San Francisco, 1906

This post is a departure from what I usually write about, but I feel it is worthwhile to read and watch the video. I find inspiration in so many areas and parts of life, and the following post reminds me to be inspired to live life with my eyes and my heart open to what there is to learn.

These days, almost anything can make me turn nostalgic, even more so during the Christmas season. So when my husband sent me this link to a “60 Minutes Rewind” video, aired on July 10, 2011, I had to share it with you. This is an 11 minute film created in 1906 by attaching a camera to the front of a trolley as the trolley traveled down busy Market Street in San Francisco. Unknown at the time, the film was shot just days before the San Francisco earthquake and fires destroyed much of the city. So the short film now bears a heavier relevancy because of its history.

The scenery and life it captures are precious. There are horses, wagons, carriages, horseless carriages, trolleys, and innumerable pedestrians all criss-crossing through the streets in a bustling, but manageable, symphony of life in the city. As you watch, try to catch site of the fashions and faces of the pedestrians that cross in front of the camera. Ladies in street skirts and tall hats, men in suits; all of them with bright faces, unaware of what history holds for their city and their world. Poignant.

Out of ashes we often try to find blessings. My husband credits the earthquake with helping him to be born in this country. His maternal grandparents emigrated to the United States from Poland shortly after the fire. His grandfather was a craftsman in the construction trades, including beautiful inlaid wood floors, and he could speak several languages, which made him a valuable worker in a melting pot society like this city. So he brought his family to San Francisco to help rebuild it. My husband grew up with stories of the city’s rebuilding.

Click here to watch the film, and afterwards, make sure you scroll down near the bottom of the short article to link to some photos of the aftermath of the earthquake, a sort of before and after, if you will.

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Quilt Legacy

I’m really excited to tell you that today Deborah from the Whipstitch blog is sharing my quilt story with her readers! Deborah is a Super Sewist extraordinaire. Not only does she run a very popular blog, but she’s the owner of a successful fabric store and sewing lounge in Atlanta, offers in-store and online sewing classes, creates and publishes her own line of patterns, and has published her own book, Stitch by Stitch. Wow, I’m tired just writing that last sentence. So if you haven’t been, hop on over to her blog. soon.

Here’s a copy of the story I wrote:

My mother, almost 90 and suffering from Alzheimer’s for many years, passed away in January, so this spring my siblings and I took on the duty of cleaning out the family home. Cleaning out actually means vacillating between being productive, and becoming lost in warm memories. Mostly the latter was happening. As we opened one of the big boxes of bed linens, we all smiled. Here were the family quilts. Most were in pretty good condition, but the one we all loved the most was also the one that was the most tattered.

We call it The Sick Quilt, but I know that’s not a very good name. Let me explain. As children, it’s the quilt we all remember being wrapped up in and cuddled in when we were sick. When that quilt came out of the closet, we knew it meant Mom was going to take care of us till we felt better. It meant we were going to be allowed to lay on the couch and be close by Mom as she floated around the house doing all the mysterious things moms do. It meant that when Dad came home and saw us lying there, we’d get extra hugs and attention. It’s interesting how objects can bring back such vivid memories.

Well, apparently we loved that quilt almost to pieces, and now it was time to decide what to do with it. There’s hardly a square foot on it that isn’t ripped, worn through, or missing. We’re not sure if it was made by our mother or our grandmother, but it’s probably from the 1930′s or 40′s. It’s hard to tell since the fabrics are simple blue and white solids. It’s machine pieced and hand quilted. But we do know it was used to cuddle us kids starting around 1950. We don’t remember if it was worn looking even then, we only remember how good it made us feel.

As horrifying as this may be to some of you, we’ve decided that since it’s beyond repair as a quilt, we’re going to take a scissors to it to salvage what we can for pillows. Pillows each of us can treasure, pillows that can help us feel better when we’re down, pillows that remind us of our dear parents and all they did for us. What better legacy can a quilt hope for?

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I’m Still Here

Life’s been a little overwhelming lately. Sorry for the absence. Still trying to get back to normal, whatever that is.

I have a great family. I love them all. Most of my scattered family were able to get together all at the same place recently. You know, the older I get, the more important family seems to me; the memories of the olders, the energy of the youngers, and the hugs from everyone. When I was younger, I couldn’t wait to grow my wings and float away to that magical land of adulthood so I could make my mark on the world. But now it’s much less about what I’ve done and a lot more about who I have. I count as my treasures my family, my family in-laws, my sweet children, my cousins, and children of cousins and all those family members I’ve “adopted” over the years. I am blessed. God bless you all. I love you.

Life seems to carry us along on a wave of busy-ness until something makes us stop and look around and appreciate where we are. That should happen more often, of course, but I’ll accept and treasure the moments of standing still I do have. I hope you’re storing up your treasures to.

Pond at the little farm where I grew up.

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Happy Snowy New Year!

Happy new year to all! We got our first decent snowfall right before the year ended. It makes for a beautiful beginning to what I pray is a beautiful year in 2011. Here’s hoping you’ll share the year with me. I hope to pass along some more of my enthusiasm for sewing through more tips and tutorials, and to share with you inspiration I come across all over the web.

I hope you’re off to a warm and cozy start to the new year. Share your plans with me!

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A Very Merry Christmas

he Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

John 1:14, NIV

I pray everyone is ready to enjoy Christmas and the holidays. Around here we still have a few projects to finish, a few presents to wrap, and on Christmas Eve, we’ll have our annual family cookie-baking and eating extravaganza. This is my last post of the year so I can enjoy family, but don’t forget I have tutorials posted anytime you need a new project ideas.

I’ll leave you with a few pics of some of the Christmas decorations I grew up with, which continue to grace my home today, and bring with them so many warm memories.

Merry Christmas and God’s richest blessings!

—amy