Monday, March 23, 2009

Mom Awesomeness



My mom (the one who likes to leave witty comments on my blog posts like, "what wedding?") is always a driving factor behind my sewing, knitting and crafting. She is the one that taught me to sew and knit orginally and the one that I ultimately go to when I am stuck on a project. Her advice, which usually starts with, "Now Kate, let's think about this..." has gotten me out of many a crafty jam, and just when I think I know it all about sewing or knitting she goes and learns something new and then happily shares whatever it is (because she knows I can't stand to not know how to do something) in her patient manner. She has finished two great projects lately, and since she has yet to venture into having her own blog I told her I was going to share her finished objects on mine. The shawl above is an example of how she can seriously rock some knitting needles, but it is the quilt below that shows the true depth of her skill and heart.



T-shirt quilts are a pain to make to begin with... the fabric is stretchy, it all has to be backed with stabilizer, you often have all different size squares from cutting around the t-shirt art and sewing it all together gets thick and hard to push through your machine. We both cringe at the thought of making t-shirt quilts, but this one is so special that there was no way she wasn't going to make it. We have a family friend that had a daughter recently lose a long battle with cystic fybrosis, and this quilt was made out of her t-shirts for her sister to take to college. My mom struggled with this quilt from conception to completion, not just because t-shirt quilts are challenging to make, but because the emotional investment and pressure to do a really great job was pretty intense. I am so proud of her for finishing this quilt and for how great it turned out. I know it was a journey for her, and I think it really shows how a quilt can be so much more than the time and fabric invested in it.

9 comments:

KBB said...

Your Mom IS AWESOME! I can not get over how beautiful the quilt is, not to mention the shaw. Glad you posted her work! Kristen

Anonymous said...

I can only imagine the deep comfort this young woman will feel as she wraps herself in her "sister", and weathers the excitement and challenges of leaving home for college. It is sure to give her strength for years to come.... What a thoughtful and loving gift.
The shawl is spectacular.... and in my favorite color! Which leads me to this: MOM, since Kate isn't posting her fabric pattern/colorway for her napkins, will you?

MelissaS said...

Love it all! But of course I'm always an admirer of Kathy's work!

Love, hugs & kisses!

Kathy Bridges said...

Big tears. Thank you Kate....
Not correcting you to be a pain, only because it might mean something to someone, it is Cystic Fibrosis that Maddison struggled with all her life.
love you,
Mom

Kate said...

MoM: Darn it, knew I would get it wrong! Has been corrected.

Mary: You crack me up! I am using Amy Butler's Daisy Chain and Moda's Soiree, both in every turquoise/aqua/spring green colorway I can get my hands on.

Kristen: Thanks for visiting and commenting! My mom was just beaming over the phone earlier because her post had already gotten such nice comments :)

Journeying Five said...

Absolutely beautiful. She really put her heart into the quilt, it is so clear!

Anonymous said...

Ok, So there are two of us that would like to send a finished napkin to you.... Here's the link to where I posted:
http://sewmamasew.com/forum/index.php?topic=1151.0
So if you'll so kindly post for us the following:
Dimensions of the two pieces of fabric to be sewn together... I'm a beginner sewer, so tell me exactly what size to start with and what size you want it when finished so I can adjust the seam allowance. Also do you want the same fabric on both sides, or are you open to a mix and match within the daisy chain and soire Aqua lines? and finally, where shall we send these lovelies? :-)

Arwen said...

Beautiful woman in a beautiful shawl. I hope I age half as gracefully...

apple cyder said...

your mom leaves witty comments on my blog too. she is great. (she just told me about your blog.) i love the sentiment and thought that went into the quilt. i vote for your mom to start a blog of her own. molly

ps love your cocktail napkins!