I recently received very good news regarding my cancer. The latest CT scans and brain MRI show no new tumors and no new growth. I am stable! There is no cure for my stage 4 kidney cancer so this is the best news I can hope for. I’ll take it! I find myself in the position of being able to look further than just getting through the next day. Now I get to enjoy and plan a new life. Because I don’t know how long I will feel as good as I do now I plan to enjoy every moment. I still have to ration my energy. Therefore, I don’t want to waste it on things that don’t matter. I decided sewing a bear costume for my grandson is definitely worth my energy!
Bear costume pattern
Spending time with and doing things for my family brings me more joy than anything else. Now that I am a grandma I get to do grandma things like sewing a bear costume for Halloween for my grandson. My grandson wants to be a bear so I bought this pattern. It has sizes from child to adult so you can make matching parent child costumes if you want. It is easy to sew. I recommend it for an intermediate home sewer. The hardest part is managing the fake fur. I got my fabric and pattern from Joanne’s fabric store. For more kids costume ideas, check out this link: https://www.joann.com/projects/projects-videos/seasonal-projects/fall-projects/halloween-projects/kids-costume-projects/
I had so much fun sewing this bear costume! I forgot about any pain.
The joy I felt as he put on the costume and smiled a big smile is indescribable. Isn’t this the cutest bear you have ever seen! After he put it on and jumped around some, he looked at me and said, “thank you for sewing it for me.” Oh my heart! Not everyone is thrilled however. Our little dog hates hats, and seeing my grandson as a furry thing is a little disturbing to him.
A sewing legacy from Mom
I reflected on the legacy of sewing my mother gave me. She told me that when she was in high school in the 50s she sewed a beautiful wool poodle circle skirt. She and her sister shared it. Her sister is shorter than her so whenever she wore it she hemmed the skirt up. Then she would take out the hem for her to wear. Up and down the hem went. Above is a picture of my mother and me and two friends. This picture was in the paper for some community event I can’t even remember now. I was 7 or 8 years old standing in the middle, wearing a wrap around skirt my mother made me. Oh how I loved that skirt! Mom made me many dresses and skirts as I grew.
Prom Dresses
My mother sewed my prom dresses. I remember getting dressed up and my mother and I went to Sax Fifth Avenue and Dillards. The sales lady brought dresses for me to try on that cost hundreds of dollars. In the dressing room Mom would turn the dresses inside out and sketch the pieces of the dress. We went to the fabric store and she bought three patterns so she could use pieces from each pattern and put it together into the dress we wanted. This pic is from 1983 (remember when full skirts and poofy sleeves were popular?) I can’t remember how many yards of fabric the dress had!
Bell bottom pant suits and Calvin Klein Jeans
As a child in the 70s Mom sewed me polyester pant suits that were so cute! When I was 14 she made me bell bottom corduroy pants with a matching wide lapel blazer. In high school she purchased a Vogue pattern for Calvin Klein jeans! It even had the Calvin Klein label to sew on the pocket. Then she bought white denim and made the jeans. They had 5 pockets, rivets, and a zipper fly! They fit me like a glove. Everyone wondered where I managed to find white CALVIN KLEIN jeans! I am ashamed to say I did not appreciate how amazing it was that my mother could sew them.
When I left for college Mom sewed me three beautiful lined wool pencil skirts. I thought of her every time I wore them.
Carrying on the legacy
This is a picture of me and my little brother from 1988 that I love because the sewing legacy from my mother is evident everywhere. I had just moved into a new house with my new husband. My mom and I recovered the sofa with this pink corduroy. It was originally forest green crushed velvet from the 70s. Mom made the beautiful curtains. I made the pillows on the couch and the colorful top I am wearing.
Over the last 40 years I have enjoyed sewing for my family. Every year I end up sewing Halloween costumes! When my kids were little, I remember watching Disney’s Cinderella on VHS and pausing it so I could see the exact color and design of Cinderella’s gown. I did the same for my son’s Aladdin costume. I remember making him a prince Ali costume out of white fabric with a purple shiny lining on the cape. It was complete with a poofy white hat and purple feather. Even though they are now adults, I still enjoy making them costumes. Recently I made a Hermoine (from Harry Potter) cape for my daughter to wear to school on Halloween (she is a teacher), and a Han Solo vest for my son. For the homes we lived in I made curtains and pillows, and bed spreads and quilts for the kids beds.
Sewing legacy from my ancestors
How grateful I am for this legacy. Five years ago before I knew I had cancer, I participated in a pioneer trek with the youth in my congregation of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Approximately 220 youth and adult leaders dressed as our pioneer ancestors and pulled handcarts across approximately 12 miles over 2 days. We were supposed to do some genealogy and hike with the name of an ancestor on our mind.
I remember that I helped the youth sew their own skirts and bonnets for the hike. I bought bolts and bolts of fabric. I also brought 5 sewing machines to the church and over 4 Saturdays we sewed and sewed. As I hiked on behalf of my ancestor, I looked out and saw so many skirts and bonnets from my fabric! I realized that the ancestor I chose to walk for was known in her community as an expert sewist and sewed clothing for her neighbors. I felt goosebumps as I realized I really was walking for my ancestor, and am so thankful I can carry on her legacy of sewing.
What legacy will you leave?
You may be thinking about what legacy you will leave. Do you have any hobbies or things you love to do? painting, sewing? Are there any stories you tell again and again in your family? Write them down. Do you like to read? You could read a novel with someone in your family. Do you have a goal that you have worked hard to achieve? Complete it! For example, another legacy I will leave is my love of education. I am working hard to accomplish my goal of finishing my dissertation in order to earn my PhD. If all goes as planned that will happen in December. In addition, I would like to write a memoir with some of the stories I remember from my life. I hope this post stirs some ideas for you. I would love to hear about them!
Chari Terry says
Sewing will not be my legacy! 😉 But I LOVE that it’s yours! That’s why we make such a great team. Love you with all my heart, Julie!!
Julie Shill says
If I remember right, you walked for one of your ancestors on that trek who was known for rescuing starving pioneers by bringing them food. You did the same for us as we came in to camp cold, tired and wet. I will always remember the warm cup of hot chocolate and warm potato. Your legacy is bringing comfort, peace and safety to people who suffer. And knowing how to feed large groups of people! I love being on your team, and being your friend.