When kids are 15, they dream of getting a car. My dream car was a purple VW "slugbug". I thought they were the coolest little cars. Still do.
When I turned 16, instead of getting a car for my birthday, I got sewing lessons. Think back (if you're old enough to remember)...to 1982. One of the fashion crazes of the time were the "Little House on the Prairie" style dresses inspired by the designer Laura Ashley. I loved those dresses. Being a chunky kid, they would hide my little bit of bulge, and I could still be fashionable. So that's what we decided to make during my sewing lessons. It was a cute white with Purple (of course) print. Mrs. Rousseau, one of my Mom's best friends, patiently walked me through cutting the fabrics and piecing them together. She thought I was a bit premature trying to make something that had so many gathers in it, but I was really proud of how it turned out. I wore that dress till it was threadbare. It got me through a lot of Sunday mornings and special events at school. I wish I still had the dress, just for memories sake.
After making that dress with her, I tried to make another one on my own. That was a disaster, I remember sewing pieces together all wrong. I gave up and didn't touch a sewing machine for 19 years.
Flash forward to Fall 2001. 9/11 had just happened. How to deal with stress and anxiety. My boss is a quilter. She would show me these beautiful quilts she was working on. One day I thought, you know, My Mom was a quilter, both my grandmothers were quilters, maybe I can be a quilter too. I asked my boss to give me a few lessons. She was thrilled to share some of her stash and a few tools with me. I went to her house and had a lesson on picking fabric, and a lesson on using a rotary cutter and templates, and a refresher course on using a sewing machine. That was it. I was hooked. I've been quilting 6 years now. Quilting has seen me through many rough times. I've made several quilts and lasting memories with quilting friends from around the world.
But I still want that slugbug.
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3 comments:
Hi Babs! Glad I stopped by, I've been checking in on everyone's blogs to see whats new.
What a story. I agree with you. Sewing is a great way to help deal with stress and such. It's helped me deal with lots as well. I am so totally hooked too :cD oh, and the slugbug would be cool too. :cD
Hey Babs! I think I saw you at an intersection in Richardson last night. Tried to get your attention but I think you were trying to ignore me! LOL
you've been tagged! see my blog for details.
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