As If I Needed More...

My sorted tie collection pre recent addition

The muse has been good about not pressuring me while I've been focusing on recovering from my shoulder issues. But she must have noticed me pausing on the way to my laptop, being drawn again to some things up on my design wall a couple of weeks ago. Pausing long enough that I was actually THINKING about what I'd tentatively planned to do with that batik and that silk tie and could I get started on that yet. Nope, not yet but maybe soon. So last weekend when the air cleared so I could resume my daily walks that take me past a charity shop, and I stifled as I often have to the urge to side trip in to check on silk ties, she must have made the side trip herself.

Because the next trip past, she was very urgent about the need for me to take a swing through the shop. What's the harm, I thought, as I never carry my wallet on me on these walks. I also check for leather clothing that I might get for cheap, and having issues that might make them unwearable but ok to cut up for book making projects (no, I've never actually found the right thing to buy yet). So I started as far away from the silk ties as I could, check every other corner of the store that might harbor something I "need" and ultimately found myself in front of the tie rack.

Oh muse! No wonder you were so insistent! Front and center was an unworn, still in the wrappings Jerry Garcia tie - something I particularly look for and occasionally find. A quick check showed there were other silk ties of interest, so I moved (hid) the Garcia tie behind the rest and planned to return the next day. If nothing else, I'd buy that one with the 20% off coupon I had from donating some stuff I no longer needed.

So I had 24 hours to think about this. Lord knows I have plenty of silk ties to work with (I'm afraid to see just how many; ok fine, I have to know: 66 plus good size sections left over from 11 ties I had taken apart and worked into my art quilts - not as bad as I feared.) and haven't been making the sorts of things lately that calls for them. How do I justify adding more to the pile, when the last bagful I brought home are still in the bag? Then I remembered that I usually treat myself to a birthday present by finding something at our local August Arts and Crafts Fair. But I didn't go this year because of the smoke and my shoulder. I also remembered that earlier this year I'd looked at those new wool pressing mats (has anyone tried one?) at the biggish quilt shop in the biggish city where I have my car serviced and some doctor appointments. I quipped to the sales clerk that they were pretty expensive, but then again, I had this birthday coming up in August so maybe I'd treat myself to one then - I knew I'd be back in August for one of those appointments. But that appointment got canceled because of my shoulder. Hey! I'm due a birthday present to myself. The ties will be it!

But with one caveat, I silently made myself promise as I diverted from my walk to enter the store. You may buy these but only if you actually use ANY of your ties in a project fairly soon. Or maybe that was the muse laying down the law. She let me walk away with 10 - a modest haul by my usual standards - exciting graphic designs and one light green one that caught the light like none of the others. I'm already getting ideas...

My charity shop haul