Precious Memories

I find it difficult parting with old things, especially things that have some sentimental value to me. Just like this white lace. It was made by my dear Mum a long time ago, when she already was unwell and didn't have full control of her hand. She made me a simple item of clothing and added this crochet lace on some parts of it. The garment had been worn out long ago, but I could not part with it. It was too precious. I kept it tucked away in a box for years. It bore the memory of my Mum, her crafty skills, her hands, her love and warmth, and kindness.

Recently I came across a book written by Marie Kondo called "Spark Joy". Have you heard about it? It's a guide to the Japanese art of tidying. :-) The main principle of this book is to ask yourself a question when it comes to decluttering: "Does this item spark joy?" Out of curiosity, I decided to give it a try. I pulled that old item of clothing out of the box, held it in my hands and ask myself this question. The answer was "no" because it reminded me of Mum being unwell, it left me feeling sad. I was sad because I could not use this item any longer, but still I could not throw it away. But after answering that question, the decision was quickly made. I decided to cut off the lace so it could be used in my work somehow and the rest was tossed out. I am so happy I did that.

I kept the design of this little mat to the very minimum. Mum liked the simplicity of things, something she could make quickly while we slept late at night. She also liked to reuse and recycle things, nothing ever got wasted.

Do you see that little cupcake on a stand? We used to bake a lot with Mum. Sunday afternoons used to be my favourite. We would bake something special. We would find a new recipe or bake someone's favourite dessert. Anything. Everything.

Mum always loved flowers. In autumn we would collect beautiful colourful leaves and arrange them in simple bouquets. In spring and summer we would pick flowers in our garden, and during the winter we would buy small bunches at out favourite flower shops. We always enjoyed small bouquets rather than the large ones and had a collection of pretty small vases.

For the back I chose a garden label because Mum loved her garden. She could hardly wait for spring so she could start planting bulbs and seeds of her favourite flowers. She used to grow all sorts of flowers: forget-me-nots, pansies, my favourite lilies of the valley, peonies, roses, lilies, tulips, daffodils...she even had cactuses blooming in pots at home.

Without much thinking and planning it all came together in this tiny piece of sewing. My precious memories. Very dear to me. I look at this work and smile. I feel happy now. This little tea mat makes me think of my Mum, of her garden, of things she knitted, sewed, crocheted, of her gentle hands, her soft kind smile, the cakes we baked together, the paper doll dresses we drew... It reminds me of all the things we enjoyed doing all together or just the two of us. Precious and sweet memories without sadness.

I am sorry if this post made you feel sad in any way. I just wrote what I felt and thought while working on this tea mat. Like all my sewing, it comes from my heart and I share it with you as it is.

I hope you have a lovely day everybody! Larisa xox