Thursday, July 22, 2010

To Smock or Not to Smock

Sometimes I think I lost my identity in my divorce several years ago, but I think I  lost more of my identity when I stopped smocking.  I discovered and fell in love with smocking in 1998.  My first smocked dress was Hannah's 4-year-old birthday dress.  I was hooked from my very first stitch.  For the next 9 years, I smocked nonstop.  I smocked lots of things for Hannah, and then Timothy came along and I smocked even more for him.

Early in 2000,  I set my sites on getting my smocking published in Sew Beautiful magazine http://www.marthapullen.com/sb/sewbeautiful.html).   In 2002, I started a local smocking guild, The Emerald Coast Smocking Guild when the town I moved to did not have a smocking guild.  In 2003, I began to pursue publication in Sew Beautiful Magazine.  I was able to work with the magazine to have our local smocking guild featured in the Easter 2005 issue.  I even designed a smocking plate that was featured in the magazine.

By 2007, Timothy had outgrown smocked outfits, and I put my smocking supplies away, and with that, I put a part of me away.  I resigned myself to doing what most other moms do when their children outgrow their smocking..... I took up quilting.  Now, don't get me wrong.  I like quilting.  I *love* quilts.  They're works of art.  However, I am not very good at it.  I've been working at it for quite some time, but it just doesn't come as naturally to me as smocking did.

Now here I am -- it's 2010.  I am newly married to a wonderful man who is very supportive and encouraging of me enjoying my creative hobbies.  So... what do you do when you love to smock, but your children have outgrown it? 

4 comments:

  1. Connie...how about a grandmother's hope chest. It may seem like a long way off right now but believe me the time goes fast. Congratulations on your marriage.

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  2. Or you can smock for charity. I bet there is either a local hospital needing items for newborns or a local DSHS needing clothing for children in need. How wonderful it would be to share your talents with children who are often forgotten.

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  3. I am with Peggy and Sue. And once you find out you're going to be a grandmother you'll never find enough time to do all the things you want to make. Also, find out if your hospital needs/wants smocked items for preemies or stillborn babies. There's a great ministry there.

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  4. Thank you for the great suggestions ladies. I am going to be working on some Christmas ornaments to get back into the groove of smocking, but would love to check into some of those areas (hospital, needy children, etc.)

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