Ridiculous me

This is going to sound absurd no matter how I write it, so let me just begin.

Martha Stewart needs to hire me.

OK, so we probably all feel that way, and, like I said, I’m ridiculous. But when I opened the new issue of Martha Stewart Living yesterday and saw a project I JUST DID THE DAY BEFORE, it sealed the deal. Martha, I’m all yours.

The project in question isn’t rocket science, and it’s something we’ve probably all been doing since the third grade: braiding fabric scraps. The Martha folks came up with all sorts of new uses for braided fabric, including using the braids as shoe laces and, um, wrist cuffs (keep reading).

Here’s the whole story. Lucky you, huh?

When my friends visited for the Farm Chicks Show last month, I’d purchased them each a couple of welcome-to-Spokane gifts, including bottles of local wine. To make them look a little bit cowboy, I braided some strips of fabric and tied them to the bottles’ necks.

Fast forward six weeks: the braids got left behind and have been sitting on my kitchen counter ever since.

A colleague from The Spokesman-Review called yesterday to ask about the kids’ crafts I’m planning to lead at the upcoming North Idaho Fair. She wanted to make sure we were on the same page:

Bark boats, inspired by Rhythm of the Home? Check.

(10 points if you can name the Spokane pond pictured there.)  

Newspaper mobiles, inspired by the Queen of Tarte, Kayte Terry and myself? Check.

Nature crowns, following Maya Made’s instructions? Check.

 

And then my colleague asked, what about the wrist cuffs you’d mentioned? I thought you were planning on making those, too.

The wrist cuffs … right … well, no, maybe … um … (and then I spotted the fabric braids on the counter). Yep! We’re still doing wrist cuffs. I’ll send you a photo in two minutes.

Ta da! Panicky phone calls are the mother of invention.

OK, so they need a little refinement before the make-and-take booth debut ...

I guess the whole point of this post is that when you see me (self-conscious, ridiculous me) putting up pictures of kids making these in late August, you will most definitely know that I did NOT rip off the idea from Martha. The other projects, well, yes, I’m borrowing those. But the braided wrist cuffs are mine, all mine. (And the millions of other adults who’ve been braiding fabric scraps since the crafty ‘70s.)

Got it, Martha? Good.

Cawl me, K?

 

Comments

[gladys hanning]

Love It! Good ole Martha has been copying me for years! Hee! Hee! xoxo Glad & Cel/Junebug Design

[twirling betty]

Not ridiculous! At least in this case it's a case of great minds (do we concede that as a collective Martha's minions are a great mind? Probably) thinking alike, rather than Martha using your project as, ahem, "inspiration". I've seen a few blogs that rightfully felt Martha had been "inspired" by them.
Anyhoo, I won't chat on now in case Martha calls...is that the phone I can hear?

[Hollie Eastman]

Hilarious!! You are quite creative and come up with many ideas that I marvel at! Keep them coming=)
Love
Hollie
funky junk