My First Blanket

or, How the pigs got me to make them a blanket

Hello and what have we got here?

This is me keeping my promise.
I promised myself that I'd make a blanket.
That's a first for me, making a no sew flannel blanket.

It is going to be hard to give this away.
It's a Linus moment.*

How and why did I make this promise?
Here's the story and I hope you enjoy it.

Once upon a time a girl so enjoyed Charlotte's Web by E.B. White.
Ah, to be Fern and roam the grounds, talking with the animals.
It was Dr. Doolittle-ish and I was enthralled.

Fast forward to 2020, a move to a rural area and there was Arthur's Acres, an animal sanctuary. Fern's place was within reach.
People talk to the animals, learn their languages,
People smile, work hard and have a community.

I offered to volunteer. That began the connection.
Poopy scooper-I walked the fields with a bucket and shovel to scoop the poop.
It was fun. It was peaceful.
It was a time to listen and observe and be as one.

Then, I became the piggy in the blanket tidy-upper.
Gosh, did you know that pigs sleep under piles of blankets!
It's a pig sized Princess and the Pea party each night in their stalls.
Some pigs sleep within a pile of 15 blankets of various sizes.

Then, as things changed, I became a tutor to one of the residents.
I worked with TD to obtain various forms of ID that many of us take for granted. His goal was and is to obtain his GED.

Somewhere in between, I received a handmade no-sew blanket.
And a bit later, I was online ordering the material.
First time, well, that order wasn't quite right. That material is somewhere at a theater in Philly.
Second time, well they sent what I ordered, however that was my snafu.
A lot of fabric arrived.
I left it in the box and occassionally thought about making the blanket.

A month ago, the time came to begin.
I started a Play Your Way class with Delphie Joy.
I looked at the farm fabric and green fabric as play.

The day came this weekend.
Supplies:
two big pieces of flannel;
the 5" cardboard template;
the 1" cardboard template;
a pair of good scissors;
floor space;
oh and Viola, the inspector pictured in the comments.

And, unplanned, as I was working on the measuring and cutting, hubby was watching The Grinch on the television.

Now, it's done.
It's not a task anymore.
It's a warm feeling of accomplishment.

It's more, too.
That's for another time.

Off to the day's teaching, learning, donating and planning.
I'm available to share stories with our faculty, staff and students.
We can weave together a day of professional learning.

Thank you for stopping by and best wishes for your day.
Sincerely,
Hope