I’m tired. And I doubt I’ll be slowing down or catching my breath anytime soon. I just spent the weekend at my sewing machine making 12 pillows and 30 pennant banners that shipped out early yesterday morning to Rockford Illinois. Urban Farmgirl is having an event next Saturday and all this stuff is headed there. I can’t wait to see the banners adorning the barn there.
Have you ever wondered how long it takes to make one 20 foot pennant banner? I don’t have a total time for you but I do know that it takes 15 minutes to sew the triangles into the binding of ONE 20 foot banner. That is after the triangles are sewn together and the binding is made. Yes, I made the binding. The cost of buying the binding ready-made for one banner would be crazy, let alone for all 20 banners. It also takes 30+ yards of fabric to make 20, 20ft pennant banners. Just a bit of trivia for you today 😀
Pillows with Illinois state and a heart on the location of Rockford have been a big hit at the Urban Farmgirl shop. 
The impact isn’t as fun when the pillow covers are lacking the form but I just did not have the time nor the energy to stuff all these and take pics for you, then un-stuff them to ship them. 
And Farmgirl pillows are a hit too. Perfect for ‘Urban Farmgirl‘ to carry. This one is my fav of this batch.
I love this one too – linen is my favorite fabric. This striped strip of linen matches the linen I used to slipcover my living room chair.
I added some boots to this – not sure I really like the result but we’ll see if it sells.
So that’s the pillow covers and the buntings. Now for a few words on submission.
I was invited to be a vendor at Urban Farmgirl’s ‘Main Street Market‘. And I was going to go. My hubby had said a reluctant ‘ok’ and was even planning to take a day off work and go with me to help get my stuff there and get set up and help me the day of the show. And then some ‘issues’ came up. He wasn’t on board with my ideas for transportation and a few other details. And so I asked Mary if I could back out and she graciously understood.
I didn’t really think of it as submission at the time. I was rather in a fine emotional mess about it. When I text my Mom to tell her I had decided not to go and why, she replied with ‘Sometimes submission is hard.’ And that really resonated with me. I didn’t want to give up going to this event as a vendor. I felt like it was a really good opportunity for my business. But when my husband is not thrilled with an idea and doesn’t support it, it takes the joy out of it and turns it into stress and a drain on our marriage.
So I let this one go. I cried some tears over it, I admit. But I chose to submit to Travis’ way of thinking and in the long run it has been a blessing. Yes, I still wish it has worked out. But it didn’t and I’ve accepted that. My pillows and pennant banners will be there in my place 😀 Other things will come along that will work out – maybe I’ll get to go to this one next year as a vendor. It would have been a huge stress to get ready on time – I’m supposed to be going to Springfield in less than 2 weeks and I’m nowhere near ready for that.
Do I always submit to my husbands way of thinking? Not hardly! If you know me at all, you know I’m not really the submissive type. But I have learned a bit over the past 16+ years and I try to pick my battles and present things in the best possible way when I want him to see things MY way – LOL! This time I wanted to go down kicking and screaming and demanding my way. Instead I chose not to talk about it at all once the decision to back out was made. I knew if I did talk about it to him I’d say things I shouldn’t and that I would later regret. It wasn’t necessarily easy but it was easier than it would have been 16 years ago as a newlywed.
So that’s my $.02 on submission for today.
Jill
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Well said Jill, thanks for keeping and real and sharing your story with us. I think we can all relate a time or two! I bet your items will be a huge success! If you dont sell out I may have to have one of those pillow covers. Let me know!
Thank you Pam! You are such a wonderful friend – I can always count on you to make me feel better!
Jill~God knows your heart and your desires…He also knows and sees your hurts. You are an amazing woman ~ beautiful inside and out and oh how HE loves you! Thank you for sharing your heart! Love you!
Thank you SO much Cindy! It helps me so very much to have friends here who encourage me when I put myself out there!
Love the banners and pillows but I love, even more, your notes on submission. We are going through a real time right now trying to make decisions for the future of our family. I had decided I wasn’t going to mention “my desire” anymore (because I’ve already told him but also because I want God to convict him according to God’s will, not mine) but I just keep mentioning it – ugh. I know God will work all things together for God for those that love Him…but I just need to keep my mouth closed!
Oh yes!!! Sometimes don’t you just find your mouth opening and saying things?~I mean just all on its own!! 😉 😉
Oh Jenni, I know exactly how you feel! Men so easily forget what we tell them and we just can’t help but ‘remind’ them – a LOT! It’s hard to give it to God and leave it totally in HIS hands to convict whom He will! Prayers for you all!
Love your pillows and banners. Great job and having to make binding for all of them, phew. Good choice.
As for picking your battles, good for you. I know after more than 45 years I’ve learned to keep my mouth shut and before you know time has gone by and it doesn’t seem nearly as important as I felt at the time.
Good for you for knowing when to relent. My hubs is a bit of a control freak and wants his own way without thought many times. But I have learned to speak up, state my case and let time go by. Hubs and I are very different types of people, were raised very differently but after all these years he has learned to listen when I really care about something. We had too many years of screaming and fighting, not good for either one of us so we let it go.
I’m sure your great items will do well. Let me know ok?
I’d love to go to our grandson’s graduation in KY on May 31st. but logically, how we could afford it is beyond me. I’d love to surprise him by being there. My son will be there, the boys will fly back to San Diego to stay for few weeks. Trevor will be starting college in Fall, he has a full scholarship to college in Lexington, Ky. for a chemical engineering degree.
Well gal, good work. Take a breath when you can. Got my bedroom curtains made yesterday, worked on sheers and table runner for top of waterfall chif-a-robe and will make one big pillow to lie in front of pillows. Going to have hubs make wood valances so I can put left over fabric on them. Loving it already. Happy days dear friend.
Thanks Jane! I’ve had my moments when I was NOT talking in a quiet voice about what I was upset about! But by the grace of God I’m slowly learning and growing and becoming a better wife and mom!
Ohhh, Jill, this is a tough one!! Most of the time Keith totally supports me and my crazy whims, but the few times that he doesn’t it is SO hard to not pout to get my way! I appreciate your honesty and admire you for doing the right thing. Also, your creations look amazing! I’m sure you’ll be a success at the show (even though you’re not there in person) What an honor to be included! 🙂
Susan
I hear you Susan! It was hard – especially because I knew if I kept pushing I could make it happen – he HAD agreed to help me! But I decided it wasn’t worth it – and since Mary was so gracious about it that made it easier to let it go too. I’m hopeful for next year though!
I love all the stuff that’s going to the event! I saw the pillow cover with the boots and my first reaction was “How adorable!” Then I read that you weren’t sure about it and I chuckled to myself. Should we place bets on whether it sells?!
Kudos to good marriages! Giving up self is very rarely one bit fun. I like things my own way~thankyouverymuch~. 🙂 But I like my man and my marriage much better in the long run that I like my own way all the time. I don’t think there’s a married person out there who can’t relate to these bumps. {And differences of opinion on occasion.}
Haha! That’s funny! I already had someone contact me through fb about a pillow cover with the boots! You never know! that’s why I didn’t just toss it 😀
I agree on marriage – I love my man so much it makes it easier to give – definitely was easier now than it was even just 5 years ago. By the time we are 90 and 95 I just might have this submission/marriage thing all figured out !