A little bit of background on me... I grew up in a small farming community in the Texas Panhandle. Mom was able to stay at home with us as kids and she encouraged us to do crafts all the time. I can remember painting sweatshirts, making playdough, working puzzles, doing little embroidery and cross stitch projects, and the list goes on. Dad is also very creative so I have to give some props to his genes as well - he does some beautiful leather work and welding!
My maternal grandmother, is a quilter (and seamstress, but what WWII wife isn't), my paternal grandmother was a seamstress and crocheter. Mom and her sister are also wonderful quilters. Grandma Leona taught me and my sister to hand quilt with her when we were just little girls. She always had a quilt in the frame when we would come to visit. I now cherish those memories sitting around a quilt, talking about life together. Mom and Aunt Teresa taught me how to do machine piecing and have been a huge encouragement to continue the craft. Grandma still pieces everything by hand!! Which is why we all fight over her quilts at Christmas!! :)
I didn't start sewing on a regular basis until after I graduated from college. I bought a dinky little sewing machine and started a few projects. That sewing machine nearly made me quit sewing, but that's a story for another post - "what to look for when buying a machine". I forged ahead and my love for fabric increased in spite of the frustrations of actually sewing them together. But, it was a blessing in disguise because I did a lot of things by hand and learned some more traditional techniquies than I probably would not have otherwise.
Over the years, I've picked up additional little hobbies like embroidery, crochet, knitting, card making/stamping, punch needle, and wool work. I love trying to incorporate all of these techniques into my sewing. God has truly gifted me with these abilities - there's no other way I could pick them up so quickly.
I still work full time - it funds my fabric excursions - but have taught a few sewing classes on the side and hope to do a lot more of that in the future. It's one of my missions to teach my generation and the next generation these traditional arts so they aren't lost to future generations.
I think blogs are really boring without pictures, so I leave you with this picture - probably my favorite picture in the house. These are my great-great-grandmothers (Grandma Leona's paternal and maternal grandmothers) reading the Bible together. It's a great reminder of my heritage and how the Lord will bless generations of families that put their trust in Him.
