Threads



What to do with empty thread spools?

 

 

Recently, I've been sewing and sewing.

I bought a new machine last autumn after suffering for over 30 years with an inexpensive but somewhat faulty machine that had been a wedding gift from 3 of my old girl friends from college. I was too sentimental to part with it regardless that it had a terrible tendency to mangle stitches into an unrecognizable form. Finally, I decided I really wanted a machine I could actually use, especially after seeing what 20, 000 yen (about US $200) gets you these days. I knew that was less than my friends had paid so long ago for a simple machine that could straight stitch, zig zag, and make a button hole. My new machine has some 27 stitches but is still considered a rather simple machine as it doesn't have computer controlled options! I've been going through spool after spool now that I've got some fancy action to work with but a trip to the store shocked me with what thread sells for in today's Japan. I came away with a small bag of a few spools and was the equivalent of about $40 lighter in pocket! Wow! Well, gee, I don't even feel like throwing away empty plastic spools if that is what thread goes for these days.





Back in the 1970s, thread cost about 50 cents per spool or 5 for a $1 on sale in the USA!








So, how to re-purpose rather boring old spools that are mostly plastic?

I have 2 small granddaughters so maybe I could make some toys for them. Spool snakes are a classic. But, well, I hate snakes and I found a dehydrated mamushi pit viper out in my car park a few days ago. Yuck. Nope, don't want to think about snakes by making one!


Hmmm... Maybe I could make something decorative... I tried adding some patterned tape, some stamps, some beads, some patterned washi paper but they still looked sort of boring and rather just like what they'd started out as -- empty spools.

Many Japanese people love wind chimes in the summer. But, I find them annoying. Bing, bing, bing... Just as I try to snooze the noise irritates my senses as do the whining of the summer cicadas. I'm glad none of my neighbors have hung a wind chime this season. But something that moves in what little breeze there is could make me feel a sense of swirling air, light-hearted coolness, relaxed ... So how about making a mobile that looks like Japanese lanterns? Certainly my first attempts at re-purposing my spools looked a bit like lanterns, I thought. Over the past few days I've been experimenting with my idea. Here is what I came up with. How do you like it?

 

Feeling Thankful

Nearly 5 weeks ago, I had major surgery for Grade 1 endometrial cancer. I had gone into surgery with a preliminary diagnosis of "complex atypical endometrial hyperplasia", which is a pre-cancerous stage, but knowing very well that it could actually have already progressed to cancer. I spent 15 days in the hospital recovering from the complications encountered during surgery of severe adhesions from endometriosis that fused my intestines to other surrounding organs. That hadn't shown up on MRIs or CTs scans and came as a surprise to my surgeon so what was to have been a 1 to 2 hour operation turned into a 5 hour surgery. I was really grateful to the Dr. who watched my case closely over 6 years and jumped on things aggressively as soon as abnormal cells showed up in what had become a routine endometrial biopsy over years of perimenopausal hormone imbalance; the surgically team who compassionately took care of me in the operating theater; the devoted and kind Japanese nurses who worked hard day and night watching over the in-patients in the ward and kept me comfortable as I recovered enough to finally go home.

I was also grateful to friends who gave me support in the form of Kindle book gifts, "get well" cards, flowers, small presents, and snacks. One friend lent me some DVDs to watch as I recovered and another lent me a CD player and made a gift of some CDs to help me pass some time in the hospital, too. I wanted to do something special to thank my friends and decided to make some "thank you" cards as I'm still housebound. Sorting through some craft supplies I had at home, I found nice origami paper made of washi, colorful printed origami paper, and post card sized paper. With scissors and a bit of glue, I set to work. Over the course of 2 days, I created 19 unique floral cards to send to 19 special friends as thanks. I was pleased with the final result.

But, I had to wait a few days to post them. I'm still restricted to how far I can walk and part of the trip would have involved hilly streets that might have been too challenging. Rainy weather is forecast over the next few days and I worry that my friends will open an envelop of mushy contents! But, I didn't want to spoil the surprise.