Unpicking-a metaphor for life..or..Man's Inhumanity to man

Really man's inhumanity to man has nothing to do with this post, it's just a throw back to high school AP English. I figured if I was going to use the word "Metaphor" I might as well use the phrase - "man's inhumanity to man".

I didn't finish a single book in A.P. English. That's right, not one. But I did pretty well in the class because on every test for every book I wrote that the theme was.........man's inhumanity to man.

Anyway......

What this post is really about is the UNPICKING and then UNPICKING again. What I thought was going to be a no big deal project to help a friend turned into a VERY BIG DEAL project this week. Especially when this little one got her first ear infection.

Here she is finally...FINALLY, asleep on the floor in the family room after being awake and crying most of the night.

And after getting antibiotics and Motrin (LOVE the Motrin). She finally was happy again and loved wearing her dad's hat. (Go Wildcats!)

So back to the unpicking. The project was a costume for a friend's, daughter's, high school choir. The dress part wasn't so bad and came together fairly quickly but the bodice/vest was a pain. I hate velvet!!! Hate is such a strong word but right now that's really how I feel. It moves and squishes in the wrong direction and then I have to unpick and try again, and then unpick again. My mantra became,

"Yours is not to reason why, just unpick and reapply!" (another throw back to school days - Mr. Carrigan the math teacher's rule for dividing fractions, "Yours is not to reason why just invert and multiply")

So after unpicking the bodice THREE times I finally got it to work out and I gained new respect for my mother. (Mom - THANK YOU for making me not one, but TWO velvet dresses. I really didn't know what I was doing to you and if I had known sewing on velvet was such a pain I never would have asked. So Thank you again and I'm sorry.)

After I finally got the bodice sewn together then it was time to put the grommets in on the bodice and arm bands - a pain too- and apply the trim. It turned out OK.....Here's the finished product.

I finished the project with a new respect and gratitude for my seam-ripper. In those long hours (literally - not figuratively) of unpicking I had the chance to wax philosophical about unpicking and I became grateful for do-overs in life. I could say a lot more on this subject but I don't think I really need to because I'm sure everyone is painfully aware of their mistakes and we're all glad when we get a chance to unpick and try again.

On a lighter note here's some short videos of the "babe" who thinks she's so big now. She found her sister's Easter Basket and likes to carry her toys in it and she found her brother's kid's k'nex and loves to put them together now. In the video where she's dancing that's what's in her hands and notice how she's got the nail through your shoe dance move down!!!

Enjoy!