A friend of mine recently told me that «J'ai des doigts de fée». Translated from French, this means that I have dexterous hands or literally, I have «fairy fingers». Though not my own, the works you see here tell the story of my handmade life.
I have always been crafty for as long as I can remember, if not, I have always been surrounded by people who made things by hand.
Though my mother worked full-time in an office at the state university, she always found the time to sew. I remember spending summer days working at my grammar workbooks or coloring books , with the sound of my mother's sewing machine as background. We had one of those classic Singer sewing machines, with the cast iron body and solid wood cabinets. Mama had her machine outfitted with a motor but still kept the pedal belt just in case the power went out. That way, she can still sew without electricity.
Almost every year when I was younger, my sister and I had dresses custom made by our neighborhood seamstress. This meant outings to the local fabric store for materials then off to the shoe store for matching shoes.
My mother also taught me how to crochet and I gladly acquired this skill . She also encouraged me to cross stitch during summer break. I was allowed to watch my favorite children's program as long as I didn't just sit in front of the television with idle hands.
Aside from crafting, I was also sent to weekly piano lessons and kids summer art camp . My sister and I developed an interest in art and art history through my mother's collection of art books. She loves reading and would happily take us down to the local bookshop to buy books.
Through the years, my creativity further developed and I took other hobbies including knitting, jewelry-making, photography, and vintage camera collecting. I take care not to let my fairy fingers lose their touch by creating almost constantly.
Until next time, thanks for reading. =(^.^)=
A wonderful story Christine and it mirrors mine in many ways. Thank you for including my By Hand in helping tell the tale. My Mother would be tickled.
RépondreSupprimerKim
Christine,
RépondreSupprimerI love your creative time-line. This is so sweet and such a nice peek into your crafting life. Thank you for including my cross stitch. :)
brooke
sounds a lot like me! a life of craft, it's wonderful. thanks for including my l'artiste photograph to help tell your story!
RépondreSupprimerI just loved hearing your story. So beautiful! Thank you for including my photograph in your lovely post.
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