Stitches, Memories, and Mother’s Day

The Fabric We Carry With Us

Mother’s Day always brings a mix of emotions for me — gratitude, memories, and a quiet sense of missing my mom a little more than usual.

When I think about her, one of the first things that comes to mind is fabric shopping.

When I was a teenager, she would take me to pick out fabric and patterns. I loved everything about it — flipping through pattern books, imagining what I could create, and choosing just the right fabric. I ended up making almost all of my own clothes.

We didn’t always agree on fashion.

I would choose a pattern for a dress or skirt that was meant to fall at the knees or below… and somewhere along the way, I would decide it needed to be shorter. Much shorter.

By the time I had cut the fabric and sewn the piece together, there wasn’t much she could say — it was already done.

Looking back, it makes me smile.

🧵 Where It All Began

I first learned to sew in Home Economics in junior high, and not long after, my mom bought me a used White sewing machine from Sears.

That machine became part of my everyday life.

It sat in the corner of our dining room — always there, always ready. I used it for years, teaching myself, experimenting, and creating piece after piece.

Even more than that, it came with me wherever I went. Every move, every new home — that sewing machine was always part of it.

It wasn’t just a tool. It was a constant.

💛 Encouragement That Lasts a Lifetime

My mom didn’t sew herself, but she encouraged me in every way that mattered.

She supported my creativity, even when my fashion choices didn’t quite match her vision. She gave me the space to learn, to try, and to make things my own.

And that stayed with me.

Years later, when that original machine finally gave out, I replaced it with a new one — a Janome — when I started my business.

It felt like both an ending and a beginning.

🌷 Carrying It Forward

So much of what I create today traces back to those early days — the fabric shopping, the experimenting, the independence, and the quiet encouragement behind it all.

This Mother’s Day, I’m especially grateful for that.

For the rides to the fabric store.
For the patience.
For the support.
And for the foundation she gave me — even without realizing just how far it would carry me.

If you have someone in your life who encouraged your creativity — whether they shared your vision or not — you know how meaningful that kind of support can be.

It stays with you.