From My Hands

Hands; they nurture, hold, guide, feed, clothe, express, create, love, connect, discipline and encourage. I'm not sure what I would do without my hands.  My hands have been good to me. They have raised my children, they connect me to those I love and those I extend love to, they have fed me. I create music, write, sew, stitch, photograph, paint, plant, and talk with them. I am tactile, I must touch even when the sign says not to.  I love to hold hands with my husband and my grandies; nothing nicer than a small hand in mine. The trust and love that flows through those hands is precious.  I know so much of my world through my hands.

The women in my family have been really clever with their hands. Painting, sewing, spinning, quilting, needlework, you name it they've done it. I grew up knitting and sewing my own doll's clothes from an early age and then my own clothes from the time I was a tween (actually, we didn't have tweens that long ago, I was just a kid).  My mother produced and sold handcraft for many years, my sister, Jenny, is an artist, my Aunty Joan spun the most beautiful wool and knitted intricate and very fine patterns, and my niece was a clothing designer.

I knitted and sewed for my kids when they came along.  In NZ it gets cold so someone is always in need of a hat, jumper, mittens or a scarf.  I still remember my oldest, Dan, proudly telling people that the picture on the front of his sweater was of elephant bums.  We didn't use swear words (very often or in front of the kids) so it was a big deal to say "bum" and yep, the pattern was of 2 elephant's bums with tails attached. The photo is a bit blurry but then it is quite old!

The great thing about making things now is that you can get something that looks unique rather than mass produced.  I usually have something in my hands when I am sitting down. This year I have been finishing off projects that have been sitting in my cupboard for ages, the latest being a quilt for son #4 and his lovely wife; a wedding present that is 3 years overdue! I love the sense of satisfaction to finally get projects completed and it's especially nice when people genuinely love what they receive.  I received a photo from my niece, all snuggled in her quilt I had made, when she was off work sick. It felt like I was giving her a hug even though I wasn't there.

Hopefully some of my creations might inspire you to have a go,  I'll post them as they are completed. Some are simple, some a little more time consuming. A perfectionist I am not, I have learned to accommodate mistakes creatively.  I don't have much time for unpicking, I'd rather play the "spot the difference" game.  For me it's all about the love that goes into the gift.