Introducing ... hmmm? ... I'm really not sure what it's name is or should be or could be -- any ideas?
He? It? ... is the result of a conversation I had with my sister. You see, neither of us really sews - at all. But our great-grandmother, Big Mama, used to sew the most unusual stuffed "beings" for us when we were little. She didn't worry about technique or fancy fabrics, she just created ... something ... anything that came to mind - often out of scraps. Her only hard and fast rule was that her creations had to have eyes.
The things she made for us were childhood favorites, now worn and lovingly stored. So, when my sister and I realized that her children wouldn't have "Big Mama" creatures to cuddle, well it sorta struck me as a kind of an Auntie Call To Action. True, I can't sew worth diddly, but surely that wouldn't have stopped Big Mama?
Just as long as I give it, whatever it is/becomes, eyeballs.
Hand stitching. I hope it holds.
I'm really so tickled and pleased that he turned out. Sorta. There's a good chance that his heavy arms might eventually pop off, and his legs do sorta twist around (that's all wrong, somehow), his mouth ended up a bit too low, and my fingers are still pricked and sore ... but it was so fun to create something. I'm usually too intimidated by the fear of failure to even try this sort of project, but I kept thinking about Big Mama, wondering what she'd think of the fabric, the eyes, and the stitching, and I just kept going.
Hee! And I'm so glad that I did!
No wonder Big Mama was fearless! The result is so worth the effort!
This reminds me of your grandma's embroidered doodles. VERY cute!
ReplyDeleteAmy, Big Mama was my Big Mama, just like she was your dad's Big Mama! But of course I know you know that. Just saying I enjoy reading your blog and especially the one about her. The cute....whatever guy....you made is very creative and I love his legs and feet! Big Mama's blood runs in you for sure. I remember way back when I was ??? years old (a teen, but have no idea what age), I was with Big Mama and we were shopping in Kress' Dime Store in downtown Montgomery. On the shelf back in the department of cloth and sewing materials sat several "sock monkeys" and at that time, they were new on the market. We had never heard nor seen one. But Big Mama almost went berserk over it! Now don't get me wrong...she didn't buy one. She made one. But she had to see it, inspect it, hold it, measure it, feel of it, mash on it, check it out about how the eyes were stitched...all the little details that others just ignore. It didn't take her long to get it all stored away in her creative brain, then she sat it back on the shelf and went to buy the men's socks and everything she would need to make one. I watched her pick it all out in less time than it would have taken me to pay to buy one. But then she was finished and ready to get home and get started on her own monkey.
ReplyDeleteIt goes without saying that after cooking and cleaning up, etc. she immediately set in to create an identical replica...and she did exactly that, to the delight of myself and all her grandchildren to come and great grandchildren to come. I still have mine put safely away in the bottom of a trunk, still looking pretty good although some of the love is rubbed off of it. Other than that, I still delight in bringing it out occasionally and holding it just to bring back all those memories stored in my memory bank and my heart! Congratulations!! You've proven yourself to be a true blood of the family!!! Keep up the good work....Your Cuz, Judy Ballentine way down here in Alabama!!
Sweet, dat.
ReplyDeleteOkay! You're in business! Samm TOTALLY wants a...whatever it is! Free hair for life??? :)
ReplyDelete