Sep 6, 2012

"Your Wish-Fulfillment Fairy"

Would you like to hear a good story?

This is my good friend, Sheri. We've known each other since our kids were tiny (we both had three preschoolers). Frequently that creates a bond that lasts through separation and time. Back in the day she watched my three littles so I could work a part-time job with Japanese exchange students... and would never let me pay her.

jeans apron sheri

I'm Sheri's friend on Pinterest so when she pinned this recently it came up on my *wall*.

jeans apron wish

Sheri has many talents (like entertaining 6 preschoolers!) but she doesn't like sewing or crafts and says that JoAnn's Fabrics gives her the jibbles! (My word, not hers... and BTW it is pronounced- hay-BEL-les. Think Spanish!) I don't usually think much about this sort of thing but for some reason this plea just jumped off the page at me.

This time *I* got to be the wish-fulfillment fairy.  I hoard old jeans like nobody else.  A pair of jeans has never willing left my house.  If they are no longer wearable they go on the shelf for my *next-great-idea*!  So I just happened to have a pair of gently-used jeans that no longer fit Gordon.

jeans apron

A quick look turned up *just the right amount* of jumbo rick-rack to girlify the pockets... but, hey, this is a jeans apron... I needed to preserve as much of the jeans personality as possible. I just happened to be a very good reverse-SEWer (not sewer, eeww!) I've had LOTS of practice ripping out seams. True story! I moved this label from the back seam of the pants to the pocket.

jeans apron pocket

While I was in that general vicinity with my seam ripper and razor-blade I saw the leather label and knew it needed to make the move as well. It now lives on the back of the apron.

jeans apron label

Ah, and my newest craft-obsession? You guessed it! It needed a froo-froo flower.

jeans apron flower

I mailed yesterday morning on my way to the Temple so when my phone rang this evening and I saw that it was Sheri I knew the package had arrived.

Now here's the happy-ending part... she'd had a terrible, horrible, very bad day. Everything conspired against her starting with a math class that makes her "brain bleed" and eyes leak! And it was cloudy all day to boot! She found the package on the counter but couldn't recognize the handwriting (hey... I have fairy-good writing!) as she opened the package and drew out the apron the sun burst through the clouds AND out of the package! "Sunshine from the mailbox!"

I'm so grateful that I could be His Hands in this good work.

3 comments:

Cindy Garber Iverson said...

How cool is that! You were truly an instrument in the Lord's hands to bring a spot of sunshine to her day. The apron is so cute. But more importantly, it was sewn with love.

Sarah E Boucher said...

That is super fun :) You are always doing lovely things like this auntie!

troutdalite said...

what a sweet story for my sweet friend Sheri! I too love to recycle. Love the apron! Love your timing!!
Dulsanna