So my parents and my sisters were beyond generous for Christmas. Ryan got me the coolest present, and it sounds like his parents went way overboard and lavished me with gifts as well! (We were going to do Christmas with his immediate family on Christmas Eve, but we got back from his Aunt's house and the weather was getting pretty bad so I had to get on the road and head back to Cape. We're doing that Christmas on New Year's instead). Anyway, I am super lucky and beyond blessed to have such an incredible family and fiance.

My mom got me this book for Christmas:

Source

I was doubtful that I could pull off these projects at all, because the extent of my sewing successes is limited to the flowers in my bouquet! In terms of sewing, those flowers are elementary. Anyway, I've already thrown together a project that actually worked. So, I am going to be working my way through this book and hopefully honing my sewing skills.

The best part about this is what I'll be using to sew these projects. After I put together one project from the book using my mom's machine, she mentioned that my MeeMaw's machine was sitting unused in my mom's best friend's closet. My mom's friend prefers handwork over messing with a machine, and Saturday afternoon she brought MeeMaw's machine over!




This machine is heavy-it's made of mostly metal. It's a Bernina, and it works great. I do need to take it in for a tune up since it's been unused for so long. Mom said that MeeMaw paid big money for this machine years ago, so I hope to be able to use it for a really long time.

The really amazing thing about this machine is that it survived a house fire. My MeeMaw has Alzheimer's disease, and as of right now she is 100% non verbal and non mobile. She's broken both hips, she's in a nursing home and she hasn't recognized anyone in years. You really only see the mild, early Alzheimer's on TV, but that isn't MeeMaw. I don't understand at all why God would keep someone alive like that, but then I don't understand lots of things about God. My mom is the power of attorney, so all of MeeMaw's care has been up to her. It's been much harder than I can ever say, but MeeMaw has been sick for so many years that it's turned into a fact of life. Anyway, before we put MeeMaw in the nursing home, she put a pot of water on her gas stove to make coffee and went out to work in her garden. She forgot that the stove was on and stayed in her garden all day long and the house burnt down. This machine survived the house fire.

Sewing is something that has been handed down from the women in my family. My MeeMaw cut up old clothes and make quilts out of them, and my mom does the same. I would love to get to the point where I could make a blanket for Ryan and I's home. Mom said that MeeMaw would be thrilled that her machine is getting used. I think she would be too, and I am so excited to learn all about the art of sewing.

Are you learning any new skills? Does your family have some kind of heritage that is being passed down to you?