craftgrrl | look out. it's text only (Reply)

Last night I was ironing an embroidery pattern onto a plain ole skirt. The smell of the iron and paper brought back a memory that had been lodged deep within my subconscious.

First, a note on my mother. For as long as I have known her (some 24 years now), she has always been making something. As a poor family, I often wore clothes she refashioned out of curtains, sheets, my brothers' boy clothes, and my girl cousin's handmedowns (but those weren't homemade, just 80s fun!). She has always been an avid quilter, turning out about ten tops or so a year--all handstitched. So it's no wonder where my crafty hands come from.

In grade school (which, for me, occurred here in the Appalachian region of the United States), our school would have a winter festival each year to help raise money for the school. Parents could donate foods, crafts, games, etc to help raise money. Mom had just found the fun of painting on shirts and shoes. So we loaded up on plain white sweatshirts and white canvas shoes. We found iron-on patterns (I'm not sure if they were for embroidery or what, I can't remember), and we hung out in the kitchen while she ironed them all on. My little fingers were much too young to be handling the iron just yet. Then I got to help paint with...dun dunn PUFFY PAINT! oh yes. We painted elves, santas, bells, holly, sleds, trees, ornaments, stars, and anything else Christmas we could come up with.

We spent hours toiling away in the kitchen having the time of our lives. It is one of my fondest memories involving my mom and crafts. The absolute fondest memory being playing underneath the quilt frames she would set up in the kitchen and have suspended from the ceiling. She was always scared she would accidently poke me with the needle ^_^

So, I've shared. Now, tell me. What's a truly happy memory you have with crafts? It doesn't have to be with your mother or childhood. Just a moment of crafting in your life that truly left an emotional imprint.

By the way, our shirts and shoes sold within half an hour of the festival starting. ^_^