Memory Lane - Sew & Tell ~ 6/16/25

A few weeks ago, our youngest daughter came for a visit.  The topic of items in storage for her came up.  We pulled out the boxes and made a trip down memory lane... much more meaningful to me than for her I am sure as most of the clothing items were from birth through about age 3.  She doesn't have much of any memory of our move to CO when she was 4, almost 5 and she has very few memories of her Grandma Nolan who passed away a few months after we moved.

In addition to the clothing items, there were stuffed animals, a crib set (made by my Mom), her baby book and a scrapbook of school projects...

Dave had asked what she wanted to do with them... I (of course!) suggested a quilt.  She took a stuffed Barney home with her; a few stuffed animals went to the trash and the clothing and part of the crib set made it to my sewing room.  I was surprised at how few I actually saved... There were a few key items I thought were saved... (maybe they ended up in her sister's bin?)  I was pleasantly surprised thrilled when I looked in the photo albums and discovered just how many photos I had of her wearing the pieces I saved!

I started cutting the pieces and developed a plan as I went along...  Here's what I ended up with.  The border is from the crib set. The theme for her nursery was Noah's Ark. 

A few of the shirts were badly stained.  What can I say? The kid had a super sensitive tummy from day one and she loved to play in dirty places... her Dad's shop and the store of the Rifle Range were located in an old gravel pit.  She didn't have to try hard to get dirty there.  Another favorite spot was in the sand box.  

I worked 2-3 mornings a week at a church and Dave would be "in charge" of the girls while I was gone... His solution, if nice enough, was to put them in the sandbox with buckets and shovels.  Rebecca was more than content for hours!  

If the weather wasn't good enough for them to be outside, they were allowed to watch whatever was on PBS for hours... And to be honest, that was ok.  It wasn't every day.

There were dresses with oodles and oodles of lace and ruffles!  Some small pieces of lace and ribbons were incorporated into the quilt.  There was a woven baby blanket... and that little bunny suit was about the cutest thing ever!  I had to keep the bunny tail, feet and ears.  It is certainly my favorite block.  I'll be using a flannel rainbow striped fabric for the backing... but that will wait for now.

As I made this quilt top, I pondered... why did I keep all of these?  Did I really expect my children to dress their children in the clothes?  Maybe so... but I am pretty certain that Heather only pulled out some cute little cowboy boots that I passed on - 2 of the 3 have worn them. They never would have worked in a quilt... but I should have made a quilt with the clothes.  Oh well!

I firmly believe that you should use even the "best" things... Like that woven baby blanket.  I did use it... just a few times, but I did use it.  I use our best china when we have guests for dinner... 

And, for heaven's sake, if I give someone a quilt, I hope that they will use it, love it, adore it, enjoy it!  If it sits in a closet or a cedar chest no one is able to enjoy it.

As I took a short break from the studio, I decided to pull out a new quilt to place on our guest bed.  This one was made in the 1940s by my great-grandmother, Lala Teegarden.  It is in excellent condition!  It probably wasn't used much.  Here's a poem entitled "Don't Save it for Someday"...

Here's a close up of the center of the blocks.
I adore those vintage fabrics. 💕

Don’t save anything for someday—

because someday is a slow thief.

It steals in whispers,

in heartbeats you don’t count,

in the space between "I should" and "I'll get to it."

Soon, the tea turns cold—

the warmth you craved fades to memory.

What once was rich, sweet, alive...

now tastes like regret.

Sitting.

Soon, your fire fades—

that spark in your chest?

it flickers...  then dies.

The dream you once burned for

becomes just another "what if"

buried under dust.

Before long, the day slips away—

the sun you meant to chase

dips behind the hills,

and you’re left standing in the dark,

asking the night, "Why did I wait?"

Before long, people change.

The child who once reached for your hand

learns to let go.

The laughter that once filled your home

becomes a memory you strain to catch.

Before long, people move on.

The voice you meant to call tomorrow?

Silent.

The hands you meant to hold?

Just photos on a dusty shelf.

Before long, life passes you by—

not in a storm,

not in a shout,

but in the quiet ticking of moments

you thought you had forever to use.

And then...  before long becomes too late.

The chance? Gone.

The door? Shut.

The song you never sang?

The poem you never wrote?

Stuck like a stone in your throat.

So I ask you—

what are you waiting for?

The clock’s not ticking for you.

It’s ticking against you.

Don’t save anything for someday.

Write now 

Speak now.

Love now.

Dream now.

Move now.

Live now.

That's all I have for now... Because we are camping!  Yes, we have run away to a National Forest Campground.  Dave had a birthday last week that made him of a "certain age" to be eligible for the Senior Lifetime America the Beautiful Pass... this means that we will be taking the discount for camping there!  (These passes provide access to, and use of Federal recreation sites that charge an Entrance or Standard Amenity Fee*. The pass admits the pass holder and passengers in a non-commercial vehicle at per vehicle fee areas and pass holder plus 3 adults at per person fee areas.) 

You can expect that I will be slow in approving comments and replying back to your comments.  Rest & relaxation will be happening for 3 days. 

We'll get the Sew & Tell party started... which, by the way, is 3 years old!  🎉🥳

But before you go, tell me...

Are you a "save for later" type?

What sort of things do you "save"?

Or are you, like me, and think that "Someday may never come."?

Keep Piecing,

Melva

Linking with:

Oh Scrap! at Quilting is More Fun Than Housework

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Craftastic Monday at Sew Can Do

To Do Tuesday at Quilt Schmilt

Wednesday Wait Loss at The Inquiring Quilter

Share Your Style at French Ethereal

Creatively Crafty at Creatively Beth

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