In March, my Mom and I took a trip to Brooklyn General. I had heard from several customers at the cafe that I should check this place out, for their yarn selection. I read online they had fabrics and ribbons and everything a crafter could wish for, oh my. I had no idea what we were really getting into, we spent 3 hours in the store! Pacing back and forth, matching ribbons and lining, going between paisley and polka dots. Floral and plaid prints, rick rack & boyish buttons. Once home, we sat around all night, laying the fabrics together, trying all different combinations. I wanted to have a secret pocket in each, lined with a fabric from the other’s stocking body. I felt like I was in under my head, but I had three months to complete the gifts, I was good. I even already had the cards purchased AND drafts of what I’d scribble inside.
Life, got crazy. The fabrics sat in the original bag, folded and ribbons still wound. I thought about them constantly, but felt overwhelmed. The week before Heather’s shower, I got cranking. I set up the sewing machine, read the instruction manual, figured out how to wind a bobbin and thread a machine, it was a headache. I’d never done this machine business before. I thought about giving up and hand sewing, I think I made about 30 consecutive calls to my Mom for her words of encouragement. She was such a huge help, gotta love having such a talented and patient Mama.
The day before the first shower, Joe and I headed to New Jersey. He was driving his Granny up to Vermont to visit with family, Mama Moderno and I were going to crank out the stocking. In true Mother/Daughter fashion, we first went to Patio Bar to split crab cakes and get a beer. Then we stopped at a local surf store, where I bought a romper and we bought Joe some new threads. I needed a good box for the girls to store the stockings in amongst Christmas goodies, found that at TJ Maxx (I also found a ‘Lucky’ tote bag for myself!) and then we stopped at JoAnn’s for more fabrics, maxi skirt patterns and a constant “ooo, aaah, ma, look at this!” fiasco. We just love to shop together. We also love to craft together, and that’s what we did. Until 4 a.m. We made the sweetest, most perfect stocking for Clara Belle. I also made a “Baby’s First Christmas” ornament with scraps from the stocking fabric. I am so pleased with the way everything turned out.
The following Sunday was Mandy’s Baby Shower. You’d think I would have learned my lesson, but I waited until the last possible minute- again. I am trying to work on getting projects completed in a normal time frame, I really am! I am also still amazed with myself every single time I complete something like this in 6 hours. Honestly I had a hard time coming up with the plan for this one. Mandy is having a little boy, but she is not really into the masculine themes that come with the territory. She is a dreamer, a lover of all things nature – a true poet. I wanted to incorporate all these things. It was tough. Yet in the end, I couldn’t have loved this stocking more. I had chosen the three main fabrics at Brooklyn General, then came across a soft green plaid, the perfect ribbon, and three buttons that my Mom gave me from her own jacket as a little girl. I sat on the floor in my living room and watched The Lion King, The Jungle Book & Aladdin. Joe ran to the store and brought home the ultimate plethora of junk food (as if I were the pregnant one here!) Mandy’s shower was a lot of fun. She had it co-ed so Joe was able to come with me and hang out with Tony a bit. Her sister’s fiancee is one of my brothers best friends since childhood, so it was great for us to see him also. Lots of familiar faces and also amazing food choices. I’ve never been to a party with such a selection of cold pasta and vegetable salads. Joe and I were like kids in candy stores with all of it.
