Baby Steps in Her Shoes...

When we were little Mom always sewed dresses for us. In fact, I still have a dress in my closet that she sewed for me about 15 years ago. She made dresses for my niece when she was a baby and would always hem our jeans and pants. I've since been taking our jeans to a tailor for alterations.
After Mom passed I inherited her sewing machine. It's been up in my closet collecting dust. I'd been researching simple ways to hem jeans. Taking each item to an tailor gets expensive! So last night I took her sewing machine down. I found an old pair of jeans in my closet and went to work.



Oh my goodness... I can't explain the feeling that went through my body, sitting at my table with her sewing machine in front of me and fabric under my fingers. It was surreal. It was like something I was supposed to do. It felt so real. It felt right. Placing my foot on the pedal, where she placed her foot and moving the arm up and down, just as I watched her do so many, many years of my life was something so very special. It felt magical. I felt so close to her.



This was just a beginning for me. I can't wait to purchase a few more cheap jeans and try again. Mom and I were looking at skirt patterns before she got sick, in fact some are still on my eBay watch list. Before the end of the year I hope to make a skirt on my own. I want to make our never completed project a reality.
In my enthusiasm to try my hand at sewing, I broke Moms needle. I went to the fabric store to buy some new ones.



It took me back to when I was a little girl. Mom always had a button jar filled with such an array of buttons. Some buttons still held pieces of aging fabric. I spent many hours tipping the jar over and playing with each button, stroking the thin material. I loved thinking of the stories each of the buttons held, just as each button held together two pieces of fabric making something out of what was once nothing. Each trip to the fabric store brought home a new present for me. Mom would allow me to pick one card of buttons to add to the jar. My eyes today immediately went to these buttons, much the same as my buttons of choice as a child.






Even though I brought home new buttons, it was the old worn buttons in her jar that always peaked my interest. After I told my girls this story they showed me the buttons they liked. CC liked these...


Mom would have loved them too! Lena liked these...

They are so Lena! We found a really cute button jar idea at Homestead Handcrafts layer this afternoon. We girls are going to start a little button jar project for ourselves. I can't wait until we finish!

Walking through the store, I found so many fabrics that I fell in love with. I felt wheels turning in my head and even a few heart palpitations!

I felt that burning, tingling in my finger tips again.








I have so many ideas. My girls were having fun pointing out and picking fabrics and shades they loved too.



These were Lena's choices.



CC loved this blue and black fabric.



I have always been mesmerized by soft whites with just a hint of sparkle.

After dreaming through the fabric store we rested a bit taking in tacos and coffee.

We enjoyed the cool morning, warming sunshine and hot coffee.

We were quite ready to go home just yet, so we stopped by Homestead Handcrafts. I absolutely love this store. They have the perfect mix of vintage, new, modern, country and a few quirks here and there. I found this vintage handbag that I feel hard in love with. It took very much self control not to bring it home.

Lena loved this sign...

We loved the movie The Help. These words stuck with us. I don't think any of us really believe these things about ourselves.

I found this dish towel that is just perfect for any kitchen in the South...

It was nice revisiting my past memories and hopefully creating new memories with my girls today.

Only two more work days until my vacation. Oh, how I hope they go by fast!
So, with the passing of these next two days here Roger Miller singing "King of the Road". This was one of Mom's, and now one of my favorite songs!

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