My Darlin' Grandma

This week, I said goodbye to a very important person - my Grandma. I wouldn't be the crafty gal that I am without her. She taught me to sew and knit when I was very young.

She was super crafty herself, constantly making things to give away. I think everyone in her building has a little red heart pin to wear on Valentine's day and every woman in our family has a stock of her colorful crocheted dishcloths; we all received origami heart "lucky bucks" on our birthdays, and her latest craze was knitting baby hats for her great grandchildren. 

Grandma made things to give away so that people would have something to smile about, and they'd have a little token to think of her.

When I was little, whenever Grandma came to visit, she always had a project for me to work on. We started on plastic canvas, and I can remember my first project: a cluster of balloons on a blue background. She taught me to "bury it" - catch the end of the thread under my stitches - and somehow that became a joke between the two of us. 

Even recently, when she called me each Saturday, she would ask: "What are you doing little darlin?" 

I'd tell her: "Sewing, of course, Grandma."

And she'd always reply: "Remember to bury it, darlin."

Along with how-to's, Grandma also handed down to me some special crafting materials. My favorite is her button box, filled with colorful buttons from Grandpa's old coats, my Mother's dresses as a child, and a full range of family history. A few Christmases ago, when my Grandma handed me the box, we rifled through it together. As she picked up this one and that one, tiny glimpses into our family's story unfolded.

I'm honored to be a part of that story, and I'm lucky to have had her as a part of mine. I miss her already, but every stitch will remind me of all of the wonderful memories we have together.