The Sewing Mom

Many, many years ago, I used to play tennis. I was never really that good at it, but I could get the ball going back and forth across the net. It was an enjoyable sport, I just never had the opportunity again over the years to play it myself.
I have enjoyed watching professional tennis though.

Did you know that the first tennis match played at Wimbledon was the Gentleman’s Singles in 1877? The match was won by Spencer Gore and was watched in person by around 200 people who paid 1 shilling each for the privelege of viewing the game.

In 1884, Ladies Singles was introduced as well as Gentlemen’s Doubles. The popularity, while it’s had its share of ups and downs, has significantly increased over the years. It wasn’t until 1968 however, that professional tennis players were allowed to participate in the Wimbledon championship. Today, Wimbledon is considered to be the world’s premier tennis tournament. Did you know that the stadium at center court can seat 15, 000 people! That’s amazing!

I always love watching the Wimbledon tournament because it’s played on grass, not clay, which gives it a unique twist to the tennis most of us are used to playing. I think it would be so much fun to be in the stands watching a game at center court in person. Wimbledon debenture tickets are issued every 5 years and the holder of the debenture ticket Holder automatically receives one Center Court ticket for every day of The Lawn Tennis Championships. I imagine the tickets would look something like this:

While I don’t follow tennis that closely, I think attending Wimbledon would equate to attending the Superbowl or the World Series. Let’s face it, with all the history surrounding Wimbledon, it would definitely be an amazing experience.How about you, are you a fan of tennis? Have you ever been to Wimbledon?

I bought a new serger on April 4.   I attended the free class a few days later and learned quite a bit.  This is my first time to use a serger, much less own one.  I feel I can use the serger a lot to create more finished edges in the bags I’m making.

Today, I took the serger back to the store.  I spent the weekend trying to get it to work and I didn’t succeed.  I thought maybe it was something simple, but the lady at the store couldn’t figure out why it wasn’t working either.  So, the serger is being sent in for repair.  What a pain in the butt!

I am disappointed, I had planned on finishing of some interior seams and some fleece blankets.  Oh well, I’ll just have to do it on my sewing machine, it’s just not as fast as a serger.

Okay, the only thing I love more than buying fabric would have to be buying shoes! I don’t get to go shoe shopping very often, but I recently got the opportunity and found exactly what I was looking for, my first ever pair of Keds!

The funny thing was that I had seen these cute, backless sneakers in a fashion magazine while having my hair done. I had to hit several shops before finding the ones I wanted, but I finally found them, on sale even, at a department store. I’ve been wearing them just about every day since. In fact, I’m hoping that I can get a second pair in another color. Who knows, maybe my daughter will get them for me for Mother’s Day! (hint, hint)

Speaking of shoes as gifts, I just got off the phone with my sister, the only person I know who loves shoes even more than I do. I was wondering if she might like some Tsubo shoes as a birthday gift, or maybe even some Seychelles shoes to add to her collection. She would love it!

These Tsubo shoes are a great slip on sneaker that I would like to have myself!

Of course, my love of shoes has also rubbed off on my daughter, who this year, created quite a collection of Converse shoes herself. I think the only shoes she got in the last 8 months that weren’t Converse were Minnetonka boots that she wore in the winter. I personally love the Minnetonka sandels.

Whether I’m buying as a gift or buying for myself, I love to shop for shoes!

After staying away from my sewing machine for over a week, (this is a long time when sewing is an addiction), I got back in there and finished sewing a bag that I had started 3 weeks earlier.

This is a charm bag with ragged edges. The front is made from 5 inch square fabric charms sewn together with wrong sides together so that the edges are ragged instead. I also used the 5 inch squares to form 2 interior pockets. The lining and back fabric are a coordinating color as are the handles which are reinforced with batting for shoulder comfort. The bag has been quilted.

This bag is a great tote bag and is for sale for $30.

If you’ve tackle something this week, why not join 5 Minutes for Mom and Tackle it Tuesday?

I was surfing through some of my favorite blogs and I ran across the most beautiful poem at Waterrose Handcrafted Obsessions. She has kindly given me permission to copy it here. This poem was written by Carrie A. Hall and Rose G. Kretsinger.

The Patchwork QuiltOf all the things a woman’s hands have made,
The quilt so lightly thrown across her bed–
The quilt that keeps her loved ones warm–
Is woven of her love and dreams and thread.

When I have spoken to you of its beauty–
“A mere hodge-podge of calico,” you said,
“A necessity of homely fashioning,
Just a covering made of cloth and thread.”

I new you’d missed the message hidden there
By hands that fashioned quilts so long ago.
Ambition and assurance are the patches
And the stitches of a quilt are love, I know.

I think a quilt is something very real–
A message of creation wrought in flame;
With grief and laughter sewing into its patches
I see beyond the shadows, dream and aim.

One of my favorite poems and my favorite past-time.
From: The Romance of the Patchwork Quilt in America, by Carrie A. Hall and Rose G. Kretsinger, written in 1935.