Friday, March 26, 2010

Homemade Reminiscing

I look about at our house often and count the number of things in plain sight that I have made or recycled out of something else. Sometimes I hardly realize I'm doing it - but it always brings a nice feeling. The number of washcloths, clothing, pillows, toys, containers - every item says something about who lives here. Other items that were made by people I have known in my life...

I also think back to things that still resonate in my memory from my childhood home. I walk to those places in my memory, see them as if they were right before my eyes. The house itself was made by my grandfather - right down to the built-in cabinetry, small little doors in the walls where one would usually not expect them - a broom closet, a linen closet, a closet for garden tools by the basement door etc... Many of our household items there were handmade - curtains and couch cushions, macrame wall hangings, handpainted animal pillows on our beds, quilts made by grandma, drawings made by Mom, handcrafted benches and clothes chests and bookcases, flower pots and placemats...

Sometimes I wonder if Esme will live in a world like that as the future continues.. or if everything will become 'stock'. I hope we can give her that empowerment to alter and create. I hope to teach her to dream of what she can make her world be - using her hands and eyes, time and space...

I am still working to perfect the pattern for the raglan dress. I think I've made six now and still working to tweak a few things (haha!). I'm hoping to post it to BurdaStyle soon, a website where sewers share their patterns and projects with each other. I've posted a more complete set of instructions (with more pictures) at this link.

UPDATE: I think I did it! I made a few small alterations to the last pattern and tried it out - and it fit perfectly the first time with no fixes! YAYAYAYAYAY! I even made it a short-sleeve with no changes to the rest of the bodice. I think this pattern is ready to go 'all out', ie: make a few for other toddlers this age and see how it fits them. Plus - I'm going to make another one for Esme with the green fat quarter I was saving!

1 comment:

Maya Kuzman said...

I love your story. As time passes by (i.e. as I grow older) I bring back to life memories of childhood - just like you did in you post.I often wonder what the future will be like for my children. I hope they adhere to everything we have tried to teach them and would be able to recognize the true values of leading a life where things are (self)hand-made.