Ladies Room

NOTE: I promised that my spa wrap tutorial would be posted today, but it will probably be later this evening.  I’m half way through it all, but had to halt. So sorry, but real life has a way of cutting into my sewing life time.

I think it is really important that basic facilities be clearly marked. At the end of this post is the story of an unfortunate incident that took place at the Asheville (NC) airport some years ago. Well placed signage would have prevented this embarassing occurence. But I digress……

After some remodeling at our church, the ladies bathroom was further removed from the Fellowship Hall.  In order to make it easier for visitors and newcomers to find their way, this note was posted inside the hall that led to the bathroom.

Now, I’m not a gal with time on her hands, not someone looking to fill up the lonely hours of my day with whatever sewing project I can wheedle into the sewing room.  But it seemed to me that we needed a more substantial sign than this paper note.

So I embroidered the sign above.  I thought the thread colors should be somewhat subdued and conservative. Actually, I embroidered two because there is a turn in the hall with a second directional paper note.

The floral corner design is from Martha Pullen’s Zundt 1 collection.  Monogram Wizard Plus provided the Curly Q font that spelled out Ladies and also provided the basic shapes for the arrow.

My Ladies signs aren’t rocket science and they won’t make the world a better place or delight a child.  But I think they are more pleasing to the eye and much more durable than those posted now.

I am also reminded that my fancy workhorse Brother Quattro can be put to use for practical purposes in addition to making elegant children’s clothing and home dec items.

Now, why do I think signage is so important?  Well, let me tell you.  I was teaching in Maggie Valley, NC, at one of Mildred Turner’s fabulous, always-sold-out Sewing in the Mountains schools.  The day before classes began, I was assigned to pick up another teacher at the Asheville airport, about an hour away.   I left late, got lost and was worried that I would arrive after the flight landed.  So I did some unconscionable speeding.

As I rushed, breathless, into the completely empty lobby, I saw that I had 6 minutes to spare!  Yippee! Time for a bathroom break!  At every ticket station was an agent who looked up as I rushed in.  I stood tall (as tall as a 5′-1/2″ lady can), took a deep breath and calmly walked into the bathroom  directly across from the first bank of ticket counters.

As I walked in, I gasped at a man, standing up, putting his equipment back in his pants.  I was outraged and announced, “You are in the wrong bathroom!”

He calmly finished his business and smiled, saying, “I don’t think so.”  Then I noticed the urinal.

As I rushed out, every agent was staring at me, grinning from ear to ear.  I ducked into the POORLY MARKED!!!  ladies room a little further down the lobby and stayed there until I heard the rush of arriving passengers.  Only then did I sneak out of the bathroom, unnoticed by the agents.

As it turned out, I was late picking up the other teacher.  But I didn’t care.