Running the Sewing Machine

The afternoon goes on while I am working on my second Bundaflicka bag of the day. When life gives you a lot to handle - sew bags to contain it all! The first Bundaflicka bag was born when I was teaching knitting and quilting in a summer program in Morristown, NJ. Yes, George wintered over there, in the cozy Ford mansion while his army froze across town at Jockey Hollow encampment. My kids grew up playing in the reconstructed huts. Well, my assistant, Mia's best friend, Lisa Palmer, was going to Mexico on vacation and needed a new tote bag. There we were with mountains of fabric, machines and cutting tables. I whipped up a bag for her and she said it had to have some kind of closure. We had femo clay in the classroom and the signature heart button was born. The rest is history. Since I have become a fan of the movie, "Signs," (M. Night Shamalamadingdong's story of the kid who had asthma so the aliens couldn't kill him with the poison gas? You know the movie?) I have come to believe there are reasons why we do things like start making tote bags, soap, taking pictures for notecards, etc. When the going gets rough I sit down and sew. By the grace of god, people have been laying down money for my bags for six, eight years or so! Last year at Rhinebeck there was a constant flow of bags out of my booth. That money was used to start my barn apartment, which is about half done. I pray it is done soon because the melting frozen pipes have flooded the trailer. The reality show goes on and on...