Support Your Local Library

I have been busy this week getting ready for our annual Fiber Artist Show and Sale.  It takes place in at our local library.  I was reminded recently of a blog I wrote concerning city libraries and I thought I would repost it.  After reading it you might want to take a trip to your library.

Our Fiber Artist group recently moved our meetings to our Local library.  It made me realize that local libraries are not just for checking out books.  Now not all libraries are like the one in my town which offers many of the services I will mention below but I bet your library has some features you did not even realize.

There are, of course, the books.  Is there a book you want to read but don’t want to buy?  See if your library has it.  If you would prefer an electronic book, many libraries now offer those types of books for free.

Is there a book you want to read but your library doesn’t have it?  See if they offer interlibrary loan.  This is a service many libraries subscribe to where they can get from another library a book they might not have on their shelves.  I use it all the time when I want to buy a book but I want to look at it first and my local library or book store doesn’t have it.  You should know that some libraries won’t lend out their books to other libraries until after they are about 6 months old.  They want their patrons to have first use of the books. But it is a great way to read books

With video rental stores going out of business right and left, the library is a place to check out old or new DVDs.  Sometimes there is a small fee but usually the service is free.  So if you ever want a movie night but don’t want to go out to the theaters, check out you local library.  In the summer our local library has free movies for the kiddos.  Movies keep them entertained and cool at the same time. 

Services for children are another perk of a library.  Just checking out books can be an adventure for a little one.  I have heard many people talk about going to the library as a child with their parents, grandparents or even on their own.   And many libraries offer special programs for the kids in the summer.  Our local zoo usually brings small animals to the library and talks about them with the kids.   In the summer there are often reading programs.  If you read so many books, you get a prize at the end of the summer. 

Our library offers classes for free.  We have quilting and crochet classes.  I taught needle felting at my library.  They even offer yoga and meditation classes.  Some libraries even are able to provide the supplies for the classes for free. 

Interested in genealogy or local history?  A lot of libraries have special rooms that provide a lot of the books and records needed for this.

Some libraries have speakers or displays that might be of interest.  Our Fiber Artist group just had a fiber show at our library.  It was great and it was free.  I have attended a lot of community talks and programs at the library.  And it is a place to have a local group meet.

I bet there are things your library offers that I haven’t even mentioned here.  So don’t think your library is just for books.  Go there and see what it has to offer to you.  Libraries are great place to visit and enjoy. 

©2018, 2019 Cheryl Fillion

Another Re-user Idea

If you are one who sews or knows someone who sews, one thing you will have a lot of is thread spools, especially empty ones.  Well don’t throw them out.  Here is a way to use them that will give them a whole new purpose.  It is also something the kids can help with and make some Christmas gifts at the same time.  You will need a spool, any size will do, some yarn and a little bit of fabric, a darning or plastic craft needle plus some glue.

spool

If your spool has some writing on the edge like the thread company name, color number and amount of thread, you might want to cover that up.  You don’t have to but I did.  I used a marker to cover the lettering.  If you have craft paint that will work too but let it dry thoroughly before you go further. 

spool with edge painted

Measure the area where the thread would be from one end or the other, this is how wide you want to cut your fabric strip.  You can measure the circumference of the center part of the spool and cut the fabric to fit.   I just glued one end and then wrapped it around leaving a little lap over and then trimmed the fabric piece.  Make sure you use enough glue and let it dry thoroughly.

fabric measured for center of spool

Fabric glued

             

The yarn will be the loop for your ornament and also a bit of a tail at the bottom.  Determine how long you want your loop add two more lengths if the spool (you will double the yarn when you insert it in the spool hole) and then the length you want for the tail (remember to double this as well). You actually want to cut more than you need because you will be making knots to hold the yarn in place when it is on the spool.  You can always trim it later.

spool and yarn

Then with a darning needle or plastic craft needle, thread the yarn through the hole of the spool.  Now so the yarn wouldn’t come loose, I tied a knot at each end.  I actually did a double knot to make it fit over the hole.  If that doesn’t work, you could add a big bead at each end to keep the yarn in place when you hang the ornament.

spool threaded with yarn

Finished ornament

                                                   

These are great for children to do (young ones might need a little help). These ornaments are wonderful gifts for grandparents, teachers or if you make enough of them for a holiday craft sale.  They use empty spools, scraps of fabric and yarn which are then kept out of the land fill.  Try one and then make many more.

©2019  Cheryl Fillion  

If You Want To Do It, You Can

I teach psychology at a local junior college.  Our textbook ends with a chapter on health psychology.  Health psychology is the study of how people take care of (or don’t take care of) their health and ways to improve health.  It is one of my favorite chapters.

One section talked about changing a bad health habit like smoking or not exercising for a good one.  The first step is to make an intention (like setting a goal) to change the behavior.  The next step is having a positive attitude about the new behavior and also (step number 3) of having a supportive social group who will cheer you on. And finally believing you can make the change happen.

Now the textbook was talking about changing bad health habits but I told my students it also works with doing anything even learning a new skill.  I have people tell me all the time with whatever I do with needle work that they could never do.  And actually they are right, they can’t; at least not with the negative attitude that they can’t do it. 

If you want to learn a new skill whether it is embroidery or quilting or punchneedle or running a marathon, you can if you have a positive attitude that you can do it.  Now I will admit that sometimes it is hard and it may take a long time. 

Sometimes you even have to have the right teacher which you may not find out you need until you get the wrong teacher. I did embroidery for years but it wasn’t until recently with a member of our quilt guild teaching a workshop on embroidery that I finally mastered the stem stitch.  It is not my best stitch but I am improving.

But if you have the attitude of I can’t do it, then you won’t even try. And if you don’t try, you won’t be able to do whatever IT is.  But remember just because you can’t do it now, doesn’t mean you will never do it.  If it is something you really want to do, don’t give up.

And that is where step 2 comes in, have a group of supportive people around you who will encourage your trying.  They will cheer you on when you succeed  and pick you up when your first attempt might not be your best.  If they know it is something you want, they can help you find the teachers or opportunities to accomplish your goals.

So try anything you want, just remember to have a positive attitude about your new skill and don’t ever give up.

©2019 Cheryl Fillion

Take Time Off

Every year I ask myself what I want for my birthday.  Often it is a book or a piece of fabric or some new quilt pattern.  But this year when I asked myself that question, the answer that popped in my head was Time. 

My summer started with teaching a new class at the college where I worked.  There was so much preparation involved that I hadn’t had time to do much needlework.  I missed that.  So I have planned my birthday celebration to spend the day sewing and stitching; doing everything that involved a needle and thread.

And it is all going to be fun stitching.  Nothing for my etsy shop, just things for me and fun things for me so also no clothes.   Sometimes you have to make special plans to set aside time to do stitching.  We are all so busy these days; it is hard to work it in to our schedule. 

If you don’t make time for the things you enjoy then as the old saying goes life is all work and no play.  And you need play.   As I write this, I am planning on giving my last lecture for this summer session and it is on health psychology.  Much of that deals with managing stress.  One of the suggestions is to take a break from your normal routine. 

Taking a break actually improves your health, especially if that break is from work.  It gives your brain a chance to rest.  And studies show your performance and thinking is better when you have taken a break   If you are working all the time, your adrenaline goes up which takes a toll on your cardiovascular system.  So taking a break allows your whole body to relax.  And when you are doing something you enjoy, well that just makes you happy and there is nothing wrong with being happy.

So I have planned my birthday around stitching for fun.  I also added a little summer theme of flamingos.  I love flamingos.  So I have various projects with flamingos on them and I think I will work on those.  I bought myself some flamingo fabric at the last quilt show to make a little summer quilt. To me that is a quilt with no batting. It gets hot here in Texas but sometimes when the air conditioning starts up and I am sitting under the ceiling fan I get a little chilled so this little quilt can keep me from shivering.  

I also bought a little flamingo cookie cutter to use with needle felting but haven’t used it yet.  So I am going to make myself a felted flamingo ornament to hang near my computer.   I want to try to stitch a little flamingo necklace in a heart shaped mini hoop I bought for myself.  And maybe try my hand at doing some cross stitch (I haven’t done that in years) to finish a small flamingo picture I bought on my birthday last year.

I am hoping by the end of the day, I will have some new flamingos to enjoy (and share with you) and be a little more relaxed when the second summer semester starts the next week.  Think about giving yourself the gift of time for your birthday.  And spend the day indulging in something you enjoy.

©2019 Cheryl Fillion