You're My Inspiration!

I've been thinking a lot lately about how I got into sewing. Unlike a lot of other quilters out there, my mom didn't really do a lot of sewing when I was growing up that I can remember. Counted cross-stitching, yes (I have a beautiful stocking to show for it, too). But not really sewing. She did some when she was younger, I know that. But, as she ran a daycare, she never really had time to do some real, sit-down for 3 hours sewing.

When I was about 7, I was obsessed with the series the Berenstain Bears. I loved them. I had a collection of the books. My favorite among favorites, though, was "Mama's New Job." That's the book where Mama Bear gets a job selling her quilts that she makes. I used to flip through those pages, mesmerized by the beautiful pages of quilts. In fact, for about 3 months, all I would tell anyone is that when I grew up I wanted to be a quilter. Which was an ACHIEVEMENT, if you knew me as a kid.

That book has long been packed away, now. Clearly, though, I had hit on something. Although my desire to have a job as a quilter has changed, 7 year old me was certainly right about one thing: I want to be able to consider myself a real live quilter when I grow up (in 20-30 years).