Why do I sew?

Why do I sew?  Is it because I love to do it?  Yes.  Is it because I love to give my creations to friends and their children?  Yes.  But there is a far more deep reason. My Grandmother.  I lost her years before I began to sew, before I found this talent that she had passed down to me.

This week I received a box of quilting scraps and needlepoint patterns that had belonged to her.  The patterns were all pre-1940.  It was amazing to realize my grandmother had been sewing in one way or another since she was young.  The box made me miss her.  I sew because of her.  Because I'd seen her sew for as long as I can remember.  Sewing on her machine, making us dolls, doll clothes, 99% of the clothing for our Barbie Dolls were made by her.  She embroidered and cross-stitched, needlepoint all by hand.  When I was 10 or 11 she taught me how to cross-stitch.  I'd sit next to her on the "divan" as she called it and would watch her work on her piece as I would work on mine.  She got into felt work when we were little, hand made us stockings and every Christmas she would hand sew us felt ornaments, made from kits, a different collection every year.  She would let my sister and I choose our ornaments, and then would sew our names and the year that she made them on the back. When we moved out, my mom gave us our ornaments, so special.

Then, about 4 years ago, I had been laid off and didn't have the money to buy everyone Christmas gifts.  I bought some of the same brand kits my Grandmother had and began making ornaments.  It came so easily to me, seemed so natural.  My family loved them. The next year, I bought those same brand kits for stockings that my Grandma had.  My sister had gotten married that year and was expecting her first child.  So I made stockings for my new nephew and my brother-in-law, to go with the original that Grandma had sewn my sister nearly 30 years before.  Then I thought, why can't I make my own designs, my own patterns and sew those.  So that's what I began doing.  Everything is sewn by hand and all of my pieces are felt and embroidery floss only...well, with a little poly-fill.  I created a Dr. Seuss character mobile for my nephew, pillows for a friend's daughter and more.  When that third Christmas rolled around I decided to carry on her tradition.  I created a pattern for Frosty the Snowman, just for my nephew, and sewed his name and the year on it.  I do it for those special kids in my life, and will continue to do it as long as I can.  Maybe one day for their children.  It's one thing that makes me feel close to my Grandmother.  Like she is sitting there next to me again, on the "divan" only this time, she's watching me sew and create.

This is why I sew.

Frosty the Snowman, 2011

Charlie Brown's Tree, 2012

Charlie Brown, 2012

Santa from Rudolph, 2012