Memories to Heirlooms

When Kara contacted me to ask if I could make a stool for her mom, I was thrilled and a bit apprehensive.  A stool like this is in my inspiration file and although I was sure I could make it, I was not sure how. ​

Tuffets can be made from jeans, shirts - almost anything.  Interested in having a tuffet made?  Contact me and we can talk about it.

All stages of life have their challenges and blessings.  Kara and I immediately bonded because we both helped our fathers through cancer and the end of their lives. So I completely understood her attachment to his "comfy sweaters." For my dad it was a blue Oxford shirt that he always wore when his arms enveloped me in a big hug. So it made perfect sense that she wanted a comforter out of her father's comfy sweaters to wrap herself in each night.

Kara wanted it to be only one layer. This meant overlapping the fabric and zig zagging to catch both edges. This was a technique I had never tried but it worked  well.  

It was an honor to work with such special fabrics and bring Kara's vision to life.
Have keepsakes you would like made into an heirloom? Contact me and we can talk about it.

Ginny's husband Tom must have kept every tie he ever owned because she gave me a 10 gallon tub full after giving many away! As I talked to Ginny, I understood why.  This is what we wrote for his grandchildren to go in the Story Starter for each of their pillows:
"Each night, before bed, Granddad would lay out what he would wear the next day. There was always a white shirt and dark pants, but then came the tie. The tie is where he showed his style, sense of humor, or even celebrate the season!  He wore one from his vast collection every day as he worked to support his family."

Ginny chose a design, and then we worked together to find 5 or 6 ties for each pillow. We designed a pillow for each of the 5 granddaughters and one for Ginny.

Ties built out from a center monogram and a tie border for the zipper on the back.

We used his nature ties as much as possible to represent what a sportsman he was.

I was able to make ornaments for all of his descendants out of some of his fantastic collection!

Have a tub of ties you would like made into heirlooms?  Contact me and we can talk about it.

One of the things I love about what I do is hearing about the lives of remarkable people from their loved one.  By the time an heirloom is finished, I have a connection with this person that, in most cases, I have never met.  This connection has a positive impact on the finished heirloom.
I heard Anna's story from her daughter, Liz.  Anna was
Comforting - as a mother, grandmother, & nurse, she spent her life meeting the needs of others.
Warm - she was always ready to lend a hand and was loved by all who met her.
Joyful - she had a wonderful sense of humor, making her fun to be around.
Loved nature - as a farm wife, she had great respect and love for the earth with a   special place in her heart for birds and flowers.
Anna's clothing told me she was traditional and stylish while valuing comfort.

My first task was to find coordinating fabrics to support the designs from her clothing.  Liz and I both like this choice.

Liz came up with attributes of her mother to help create the center piece of the quilted wall hanging.

Have keepsakes you would like to have converted to an heirloom?  Contact me and we can talk about it.

Designer Note: I struggled to get a good layout for the design, afraid to make a mistake cutting the fabric. Solution: I photographed each design, which allowed me to use the Pages program on my Mac to layout the quilt before ever cutting fabric.  That also provides an excellent way for me to share my vision with a client.

When I was teaching, I was often asked if I had children, and I would answer, "Yes, 600." It never occurred to me that I would not have children, but at some point, I realized not only do I have students, but also 14 nieces and nephews, and Aunt Camp was born. 
Nine of the fourteen were local, so in the summer (trying to fit in out-of-towners when possible), I would have two or three at a time to come and spend the weekend. The first stop was the fabric store to get supplies for a sewing project, then off to my house. Aunt Camp always included:

• Sewing the project of their choice
• trying new food (spaghetti squash, catfish, Thai peanut chicken) that they often helped prepare.
• a movie at the theater 
• some work around the house (my Amish lawnmower was always a thrill, and my nephew Jed vividly remembers building stone walls around the gardens.)

Optional activities were:

• pottery
• stained glass
• stepping stones
• other crafts

Aunt Camp was a great way to make memories and connect with my nieces and nephews while helping them feel accomplished. (And yes, that is a spaghetti squash from my garden in the pocket of Luke's study pillow!)