November's heritage

There are some people you casually meet along the way, never expecting that they will deeply impact your life. Miss D. is one of those special ladies I got to meet last year. Around Christmas, I attended my very first Holiday Market as a maker. It was not at all what I expected, slow and empty was not what I had prepared for. I was assured by other makers that this was very unusual… Oh well, 2020 will not have brought me the experience I was hoping to get, since all of my other creator markets have been cancelled along the way due to of course… the pandemic!

I remember it was under the watchful eyes of the biggest GQ painting of Jesus I had ever seen (who would have thought in a church no less!) that I met Miss D., her son and good friend Miss J.

All of them were also talented makers at this Christmas market, lovely and kind people, something was touching about them, cozy and benevolent. They were truly generous with words of encouragement in my first public steps with Latibulle. They gave me a little bit of their confidence and wisdom while making me feel hopeful about this project of mine connecting with others. 

And that was that, my first market was over, a complete flop sale wise, but was done and over and I was ready for more! As I mentioned, the markets didn’t come, but a few months down 2020, I did meet Miss D again. 

She had a project for me; she chose and trusted me to make this beautiful vision of hers come to life. She was in my garden showing me a quilt her grandmother had handmade for her years ago. The last quilt she made for her last grandchild. Some wear and tear showed that this special quilt had seen some loving times, but also revealed some more dramatic adventures. Miss D. had saved this precious heirloom from a house fire a few years back. Witness to how some objects made with love are meant saving and protecting, they are as we say irreplaceable. This quilt embodied Miss D’s whole family history, a treasure for keepsakes. And this is where Miss D. wanted me to come into play. You see, Miss D. got sick since I had last seen her, very sick and before it was too late she wanted to make sure the family’s precious heritage was preserved and shared between her 4 children and 24 nieces and nephews. The mission was to create 28 stuffed animals with her grandma’s beautiful quilt. She also envisioned a fabric tag with the picture of her young grandmother to be remembered. The beautiful young girl in the picture bears quite the resemblance to Miss D in my mind.   

This was an amazing project and also quite the emotional challenge. It made me sad and happy many times and even scared along the way. This was precious, I didn’t want to make any mistakes or disappoint, wondered if I was the right person for this memory mission. Miss D’s confidence in me from the start is what kept me going. She is one of those beautiful souls, kind eyes that have seen some hard times, but who chooses to hold on to the beauty of things and people and makes it shine everywhere. How many times I wished I could have hugged her to say “thank you” and “you’re lovely”. COVID-19 hasn’t allowed that to happen, however I trust she knows now how I felt about the honour of creating this large plush family for hers and being part of her family’s legacy.

A thousand thanks Miss D., truly I will remember you always.

 

***

November is also the month to remember the ones we have lost and commemorate the members of the armed forces who have died in the line of duty. It has been observed since the end of the First World War through out the Commonwealth states. At 11am, the 11th day, of the 11th month, people around the world will gather and observe a minute of silence for those brave women and men that have perished while fighting for our liberties.

Wear your poppy and take the time to honour Remembrance Day.