Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Lace Earrings...

I needed to go to the fabric store so I hopped on the bus and rode into Kahului.  The bus ride feels like something out of a Bangkok Thai film.  The loud rickety sound of the tin can bus and hitting every bump imaginable and my bum getting sorer by the second.  Thinking the entire time that at any moment the thing will tip over because the bus lady is taking every turn like a seasoned Nascar driver.  Getting off the bus alive feels like an accomplishment in itself.  And everyone on the bus quietly shifts from left to right every half second like they're on a roller coaster without the screams...am I the only person who thinks this driver can't drive!!
I arrive at the fabric store in the Mall.  It's one room not very big and lined with walls of cheesy Hawaiian print fabrics.  I love it!  There are beautiful handmade quilts lining the walls, quilting is big here on the island, and advertisements for quilting classes...I'm thinking about it.

I walk around, grab the 2 items I traveled so very far for, and decide to look at the fabric.  Nothing in here is my style but I'm intrigued.  The sweetest woman in the world, who looks like a beautiful Hawaiian Goddess in her 50s asks me if I need any help.  I don't but I really like her so I ask for the first thing I can think of...LACE.
Of course she looks at me like I'm nuts...what are you planning on making with lace in this heat?  And honestly, I have no idea.  But I'm kinda lonely here at times and she's nice, genuinely nice, so I wanna chat.
We walk over to the "Lace section" which is really 4 small bolts of fabric shoved in the corner under the green and blue tiki printed cotton polyester blends.  She presents them to me.
I am immediately drawn to a lavender color lace with the most detail I've ever seen in a fabric.  I touch it and it feels like butter, soft and delicate.  We both look at it, imagining all the lovely things we could make with this fabric.  All of this day dreaming is brought to an immediate halt when she turns the fabric over looks at the price and informs me it's 29.99 a YARD!  The possibilities shrink instantly....
Not wanting to completly dash both of our hopes I ask her if she can cut me a 1/4 yard.  I use my small voice.  Reserved for the most intimate requests.  Meaning, I'm broke and this is the most lovely fabric I've ever encountered and I don't want the fantasy to end now.  My Hawaiian Goddess completely understood and cut me a 1/4 yard, plus a little more.
I took my $7.50 worth of lace back home, holding it as if it was a cherished love letter, close to my heart, and tried to think of what I could create...
It came to me...

And I love them!
It took about 45 min to make each one, threading the lace and then delicately sewing the lace to the outside of the hoop is hard work, but sooo very rewarding! 
Let me know what you think!

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