Tacoma Family Photographer | I hope your bobbin is always full.
PINIMAGETacoma Family Photographer | KaetheJo Binder Photography
I once met a lovely lady. She was the sweetest lady I had ever met. Very kind. Very warm. Very loving. Her giggle was infectious and I am telling you, the woman had a heart of gold.
Shortly after I met her, I married into her family and became her granddaughter in law. Although, I never felt like an “in law” with her. She just had this way of making you feel like you were a part of the family from day one.
Aside from being a card shark and lighting up the room with her laughter, she was very much a crafter. Needle point. Quilting. Crocheting. She could craft just about anything! We were lucky to have been gifted baby quilts and booties when our first two daughters arrived! The baby blanket she crocheted for our first daughter (and her first great grandchild) is a thing of beauty. It is also sparkly white. So, we treat it like the gold it is. We used it when our first daughter was dedicated to the Lord and we may have taken a few pictures with it, but, other than that, it is kept in a super secret, safe place!
Grandma passed away shortly after our second daughter was born. It was unexpected and heart breaking. I remember not long afterwards I was asked if I would like to have her sewing machine. I was honored and said yes without hesitation. (Although, at the time, and even now, I don’t know anything about sewing. Especially with a sewing machine.)
This was about 8 years ago. At the time we (my little family) lived out of state. It wasn’t until about 3 years ago that I actually had the sewing machine in my possession. And, it sat untouched for that long. Nothing was altered or changed. Everything was as it was, 8 years ago (other than the fact that it had a new home).
Fast forward to about a month ago… We were eating dinner and we had no napkins. We had been out of napkins for a week or maybe two! And, with four kids, not having napkins during a meal is only asking for the biggest spills and stickiest mishaps you could think of. In a mad dash for paper towels to clean up an apocalyptic juice spill I said aloud “WE NEED NAPKINS!!”
Another thing to know about our family is that we TRY our hardest to hug as many trees as possible. We try to teach our kids to not produce too much waste (I know…that is a ridiculous request). We’ve worked on cutting out zip locks and sandwich bags all together. I have invested in reusable (and super cute) sandwich and snack bags. And we’ve also recently purchased glass containers to store left overs and to take food to lunch with us. Little by little, we are trying to make a difference.
I thought about all the waste we produce in paper products alone. And, it is sad. So, while I knew we needed to do something for our napkin shortage, I thought to myself, “gosh that is so wasteful!” So, then I got the bright (and slightly scary) idea to make my own napkins! Then I said it aloud and my husband was like “Ya! Do it! Thats an awesome idea!” And then I was like… YIKES! What did I just get myself in to??
Without even knowing how to turn on a sewing machine, I headed out the door to Ben Franklins to buy fabric and thread!?!? I picked out two sets of Fat Quarters and some matching thread… Once I got home, panic started to set in! LOL. This was about the time my husband brought the sewing machine in from the garage and all of the goodies that went with it. It was all untouched. Everything was as Grandma left it. This was comforting… and also overwhelming. I didn’t even know where to start…
I tried reading the owners manual, but it was like reading in Chinese. Reading the owners manual actually made me more overwhelmed. However, seeing Grandma’s notes and highlighted words made me feel like she was with me. After looking at Grandma’s writing, her cliff notes and highlighted information (I’m sure the highlighted info was the most important) and then showing it to my husband, I decided to ditch the owners manual and turn to the interwebs. I YouTubed some tutorials and before I knew it, I was a sewing machine!
I made my first napkin and was SO excited! I couldn’t stop thinking… “I MADE THIS!” It was really cool. And, one of the things I loved the most… was that Grandma had left the bobbin full for me
So, she’s in my first napkin! (And the second and third napkins too) It was a treasure to find it full and waiting for me!
Thank you Grandma Anne. Thank you for leaving my bobbin full <3
PINIMAGETacoma Family Photographer | KaetheJo Binder Photography
While I was ironing the Fat Quarters and getting the fabric ready to be sewn into napkins, I realized that I was doing so with my Grandmother’s iron. It made me pause for a second and think about these two beautiful women that I was blessed to have known and to have loved. Grandma Anne was a beautiful woman. Full of love and light and was a joy to all who knew her. My Grandmother, Libby (although she would correct you rather quickly and request that you call her Mary) was my biggest fan and the best Grandmother a girl could ask for. She spent her weekends taking me to the roller skating rink, watching Saturday morning cartoons with me, and making me French Toast for breakfast, lunch and dinner. As a family member told me a few days before my Grandma left this earth, Grandma saw the sun rise and fall in me. And, wow. To be loved so deeply… I just hope she knows how much I truly loved her and how thankful I am for having her as my Grandmother.
PINIMAGETacoma Family Documentary Photographer | KaetheJo Binder Photography
When we named our fourth daughter, we passed on my middle name to her (as her middle name as well), which is LibbiAnne. I was given the name in honor of my Grandmother and in honor of my Aunt Leann. When we passed it on we didn’t think about how it was not only my middle name, but it was also my daughter’s Great Grandmother’s names, from both sides. She met her Great Grandmother Libby, but Grandma passed away prior to KK’s first birthday. My daughter will never know her Great Grandmother’s, but there is a lot of love in her middle name <3.
PINIMAGETacoma Family Documentary Photographer | KaetheJo Binder Photography
Begin to Weave and God Will Give the Thread.
-German Proverb
Tacoma Birth Photography & Tacoma Family Photography! Are you looking for a Birth Photographer or Family Photographer in the Tacoma, Seattle, Auburn and surrounding areas? KaetheJo Binder Photography offers Birth Photography and Family Lifestyle Storytelling Sessions both in-home and on location in Tacoma Washington and surrounding cities. For more information please click the contact tab above or email me at hello@tacomabirthphotographer.com! I look forward to documenting YOUR Birth & Family Story!
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