Good Morning, Quilters!
Today, I would like to honor creative mothers. Yesterday, I wrote about my mother, Dorothy and my grandmother, Rose and how they inspired the Rose & Dot quilt block.
Today, on Open Line Friday, I would like to hear about YOUR mothers! Please share with us a little about YOUR mother and how she inspired YOU!
Did your mother quilt or sew while you were growing up?
Does your mother paint, take photos? Perhaps your mother is musical?
Does your mother love to garden or create floral arrangements?
Maybe your creative mother sets a beautiful table or has a talent for interior design?
Is your mother a wonderful cook or baker?
Did she organize fun parties, gatherings or family reunions?
Perhaps your mother was creative in solving business, legal or medical problems?
Creativity comes in so many forms and creative mothers inspire us in so many ways!
We’d LOVE to hear about YOUR mother or grandmother or godmother!
Please share her story and how she inspired YOU!
Signed,
Lori
PS…All tutorials, images and information are the property of Lori Kennedy Quilts and are intended for personal use only. Feel free to re-blog, pin or share with attribution to Lori Kennedy Quilts. For all other purposes, please contact me at Lori@LoriKennedyQuilts.com. Thanks!
45 comments
Laura Hernández
Yo heredé el amor por las labores de mamá y de mi abuela. A mamá le apasionaba el jardín, la tierra y adoraba el mes de septiembre que en mi país es primavera, pero con ella aprendí a bordar, tejer y hacer ganchillo, su modo de amar era crear algo bello para la casa o para regalar. En cambio la abuela era apasionada por la costura, aún conservo su caja Singer de accesorios de la máquina de coser y sus libros Singer de 192…, Cuando vino de Italia a Argentina traía su mayor tesoro: su máquina de coser manual luego mi abuelo le regaló su Singer a pedal. De alguna manera cada vez que creo algo las siento conmigo, igual que cuando .uso un mantel o una colcha que hicieron ellas. Hacer una labor para ellas era su lenguaje de amor.
Al ver a tu abuela y tu mamá me dí cuenta cuán parecidas eran a pesar de vivir en tan distintas latitudes.
Patti
My mom turned 100 in April! She was a home ec teacher, sewed, knitted, and needle pointed beautiful creations for my sisters and me. 🙂 Her home was always immaculate and she was a phenomenal cook. She has inspired me greatly and helped me make first quilt when I was 15 with her many wonderful scraps from all our clothes she made. She was always in touch with the latest fashions. She is always interested in my quilts, but unfortunately can’t see them very well. :(.
Laura Hernández
Eres muy afortunada de tenerla contigo, Dios la bendiga.
Marta
I am so impressed by ALL our mothers. Wouldn’t it be lovely if they could come and give us a weekend of their advice ? They are an incredible bunch of human beings ! We are blessed and thankful too.
Patti Bach
That would be wonderful!
mickiepw
My Mom introduced me to sewing, even making my patterns for doll clothes I wanted to make. She was beyond patient with my insistence on perfection. That is, my idea of perfection 😘. She is now in hospice care with my older sister and me taking care of her. Her sweet, patient spirit remains though her beautiful blue eyes grow dim
Joy French
My mother always had knitting or crocheting in her hand when she sat down. She could knit without looking and it always fascinated us kids. She made baby layettes mostly, but I commandeered her for a couple of items when I was in my early twenties. I think I learned knitting and crocheting from her mostly through osmosis, but those skills didn’t grab my heart. I began with macrame, cross stitch and of course sewing which we all used to take in junior high. My mum also tried liquid embroidery when it was popular and it was easily transferred to us kids as it was like colouring. Mum was artistic, but didn’t have the opportunity for formal education. If she had, who knows how far she could have gone. She embroidered several small scenes with flora and fauna without a pattern. My sister has some acrylic paintings she has done. I remember a ultramarine blue bow tie quilt top she made. I wish I had it now. Mum made our dresses for the first few years of school, curtains for the house or we would not have had any. I remember a beautiful white crocheted bedspread with pink roses adorned her bed. She had the ability to complete large projects. I wish I had inherited that attribute from her. She gardened, raised animals and was a woman of the land. Never one to use new inventions she loved to use her hands.
My paternal grandmother lived some distance from me and she passed away when I was about 19 so I didn’t know her well, but I do have crewel, smocking, trapunto that she did. I inherited some crochet books that were hers although I don’t have examples of her work. As we all do, most of our work is given away. My mum told me that grampa would not allow anyone to be idle so gramma always had to be busy when he was around. She would carve out some free time before he got home to work on her crafts. When he was seen walking up the drive at the end of the day everyone jumped up and attended to some task as to avoid his ire.
I never knew my maternal granny as she lived across the pond. She was an independent woman who was able to “escape the confines of domesticity” as was written about her in a local co-operative magazine. I have a photograph of my granny taken by a local photographer for a magazine actually standing on a soap box, surrounded by like minded women, giving a speech. I guess that’s where I get my penchant for labour activism. She sat on the co-operative executive, was a member of the Townswomen’s Guild and active in the labour movement. She played the violin, piano and Jews harp.
I don’t know of anyone in my family that quilted, but we must all decide for ourselves our interests and enjoy them.
scrappychris
My mother could not sew. Being a good military wife she did sew on buttons on my Dad’s uniforms. She did love flowers and this year I am going to plant some white calla Lilly bulbs as this is the flower she carried on her wedding day. Once my Dad retired and they settled down on the water in Colonial Beach VA she had a white peony bush that was gorgeous. I have planted a white peony as well to remember the good times,
bethfitch3528
Hello Lori, my mother is just simply wonderful.
A question, love your new web site but I am having trouble reading it with the new floral back drop. Wondering if anyone else is having the same problem. I love following your site and your girls so I am hoping there is something I can do on my end to fix it.
Happy Mother’s Day!
Jean
My mom is a wonderful cook and baker. She worked for many years as a cake decorator. Her mom aunts and grandmother all sewed , knitted and crocheted.
Suzanne
My Granny, as we called her, was a southern gal born in 1880 who fell in love with and married a Yankee (heresy in those days!) They moved north and had 5 children together. Granny was an expert seamstress who worked on a Singer treadle. She used to take old coats, have them dyed at the laundry then re-cut and sew them back together for her children. My mother and aunts and uncles had little in the way of store-bought clothes, but Granny was able to view something in a store window and copy it with no problem. She loved fabric and as a child I remember walking through fabric stores as she examined bolt after bolt to test the “hand”. She had little money to buy, but still enjoyed looking. I find myself doing the same thing as I stroll through the local Joann’s store. I inherited her love of sewing and fabric.
Mom on the other hand was more of an intellectual. She was excellent with numbers and always helped us with homework. She was a demon for perfect spelling and pronunciation and taught us well. she spoke several languages and amazed us with her vocabulary. She hated housecleaning, and frequently commandeered my sister and me to do the dusting, vacuuming and scrubbing. She loved to grow her own tomatoes, lie in the sun and eat them right off the vine. She could sew very well. Not like Granny but well enough to make or re-fashion clothing for us. When I was not quite seven years old she started teaching me on her late 1940’s “tank” – a black, cast iron, crinkle finish White Rotary. It was in it’s own table and had a knee lever rather than a foot pedal. In the late ’60’s she gave me a new Kenmore 158 zig-zag model that I LOVED and kept for many years. It had a foot pedal and because I learned on a knee lever machine, it was a struggle adapting to a pedal! I made many an outfit on that Kenmore “green machine”, including two wedding gowns and numerous prom gowns for my daughter.
My cousins have Granny’s treadle machine and I have Mom’s White Rotary. It still runs beautifully and I cherish it as I can visualize Mom sitting in front of it fixing a hem or taking in some seams.
In my late 60’s I discovered quilting and was hooked. That’s what I do mostly today. But every now and then I like to turn out a new blouse or skirt, or maybe something for my great-granddaughter. I enjoy making gifts on the sewing machine and various items for my church’s bi-annual Christmas sale.
I am eternally grateful for Granny and Mom who passed on their love of sewing to me. They’ve both been gone for many years, and I miss them still.
worldpresscom986
to Suzanne: How lovely to hear you refer to the “hand” of a fabric. So much of ‘pretty’ vocabulary is lost on younger people. If you took away the word “like” and “awesome” away, they wouldn’t be able to talk!
Suzanne
Thank you.
It is very sad isn’t it? Often, I must bite my tongue when speaking with my grandkids, nieces and nephews. They not only have a seemingly limited vocabulary but tend to punctuate their sentences with profanity. If I dare merely to suggest they might be using a word incorrectly or mispronouncing it (let alone object to their terrible language), they come up with the usual comments, “nobody cares, everybody talks that way now, it doesn’t matter”. It makes me want to cry.
MANY years ago, in grammar school, I had homework most nights that included 10 words from the dictionary which I was required to copy in full detail and return to my teacher the following day. I hated it but I learned. Perhaps I’m too old now to accept that younger generations mispronounce some words so horribly: “exspecially”, “axed” (for ask) “supossably”, “askaird”, and “ekscape” to name a few. I believe the ability to speak intelligently and put an understandable sentence together is becoming a lost art. It doesn’t say much for our current education system.
Kathy Frank
My mom has influenced my whole life. She’s been a nurse and she was 20, she’s 84 and will be retiring for the second time this summer. She has sewn for the public including entire wedding outfits. She taught me to sew and I made my first dress at age seven. And it had to be done right, or else I had to pick it out, LOL. But I appreciate that. She embroiders. She used to knit, and her latest thing has been making pot Pinchers, sort of like pot holders but with little pockets to put your hands in, and selling those at craft shows. I call her mom fairy because she reminds me of the story about the cobbler who would wake up in the morning and all of the work was done in his shop. Turns out elves would come at night and do all the work. I fractured my shoulder 5 years ago it was out of work for 8 months and every time she came over, when she left the beds were changed laundry was washed dried and folded and put away, there was a hot meal waiting and money in an envelope to help me pay my bills. She is forever and always looking for someone to help and she always find someone 🙂 I am beyond blessed to have her as my mom and I don’t take for granted any time that we have together.
cparry
My Mom had 7 kids. To say her hands were full is an understatement. She had little time to be creative. As the oldest, I remember her early motherhood years allowed for some needlepoint time and eventually some school clothing making. About the time #5 came along, that was pretty much it. I did take up a little clothing making in high school, cross stitch in my 20’s and 30’s and found quilting in my 30’s though I didn’t take it up in earnest until the last 15 years or so. I still have my Mom in part but dementia has the most of her. She is no longer able, even if she wanted, to do any of those things requiring detailed motor skills. It makes me sad that we can’t share in the hobby she, at least in part, kick started. It makes me sad, too, that she can’t share in my quilting happiness and successes. I know that if she were able, she would be my greatest cheerleader.
Marta
My mom was in assisted living her last 2 years because of dementia. When I visited her, I took a small box of various pieces of fabric, selecting an assortment of textures and colors. She sat in her wheelchair (broken hip recovery) at a table and handled the fabrics over and over, smoothing them and folding them. Nurses said she had a better night on those days of fabric play. Why am I not surprised…! She had sewn for 60+ years.
Mary S
These comments are so nice to read and thank you for allowing us to remember our mothers and grandmothers this way.
My mother loved to sew and knit and she passed on these interests to me and I am so grateful for that. My mother made so many dresses and suits for me when I was young and together, with my father, constructed beautiful costumes for me, for my dance recitals and school functions. She sewed gorgeous bedspreads for my college dorm, so that my roommate and I would have a warm, cozy room away at college. My mother was a talented quilter, too, and because of her influence, I became a quilter, too, which has really enriched my life. I miss her very much these past seventeen years, but I still feel so connected to her, especially because of our shared interests! Happy Mother’s Day, Mom, and every mother!
LAURIE B
No one in my family sewed, but as adults my sister and I turned into avid quilters. I think she and I were determined to do everything opposite mom. She passed away 2 years ago and I still miss her every day.
Cathy Willoughby
My mother let my sister and me play on her Singer treadle sewing machine and later taught us to use her electric machine. In the late 1930’s she started a Dresden Plate quilt using fabrics from the dresses her mother had made for her and her sisters. She never finished it, but my sister and I have used the plates for presents for the grandchildren. Mom was a prolific knitter, making baby sweaters, mittens for the family and sweaters for herself. I remember her knitting a lacy baby sweater while riding in the car across the Canadian prairies. She tried needlepoint and liquid embroidery but always came back to knitting. Arthritis and failing eyesight ended that in her last years. She’s been gone 5 years now but I thank her for all she taught me.
Sharon
My mother dabbled in so many things! Crochet, cross stitch, embroidery, crewel, ceramics, cake decorating, flower gardening. But not sewing! She did tell me one time that she made a blouse just to prove she could sew. My grandmother taught herself to sew her clothing at age 16 when her mother passed on. (~1909) She made most of the clothing for my sister and me as we were growing up. At age 11, I asked my grandmother to teach me to sew, so I could start making my own clothing. Which I did until I switched to quilting about 30 years ago.
Jacobs Laura
My mother was a music teacher, played many years in the Sacramento symphony, was a sewist & self taught tailor doing alterations on her own clothes. She also dabbled in painting in various mediums.
Sandy Clarke
My Mom has been gone for 5 years. She taught me to sew – clothes, knit, crochet, embroidery, cook, you name it even though I really wanted to be outside with my Dad. Not good at most of it but she taught me to love working with my hands. I have yarn with needles still in it that I cannot pull out – no patterns so I have no idea what she was making so I can’t finish any of her projects.
She and I took a quilting class together. She really didn’t like it but she went for me and I fell in love. Miss her everyday.
Susan
My mother was taught to sew by her aunt – she needed well tailored clothes for her job. After she married, she loved being a homemaker, and learned to knit, crochet, embroider, stitch needlepoint and petitpoint. She always wanted to learn tatting, but never did. When Dad retired, they moved to a small town, and she took some quilting classes, but only made 3 quilts. I was the youngest and only girl, and when I showed an interest in her hand-work, she took the time to teach me. I had to complete a project in each new skill. I started to sew my clothing when I was in grade 6, and went on to work at home part-time after my marriage. I was a dressmaker, did alterations, and also worked with custom draperies for a while. My mother encouraged me to quilt, but with 2 boys at home, and a military husband who was away for long periods of time, I didn’t have the patience to make cardboard templates, cut pieces by hand and hand quilt. I completed one wall hanging and then stopped quilting. Later in life, I saw “Quilt in a Day” on a PBS station, and was introduced to rotary cutters, assembly line sewing, and became a quilter. I’m sure my mother is watching over me as I make many quilts, machine quilting each, and giving them to family members and donating many through my guild’s community quilts program. My grandson, 3, helped me make 4 patches on his visit last summer, and I’m hoping to have more help again when he visits in June! Both of my sons can do basic mending, sew on buttons etc., as I feel it is a skill everyone should learn.
Gayle O'Grady
My mother was wonderfully creative in a variety of media. She sewed many of my and my sister’s clothes when we were children. She made my wedding dress, which I knew was a bit stressful for her but it turned out just beautiful. She taught me how to knit, which is now my go-to hobby for traveling or watching tv. I shared that skill with my sister. I’d love to pass it on to my daughter and granddaughter – not ready for that yet. My mother also painted beautifully. She inspired me to use my talents to create things for my home and things that I share with my family and friends. Sadly, she passed on many years ago at age 59 but continues to inspire me every day.
Rhonda Goss
My grandmother taught me to quilt. She also taught me to embroider. Idle hands are the devil’s workshop was one of her favorite sayings
gladquilts
Mother’s Day is both joyful and tearful. I miss my Mother, even though she passed quite a while ago. Like the others here, she had many talents. She sewed everything even quilt blocks. When I learned to quilt, we traded blocks between Minnesota and Washington. I have her blocks and will make a quilt for my daughter to remember her by. Happy Mother’s Day to all Mothers and loved children.
Cheri
My Mom was truly an incredible woman. Widowed with 9 children at 48, she still sewed, painted, made jewelry out of Agates she hunted for and other stones, was a photographer developing her own photos, had a beautiful flower garden, arranged floral centerpieces and maintained the 6 acre property she and Dad had purchased 10 years before dad passed at 47. When my Mom, Ellen was 13 she made a wedding dress for a neighbor without a pattern! She never did quilt but she did make some of our clothes, most of the drapes in the house, kept gardens and a small apple orchard along with our horses! Additionally I took first place in a parade since mom had made me and my bike into Pocahontas and a canoe out of paper mache. She instilled in her children a love for many interests, however my interest is deep into quilting. My grandmother, Christina, did make three quilts I understand, however, I have never seen them. Mom was an especially interesting lady and I miss her everyday.
Joyce DeCann Smith
My dad’s mother (my gramma) was a seamstress. She died when I was 2, but I inherited her skill. My mother could barely sew on a button, and I don’t know if her mom ever sewed (she died before my mother married). I thank my gramma every day for giving me this incredible skill.
Barb
My mom, Dorothy, was a stay-at-home Mom with 5 kids. She made a lot of my clothes when I was younger and was a good seamstress. She also liked to knit and crochet, so I had many sweaters she’d lovingly made over the years. I always liked crafts when I was young and she tried to teach me knitting and crocheting, but I’m left-handed and she was right-handed, so that didn’t work out so well. Mom was also a gracious hostess, good cook, and wonderful baker. She is missed very much….especially as Mother’s day nears.
worldpresscom986
My right handed aunt taught her left handed daughter how to knit by sitting in front of a mirror. They were both very talented, and they made many beautiful things. I joke my mom and my aunt knitted and crocheted enough to go around the world.
Cindy Pilkington
My Mom, Dora, and her Mom, Agnes, both loved to sew. My grandmother could look at a dress in a store front window, go home and make it in several sizes for several of her granddaughters. She also used everyone’s scraps to hand piece and hand quilt beautiful quilts. She also made beautiful tatting and did wonderful Crazy quilt blocks. My Mom made all my clothes and shirts for my five brothers and Dad. A late in life sister was born and Mom made all of her things, as well as her beautiful wedding dress. Mom would let me use scraps to make doll clothes and Barbie clothes. Eventually I started making all my clothes when I was about 14. Mom could embroider, crochet (self taught) and quilt. When she passed away about 10 years ago, I found 4 unquilted tops in her stash and decided I would have to learn about quilting so I could finish them. I found a local quilt guild about five years ago and the rest is history! I love piecing/quilting, hand embroidery and art quilts. I have a cousin who also loves quilting more than me and we get together and have a blast creating and shopping together! Our ancestors passed a love for fiber, fabric and creativity to both of us.
Debbie
My mother embroidered lovely pillow cases and grandmother sewed clothes for all her children and grandchildren. So my love of sewing and handwork came from them. Iam so thankful for those talents passed on to me.
Rosemaryflower
I really enjoy the open line Fridays, Lori.
I love reading other’s stories. It is lovely to know about all of the wonderful things my friends share.
Well, my mother was an incredible woman. She was born in 1923 in the Netherlands from two loving parents that had no idea what they were getting themselves into, with Lena Magdalena. My mom was the first born and God gave her only one hand, a left hand. In 1923, this was called deformed and handicapped. My mom proved to everyone around her that she had no limits. She went to school and then to home makers and sewing school. By the way she was right handed but her arm on the right only ended at a lilttle past the wrist.
….long story short, YES my mother was such an inspiration to me. She did everything
During WW2 she worked for the resistance and helped Jewish families have food, and through a network of others, provided food and money for Jews in hiding (money for families that were protecting them)
She married the most handsome sweetest smartest man in the world, she went to the US with him Then they had 4 kids including me, She had learned to sew in her home ec school so she was very good at sewing. She made all of our clothes. She made her first curtains from Bark Cloth (I have them, they are gorgeous) she made all of us dresses, my brother a suit… and in 1960, she had kind of a break down, PTSD after watching some construction equipment dig up reddish soil. It sparked a horrible memory. Soon after, she started to sew more, dresses for herself, she tried embroidery, crewel, making lace (I have tons of it) I have her Singer 316G and use it every day. She taught all of us how to sew when we were 8, even my brother. We had a big box in the laundry room full of scraps and we just made stuff, sewed and sewed and sewed. She taught me that if you want to make something just make it
She also, cross country skied, mountain hiked, had her own adorable silver mercedes, Sang in 4 choirs, volunteered for everything. The list goes on and on.
My mom died in 2016 at the age of 93. Gosh I miss that perky spunky silly exuberant lady. So many laughs and good times.
Suzanne
You make me wish I had known your mother. I think I would have loved and admired and respected her.
Marta
Didn’t she write on here? I could be mixed up in memory department. She was incredible alright !!
My mom taught me to use her sewing machine at age 10.. The list of what she could do is too long
to mention them all. But mostly I was so proud of her talent to make all the outfits for my fellow dancers for our annual ballet recital, winter coats for my sister and me kids thought we bought in Atlanta (LOL), majorette outfits, and ball gowns in the GWTW style but not from the drapes like Scarlet ! She made summer suits for my husband. Her embroidery hangs on my walls, her smocking in family baby dresses, her macrame holding hanging plants…etc. She sketched clothing and made them…I think she could have been a designer if she had education and lived in right city. I didn’t find quilting until 8 years ago, long after she was in Heaven. I miss her so much and wish she could see my work. But that is only pride. I am so grateful she was my mom and my teacher. She also made the best southern cornbread ( no sugar LOL) and pineapple upside down cake.
The best part of being her daughter? She listened to me.
Joy French
Thank you for sharing your mother’s story. She was a remarkable woman.
Lori Hope
My mother taught me to sew, and when we were little, she sewed most of our clothes. My great-grandmother quilted, and I still have a quilt that she made SO many years ago…out of polyester scraps. 🙂
Mary Rose
My godmother made beautiful cakes mostly for weddings including mine. She was able to pipe beautiful lace looking bells.
Jan
my grandmother quilted but my mother did not. however, she was into embroidery and knitting, and she shared her interest with her 4 daughters. 3 of us quilt! A favorite memory is her teaching me to embroider. She tore up an old sheet and traced a cookie cutter on a piece. put it in an embroidery hoop and got me started outlining it. one morning I was ready for school early so I worked on my embroidery. when it was time to leave, I stood up and discovered I’d sewed it to my dress!
Linda
My mother taught me to sew, to knit, to crochet, and to draw. She was very artistic and liked to learn. She passed that attitude to me and I am grateful for it. Her parents were the same way. I spent a lot of time with them and I think their love and belief in me made me a person who also loves to sew and create. How lucky I was to have such creative people in my life!
Karen
My mother was a farm wife and had little time for any creativeness, but she did lots of patching and mending. However, HER mother (my grandmother) sewed most of my clothing and did custom sewing for others. It was from the scraps of my grandmother’s garments that I first started sewing (Barbie doll clothes) and that’s where my love of sewing and creative skills began.
nanalois62
My mother made all my clothes. She’s been gone 50 years (she was 49 when she had me, the last of five) and I wonder what she’s think if she wandered the aisles of my daughter’s quilt shop.
Betty
Nanalois62,
My Mother also passed away at 49 and I, too, was the youngest of 5!! She had just started to teach me to sew clothes which gave me some basics. Being the last at home, I somehow ended up with her silver thimble!! It wasn’t till years later it developed into a greater love for quilting! I know she is smiling down on me now and is very proud!! And, by the way, that thimble fits perfectly! ❤️
Carole @ From My Carolina Home
My mother loved to arrange flowers, but she couldn’t sew a stitch. I lost her 10 years ago and I miss her terribly at this time every year.
Carolyn S.
While I was growing up my mother, Mary, sewed most of our clothes and I still remember whinning about wanting something “store bought.” She made my prom dresses, all my bridesmaids dresses, but refused to tackle that all important wedding dress for me! When I had a daughter of my own, she also made a slew of dresses for her. As so often happens, her hobby also became mine but clothes fitting was frustrating for me and then I found quilting!
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