My Thanksgiving weekend

My  Thanksgiving weekend 

Last weekend was a long weekend due to the Thanksgiving break. I was also off from my work for 4 days. My youngest daughter went to California to spend her Thanksgiving break with her older sister. Since I was by myself I didn’t feel like cooking or doing anything especially just for myself.  Many friends called and invited me to their homes, but for some reason I didn’t want to travel anywhere so I stayed home. 

Since I moved to the States I have been celebrating Thanksgiving but this was my first where I was home alone. Off course I missed my girls and wanted to be with them but it wasn’t possible. But at the same time, I was glad my girls where together with other family members. I was feeling a little bit down but something came into my mind. Six months ago when my oldest daughter graduated from high school, I had wanted to make a quilt out of her school t-shirts as a gift and surprise her. But due to my busy schedule I couldn’t do it. I started thinking, this could be a great time to at least start making her quilt, which I wasn’t sure how I would do it.  I have never made a quilt before. Then I was thinking what am I thinking why not do something else, watch a movie, go shopping, read a book or writing. Part of me was saying to myself, it would a boring thing to do. But knowing my personality, this was in the back of my mind for the last six months and I promised I would make it, I don’t like to break my promise.

Thursday morning I decided this is it. I will start making her quilt today. I took all of her school t-shirts out and laid them on the living room floor. Something started changing in me, the more I was getting involved in it, the more I started to enjoy it. Every single t-shirt took me back to her past and I could see her wearing it. I started getting so much out of it. I didn’t want to do anything else except finish making the quilt than anything else. I used the front part of the shirt for the front quilt and the backs for her back quilt. But there was one shirt that had nothing on its back. I didn’t know how to use it. I thought maybe I would leave it blank or how go to the fabric store and see if they have anything I could use on it.

The next day, one of my friends called and asked if I wanted to go to the mall with her. I thought I should take a break and go. Just in case I took that blank T-shirt piece with me, thinking I might get some idea. When I went to the mall, I saw something and I thought, wow this is it! Just two days ago this guy just started his business at the market place mall. What he does, was he made prints on the t-shirts. You can ask him to write anything or have any kind of design and he would do it right there in front of you.

An idea came into my mind. But I wasn’t sure he will be able to do it, but I still asked, “I am making a quilt but I have this plain piece of fabric and I was wondering, would you be able to print a picture and a name on it”? I always carried my girl’s picture with me so I showed it to him and he said, “Sure, I can do it right now”. I got so excited, I gave him her baby picture when she was four months old and asked him to write underneath it her name. He got it done in no time.

As soon as I got home, I grabbed my sewing machine and started making her quilt. I used that blank fabric which now has her baby picture and her name on it in the middle of the quilt. Believe it or not I was getting joy from it and was feeling happy. I was on the sewing machine for almost 5 hours straight. I got done making the quilt in four days. It turned out really nice, I surprised myself.

When I started making it, my views and energy levels were so different than when I finished it. I know there are a lot of people who have already made quilts or are involved in sewing. But this was my first experience and I have more appreciation and understanding for those people. I now completely understand them; how they get so involved and enjoy from it.

I am glad I used my 4 day weekend on a great project which I know for sure my daughter will appreciate me forever. So while millions were eating Turkey, I was making the quilt and feeling more close to my girls even though I was home alone.

Love Mom