It's in the Bag!

An extraordinary amount of rain has permitted an extraordinary amount of time in the sewing room this spring.  Normally, the Call of the Garden would be indulging my senses and working the bod and the Sewing Room would be gathering cobwebs.  Not so this year.

But how delightful to be able to work on such lively and spring filled fabrics (mostly Amy Butler) while the rain replenishes the scorched soil of last summer...

New babies always bring out a particular creative side of me.  I want to welcome each one well and affirm the new mama; letting her know that what she is about to do is the most important thing in this world.....

I want her to know that the community of mamas support her in her endeavor to deliver and nurture her and her wee one and understanding ears are only a click, call or drive away....

I love to be involved in the preparation of the advent of the new life into each family....

If even on the most practical level, it does my heart good to know that a reminder of my support is being carried around on the new mamas (and papas) shoulder....

And in serving the practical needs, embellishing the mundane is right up my alley.  Gone are the days of plasticky diaper bags with insipid pink and blue animals frolicking across the front.  Gone are the standard issue bags that served mostly to embarrass the wearer.

No, diaper bags are a statement now.  They are an accessory of the  most important kind, revealing the individual style of each of the most important wearers.  The diaper bag, for the first few years, is the security blanket for most new moms, carrying inside, all that makes having a very portable baby realistickly feasible!

And if you can have fun with the mundane, you can have fun with anything!!

Thank you again, Anna Maria Horner and Amy Butler and many others, for publishing wonderful New Mama books to add some very fashionable wearability to a new mama's life...

And I get to be a part of the process!  Love it!

Vivien's Choice

Today, Vivien's mama, Vivien and I went to the fabric store. It seems I travel with my sewing machine these days, making London Shades, quilts or kitchen curtains at each of my progeny's homes. I cannot tell you how much I love to do it. It's grand to be allowed to be a part of their homemaking.

My daughter introduced me to the joys of Amy Butler's vibrant fabrics years ago. I made a sun dress for her for an thus began the love affair. It was only appropriate that when nursery material was needed for Vivien's room, that my daughter would look to Amy to supply the needed inspiration. And we got it in spades. The mentioned shades, the quilt, the matching bumper pads, the diaper bag and even her spit up cloths have all been adorned with lovely fabric.

And Vivien loves it.

My daughter will hear her 'talking' to the Mandarin Dots, the Morning Glory, and others of the Midwest Modern II and Lotus line. She is content to lie on her quilt made with a patchwork of all her fabrics. Her very large diaper bag, featured in Amy's book Little Stitches for Little Ones, is big enough to hold her and it catches her attention as well.

So today, when we were at the fabric store and while the clerk was measuring out several pieces of home decorating fabric for the bags that I make, her little eyes were scoping out the design and the colors. She could barely wait till her little hands could touch the appealing fabrics. Even though, this time, it was not Amy Butler, her trained eye discerned that, this indeed was good enough to give it attention. The clerk was entertained by her young interest so we explained how she has always( 4 months!) loved good design.

My daughters have been moderately interested in sewing. Vivien's mama is great with yarn, knitting things beyond my comprehension. My youngest daughter, enjoys utilizing sewing for her artistic bent. So my hope is that Miss Viv will be my apprentice in the years to come. I hope that she will follow me into my sewing room, expecting me to explain patterns and techniques every time she visits. Will she be the one to inherit my collection of vintage linens and make something very special with them? Could it be that she will out do me in every aspect of sewing?

I certainly hope so.