15 years ago today

This beautiful young lady came into our lives.
I had visions of a picture laden post showing highlights of her life thus far but when I sat down with the photo albums, I realized that the million or so photos we have of the Amazing J and her sisters could never, in any way, capture the joy she (and they) bring to us. So, J, let me just say that I have always been proud to be your mama. That pride continues to grow as you grow. Your financial wisdom, your wit, sense of right and wrong, the caring you display towards others are just a few of the hallmarks which make you an Amazing Woman. I love how you can make me laugh with just a few words, how you think almost exactly as I do on many things. I know you will be great no matter what. Here's to many, many happy returns...may the next 15 be as charmed as the first. I love you baby. Happy Birthday!


As luck would have it, it was about 15 years ago that I began to get serious about sewing.(I have seen since I was about 9. Not well back then but I did it.) Really serious. Nana gave me her old Kenmore sewing machine when J was born "because all mothers should make their babies things". J never enjoyed Mamawear, even as a baby. I never let that deter me though, once I found the joy in slicing up fabric only to put it back together again. I mastered altering patterns for the girls a long time ago but found it much harder to alter them for myself until recently. I have a pear-shaped body just like Nana. Figures, I get the figure from one grandmother, the hair from the other. (I'd have prefered to get them both from Gma S...she was always the more slender of the two!)But we do with what we have. R had picked out Simplicity 4123 for herself a while ago. Luck must have been on my side that day because the pattern includes all sizes 10-22, which means all 3 of us 'big' girls can use it. I am still tweaking the fit for me a bit but absolutely LOVE this top.
The fabric was in the box Jan, my twin sent in February. The girls thought I was crazy when I announced I was going to use this fabric for the second draft (the first is, well, too ugly for pictures but ok for pjs). They thought I would look awful in the color. Boy were they surprised! It is so soft and very retro...a definite keeper. Pattern alterations were rather simple, just the addition of a few inches at the bottom to give it a little more room around the tummy and hips. I wanted a floaty-er look but still like it. It is comfy beyond words with the exception of a bit of bra showing. I'm redrafting the pattern again with hopes of correcting that problem. If I can't fix it, I'll still make a few more of these....it's not like I'm showing anything really.