A Stitch From My Memory

The other night after I tucked my girls into bed and sang to them, I walked down the hall and sat at my sewing machine to finish up a fun project (which I'll be posting shortly). In between the whirs of the sewing machine, I could hear my girls whispering. One of them said, "I hear Mom sewing."
It brought back a flood of memories and warm feelings.

I remembered sleeping in our basement with my door cracked open just a bit and my mom working late into the night sewing on her trusty Bernina. My mom is an excellent seamstress and she taught me how to sew pretty well, but sometimes those clothing patterns still make me go cross-eyed! Not Mom, she can whip up a pair of shorts, patch a pair of pants, sew a prom dress, or make a Halloween costume with seemingly little effort.

The sound of her sewing machine was comforting to me--the needle clicking up and down past my bedtime and into my dreams meant my mother loved me. Falling asleep to the sound of her working on another project when she was most certainly bone tired from a full day's work and then another day's work when she arrived home--farming with my dad and raising kids--was evidence of how important we were to Mom. The sewing machine making tiny, even stitches across baby blankets and knit dresses was like a lullaby in itself that sent me to sleep with a reassurance that mom was there.

I finished up my project and my sweet girls were sound asleep. As I clicked off the light on my sewing machine I thought about how lucky I am. My mother took the time to teach me how to sew and I enjoy it, but the most important thing she taught me with every spool of thread spinning into the night was the depth of her love for her family.
I love you Mom. Thank you!

Does crafting bring great memories to your mind? We'd love to hear about them.