Sunday, August 24, 2008

The Dressmaker's Daughter

Jeff and I have been able to reflect about the ways God prepared us for the events of July, 16th~18th. We truly serve an Awesome, Mighty and Powerful Saviour and I would like to share one of these reflections with you!

I love to sew!! Having four daughters there is always an occasion to sew for!! My mother sewed for my two sisters and me, she spent countless hours with needle and thread in hand. Easter Dresses, Halloween Costumes, Prom Dresses, Bridesmaid Dresses and many other requests were filled by her loving hands!! So naturally when Abbigayle was born, I decided I needed to learn to sew. I took several sewing classes and learned to smock and do other French hand sewing techniques. Through the years I have made Christmas Dresses, Easter Dresses, Halloween Costumes and many other desired items!!

However, there is one dress that I will never be more pleased that I made!! This past May, Greenlee Primary had there annual Heritage Day! Prizes were being awarded for Costumes and Claire asked me if I would make her a dress like "Laura Ingles". In the midst of all of those end of the school year activities, I agreed. Claire and I went and picked out a pattern and material. The dress seemed simple but it was a little more involved than I thought (isn't that always the way it works)! The night before Heritage Day I stayed up all night long finishing this dress just for Claire! I was tired by midnight and exhausted by daybreak, but the dress was complete and Claire trotted off to school proud of my accomplishment (labor of love :)!)

Thank you, Mom for placing the desire and importance to sew for my daughters within me!

Thank you, Jesus, for giving me the strength to stay up all night and sew for my precious Claire, that is one Labor of Love I will never regret seeing to completion!

7 comments:

JoyNtheJourney said...

Wow, what a beautiful dress! I know Claire must have been so very proud of it and of her mommy who invested so much time in it. I know you will cherish it forever.

I really, really want to learn to sew and quilt. I wish I had learned from my mom but I was always too busy and didn't think I'd ever have the desire to do it. Now that I have so much time on my hands, I would really love to learn. Too bad we don't live closer together, you could teach me! :o)

Angela, I'm so glad you are still 'blogging' and I hope you will continue. You really do have a talent for writing. You are incredibly inspirational. You have no idea how many lives you are changing just with your written words.

We are still thinking of you, Jeff and the girls and continuing to pray for you all the time. Thanks for keeping us up-to-date so we know 'how' to pray for you. We love you all!

In Christ Alone~

Teresa Stephens

The Rectors said...

I'm glad one of the two of us learned to sew. Remember the class we took together at AB Tech when Kent was in the Navy? Both the dress (if you could call it that) and the skirt that I made later fell apart. I now only sew things that can't be worn or seen out in public!

You are my hero when it comes to sewing. I stopped at hems and curtains, you can quilt, smock, and make dresses with the best of them! Guess it's a good thing I had boys, huh!

I love you friend,
Kim

The Morgans said...

You are so talented. I wish I could sew... Maybe after reading this, I will pull down my grandmom's sewing machine from the attic and take a class. My mom started making me a dress. She started when I was six years old and hasn't finished yet. ha ha
I think Claire looked beautiful in her dress. You are such a blessing to your family. Keep blogging. I check almost everyday to see how you are doing.
Lara Morgan

Sandra said...

Memory making at its BEST! Thanks for sharing!
I love you...sandra

Emily Parker said...

Thank you for honoring mom in this post and in carrying on the tradition of sewing for your daughters. Thank you mom for all the hours you spent sewing for us! We have so many fun memories from the things mom sewed for us! I've enjoyed thinking back about some of the costumes and dresses mom made. Claire looks so beautiful in her "Laura Ingles" dress you made for her.
I love you big sister!
Emily

beth spray said...

i am overwhelmed and encouraged by how transparent you have been on here! you are such a precious blessing and i just wanted to say "thanks" for being you!!
i am honored to say we have one of those beautiful dresses made by your loving hands and it is a treasure to us!!
she starts school tomorrow and i say thank you for the part you played in making it possible for us to be with her as she walks through those doors as a kindergartener!!
i love you guys and i am praying for you all!!

Jeffery said...

Sweetheart,
I am so thankful that my girls have a mommy that loves them so much and shows them the love that she has for them in so many ways. If I could choose anyone in the whole world to be the mommy for my four precious daughters "I'd choose YOU!!!!"