They came bearing gifts.
My three fresh-faced crafters - one Nervous and Quiet, another Mature and Polite and her younger sister grinning with barely concealed EXCITEMENT - brought a huge bag full of fabric goodies...and a cushion. Not just any cushion but a ma-HOOSIVE cushion "I'd like to make a cover for THIS!", Mature and Polite announced with a flourish and a winning smile.
How could I resist a challenge put so optimistically!
These lovely girls, eager to learn how to use a sewing machine properly and make something useful in the process, descended upon my kitchen workshop one Tuesday during half term.
As the day progressed their confidence developed as the projects they had merely imagined began to take shape. We talked of favourite subjects at school and ballet vs contemporary dance and Roald Dahl's Revolting Recipes. We imagined a world where you could sew only using strawberry laces for thread (don't ask). Meanwhile Nervous and Polite was morphing into another entirely different character - Excitable and Curious - whose favourite phrase became "but what's the point of that"? Fortunately I knew the answers. Honest.
After a break (my trio had scurried home for lunch "to give you a rest" as one of their mothers succinctly put it) all three bundles of energy bounded back inside to finish their projects.
A couple of hours later a MASSIVE cushion cover, a colourful Kindle Bag with a strap and an hand-appliqued Tote Bag emerged. I was so pleased with their application and their relentless efforts. But, more importantly, they were thrilled and couldn't wait to show off their creations at home!
A Half Term Tuesday very well spent.
Tiring? No doubt but worth every moment. Nothing beats that sense of pride in creating something from scratch and learning a new skill - or passing one on. Priceless.
What about you? Have you made something you're really proud of? What gives you a sense of fulfilment?