Overthinking It. Again.

My dad always told me I worried about things that nobody else would even think of. My sister would tell me I need a job. My friend would be sympathetic and agree it was a problem. The problem? Pandas.

 

Remember my Japanese kokka charm squares? You have to go way back to remember these. The first Christmas my son's girlfriend came to stay with us, this was my Christmas present. A year's subscription of a Japanese Kokka fabric charm club. Every month a little package of charm squares landed on my doormat from the Eternal Maker. I knew she was a keeper! Roll on a few years, they are not only married but have a toddler. And I still had my charm squares!

A while ago I decided to make them in to economy squares, ultimately measuring about 9 1/2". I even joined in qal by The Littlest Thistle for giant economy squares way back in 2017. Periodically these have been laid on the kitchen floor, like tiles and put away again.

Recently I thought these would make a fun I spy quilt for my grandson, either to take home or keep here. I have missed several self imposed deadlines, another is coming up. 

Last week, I trimmed the last of the blocks and sewed them into rows.

The joy of a design wall, it makes all this much easier. Then dumped them on the floor!

Tomorrow I hope to sew the rows together.

So far so good. Now to the backing, and this is my conundrum. I decided I should use a Japanese theme fabric for the backing, something attractive to a child. In my wisdom I decided on pandas. Yes, pandas. I was in a fabric shop with my long suffering daughter in law.

Why are you looking for panda fabric?
I would like a Japanese themed fabric for the backing.
There is a fabric with temples on it.
No. I want pandas.
There is a fabric with Japanese crane birds.
No. I want pandas.
Why do you want pandas? Cranes would be more  indicative of Japan.
I want pandas, I will wait.

I found the fabric on the t'internet, I asked uncle Google for panda fabric, and ordered 2 metres.
I woke up the next morning, very early, and it suddenly came to me.
Pandas come from China. Not Japan.
I checked my emails, maybe I could cancel the order. Great service. Between midnight Sunday night, and 8 am Monday morning, the fabric cutting elves had already completed my order. Quick work guys, specifically Adam.

And there lies my overthinking it. You see, I wanted to keep it Japanese, not cause offence to Japan or China by misappropriating their culture. I asked uncle Google to list animals indigenous to Japan, pandas weren't listed. The sensible head, ie my husband, says just use the panda material. You just decided to back the quilt with pandas.

The overthinking part now is fretting that I have made some dreadfully social gaff. And there in lies the nub. Although this is a little tongue in cheek, I doubt very much I will cause an international scandal. However, there has been a lot in podcasts and instagram recently about "disapprobation" of culture. My politically correct daughter has explained this to me. My concern is that my accidental disapprobation is actually the type of subliminal prejudice that can be the real problem. Substitute this with a different subject matter and it would be a much more serious thing. Or maybe I am over thinking it again.  In any case, sometimes it can be good to look at ourselves objectively and have a good think.

Fingers crossed I make this deadline anyhow! All this over thinking, makes me think it is time to go have a furtle on the internet. In the meantime I can link up my own furtle through my wips.

Helen x
linking up with Cooking Up Quilts
linking up with Tish and her UFO Busting
linking up with Archie and his Furtling