Consider Twice, Cut Once...Thanks, Mom!

When I was three, my Mom & Dad gave me a tiny, crank-wheel sewing machine for Christmas.  My Mom was always sewing up a storm on her Singer Sewing Machine, and I was perpetually underfoot, begging her to let me at it.  So they bought me that little pink machine, and the lessons began.  The first thing she taught me was to consider my finished piece in my mind - "see" it in my imagination made up and totally done, and then work backwards to figure out how to cut and assemble my material.  

Those lessons have been invaluable, and have followed me all through life - not just for sewing, but for anything that has to be brought out of my imagination and turned into a real object.  Watching the cabinet crew working today, I realized that they work the same way...they study the space something has to fit into, visualize the finished room, and then after measuring and pondering some more, they cut and assemble.  Here they are in action:

They HAVE to figure out how to trim out these windows without using "trim".

 We're replacing 28 year-old wallpaper (Ugh) with bead board, and the space is too small to put a slice of bead board in.  And, it has to look good when they're finished.  Check out Daniel with the tape:

Then, whispering the measurement to himself, and holding the picture in his mind, he races down to the saw to cut out a part of the pattern:

This work station only works when it's not raining!

 I can assure you that when he comes back with this piece, it will fit perfectly.

In the bathroom, the same thing happened this morning as another team member started to build our new linen closet and vanity:

You probably can't see it, but his tongue is sticking out to help in concentrating...

He's working in the chaos of the old bedroom, but he can already "see" the linen closet installed in the bathroom, where there are only cut wires, partial plumbing stubs, and old insulation right now.

It REALLY makes me want to get back to my studio and make something - and it REALLY makes me remember my Mom as Mother's Day approaches.  What a great teacher she was, to pass that tricky but powerful lesson on to me.  Thanks, Mom!