Outside while she spools around, a sunflower is in the making.

Ms. SpoolTeacher has a sign in the front of her house welcoming passers-by to inquire about services she provides. Among them is, of course, Spooling and Alterations.

Lately one of her neighbors called asking her if she would make up some aprons from vintage  fabric tableclothes.

She informed Ms. ST that they are hot properties and everyone wants one.

The neighbor has a good job that she goes to everyday but also has a space at an “antiques and collectibles” shop that she is trying to develop for her retirement.

Ms. SpoolTeacher would love, love, love to be able to sit and spool aprons all day. But there is a problem…

“Well, let me ask you a question. How much are these aprons selling for?”

“Oh, gosh”, the lady replied, “they are selling for $30!” (as if that is a lot of money.)

“The problem is”, she said to nice neighbor, “I see aprons for sale all over for as little as $6 – $15.”

“Oh, but these are very well made and unique.”

“Oh”, Ms. SpoolTeacher said.

“Here’s the problems”, she said as nicely as she could… “It would take me, at a minimum, three hours to make an apron of any sort. I have to charge at least $10 p/h for my labor. How could that be profitable for you?”

She waited with bated breath…

“Three hours! Why would it take you that long?” (the all too familiar refrain Ms. SpoolTeacher has heard for decades)

She wanted to ask nice neighbor if she already had the aprons designed, cut and ready to stitch. If she has all the thread and finishing notions purchased. Then she wanted to ask her if she had looked into China for cheap labor or if she would be willing to hire illegal aliens!

She didn’t though. She went on to talk to nice neighbor for about an hour, because nice neighbor realized she knew who Ms. SpoolTeacher was and remembered her shop…

“I always wanted to stop in and see what that little shop was all about. It looked so unique and wonderful from the window at night as I was driving by.”

“Hmmm”, Ms. SpoolTeacher said in her mind.

For many years, Ms. SpoolTeacher herself has haunted antiques and collectible’s shops. She even had a space in one at one time but realized it is all about Real Estate, and that seldom do the vendors actually create a living for themselves. But she did manage to hoard a collection of things that were worth more than they were asking for. This has long been her way of saving for the future, thinking that another day along her Road Less Traveled, she will have a shop again and sell these treasures for what they are really worth, along with her labor in the form of an already “very well made up and unique” apron from a vintage table cloth…

It’s not enough to make things once… Ms. SpoolTeacher has a bad habit of making little wrong assumptions against her better intuitive judgement.

She originally made this little “Springing From The Hem” apron and hadn’t yet made the belt to slip through the waistband gather-able casing. She had been using a belt to show it’s capabilities. Finally, lately, she took a length of green plaid cotton and married it to a width of red gingham, wide bias tape to make a “drawstring” for the waist. Well…what was she thinking! She had to make it again to make it long enough…

And as one of her motto’s says, “No Scrap Left UnSpooled”…

So what do you suppose she can do with these…???
Go over and see what Mary Adams does with her scraps… and then let her know what you do with yours.

And isn’t that a beautiful purple lovingly crocheted doily Mrs. Diaz made and then gave to Ms. SpoolTeacher!

Twinkie, Twinkie, little star, that is what you are.

Cupcake, muffin, doughnut…are secret words for those who know, Ms. SpoolTeacher’s secret club words…

You know who you are don’t you?