Friday, February 1, 2013

Crochet, some knitting, embroidery, and lots of sewing!  All my life.  My mom,Ethel, taught me to embroider before my teen years, by my teens I was doing most all hand work  From making my own blouses from feed and flour sacks, crochet which I learned in Girl Scouts.  Then a form of knitting.  As an adult my neighbor who could not speak English saw what I was doing (we always sat outside in the shade). took my baby sweater and showed me how...her daughter-in-law and I had visited she knew I wanted to learn.. Grandma Hernandez showed me the Mexican method.  Worked for me..  A few years later my friend's mother who lived in Aberdeen Washington, came to San Jose to visit.  I had admired the sweaters she knitted for her family.  She proceeded to teach me another method.  She was Swedish.  I knew I would never be able to knit like she did.  But I did learn.  My first try was for a sweater for my husband 5'11', 150 lbs.  Sweater was beautiful, but I sent it to my Uncle Homer in Oklahoma.  He was 6'  over 200 lbs...guess what!  It was even large on him.  I didn't give up!  But I seldom knit.
My sewing experiences started very early, Aunt Annie, showed me how to make my patterns from newspapers, use a treadle sewing machine. some finish work.  My moms friend helped me with more advanced sewing.  In 9th grade I won fashion show awards for my sailor dress, with detailed hand embroidered chains around the collar.  Also for my wool coat with large patch pockets.  I was HOOKED!

Today however, I do more crochet and quilting than anything else.  I love Crazy Quilting, guess its the freedom and  because it is my design.  2012 I made 13 Crochet Afghans for some members of my family.  Enjoyed every minute of it!