Watch over me Spirit of Mary

With each new year, I set a creative resolution for myself. I know most people resolve to exercise more, but  I know that ship is never going to sail, so a creative goal it is! This year, my resolution was to start blogging. Check! Last year's resolution was to sew more. You see, I am from a long lineage of seamstresses. My mother is an amazing seamstress. She sewed endless outfits for me and my siblings when we were little. She handmade and embroidered faces on Raggedy Anns and Andys for each of her grandchildren. We have a beautiful stash of Halloween costumes that she burned the midnight oil making. Her mother, my Nana (Mary), was a professional seamstress. She sewed for a national baby clothes company. She could sew anything - from wedding dresses to intricately lined, winter coats for my dolls. When I picture her in my mind, I see her sitting at her sewing machine or cutting a pattern. When she died, I inherited one of her prized possessions, her sewing box. It is filled with little button cards with her handwriting and funny handmade sewing tools etched with her initials. I've always had a guilt about not learning more from her so the resolution to sew more has always been in the back of my mind.

Last year, I asked my mom if she still had her "stash of squares." The stash of squares lived in a cabinet of our dining room buffet when I was growing up and contained a square of fabric from each piece of clothing that my mom had made for one of her children. Her intent was to make a quilt with the stack of squares "when you three are grown and I have the time." Unfortunately, arthritis makes it nearly impossible for her to sew now. Enter part two of my guilty conscience - not learning more sewing tips from my mom.

I decided to act on the guilt. In May of last year, my mom brought me her stack of squares and told me to just use them for crafts. Right then and there, my fear of sewing was conquered. I was going to make the quilt for her. After all, the only difference between the word guilt and quilt is one letter - how hard could it be? I read many tutorials on making quilts, I bought a rotary cutter and mat and most importantly - I opened the sewing box and called upon the Spirit of Mary. All year, Mary listened and brought me the confidence and perserverance to rip out many seams and start over. I started with a custom bird cage cover for our sun conure and matching summer halters for Caroline and I. Then I practiced on a small doll quilt for Caroline's American Girl dolls.  After those successes, I could not postpone it any longer - I started the quilt. I took my time, I read and re-read instructions, I kept the sewing box open and - I finished it. I gave it to my mom Thanksgiving weekend.

Do you have a Mary?  Have you stuck with your New Year's resolution?  Did you resolve to exercise?  And how exactly does a person do that?  Get back to me.  I'll be sitting here sewing.