A Mom's love...

My Mom and me on the right when we lived in Okinawa

Here in Texas we call our Mothers - Mom.

My Mom...so lovely.

My Mom has been in heaven for a long time but I still miss her...she was the only person in my life that knew me as a little girl...when she was gone, it felt like my history disappeared with her.
I was nobody's little girl anymore...even though by that time I was 29 years old. 

Isn't it funny how the Lord hears our hearts sometimes when we don't even know it...

and graciously gives us someone in our lives that picks up the slack,
stands in that gap and loves us from that point on.

My other Mom...

I am blessed beyond words to have a "Mom" like that...

My friend Patty and I met at our church when they moved to East Texas. She and I were fast friends for life from the moment I dragged her out of the pew before the service started, raced her across the church to the nearest sun-lit door to show her my new red highlights in my hair...she still thinks I am nuts, but it works!

I don't know how or why, but Patty's mother decided I still needed a Mom...

and since that time, she adopted me and has loved me ferociously and graciously 

and has pulled me into their family and has never let go.

 In fact, this week, she sent me yet another beautiful 

Mother's day card with the sweetest personal note that only she could write...

and again at the precise moment I needed to hear words of love, there they were.

It always makes me cry...and I always feel loved.

(Thank you Patty, my dear friend, for sharing her)

So, I decided to make a little something extra for this sweet Mom of mine.

It doesn't look like much unless you realize two things.

In all of the 20+ years I have sewn for my children, 

myself and others...I have NEVER been brave enough to use or install a zipper! 

This was my very first ONE!
 (thanks to YouTube and some talented teachers of zipper conquering!)

Second...that little bead bauble is ANOTHER first.
 It's not a great work of art, but it will serve a purpose and she likes a little bling!

I thought she could use this for jewelry when she travels.

She and Patty are QUEENS of GREAT SPARKLY JEWELRY and

their motto is "THE BIGGER, THE BETTER"!   

Anyway, I just wanted to send her something handmade this year...

something I spent time on and that she could use 

and know that she is all those words and more...

She didn't have to love me...she just did. I will never forget that.

I love both my Moms very much.

Happy Mother's Day to all of you

 that either have children or have "adopted" children. 

You Count...to all of us.

A selfish pleasure

 

I usually don't make anything for myself...

I don't know why, it's just that I have 

other things on my plate.

Tonight, I took a little break from 

those and decided I needed something...

 Just like the little tutorial for the Easter Basket,

I cut this out the same way.

 When I cut the corners for the squared bottom,

for this one, I cut 3 inches in and 3 inches from the bottom.

On the liner, I stitched up the sides, and about 2 inches 

in on the bottom, leaving an opening to use for later.

 The other difference is that when I put in the liner,

I attached my straps and button holder at the top

of the canvas bag, right sides together

first and stitched them using a scant 1/4 inch line.

Once I had those in place,

I slipped the liner (right sides together) over the 

outside of the bag, pinned it at the top

and stitched 1/4 inch all the way around the top.

Then I simply pulled the inside (canvas) bag out 

through the bottom and tucked the liner inside the bag,

and stitched the opening in the bottom of the liner closed.

Don't you just love that liner fabric?

and I couldn't believe I had a button that actually 

matched perfectly!!!

 Once I tucked it all inside nice and straight and snug, 

I stitched around the bottom of the bag to give it 

the permanent boxed bottom shape.

I used a canvas and it was so forgiving when 

it came to hiding the actual thread line.

Now, instead of carrying two bags to work

everyday...(a purse and a lunch box) 

I can just place it all in this one.

Win-Win!