Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Visiting with Relatives

I don't know about you, but I get really excited about seeing most of my relatives. You noticed that 'most' in the first sentence. And there are some more special to me than others.

Today, we will have dinner with my nephew and his sweet wife who are visiting from Kentucky. They are expecting their first child in January. In fact on my birthday which is on the 3rd, in case I haven't ever, ever told you. They of course for tax purposes would like the blessed event to happen prior to midnight December 31, but who knows, maybe, just maybe she'll come on the 3rd of January-did I say that was my birthday? In that event, we will have a special bond, just pray she doesn't look like me.

I have been working on a special daygown for her, and this is the picture of the back. It's not very clear, I actually had better, but was trying to get them uploaded from home this morning and accidentally hit the same two pictures twice.


The next one is a picture of the bottom. I put a lot of work into this little gown because I know she will appreciate it, and because the baby may be born on my birthday. I also have a crocheted baby cap/bonnet for her too. It is made from bedspread cotton, and probably shouldn't be worn with the daygown, because the whites are different. I'll post a picture of that tomorrow.

As you can see, I put quite a bit of embroidery around the bottom also. The work that looks like rick-rack isn't. It's a technique that uses some of your embroidery thread. You hem the bottom on the machine using a longer stitch than usual, and you work the embroidery thread in and out of the stitches. My children's great grandmother did this to all the dresses she made my children. I wish I had kept some of them even though they were worn out. She didn't smock though. She didn't have time. She put tucks in the yokes for fullness, which I have seen on some heirloom patterns. It gave fullness to the bottom without having to gather anything either.

The kids all called her Cotton. Her last name was Carpenter, and some of the first grandchildren attempted to call her grandma Carpenter, and it came out grandma Cotton. Then over the years it got shortened to mama Cotton. Then my kids shortened it to just Cotton. Whatever they called her, she was one of the most wonderful women I have ever known. When asked what woman/women made a profound difference in my life, she is always right there on top.

I've digressed from my original post about the kids coming tonight. We are all looking forward to seeing them. Kentucky is quite a ways from Arkansas, so we don't get to spend much time with them. But we'll have fun tonight--I'll try to take some pictures.

I hope you are seeing someone special tonight. If so, tell me about it.

Hope you are having a great Wednesday. Attend Bible study. Love one another.

2 comments:

Will said...

That's a treasure she'll have forever. Did you smock that gown? My friend, whose office is across the hall, has a smocking machine. I haven't really known that word for long.

Great job. Have a great time with you family. Oh, and happy birthday---late/early however you look at it? ;-)

Lisa said...

I think your neice and nephew will appreciate the gift so much. And getting to see themn open it in person will make it even more special and fun for you. I love getting together with family. Seems the ones that are my age don't value it like I do. They have always lived near each other, could see each other whenever they wanted, so getting together for special times does not seem to be that important to them. Now me on the other hand, lived far enough away that I could not see people that easily. So now having moved home I want to see us get together and no one really wants to. Good grief. Even when cousins come in from Tenn and Washington, they didn't even call so we could get together. Oh well, their loss.

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