I grew up in a family where people made things.  They recycled things before it became fashionable.  My parents and grandparents lived through the Depression in the 1930’s.  They had a vegetable garden and canned those veggies for the winter.  We had quilts made from scraps of fabric used for our clothes.  Braided rugs made from old wool coats, suits and skirts.  I have two of those braided rugs in my home today.  When I look at them, I see pieces of skirts and dresses I used to wear, suit jacket scraps from my aunt handmade clothing, my sister’s old skirts.  Fond memories.

We also had redesigned blouses, skirts, and dresses made from out of style clothing.  Our clothes were custom-made and the first time I went to a store and tried on a dress that didn’t fit, I was shocked.  Store-bought clothes could be altered but never the way a custom garment fits.

Oversized mohair sweaters were the BIG thing when I was in junior high.  My grandmother FORBID us to buy one.  But my aunt bought one each for my sister and me.  We weren’t allowed to wear them around my grandmother for the longest time but eventually she found out.

My grandmother taught me to knit and sew.  My aunt introduced us to be paint, construction paper and felt.  My mom helped us with papier-mache and rubber stamps and provided a place to be creative.  We made spatter paint and stencil cards with felt and sequin embellishments.  So cool to a kid.

So my interest in all arts, crafts and handiwork came from those people as well as my home economics and art teachers.  I have friends who got me involved in cross stitch, ceramics, jewelry making, paper crafting.

We’re having a dinner party tomorrow night.  Last night I cleaned off the island in my kitchen, set the table and made wine glass name tags.  I’ll post a picture of those tomorrow.

I knit a few rows on the slippers and have four more rows before the decrease rows and then I will have one finished.  I don’t know if I’ll get the other finished by tomorrow or not.  They are a belated birthday present for one of my guest/friends.  I could give her one of the other pairs I have in my stash but I picked these colors just for her.  Again, pictures tomorrow.