Thank you Granny...

I've had this post in my mind for a while and since it is Mother's day here in Australia I thought it appropriate to post it today. I would like to publicly thank the person in my life that has had by far the biggest influence on my sewing; my Gran.

Granny has helped and encouraged my sewing from the beginning right until today, and I'm sure into the future. She is actually the reason that I started my blog, to make it easier to share my progress and creations with her since as she lives the opposite side of the world to me it's not all that easy for her to see them in person.

A Close-up of the quilt that Granny made me in 1998-99.

For as long as I can remember Granny has been doing patchwork and quilting, and when I went to stay with her in the half-term holidays she would teach me how to do it myself. Starting with hand quilting around the outlines of printed cushion panels, and progressing to basic patchwork and moving on to more and more ambitious and complicated things.

The whole quilt Granny made me.

Machine pieced and quilted by her.

Before I finished high school I had completed, with Granny's guidance, many many cushion covers, a patchwork bag, a patchwork waistcoat, a pair of raggy dolls, and I had even completed a single bed quilt top and begun quilting it.

Taking me along to many different quilt shows, patchwork classes and workshops and more also showed me from a young age how welcoming, varied and friendly the sewing community is.

A close-up of the quilt that Granny made my brother in 2001.

It was this basic sewing knowledge that I was then able to use when I started university and had the need and desire to make fancy dress costumes, and since graduating my progression into garment sewing. I think the attitude of getting stuck in and having a go, even on things I've never tried before, stems back to the times when I would do just that, after raiding Granny's truly superb fabric stash of course! (Over which she is incredibly generous, never begrudging my use of any cut of fabric, no matter how beautiful)

The whole quilt that Granny made my brother.

Machine pieced by her but sent away to be quilted.

Even now, from the other side of the world Granny is a huge support to my endeavours; from encouraging comments on things I've completed, to words of advice when I'm pondering over things, to gifting me with sewing books and fabric.

Me & Granny.

So thank you Granny, for all the help, guidance and support you've given me over the years, both in sewing and in life. I am truly grateful to you for sharing with me your interest which has allowed me to form many happy memories through shared experiences, and I hope there are many more to come.

xxx