Connected

I very rarely buy anything online, especially after reading a Mother Jones article on the atrocious working conditions at the warehouses that fulfill online orders.  All those really good deals you get at Amazon and other large online stores are basically taken out of the flesh of the employees.  This isn't to say that all online purchases are bad - some are from small businesses - and some you can only find at the big places.  But it doesn't hurt to think about the connection between your order and the person fulfilling it before you click "add to cart".

That being said, last month I made my first online purchase of sewing items.   I had heard through my quilting guild that Connecting Threads had very good thread.  I was running out of my colored thread and had pretty much decided I should buy better quality than the lowest-priced brand I had been buying at a large chain store in town. 

My timing was good.  I ordered during Connecting Thread's 30% off sale, so I splurged and bought four collections.  Each spool has 1200 yards.  It was hard convincing myself  to open the first spool and use it.  This is related to the I-can't-cut-this-beautiful-fabric syndrome.  I mustered up my willpower and logic, and dug in.  So far I used Apricot (top row right) on my Dress Form quilt, and Red (second row, second from right) on Oversaturated.  (By the way, I finished Oversaturated this week and will be showing it to you next week.)

Note to piggy: I see your little foot sneaking in there.  I sincerely hope the thread isn't rearranged (or worse) when I get back to the sewing room.

As long as I was putting in an order, I couldn't resist Work and Play.  These embroidery patterns are newly drawn, circa 2010, inspired by 1950s transfer embroidery.   

I think this will be the first one I do.  The ironing board reminds me of one I found last fall and now am enjoying in my sewing room.  I'm going to do my embroidery in multi-colors instead of redwork.

Last fall I lucked out and found twenty eight 1950s-era transfer embroidery blocks at an antique store.  I felt connected to them because this is exactly what my neighbor used when she taught me how to embroider.  I specifically remember doing a duck with eggs, and accidentally sewing the panel to my shirt as I hunkered down in fierce concentration.  I was in awe as she carefully removed the stitches, thus freeing me.  I wasn't exactly sure of my fate when I first noticed the panel and I were literally connected.

My research tells me these are Wonder Art stamped vintage embroidery linens.  They were sold in the 1950s at Kresge and Woolworth dime stores.  I wish we still had dime stores.  They evolved with the times as they opened large discount chains.  Kresge --> Kmart; Dayton's --> Target; Woolworth --> Woolco (now out of business).  Plus we now have Dollar Stores and large craft chains like JoAnn and Michael's, so it's not like we don't have enough choices.

There are a few Ben Franklin stores in southern Wisconsin.  I think I should go check them out and see if I really should be nostalgiac or not!!