My creative heritage

Grannie McMath (my dad's mom) She cross stitches. She made me a pillow and sewing box. She also has a huge passion for gardening. I've always wanted to learn from her. Her and my grandpa lived in this really cool house on a lake in Michigan. It had 4 rooms upstairs and they all had special names; the pink room, the present room, the toy room and the other room that we never went it. I liked the pink room, for obvious reason. When she sold the house we got to pick out items that she was getting rid off. I picked out a Chinese tea tin and a secretary that were in the pink room.

Grammie Stevens (my mom's mom) She was a ferocious quilter. She mostly did applique and it's completely beautiful! She now has Alzheimer's and hasn't picked up a needle in some time. She made a baby and wedding quilt for me. She has made countless other creations. My sister's wedding quilt is a blue double ring...capital G gorgeous! She also cooks delicious food. I love this picture of us at my wedding. My grandpa sent her out to CO with my mom so she could attend.

Grandpa Stevens (my mom's dad) He started to carve after he retired. I think he did wood working most of his life. He's made several animals, Santa Clauses and other things. I personally have 4 of his carvings. Marc and I have requested a cane with our dog's head on the front. I can't wait for it to be done. He was an iron worker and I can remember him coming home in this navy blue jump suit. He would give us candy and then my Grammie would make us wash our hands for dinner. Oh, and we always watched Pinwheel on Nickelodeon at their house.

Aunt Pat (my mom's SIL) She's not related by blood. She use to paint a lot of ceramics when we were little. I still have this little Xmas tree that has a light in the bottom. When you plug it in it lights up the little lights on the tree. I still use it at Xmas. She is also a gracious host and can recreate anything she sees in a magazine.

My mom: She sewed a lot of clothes when we were little. Her mother taught her how to sew when she was little. I use to wear this crazy plaid skirt she made in the sixties. She has most recently gotten into quilting. She made me a Xmas runner for the table. It's very pretty. She has many other projects on her docket, but is a huge procrastinator. I tell her almost every day she should be quilting.

Teresa (my sister in law) This woman can sew! She has her own blog and is quit funny. She made Evan a play size quilt and a beach/diaper bag. I sure am glad my brother married her! They are a fun couple and have a 3 year old son...the monster! They lived in Japan for 4 years and are now stationed in ND. It's so nice to have them close. It's even more fun that we share our projects and encourage each other. Well, she does most of the encouraging since she is a veteran machine quilter compared to me!

Teresa hosted my baby shower in MI. She did a wonderful job. 

My mom told me about all the women in her parents' family. Most of them knit or crocheted out of necessity. I think there is a distant Aunt some where that sold lace work way back when.

Finally, there is my history. I can remember always liking to create things. Art class was my thing. My mom said that she made me an easel. She would catch me drawing on the wallpaper behind the couch. She said that I would stand at that easel for hours and just paint. And, what do you know...I ended up studying oil painting in college. I have a few pieces of my work from that time. I threw a bunch of it away, which is something I really regret. Someday I hope to have a space for painting. Something about it just lets my heart sing. I love to bake and don't do it as often as I like. Those yummy treats are a downer for my health quest. I have been quilting since I was 17...only completing a handful of projects which are all documented on this blog. Other creative things that I enjoy...photography, attending the symphony, home decor, graphic design projects and staring into visual art pieces.

I hope you enjoyed reading this post. It was fun to put together. Where does your creativity come from?