Friends
/Do you have friends that are more like family? Good friends are the family we get to choose! Ron and I are so blessed to have an amazing variety of good friends!
This past week, my daughter Steph and I traveled to Lake Powell to help one of our lifelong friends re-do the window coverings on their houseboat.
One thing I’ve learned through the years, you can have fun no matter what you are doing. We had so much fun working our guts out on this project.
We unpicked the old draperies and re-used the design side because it was in such good shape even after 20 years!
You can’t find this type of fabric anymore, and it matches the boat and the Lake Powell Anasazi vibe perfectly. The lining and cording was trashed though and needed to be replaced.
We worked hard, laughed hard, ate delicious food prepared by our friends, listened to great music, watched some fun movies, watched our church’s semi-annual General Conference, and completed a normally unpleasant task with smiles on our faces and a sense of accomplishment.
Our grandparents would be proud to see how we re-used the existing fabric to make it look new again. “Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without.” I enjoyed looking out the windows at the beauty that surrounded us as I sat working at my sewing machine.
It was the perfect combination uniting the beauty of nature with the God given gift of creativity.
My sewing machine has now been on more than one airplane, traveled to many homes of out-of-state friends, and can now add a houseboat on Lake Powell to the list. Some people take a stuffed animal with them on their travels, it appears I take my sewing machine!
I wish I had taken pictures of all the places it has traveled and served me well. By the way, if you’re looking for the perfect little workhorse sewing machine, the Bernina 1008 is a great choice. Sadly they are no longer making them, but you can find them online at times, and they are worth the purchase. They have all metal parts, and the patented Bernina bobbin system which produces a beautiful stitch on both sides of the fabric. My favorite Bernina store is Dave’s Bernina in Provo and St. George, Utah. Give them a call and see if they have any used Bernina 1008’s. Dave’s is also a good place to take your machine to have it cleaned and tuned up.
Back to the Lake Powell project, everyone jumped right in and gave it their all. In the end, we made new cloth Roman shades for nine windows, and pinch pleat draperies for two sliding glass doors.
I had high hopes of getting all the windows done on the boat, but that will have to wait for another time, we’ll get the other seven smaller windows done at the end of the summer season.
When you’re with people you love, and everyone is doing their part, even the most unpleasant jobs can bring joy and LIGHT into our lives!
This day I am grateful for good friends, I love you all more than words can say!!! Look for something in your home this week to re-furbish and re-use, and remember it’s a lot more fun working on these types of projects with a friend! It brings a great sense of accomplishment to give something old, new life!
Have a great week, and look for the LIGHT! It’s there, even in the midst of stormy weather and white capped water!
Love Ya, Les :)