My August Star

I always enjoy introducing my Star of the Month. I am pleased to introduce to you Linda, who has a blog called The Sewing Granny. I read her story about how she learned to sew, and I found out that she was quite the story teller. I also thought how lucky that I was that I had a mom who was a seamstress and that my parents owned a fabric store. My mom taught me how to make my own clothes and to sew everything, and that later evolved into my love of quilting. I know you will enjoy Linda's story.Here is some of her work and then on to her interview!

A Bit About Me: Well. let's see?? I am a mother of three and a grandmother of 7 and one more due within the month. This totally amazes me because I am an only child and while I am watching my life move on from one little girl to all of these people and all of these babies, it kinda scares me. I was from the time frame where children should be seen and not heard- And- times are very different now!

When I was around 6 years old, there was a wonderful neighbor who let me see her crochet and she tried to teach me. I worked the circle around and around until I had a little coffee cup- INSTEAD of a little doily! LOL But that was the first time I had ever seen any type of craft and my heart was captured.

My next encounter with any craft was that we had another wonderful neighbor, and when I would outgrow my clothes, Mama would take the clothes to her and the fabric and this lady would take the clothes and use them as a pattern and whoopee- I had new clothes. I always loved her too and was overcome with joy at the thoughts of finding some way to pull sewing into my life.

That would have to wait until I had been married 5 years and we started our family. Money was short, and one day while I was putting clean clothes on my baby girl, the thought struck me that maybe I could make the sleepers for her to wear and that was what I did. They may not have been professional looking , but they looked good and I loved them. I saved all of my scraps and made the sleeves with different colours to use all of my fabric and I was in love. I knew I had a long way to go but Christmas was around the corner, and I attempted to make Mama a house coat, but I sewed the front piece to the back piece for a front and the same for the back. I was so disheartened that I hid the project from my sight.

Along the way, I tested out smaller projects- like curtains for my daughter when she got her own place, and we had so much fun doing that. I made DH handkerchiefs, but I just could not figure out how to "really sew"- until one day online, I bumped into an organization that had sewing instructors listed and there was ONE in my area. OOOOOH- it was a dream come true. That was how I met Lynne and one of the greatest gifts had now entered my life.

Lynne is a doll and I just adore her. She is a perfectionist and I love attempting to follow in her steps. I did say Attempting! She was born with a natural gift for sewing. Her Mama said that she was sewing before she ever went to school. There is NOTHING these two cannot accomplish when they put their heads together! I can Never repay her for what she shared with me, because it opened a whole new world to me. Shoot- I did not even have the courage to walk through the doors of some of the places she has taken me. I had to fall over laughing one time when Lynne said that she had created a "montster". LOL Give a gal a little knowledge and watch out!!!I have always believed that when it comes to Christmas that's when I give a gift that I have hand made, and that it might mean more to a person! At least that is my goal- to show someone that I love that I put love in each stitch because they are important to me.

I hope that each of you finds the joy of creating your dreams, and they come true also.

What Inpsires Me: Everything inspires me....each new day, each new adventure, everything in nature, the love I carry in my heart to have this desire to make someone happy.

What I love to Do the Most Creatively: As everyone can see from my blog- I love tee shirts... all shapes and colors and sizes! Everyone in my family practically lives in their tee shirts- you know from home to work and shop-they all love tee shirts, and I find it a thrill to attempt to capture the essence of love and the joy and inspiration when they slide these shirts on. I want them to know that they are loved and thought of.

My Favorite Fabric and Designer: I really do not have a favorite, because I love them ALL! I learn something from each one that I find. But one of these days, the shop owners might have to charge admission because I take such joy out of touching and smelling and dreaming while I meet the fabrics! I have always felt that way. It just puts a song in my heart!

UFO I Intend to Finish: Well, I don't have but one and that is a purse by Studio Kat. I had just created purses by a Butterwick pattern, and I gave them for Christmas that year and everybody loved them. I was amazed- for some reason. I had always seen purses as "store-bought" items.

It called for quilted fabric and our stores did not have a very large supply. I happened to run across a fabric that was not quilted and I dearly loved it. I asked the lady in the store if she thought I could quilt it myself and she said yes and I brought it home and went to work . Hahahaha. I laid everything out all nice and pefect. I pinned it till it looked like a pincushion and I made my stitch row of stitches. But after that, each row that I made got more and more crooked! I knew I was whipped. But I have always had a stubborn streak-OR maybe I am so dumb that I just don't know when to quit. After I rested . I called Lynne for her advice. She asked me if I had ever heard of a walking foot. WELL OF COURSE NOT! I ordered one from E-bay and then I could not figure out how to put it on" I went and took a break and while my back was turned my DH went in and put it on for me." I just could not believe it! Now I was a force to be reckoned with!

That is how everyone on my list got a purse that year- and from what I have seen, they all have enjoyed them and wanted more.

What's on the Design Wall Now: Well, I have a list a mile long for more shirts for Christmas, and I am working on them. They also love lounge pants and I enjoy working with flannel, so soft and a a pleasant change. I am pondering last year I made the lounge pants and all of the young adults had theirs to bust out within the day they wore them. I am concerned after I work as hard as I do on them that I want them to last longer than that- so maybe I should use knits.

Who Would I Love to Meet: Why, Micki of course! Bit if I was to get that far- I would probably never come home! LOL

If I Had One Wish:HMMMM- that is a very hard one-but a hopefully reasonable wish is that when I gain more knowledge of sewing, my dream has been to sew for the soldiers who come home from the wars. I already have the paper work, but I am still shy of the knowledge and the money to pull it off, but one of these days. I am hoping to get close to that goal each stitch that I take.

Plans for the Future:Future plans kinda scare me because with fibromyalgia, I have the fog that goes with that. My pain meds make the pain almost manageable, but it gets in my brain and I get lost in the fog, and that is what it feels like. It is terrible and I hate it, so I guess my goal is just to take each step and be thankful for that one , and be determined as I strive for my goals...al of which have something SEWING in them.

Well, Linda, I wish that we did live closer. The danger of that is that I would show you quilting, and then you would get hooked with that too. Of course, as you said, you might never go home...How lovely would that be for me! Thanks for a wonderful interview, for your lovely story, and for your beautiful work, but most importantly, just for being you!