Personal Space - Where I Work

I suppose it might be kind of obvious that I am a pretty sentimental person. For me, connections to others is one of the things that I value most in life. When I see certain objects, they are often linked with memories surrounding a person. Since many of those people that I hold near and dear are thousands of miles away, or no longer living, it's important for me to find a way to remember those connections.

Last year when I visited my aunt, I was quite taken with a little memory shelf that she has in her sewing area. There were several sewing items that had been in the family, precious pictures, and trinkets that are heavy in sentimental value. Afterward, I decided that I needed wanted something along the same lines.

I envisioned simple shelves, a wish my husband was all too eager fulfill... a reason for him to delve into a meditative wood project. Once the shelves were finished and hung, I was flooded with emotions, as I started adding each individual item...

As a young girl I remember staring into my grandmother's dining room vitrine and being fascinated by the pretty and delicate lady in a golden, ruffled dress. This dainty pin cushion, which was made by a family member of hers, makes my heart swell thinking of her, especially having lost her recently.

In another room in her house was a bookshelf that housed a few vintage children's books that had belonged to my grandfather when he was a little boy. Many of the memories that are linked to my grandfather are from his woodworking projects, but having a little piece of his childhood is very meaningful for me.

This small portrait of my other grandmother, flanked by these carved, brass animals which also belonged to her, is one of the very few items that I have from my mom's mother. She was a sweet soul, and the memories that I have of her was that she was gentle and kind.

It was my mom who taught me to sew, and many of those memories include her trying to teach me the "proper" way to sew, while I gave her the don't-bore-me-with-doing-it-right attitude because I was trying to make it the sewing machine as fast as possible... it's a wonder that she stuck with me so long?!? But out of those sewing sessions came creations like this teddy bear that I happened to make without a pattern... I like to think that he is long and lean just like my husband.

This sunny Matryoshka doll was given to me by my cousin and his wife when they came to visit us here in Germany almost ten years ago. Since he passed away a few short months after his return back home, it is the last memory of him that I have, and it a reminder of that visit.

When it was all said and done, it was quite a gush of emotions... piecing all my memories together - just the perfect touch to make my sewing space much more personal... and mine.

... I can almost hear my grandmother, saying that she never liked having lots of "knick-knacks and jitties" around the house because it meant that there was one more thing to dust... but if I'm being honest, I'll take the dust any 'ol day.