Tuesday, November 28, 2006

Needle and Thread

My Mother painted with her needle and her threads. Exquisite scenes on linen now grace my coffee table.
As I do up the dining room table cloth I am awed at the precision of each stitch.

She did the cloths in my Christmas colors, pink and green.
Eight napkins were my Christmas gift one year. The coffee table runner the next year. The table cloth was to be a two year gift.
My Mother's health was failing. Her eyes were growing dim. The cloth laid unfinished. The last Christmas Mother was in her house she finished my cloth. It was a heroic effort. Thank you Mother. I treasure my Christmas linens.
She was an artist. Her work endures and brings joy to those that sit at my table.

3 comments:

Deb said...

What beautiful linens! and such lovely memories that go with them.

Q said...

Hi Deb,
My Mother loved Christmas. She did not decorate very much, I did most of that as a small child. She also did not enjoy cooking or baking, I did most of that as well. She was not a gardener.
She was a marvelous seamstress.
An artist.
After I was married Mother started making her gifts. I always asked for Christmas things. Lots of the beautiful hand crafted things I have now, are from her. She would start in January to make gifts for all of her children, their mates and all of her grandchildren.
She also loved pink!
When I began doing Christmas in pink and green it pleased her very much.
As I unpack my December bins and see all the lovely things again I am taken back to those Christmas Eves and my Mother's laugh.
My Mother called me "Q". It was her name of endearment for me.
All of my creative work is signed, "Q". My way of honouring her creative spirit.
I miss her.
Ah...
~Q~

Q said...

Dear Sprite,
I so agree that December is a time of remembering for many people.
Perhaps it is the time families gather and we are ever so aware of those that have gone before us.
My Mother also made ceramics. I have shared many she made for me with family and friends.
It is true, when we nurture and share the loving memories those that come after us have that love to build upon.
I honour my parents and my grandparents. I am grateful for the love and joy they gave to me.

With laughter and song,
~Q~