Hi painting friends!  Jackie’s blog this week about learning to sew from her mom and grandma brought back sweet memories for me too. My mom is gone but I think of her every day, and one of the things my mom did when I was young was, I realize these many years later, quite an amazing feat.

Even though she had four kids and worked full time as a teacher, somehow she managed to save the day for one of my dance recitals. The seamstress the dancing school had hired to make the costumes just quit in the middle and left us with a dozen unfinished tu-tu’s one week before the recital.

My mom, God bless her, took it upon herself to re-fit and finish the costumes, using her old Singer sewing machine in one corner of her bedroom. There was tulle and sequins everywhere (my dad was a very patient man!) and somehow, by dress rehearsal, she had the costumes done.  She just figured it out as she went along.

As children do, I thought nothing of it.  After all, isn’t that what all moms do?  But now, I realize the work and stress and sacrifice she made, and I wish she were here so I could finally say Thank You, Mom—I love you!

Kathy 

With Mother’s Day just behind us I’m sure we’ve all been thinking about our moms and all they taught us. Some of you may have inherited your love for crafting from your mother.  

One of my fondest crafting memories actually doesn’t involve painting at all (sorry group, you’ll just have to bear with me J). It’s actually a sewing memory. When I was a child, my mother sewed several outfits for my sister and me. (Yes, they were matching!) My mother learned how to sew from her mother.

I never picked up the sewing bug, but I did give it a whirl for a few months right after I graduated from college. I was working as a substitute teacher and living at home until I landed a “career job.” My grandmother’s health began to deteriorate at this time as well and she came to live with my family, too.

I wanted a new coat for the fall and had a particular style in mind, but couldn’t find what I was looking for in the stores. My mom suggested I sew the coat myself, so I did—with a lot of help from her. (The coat would still be hoodless without her intervention). My grandmother helped too, as much as she could. And she loved to watch me cut the fabric and work at the machine.

Things often felt cramped with four adults and two teenagers (my brother and youngest sister were still in high school) under one roof, but when I look back, I realize how special that extra time was with my family, especially the time with my grandmother. It really was a gift and a special season in my life. I’ll always cherish that coat (even if some of the seams aren’t straight and the button holes are a bit wonky) and the memories that were created while making it.  

Jackie

Hi. I’m Mary, and I’m happy to join Jackie and Kathy as one of the Painting and More group moderators. I’m an editor for both fine art and comic/fantasy art books, and I have a wide range of artistic and craft interests.

My primary creative interest at the moment is knitting, though, now that it’s starting to warm up outside, I’m starting to lean more towards crafts and activities that take me outdoors. (I suppose that makes me a fair-weather..er...ill-weather knitter.) My other artistic interests include clay (both sculpture and pottery), photography, drawing, sewing, embroidery and beading. I have also, upon occasion, dabbled in pysanka (a Ukrainian egg-dying technique), candle and soap making, basket weaving and more.

I’m not currently a painter, but I hope to give it a try. I’m actually taking a community drawing class at the local art academy this summer in hopes of improving my skills so that I might feel confident enough to give painting a shot. I think I’d like to try working with pastel or oils. What painting medium did you start out with? What did you enjoy or find challenging? Any recommendations for my first foray into painting?

I’m excited to be a part of the Painting and More community, and I can’t wait to exchange ideas with you!

mary

Thanks, Cassie and Kerry, for your great suggestions on how to prep my old, stained furniture for a new coat of paint!  I never knew there was such a thing as aniline dyes used in furniture finishes.  That’s the wonderful thing about being a part of a large community of painters and crafters – the depth of knowledge and breadth of experience is amazing and gratifying.

I will let you know how it turns out, but right now we are having many rainy days and since I prefer to work out on my back deck when dealing with paints and old finishes, I’m not making any progress. I’ll look for the primer products you mentioned and be ready when the sun comes out again!  Stay tuned...

April showers bring May flowers, and May flowers are picked for June weddings. That’s right, the peak of wedding season is just around the corner, and now’s the perfect time to get to work on handmade gifts for the happy couples in your life. The DecoArt web site is chockfull of great (and best of all free) painting project ideas for weddings. For guests, there are gift ideas for the couple and for the bride there are table favor ideas, bridesmaids and groomsmen gift ideas and cute “his-and-her” projects.

My favorite is this Monogrammed Newlywed Plaque. The black and metallic silver paint combined with paisley scrapbooking paper give the plaque an elegant feel. You could personalize this project even more by painting the plaque with the wedding colors and selecting a scrapbooking paper that is similar in style or feel to the wedding invitation.

Happy painting!

Jackie