I love to buy gifts for my Mum and Mother in Law for Mother’s Day. Both Mums love flowers, gardening, perfume, body lotions and chocolates but they are also super talented women who really appreciate a handmade gift.
My Mum trained as a dressmaker in a top fashion house before I was born. She made lots of outfits for me (and matching dresses for my dollies) and went on to teach me how to sew, dressmake, cross stitch and knit. Filling my floral padded sewing box with new, brightly coloured embroidery floss was one of my earliest shopping pleasures with Mum. Way before I started to enjoy shopping in HMV and Tammy Girl!
My Mother in Law is a highly skilled shoemaker and was a college lecturer on the subject too. She has taught hundreds (maybe thousands) of people in Northamptonshire the artisan skill of shoemaking over the years and the shoes she has made or overseen have been sold by the fanciest establishments in London. The Elves and The Shoemaker was my favourite childhood book and the fact that my MIL can make a pair of shoes from scratch is amazing to me and a little bit magical.
Both women know their way around a sewing machine, blindfolded, yet they still seem to love the little gifts I make for them: small patchwork lap quilts, lavender cushions, hanging hearts and sponge bags. No matter how skilfully produced (or not), handmade gifts are always, always, best.
It isn’t too late to embroider and sew up a pretty little lavender cushion with a spring tree in blossom or a little heart garland. A little mindful sewing will mean that you can enjoy the process as much as your mum enjoys receiving your work.
Love
Nicki xx