Sisters

I come from a long line of crafty people. My mother, grandmothers, aunts (and some uncles) either crocheted, quilted, embroidered, or sewed. I come by it naturally. My sister (Jackie) and I have been doing all of the above since we were in grade school. (You really do not have to have family that crafts in order for you to do a craft. I have known a lot of people that were never around crafts growing up, but they still manage to love creating things.)

I don't know what I would do without my sister. I have met people that do not have sisters, and I feel so badly for them. I would like to tell you a little about my sister and me. We are twenty-one months apart in age and always did everything together when we were little. Our mother dressed us alike and everyone thought we were twins.

As we grew up, we sort of grew apart as teenagers, and then came back together as we both got married and started having our children. As a matter of fact, my daughter and her son were born just a day apart. Our children grew up together and played together as young children. They, too, grew apart as teenagers and are now coming back together as they are having their own children. It all comes full circle.

My sister decided about five years ago that she wanted to publish a sewing pattern of a baby jacket. The name of the pattern is "Cute as a Button Baby Jacket." To this day, it is her top selling pattern. She has also included some of my crochet patterns along with her quilting and sewing pattern books.

I have traveled with her to the International Quilt Market and displayed her patterns in a booth since 2005. She is now on her second line of fabric with Windham Fabrics and the line is called "Little Man and Me Too." I always represent her, and we always display some sort of crochet pieces in the booth. (Mostly pieces I have crocheted myself.) It seems like there are a lot of people that enjoy crocheting even though they have gotten into quilting, too. I would say at least 50% of the people that come into the booth have crocheted one time in their lives. I have also found a few of them who love to crochet more than they like to quilt. I know of one lovely lady that I met in Salt Lake City that either owns a quilt shop or works at a quilt shop, and I taught her to crochet. When she went home, she bought a light to hook to her headboard of her bed so she can light her crochet work while her husband sleeps. Now that is dedication. I love stories like this, and I love to talk with all of the people that stop at the booth. I have decided that we are all sisters in life anyway, and I include everyone in that circle.