Okay, so I'm working on an embroidery piece that's 22 years in the making. It's actually a birth announcement for my 22 year old brother. How is this possible, you might ask?
I guess when my mother was pregnant with Brian, she was working on a piece to hang in the nursery. We're talking vintage, totally eighties, complete with a teddy bear and a sort of spooky clown. I can actually remember her working on the piece, sitting on the couch-- the messy tangle of colored thread hanging off her round belly. I would check her progress every now and again, and as any curious four year old, would take my fingers and gently rub them over the French knots and cut loops.
Apparently, she came so close to finishing the piece (it's complete except for the ball on the clown's hat, and the frame), but once Brian was born, she was too busy to finish it.
Now that I'm living at home again, I have a chance to root through some of my mom's old things: unfinished projects, vintage skirt hemmers, fabrics...
I came across the birth announcement and thought I might finish it and frame it so that I can give to Bri on his next birthday, which will be in January. I think the sentimentality of the gesture will be wonderful, as my mother passed away when he was only 12. Even if it only sits in a box, it will be his.
And speaking of old finds...
I found this embroidered piece that my mom made for me when I was a baby. Yeah, that's a unicorn. A little corny I know, but it's actually quite beautiful, and far better than anything I could do at this stage in the game.
Just look at the detail that went into this! My mom was a true perfectionist and an amazing, crafty lady. She sewed, gardened, wove baskets, and was an amazing cook to boot! The best teacher I ever had, even though it was her job. She taught second grade for twenty years before she passed away. And a little part of me knows that I have chosen to go into teaching because she really inspired me. Okay, enough reminiscing.
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