Thursday, September 23, 2010

A Stitch In Time

A well worn and much loved quilt, graces the end of my bed. The stitches tiny and even, the fabric almost transparent in spots. I find myself running my hands across the time-softened fabric and wondering about the families that loved this quilt before me. With much love and care, will it someday grace the end of my granddaughter’s bed? Will she trace the stitches with the tips of her fingers and wonder about the lives it touched before her? The antique armoire sitting close by, filled with newer quilts. Some modern, with fabrics bright and crisp. Someday, they’ll be faded and worn and proudly stacked with other heirlooms, both new and old.

A needlepoint sampler displayed proudly on the wall in my sitting room - once loving stitched by someone’s great grandmother and passed from mother to daughter until it reached it’s resting place in my home. Some memories imagined, many yet to come, surround this beautifully stitched heirloom. Each piece, a stitch across time, binding us together with no regard to time or family. We’re unified by our love of all things hand-stitched.


My sewing room boasts stacks and stacks of beautiful fabrics. My love of fabric handed down for generations, and a reminder of days spent watching the magic that my mother created. I was always eager to touch the colored fabrics that were tucked in every nook and cranny of her sewing room. I'd watch her hands and as she worked her magic. She always worked with swiftness and accuracy. Slipcovers and floral panels, magically transformed our living room into a brand new space. Tiny pastel prints, trimmed in lace, became favorite new sun dresses for my sister and I. A length of fabric, the hues of the rainbow, turned into prized treasures.

I still feel that same enchantment and wonder today.A hand or machine stitched treasure can be beautiful as well as practical. Handmade totes and pillows, stitched for style and practicality. Whimsical quilts, using the newest techniques and blended with treasured old fabrics, now faded with love. Each and every piece, beautiful in its own right and coming together in perfect harmony.Table linens, trimmed in tatted lace, become the finest of heirlooms. Many have been passed down from mother to daughter or are looking for new homes to create new traditions. Needlepoints rescued and made anew with beautiful silks, each one with a story all its own, ready to make new memories in it’s new home. A beautiful handmade shawl, stitched with loving hands and eager to warm someone special on a cool summer evening. Our love of all things stitched, transcend time, uniting us, and giving us a sense of belonging.
Please visit the boutiques at Make Mine Pink for stitched treasures that are sure to become a favorite family heirloom.

Written by:
Joyce Lucas,
Founder
Make Mine Pink

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