Saturday, July 08, 2006

I've spent the day in my sewing room working on my flower blocks. I finished 4 more which only leaves me 2 more. Then on to the pieced border.

It seemed approriate that I should spend the day sewing. You see 1 year ago today my Mama died. And if I could have picked only one way to honor her today I can't think of a better one - nor one that she would have appreciated more - than to spend the day mixing bits of her stash with mine to create a beautiful quilt.

Mama was an excellent seamstress and in later years liked to dabble in quilting. I say dabble because I'm not sure she ever finished more than one quilt. That was a sailboat she made for my nephew, Scott's 1st birthday. But she was really great for starting new projects. I do seem to come by that naturally. LOL! She did at least finish her tops before she moved on to her next project. So I guess you could say she was also a topper more than a quilter just like I am. These are some of the blocks for the last quilt she was working on before she died and one day I'll put them together in a quilt. But I'm not sure I'm quite ready for that yet. Maybe next year. I know I showed these before but it seemed appropriate to do so again on this day. She spent the last 7 or 8 years before she went into the nursing home working on this quilt on and off. All the pieces were cut out with scissors using cardboard templates and the blocks are hand-pieced.

I learned so many things from my Mama. She gave me my love of sewing. My love of reading. My love of playing cards. My love of cooking. My love of life. She never met a stranger and was friendly and outgoing with everyone she met. I wish I'd gotten a bit of that from her cause I'm extremely shy and introverted. She truly loved people and was just a joy to spend time with. My best friend.

This is my favorite picture I have of her. It's not a fancy glamour shot but a real life shot showing her laughing her ### off at something Daddy had just said. Mama, I love you and miss you so much.

14 comments:

Finn said...

Hugs, hugs, hugs Nancy...it's very hard when the pain is still so fresh...a year is like the blinking of an eye..gone so quickly.

I think you do her proud and she loves knowing that you are carrying on, and that someday,when you are ready, you'll finish up that last quilt of hers.
I finished embroidering a lunch table cloth that my Mom left behind when she died. Took a lot of years before I could pick it up and finish it.
It's that small(about 36-40") squares ones that you used to be able to get at the Ben Franklin, stamped in blue, red, green and brown..LOL. And those are the colors she used to embroider it.
People don't seem to use lunch cloths much anymore. Maybe because we don't have kitchen tables like we used to..I don't know, just know that they seem to have fallen from favor.

Wish there was more I could do or say, my thoughts and prayers are with you..*VBS* Finn

Mary Johnson said...

Those sound like good memories. I lost my Dad 17 years ago and I cherish the time I have with my Mom. I talked her into making a quilt almost 6 years ago when I was making my first one. It's been a wonderful thing to be able to share a passion for quilting.

Susan H. said...

NANCY, I was cleaning out my car yesterday and found one of those blocks in my glove compartment. I must have been there since Mom and Dad went in the nursing home. I will send it to you to add to the rest. I am glad you spent the day sewing. I could not make myself do so. I think it is because I have moved all the sewing stuff upstairs and it was not a day I wanted to spend in solitude. So I spent the day with laundry, helping Brent revise his sales book, going to Wally-World, then topped it off with keeping Dayton so Torri could work last night. I guess I needed a connection with family, so that is how I chose to honor Mama.

quiltpixie said...

what a tribute, mixing you stashes. Thoughts and prayers coming your way on this day...

KC Quilter said...

Such a nice way to remember your mom. I'm sure she's smiling down today.

The Calico Cat said...

What a great way to remember mama!

Linda C said...

Doing what you and your mom loved to do was a good connection on this anniversary of her passing. You may never feel like finishing up that quilt and that's okay too. You will have the memories of time spent together always.

Cher said...

I bet she was smiling the whole day as you stitched away! can't think of a better way of honoring her memory Nancy. 8 more days and it will be my turn to honor the 1 year passing of my mom.

ForestJane said...

What wonderful memories you have, and what a pretty set of blocks too!

Shelina said...

That is a great way to remember your mother. I am sorry for your loss. That is such a great photo of her, immediately shows her personality. I've met her and know I would have liked her.

Evelyn aka Starfishy said...

Yes, I think your Momma was smiling to see you sewing on this day. What a tribute, she sounds like she was a wonderful Momma and much loved.

Cheers!

Evelyn

Bonnie said...

What a great tribute to your mama. She sounds like the kind of mother everyone should have.

Anonymous said...

What a lovely remembrance of your mom, and, I'm certain those flowers would thrill her!

Pam said...

Nancy, hugs to you my friend. This subjust is very close to my life right now. I just can't imagine losing my momma, although I know her health rapidly continues to decline after suffering a stroke almost 5 years ago. It left her paralyzed, without speach, and totally dependant on others. The last quilt she worked on was still on her machine when I packed up her sewingroom, a WTIL quilt that I finished up and gave to a little guy in Mexico, which is what she intended. My Momma also left me with plenty of UFO's.

blessings and many hugs for you my friend.