The Mabel Ruth Quilt

The quilt in the picture on my last post was one I made for my mother's 90th birthday. Well it didn't start out for her 90th but that's where she was when I finished it. I thought I would highlight each block in my future posts. This one is of the fushia flower. The flowers are all embroidered by hand. Mother was an excellent embroiderer, seamstress, milliner, and crafter. She started embroidering at a very early age and would tell of doing a tablecloth which took 1st prize at the state fair and was promptly given by the aunt who was raising her to a very wealthly lady. My mother was not very happy about that.

She taught me how to embroider when I was about 7 and I've been doing it every since. As a teenager I did embroidery work on my clothes (which I made myself!). I remember one time making a pair of black satin pants which I embroidered pansies down each pant leg. After doing the embroidery I discovered I had sewn the side seams incorrectly. Instead of sewing the backs to the fronts I sewed the backs to the backs and the fronts to the fronts. I never did finish those pants and I don't know what happened to all my handwork!

I still have a vest I designed, embroidered and made. It's a mustard yellow (not a color this summer gal can wear!) with embroidered red roses and white statice. I keep most of my firsts.

Anyway the Mabel Ruth quilt is in honor of my mother who was also a gardener and loved her flower beds. She gave me a love of crafting and designing and always encouraged me as best she could.

She went to met the Great Creator a few years ago at 92 1/2 and I miss her.

Encourage someone today, it will warm your heart for sure!

Rejoice!

"… you are to rejoice before the LORD your God in everything you put your hand to. " Deuteronomy 12:18

My first blog…
I do rejoice and thank my God for all the talent and creativity He has given me to share.
It is a source of joy and happiness

… to take materials and make something cute and lovely or wacky and crazy or
bold and compelling to wear or display.

… when I can come up with something that’s also useful and functional.

… when someone else sees my items and stops me to ask about it

… when I can encourage someone else to discover their creativity and develop it.

I remember a time when I taught a class of seventh grade girls basic embroidery stitches. One girl in the class was from a very large (13 kids) family who lived in the projects in San Francisco. Hard to get a lot of attention when your from such a large family! She was borderline trouble and had very low self esteem. She was an excellent embroiderer and I encouraged her to develop it. She had to leave our private school and go back to public school. One day she came up to me at church, her face all aglow and you could hear the excitement in her voice. The principal of her school had seen her work and was so impressed with it he set up a display of it in one the school’s display cases. What joy! Things like that create strong memories and this one is over 30 years old but it still thrills me when I think of it. It’s treasures like that that make life enjoyable!

Encourage someone today! It will put a smile on your face for sure!