As I mentioned yesterday, Mom began teaching me when I was in fifth-grade, at the age of nine. On summer afternoons, we'd often set up tents in our carport, using bed sheets, towels, blankets, the card table and whatever else we could think of. We'd fill the inside with pillows and Mom would crawl in and read to us, play board games with us, serve us Kool-Aid and cookies, and teach us to sew. Sometimes, we'd build our tent in the house and she'd put on her gospel records and sing along. Her award-winning voice was so beautiful. I thought she was a opera singer.
Looking back on those days, of course I realize now how special they were, but I think I realized it even then. I always asked for more; more time to learn to sew, more time to play games, more time to sing, more time with Mom.
The first thing she taught me about sewing was, of course, hand stitching. She gave me a tiny square of fabric and taught me how to make a 'dress' for my Barbie. Since I was going to a church Sadie Hawkins Day dance later that week (Yes, I said Sadie Hawkins Day. If you don't know what that is, Google it.), I decided to make my Barbie a costume for the dance. After sewing together what was basically a tube, I added tiny patches to it and made her a matching scarf to wear with it. She was all set for the dance. It's pictured below on the right.
The next time, Mother taught me how to sew on buttons. So, again, I made a basic tube, but this time it was a wrap-around skirt, held together with three buttons. Then I also made a smaller tube and sewed on two straps, making a top to go with the skirt. (Shown above on the left) Cute, huh? And so coordinated.
Then I graduated to shifts. Mom had me hand stitch bias tape around the neck and arms, and hand stitch the back seam and the hem. If you look closely at the photo above, you can see the stitching.
In keeping with my theme this week of appreciating all the things my mother taught me, I thought I'd show you how to transform an ordinary table setting placemat into a holiday pillow.
What you'll need:
placemats and polyester filling (stuffing)
sewing machine
scissors and thread
I went out in search of some Halloween fabric and saw these Halloween placemats at A.C. Moore for a dollar each. I decided they'd work perfectly for pillows, so I bought four. I already had the stuffing, but it's about $4 for a bag.
I made mine so the ghosts are on one side and the pumpkins are on the other.
With wrong sides together, sew up three sides right along the edge of the placemats. The mats have a finished edge, so no need to sew them wrong side out and turn them. This is much easier.
Fill with stuffing, then sew the open end closed.
Viola' -- it's done!
I know, it's nothing spectacular, but it is simple.
I could show you my satin and lace wedding dress that I handmade with hundreds of tiny covered buttons going down the back, a three-piece suit I made for my husband many moons ago, all the matching outfits I made for our little family when our son was young, business suits from my banking days, a bedspread and matching curtains -- and remember Leisure Suits? I made them, too.
Learning how to sew was the catalyst for all of my creativity. I'm so grateful to my mother for her time. A few months after she passed away, I made a quilt using her everyday clothes and her favorite lap blanket.
Happy birthday, Mom. I love and miss you. I always will.
