Happy Birthday, Mom!

My mother is a lovely lady, and a very talented one too. She still sews, knits, crochets, and does needlepoint. Back in the day she was an amazing cake decorator, but her hands can't handle that anymore. 

When I was a child, she tried to teach me all of those skills, but I was far from a willing student. I may have finished one embroidery project as a child, and every time I use those skills I remember her teaching them to me. I remember how amazed I was after learning the lazy daisy stitch and then I could stitch flowers that actually looked like flowers. That's likely why my favorite flowers are daisies to this day. 

She tried to teach me to crochet, and a granny square is all I can make now. Knitting wasn't ever going to happen. I sewed a couple of seams on some clothes she was making me, then I wandered off and went back to reading. I was all about reading as a girl, a love I've never outgrown. 

I remember her trying to teach me how to make frosting roses. Mine kind of looked like deformed pine cones. I learned enough to muddle through making my kids birthday cakes, but I still sighed with relief when my kids started opting for non-cake desserts and I didn't have to worry about decorating cakes anymore. 

About the only craft I really enjoyed as a child was latchhook rugs, and I did complete several of those. I finished multiple crafts as a kid, some string art, some trivets, the obligatory woven loop potholders. I was blessed to have been exposed to all kinds of crafts, including "helping" my dad do some woodworking. As a kid I loved hearing his praise that I drilled the hole just right, but as an adult I realize he had the stop on the drill press so I couldn't screw it up!

I was exposed to a lot of crafts, but as a kid, none of it took. I wasn't passionate about any of them. I'm sure it was frustrating to my mom who tried so hard. My oldest sister tried to teach me some crafts too, so I learned some macrame from her, and school art classes taught me rudimentary calligraphy and drawing. 

The advantage to be exposed to so much as a child, was as an adult, I was open to trying new things. When we were first married. I had a neighbor who introduced me to ceramics. I enjoyed learning about the different paints and glazes, and that year I gave away what I had made as Christmas gifts. 

I started sewing with my first pregnancy. Plus sized clothing was hard to find and plus sized maternity clothes weren't a thing at all back then. I grew up watching my mom sew clothes, so I bought a pattern that touted itself as easy, and went for it. I was scared to do button holes, so I used snaps instead. 

My sewing abilities grew as my family grew, I learned to make button holes and put in zippers. Oh, how I wish we had YouTube back then. My skills would have developed so much faster! 

I got into needlepoint and cross stitch, things I could work on while keeping an eye on my kids. I started homeschooling and using several craft methods I made a lot of learning tools that were too expensive for me to purchase. I was glad I had been exposed to so much as a kid it helped me to think outside the box on getting something done. 

If you are trying to teach a child how to quilt, or any other crafts, don't despair if they don't take to it. You are planting ideas in their mind, and someday those ideas may grow into a passion for something seemingly unrelated, but still based on those lessons. 

My sewing for the past week hasn't been typical for me. 

I finished clipping the rag quilt for DS the Younger. It's already been mailed and arrived at his house. He's out in the field, so he won't see it until next month, but it will be waiting for him. 

I got the drawstring bags made that DH wanted for some events coming up. I haven't even started the rally bags yet. They'll be just like these but western fabrics. 

Even with all the extra projects that got thrown my way, I'm still determined to get the Nana Jamas done for Christmas. I bought all the shirts to with the pajama pants I'm making, and I figured out if I just cut out one pair of pajama pants per day, or trace off a size I don't already have traced off, I can get all of those cut out this month. Doing one thing per day seems more doable than taking several days out to get them done. As long as I get them all cut this month, I think I can still get them done before Christmas, even with all the rally projects thrown in. 

With every item I sew, all those seemingly unheeded sewing lessons my mother tried to give me come to fruition. Thanks, Mom, and happy birthday!