Since moving into our new house, we have done a lot of upgrades, one of which was replacing all the windows throughout the house. Since they were installed and finished, I’ve been working on window coverings. Some are for heat retention, some for privacy.
Having quite a good “stash” of fabrics, and after looking around at all the local suppliers for ready-made window coverings, I have decided I can create what I want more satisfactorily and for less cost. Have I mentioned that I don’t like making draperies? Or that my skills at measuring are ok but I seldom use them, preferring to rush through and get it done rather than achieve perfection! Terrible to admit, but that’s the way it is.
This time however, I’ve been quite diligent in measuring and cutting, in the sincere hope that I will never have to do this again and these will last until I personally don’t care anymore.
I have a delightful little Olfa Rotary cutter designed for cutting perfect circles of just about any size. http://www.olfa.com/Default.aspx?snLocation=2 It was doing well, but needed a new blade. So I proceeded to insert that new blade. All was going well until the unit slipped out of my hand……and my instinctual reaction was to catch it. And catch it I did…..with two fingers and a thumb and quite firmly. This is like catching a round razor blade; instantly blood was flowing. My granddaughter looked up at my exclamation and said “Grandma! You’re getting blood everywhere!” (Thankfully none of it was on the drapery….a miracle in itself.)
We dashed off to the washroom to get tissue and Band-Aids, but the forefinger just would not stop bleeding. I was sorry to have to decide that we needed to go to the emergency ward as I was pretty sure I needed stitches.
So off we go to the hospital. My granddaughter took great pleasure in using my cell phone to call her father, two provinces away, to tell him we are on our way to the hospital. He was so relieved when he found out it wasn’t because she’d been hurt, that he didn’t ask what I’d done till the next day! She called my oldest son, her uncle and an hour away, to tell him the story. He wanted to speak to me and she said with intense disdain “Uncle Kris, she can’t talk to you while she’s driving, and besides, she only has one hand.” He chuckled about that. She called my youngest son, three hours away, and told him all about it as well. She was enjoying being the bearer of such exciting news! We got to the hospital, me dreading the usual three to four hour wait, especially on a Friday evening. I was amazed to be in a room being looked after within 20 minutes. The Dr. and the male nurse were wonderful with my little girl…..the doctor offered to let her sew Grandma up ….since we were in the sewing room together she must know how? She declined that privilege to my great relief. After four stitches in one finger and two in the thumb, as well as a tetanus shot, we were on our way. The nurse said she should look after her Grandma….she said “I will” and managed to look like she had the weight of the world on her shoulders!
We were on the way home and she wanted to phone her friend who was also spending the weekend with her Grandma. I said no it was a bit late to call by now. She said “Oh, I was just wondering if she was having fun with her Grandma or if she had to go to a hospital too! Maybe it’s just my luck.” I wasn’t sure if she was saying her evening had been exciting or if she thought her friend might be having a better time! I enjoyed her comments so much. She’s seven and amazes me with the observations she will come out with. She did call her dad and all the uncles again to give them the end of the story! And here are the draperies completed, hung up and serving their purpose well. Don’t those grommets look great? I should trim that thread that’s hanging there off though!
