September 21, 2007

Remembering Mama

Today would have been my Mama’s 80th birthday. Mama passed away on December 9, 2002, in Houston Texas. She was a great lady, a great mother, and a great quilter! She talked about quilting up until the last couple of days of her life while in ICU.

Up until the latter years of her life, she made her quilts by hand. When she started machine-piecing, she thought she was in Heaven. She made each one of her children and grandchildren a quilt. We all got to pick out the colors and “most of the time” the pattern.

Mama didn’t teach me to quilt. Even though I would watch her all the time, I took classes at the local quilt shop – in fact, she took them with me! My niece, Kim (over at Peach Quilting), lived with my Mama when her husband was overseas (he is in the service), and Mama taught her to quilt. She is now an avid quilter too so Mama’s legacy lives on.

I always got tickled at her because she called the Sun Bonnet Sue quilt pattern “Sue Bonnet Sue”. In fact when going through her quilting things, I found some “Sue Bonnet Sue” blocks that she had made. My niece, Kim, was expecting her first little girl so I sent them to her to make the baby a quilt.

When she passed away, I spent a week at her home (I lived approximately 150 miles away) to take care of final arrangements, etc. My comfort was to go sit in her sewing chair in her sewing room. I would sit in that chair and just look around and cry and remember so many fond memories.

I miss my Mama greatly. There is hardly a day that passes that I don’t think about her. So many times, I have physically picked up the phone to call her and had to put the phone down because I realized she was not there. But, I know she is in Heaven just quilting away, enjoying a hobby that she loved so that is comfort to me!

10 comments:

Sweet P said...

A beautiful tribute to your mom. Happy birthday mom.

Kathy said...

Thanks, Sweet P! She was an awesome lady.

Anonymous said...

Mom's are special and I know you loved yours very much...she knew it too. What a great tribute to your mom. I still pick up the phone to call my mom too....we have a hole that will never be filled till we meet up yonder bye and bye.....our mom's are having a great time and hopefully quilting with each other!!

Nicole & Phil said...

It is greatyou have such wonderful memories of your Mum!
Your quilts are lovely to look at, thanks for sharing them with us

Kathy said...

Nicole, thanks for your comments. Yes, my Mom was very special to me.

Molly Mandeville Fryer said...

Oh Kathy--such a lovely legacy. You are the daughter of every mother's dream. Love you, Molly

SuBee said...

What a beautiful way to remember your Mom - Thanks for sharing that with us.

Kim West said...

I don't know how I missed this post. Nini was a great woman and I miss her terribly. It was very fitting that you sent me those blocks for K___ since I found out I was pregnant with her the day of her funeral. I know she is watching over me and the kids. I miss our almost nightly phone calls -- she was more of a mom to me than my mom was, especially in the later years after mom and dad divorced.

julieQ said...

I miss my Mom, too. She would have been 86 years old this year, but only lived to 55 years of age. She taught me to quilt, and I still remember her "fabric cupboard"---her stash. I treasure those times.

tirane93 said...

you expressed this so well. thank you for sharing it. everyone grieves alone, but it is still nice to know that others feel the same things.