She's Crafty!

I've been a pretty crafty girl lately! I decided to break out the old sewing machine and try this:

Before

After!

I also decided to pick up this embroidery kit and see if I add this to my ever growing craft repotoire. It comes with thread, instructions, the hoop, and some iron on outlines. And of course, I'm using a thimble, my grandma would roll over in her grave if I didn't, haha. ;) As you can see there is a Huge difference between my first project and the pic of my heirloom tablecloth. It's just the corner of the cloth that has fruits embroidered ALL over it. We're talking months of work my grandmother and great aunts put into this and every stitch is perfect.

It's funny how I didn't get interested in knitting, sewing, or embroidery until several years after my grandmother's death, yet these traditional crafts make me feel very close to her. I remember the soothing sound of her knitting needles clicking as she sat in her easy chair, and the doll dresses she made me out of her fabric scraps.

Just putting the thimble on my finger and sewing a few simple stitches reminds me of the cross stitching I would do as I sat beside her as a child. She would show me the correct way to use the needle and chide me for not using my thimble. (Which is probably why I always use one now)

I've got a long way to go before I'll ever be as good as she was, but I'm looking forward to making a few heirlooms to pass on to my children. :)