Christmas Through the Year

My friend Allie, has a wonderul thing going on at her blog called Christmas Through the Year. The idea is to make atleast one Christmas gift per month. I made a Christmas apron using a Debbie Mumm panel I bought a few years ago. I will give it to one of my girl friends but I want one too. Check out Allie's blog to see what everyone made.

Happy Sewing,
Susan

A Sewing Legacy

I was contacted yesterday and told that my mother was found dead in her home. She was my biological mother and raised me and my brother until I was 7 years old and he was 6. She sent us to live with my Dad and his new wife and she stayed gone for about 30 years. I found her once or twice in my late teens and early 20's but she couldn't manage to stay in my life very long. When I was 37 years old and had just had my 5th baby, she moved to Florida and found me. We had contact from time to time but nothing permanent. In the end our relationship was reduced to occasional messages on Facebook. As you probably know, Mothers have a way of screwing you up or helping to make you great. Well, I think I am a mixed bag of "screwed up" greatness. There were some good times (she was very funny) and there were bad times. I'm not going to discuss those things, however. You see my mother is probably the reason I love to sew, craft and create. When I was a young child she sewed from home to make a living. She made drapes for a company that allowed her to work at home. I watched, in awe, as she sat at the sewing machine but I never got sewing lessons from her before I went to live with my Dad. She made her clothes, my clothes and a lot of our home decor stuff. She made doll clothes and I would often find my doll with a new outfit when I woke up in the morning. She made me wedding veils and bouquets out of white tulle and freshly picked daisies. She was a very talented and creative woman. (My father is creative too, so I have a double dose.)

When she moved to Florida I had been sewing for several years. I taught myself to sew when I started having my own children mostly out of neccesity. There was a lot that I had not taught myself and finally she was able to teach me some of those things. She helped me make my first pieced quilt, put in my first zipper and together we made an awesome poodle skirt for my oldest daughter. We purused fabric stores together and she gave me her large cutting table which is one of my favorite possesions.

I love that we had sewing in common. I am flooded with mixed emotions but I pray that soon the pain will lessen and I can smile when I think of these things. I am happy to say that I have been passing my love of sewing to my five daughters as well. They have all sewn projects of their own. As little ones they sat behind me as I sewed and begged me for scraps. My oldest alters her own clothes, my youngest designs barbie clothes endlessly. My middle girls are all creative and are artists in their own rights. I know I have passed on an affection for crafting and sewing but my prayer is that they will have so much more to remember me by. I pray they know first of all how deeply I love them, I hope they remember that I never abandoned them and that I would fight til the death for them. I pray they remember that God loves them and sent his son to save them. I hope they remember me laughing, singing, smiling, being silly and yes instructing them. I know I am far from perfect and they will have memories of me 'losing it' from time to time. I hope they know I wanted to inspire them to their own personal greatness and to be givers. Yes, if they remember these things then my job here on earth will be complete. I miss my mother very much but I am also grateful for the reminder that I am making memories for my children every minute of everyday. Dear Lord, please help me to use my remaining time wisely. Help me to choose love over all else.

Goodbye Mommy (Melody). Rest in peace.

Stir Crazy on a Saturday!

Tomorrow will be one week since I've been on bed rest for my Plantar Fasciitis and stress fracture. I have to say I am going nuts! I am not used to not being able to get around. I want to sew, quilt, something crafty. I have a studio full of supplies and half finished projects, however, I can't get to them and get things prepared so that I can work in bed. I try to explain to my daughters and husband what I am looking for but they just can't find what I need or want. The good news is I have been looking at all the beautiful blogs out there and I am finding tons of inspiration. It is bittersweet because now I really want to sew.

We are taking one of my daughters to church camp tomorrow and I have no clue how I will work that out logistically. My oldest daughter is taking my place and will help her choose a bunk and get her bed made and such. I guess we will work it out. I have to confess that I hate crutches. I feel very awkward and feel like I might fall and break a hip or something. lol. Anyway, I have it so much better than a lot of people so I hate to complain. I was on bed rest during all of my 5 pregnancies, back before lap top computers. Wow! What a great invention the computer is. Where would we be without them?

I hope you all have a wonderful and safe weekend. Try to do something creative.

Happy Sewing!!
Susan

Poodle Skirts and Helping Out

I'm sorry I've been gone for a while. Life is still very crazy here. My hubby has been out of work AGAIN! This economy is just nuts. My exhusband, my childrens father, was in the hospital for two weeks and is probably heading back again as I write this. He had a blood clot in his leg from his groin to his ankle, blood clots in his lungs and pnuemonia. He was released, even though they never determined exactly what is wrong with him or how to 'fix' him. He is like us and has no health insurance, so I am sure that was part of his early release. Today, he had his blood levels checked for blood thinnners and he was told to go straight to the ER because his levels are dangerously high. As for me, I am stuck in bed and unable to walk without crutches. I have had a terrible case of Plantar Fasciitis in both feet and now have a stress fracture in my right foot,as well. So, I am hoping that if I get completely off of my feet for a few weeks that they will heal. I was wallking on them, in pain,for six weeks because I still had so many "mom things" to do.

Before I got 'off of my feet' I had been doing some custom sewing. I made this adorable Poodle Skirt and the top for a client. She sings in a band and they were asked to sing at a 17th birthday party that had a 50's theme. I was so happy with how it turned out.

I have an update on Baby Leighton, the preemie baby that I had asked you all to pray for. Well, she came home with oxygen and IV's and such. I was blessed to be able to go help out her mommy for several days. My job was to hold that precious baby while she and mommy slept. Leighton is very spoiled and rightly so, after all she has been through. I got to hold her about 22 hours total and I loved every minute of it. I miss her now that I am unable to drive or walk. I can't wait for my feet to heal so I can hold her again. She's such a sweetie an it is awesome to hold a "miracle" in hour hands.

I want to share with you an opportunity to help a fellow blogger. She is Kaaren from The Painted Quilt blog. She is battling some very serious health problems and my friend Allie from Allie-Oops is collecting quilt squares to make her a quilt. If you can help, please do. I plan on making some squares while I am stuck in bed. Click on the picture to go to Allie's blog and find more information and a tutorial of how to make the block.

Well, my friends, that is what's going on with me. I pray for you all and I ask that you pray for my husband, that he will find a permanent job very soon and that my ex-husband will get well and be able to find work as well. I hope to be back soon with some positive updates.

Happy Sewing~
Susan