our custom. Sales eh! I'm glad I'm not in that area.Not pushy enough.