Last April, my maternal grandmother passed away. One of the gifts that she had given me, during her life, was her time. I would spend a week at her house in the summer up until I was in high school and had a job. I relish the memories of those days. We wouldn't do much, truthfully. She lived in a small town in central Illinois. Almost every day, I would walk the sixteen or so blocks back and forth from the library. I would choose a movie for us to watch and check out books. More often than not, you would find us sitting and reading together in the evenings.
One time, I remember, she began to teach me a form of embroidery called Candle wicking. Which involves creating designs out of small knots of threads, usually in whites with accents of colors. I still have, and cherish the candle wick pillowcase that she made for me with my initials on it. In many ways, that project stayed with me. I went home and made a small pillow for a young boy that I nannied during the summer in the late 1990's. And for the time being, that was it. I didn't pick up an embroidery needle again until about three years ago. And I am so glad that I did.
It started with a cloak. More accurately, it started with a lady that I work with. You see, I enjoy dressing up, creating characters and costumes. She knew this. So, one day she came to me and said, "You know what would be really neat?" I replied, "No, but you are going to tell me." And she went on to describe a picture of me in the snowy woods where we live and work, in a red cape.
I responded, "But, Jean, I don't have a red cape, yet."
So, I found a beautiful crimson suiting fabric and made a cape. Then, I decided (having been practicing with the idea of creating an embroidered cape for me niece) that I wanted to embroider on this red cape with black. I had lined the hood with black and used an elaborate tassel in black on the hood. And so I did. And it turned out beautifully. And from there on, I was hooked. I've made pillowcases for family birthday presents, artwork on patterned fabric, and now I am about to embark on a quilt with embroidered squares.
This brings me back to where I had begun. One of the gifts that I received as we were going through Grandma Mrs. belongings was her work basket filled with embroidery patterns. As I contemplated this quilt, I knew that I wanted to use some of the designs from this basket. This quilt is to be something that ties me to my family. I decided on two designs, which I could mix with a pattern that I already have and love. So, in this way, I am tieing together myself and my grandmother.
I look forward to emrboidering my squares with her and my designs, as well as find fabrics that will match them and complement them. I look forward to many other projects, knowing that she would love that I am using her patterns and still embroidering.
The last time I saw her, she was in the hospital over Christmas and my Mother and I went to stay with her. I brought her a small gift, two pieces of my embroidery hoop art, one with the initial "L" on it (I was named after her) and another with a floral designed tea cup on it. I also brought her two photographs of myself as a snow queen (one of my characters that my Sister-in-law and I did a photo shoot of). She was thrilled with the embroidered gifts, and held them, running her gnarled hands, bruised from pulling her IV's out, and when I pulled out a project to work on while we sat with her her eyes seemed fixed on me.
It was a very hard time for me, as I hadn't seen her in a few years, but I am so thankful that I got to see her one more time and tell her I love her, while she was able to see how a little bit of her had indeed passed on to me.
