Happy.

Last year, for my mom's birthday, I embroidered her this. I gave it to her still in the hoop, with the extra fabric trimmed and tucked behind. 

She recently had it framed at Hobby Lobby, and it is now hanging on a gallery wall of art in her new sitting room. 

I love making her gifts. Out of everybody in my life, I feel like she appreciates my art the most. I guess that's part of being a mom. Appreciate your child's art; cute or not-cute. There has absolutely been a lot of not-cute art I've made. Still, today, if I don't take my time, and get lazy, it turns out sloppy. For the above project, I used fabric that I already had. I wish I had gone out an bought a thicker fabric. I like using up the stuff I already have on hand, but see how you can see the color of the thread tied behind? My guess is that it was really cold and snowy that day, and I didn't want to leave my apartment for thicker, nicer fabric.

While I am my biggest critic, my mom is my best. She has always said it is worth it to take the extra time to be neat, clean and thorough during projects. We both believe in coloring outside of the lines, but there are always things like; wipe the paint off your hand (so it doesn't get on the project later), iron the hem line, clean the stamp, don't mix the glitter, measure, cut straight, buy thicker fabric if that would work better, be patient (let the paint dry before you start trying to do something else to it), that do make a difference in the final product. 

I admit, neat, thorough and practicing patience doesn't always happen, I do always think; 'what would my mom say, or do, if she was working on this'. Projects defiantly turn out better when I think of it her way. 

Her 48th birthday is coming up in February...I can't wait to start brainstorming gift ideas!