Tuesday, May 31, 2016

Just Like Mary's

You may depend upon it. Every few years my mother will get a phone call from Mary and her question is always the same, "Would one of your girls be able to sew up a few aprons for me?" You can also depend on her wanting five at a time. And guaranteed, small calico prints in the colors blue, red, brown, and pink.

Mary is in her 80s and still cooks and cleans like nobodies business (though a few years back a sister of mine cleaned for her every two weeks when she and her husband were very busy). Wearing an apron is a daily standard for her. Mom says that she's never seen Mary without one when she goes out to their country property in the hills. "It's apart of getting dressed."

Coming home from college, mom passed on to me the task (more like a sheer delight!) to sew Mary's five aprons this year. She sent a bag with a few yards of possible fabrics and I just needed to come up with two more materials. It has been a long time since I sewed one up using her 60s pattern. I assume it's a 60s pattern judging by the style. We've never seen the actual pattern, honestly. She always includes an old one and says, "Make them just like this one." We have never told her that about 10 years ago we made a paper pattern off of it for our collection.

Not really having the chance to peruse the fabric stores since coming home (other than the specific errand for a brown and pink!), I dug around in my measly fabric stash for any remnants of a yard or more. Sure enough, two were found and made up this afternoon. Both fabrics suit each other quite nicely. So if anyone out there is wanting to start up an apron collection like Mary's (or mine; please don't ask how many I own!!) they would be the perfect start.



They are both in the shop tonight!

Sunday, May 29, 2016

Glimpse of the Gulf

For six years of my childhood, I lived but two miles away from the Pacific ocean. On the clearest of days, you could see its glimmer from my bedroom window, and a better view could be found if you climbed to the top of the hill behind our house, something I did many times a day. Hours were spent flying kites along the southern California beaches, eating Mexican take-out using our boogie boards as tables after swimming back and forth for hours out to a large raft-like board that was (somehow?) securely fastened to the ocean floor, summers spent walking a through fields with friends to the ocean and stopping to feed the horses our leftover veggies or peanut butter sandwiches. Such happy memories.

The last time I had seen the ocean was 17 years ago, but it was just a brief view in passing since that winter our family flew out for my Grandpa's funeral.

Trips to the Great Lakes are always a highlight of my summers (when I'm able to visit). The sound of water lapping up to the shores is so comforting, but it's a different sound to that of crashing waves. Just a couple of weeks ago found me down in Florida for a few short days near the gulf. Since it is connected to the Atlantic ocean, I was satisfied enough to say that I saw the ocean once again, though my time down there was spent in a way that did not allow me to experience all that I had expected, but what I did see and feel did not disappoint. There is nothing quite like the smell of salty air and white sands between your toes. Below are some of my favorite pictures from two different occasions and locations.


"The marshes themselves: limitless, humbling. The great sweep of Aliveness. The keen and exquisite Sameness that rushes forth in greeting like an old friend." (quoted from Lanier's blog; she says everything so beautifully!)











Waded knee-deep and walked its shores in silence until the moon became my light. I did not want to leave.

"The sea heals us by helping us learn to listen…silence is requisite." ~Peter Kreeft


Hoping that not quite so much time passes until I can see the ocean again. My roommate and I will probably do something next summer in celebration of obtaining our degrees. If anyone out there has favorite spots along the east coast, feel free to pass them along!

Saturday, May 07, 2016

Charleston Jasmine

 
"If you came this way in may time, you would find the hedges white again, in May, with voluptuary sweetness." ~T.S. Eliot


 
"I must have flowers, always and always." -Claude Monet