Needles and Pens

Every so often, someone will ask me, “Why Needles and Pens ?” Since my blog appears to be all about sewing, shouldn’t it be “pins?” It makes sense, right? But the play on words was intentional. When I started this blog, I was at a crossroads, trying to decide if I should keep plugging away at freelance writing or delve headlong into my newfound love of quilting. I thought, perhaps, that I could do both... Needles AND Pens. It seems that the quilting won out. For the past ten years, I’ve been learning and playing and experimenting and creating art in a whole new medium – and loving it. I do so little writing these days, I can’t honestly call myself a writer anymore. Still, the urge to write – really write – resurfaces now and then, in the never-ending quest to discover God’s purpose for me in this life. (Yes, I’m 45 years old and still trying to figure out what I’ll be when I grow up!) I wonder if I’m making a mistake, virtually ignoring that writing gift. I wrestle with those t...

Smorgasbord Overflowing bins Stacked high, in lofty towers Behind closet doors Multi-colored piles Yellow and green, red and blue Which shade do I feel? Pattern in my hand Motivation in my heart Now, a choice to make Satin, flannel, fleece, Cotton, velvet, corduroy Denim, woolen, knit A color, a cut, One must be chosen from this Fabric smorgasbord. Heather Haapoja © 2008

Computers can take over your life, if you let them. I’ve noticed, increasingly over the past few years, that I spend an awful lot of time in front of the screen, much of it very unproductively; playing solitaire, reading email, blog-hopping, web surfing. Had I spent all of that time writing, researching, and finding markets, my writing career may be going somewhere other than the dusty back shelf. Even worse, all that time in front of the computer would have been much better spent interacting with my family. But it’s hard when the computer resides in your main living space. Beckoned by the ever-changing wallpaper and the promise of a friendly email at the click of a mouse, I’m drawn to the screen like a magnet. And if I’m not glued to the computer, one of my kids certainly will be. It's high time the spell was broken. And so began, “The Experiment.” I’ve spent weeks now, clearing out an unused bedroom, painting, decorating, organizing, until there was only one thing left to do; mov...

This weekend I tackled the last of my sewing room projects, an unsightly stack of plastic bags containing unfinished, long-forgotten sewing projects from years gone by. Little did I know that the experience would be a perfect fit for this week's Sunday Scribblings theme, "time machine." Patterns Revisited Today I sewed sweatpants cut out in ‘01 Doll clothes from 1998 Added zipper and hem to a dress from ‘06 The progress I made, it was great. Next, some pajamas that Grandma cut out Perhaps around ‘79 She passed them to me, in about ’93, Surviving through decades of time. I sewed and I sewed, and the memories flowed, Of how all this attire got its start. Of the people, the places, the beautiful faces Some gone now, but still in my heart. It was only a project, another “to-do,” But it gained a more meaningful theme Who knew that a trusty old Singer could serve As a homemaker's time machine? 2008 © Heather Haapoja

As I contemplated the whole “passion” prompt this weekend, my thoughts turned to the things I enjoy doing, the self-fulfilling activities that bring joy into my everyday life. I found it difficult to zero in on a theme, however, so I mentioned it to my 13-year-old daughter: “Oh, that’s easy,” she said. “Really. And what would you write about?” “Music.” Of course! For her, it is easy. She eats, sleeps, and breathes music. Oh, there are other things she enjoys; her friends, her family, her pets, the occasional video game, but for the most part, it’s all about music. She sings, she plays guitar, she writes lyrics, and if she’s not singing, playing, or writing music, she’s probably online, printing out more lyrics. At this stage in her life, music is her life. It was easy for me, too, at that age. I ate, slept, and breathed horses. I spent my earliest years desperately wishing for a horse of my own, saving my every dime in a little tin box for the day my dream would come true. When it f...

A (Tooth) Fairy Tale I don’t know if there’s one tooth fairy that covers the globe every night, or if it takes a whole battalion of them to make the rounds, but I have a hunch it’s the latter, because when I was a child, the tooth fairy never failed to deliver. I’d snuggle in to sleep at night, careful not to disturb the newly-displaced tooth under my pillow, and then wake in the morning to find a shiny new quarter had taken its place. It was there every time. It was magical. But the tooth fairy assigned to my children is either dreadfully distracted or just plain slow. Or maybe there really is only one fairy and she’s become senile after all these years. Either way, she repeatedly forgets to visit in a timely manner, and more than once, I’ve had to cover her back. A disappointed child comes down for breakfast with news that the fairy was a no-show, and I have no choice but to go upstairs, rustle the covers, and “find” the missing dollar at the foot of the bed. “It was there all alo...

One of my all-time favorite authors is Dr. Seuss, so I enjoy occasionally writing something Seuss-inspired. This week’s prompt seemed like the perfect opportunity! Fridge Space (a la Seuss) One quiet day I sat watching TV What a day to relax! (But it wasn’t to be.) I heard a loud knocking Oh, who could be here? I went to the door… It was just as I’d feared. He had come unannounced (as he’s been known to do) that Cat in the Hat, and Thing One, and Thing Two! Before I could stop him He barged through the door, Nearly knocking me, shocked and dismayed, To the floor. “Oh thank you for having us! No need to fuss! You just sit in your chair there And never mind us” To the kitchen he went, With the Things at his heels, Inviting himself (and the Things) For a meal. I quietly followed To see what they’d do, The Cat in the Hat And Thing One and Thing Two. He opened the fridge And cried, “What a disgrace! This fridge is a mess! Just look at this place!” “Where are the vegetables? Where is the me...

As I contemplated this "foul" topic today, so many images came to mind. Shall I write about my foul smoking habit? My ex-neighbor with the excessively foul mouth? The stuff at the back of my refrigerator? No. I wanted to write something meaningful, something deep. For inspiration, I went to the Concordance to put the word into Biblical perspective, then to the quotations pages looking for guidance from the “great ones,” and finally to my fellow Scribblers, to gather their collective take on the subject… …and then, I was completely intimidated. Talk about talent! You see, this is my first attempt at Sunday Scribblings , and I can’t help feeling that I’m in over my head. Not only have my writing skills become rusty of late, but the depth and passion in the posts I’ve read so far has my head spinning. I know it isn’t a competition, but still there is a niggling voice in the back of my head, dripping with sarcasm, “Do you really want to make a fool of yourself? Okay then, go on...