A Mom to Remember...

I was lucky to have Mom for many years.
Alzheimer's took her from me before she left this world
so I really lost her twice.  

Cora Clayton lived to be 92 and today I want to share
a few photos and a few ways I got through my loss.

Here we are at her 92nd birthday, Oct 10, 2006.
Looks like I was annoying her, as usual!

And here I am fixing her hair at her 90th Birthday Open House

Over 100 people stopped by to wish her a Happy Birthday.

I'm probably annoying her again!  

And here she is a bit younger.  

Mom was a quilter who hand pieced, scrappy quilts by sewing strips together. 
She was scrappy before scrappy was so popular.
She made quilts for all her grandchildren.  

I just about lost my mind after loosing her, so I had to find a way to heal.  
I did it with fabric, the fabric from her clothes. 

The first quilt I made was an applique quilt (and I knew very little about applique).  
I used her aprons that she wore EVERY Sunday when she made her family Sunday Dinner.  
She made the BEST fried chicken. YEP - Fried Chicken!

I made this lap quilt - replica's of those aprons.  

Although you can't see it...I machine quilted her name
in the top border.  

"Sunday Dinner At Mom's" by Kathy Gordon, 2007

The next quilt I made I used all her house dresses and
just did a scrappy block design.
My BFF Shirley, who grew up with me and Mom
hand quilted this one.  The quilt won 1st place, hand quilting
in the 2010 Common Threads Guild Quilt Show.

"House Dressings"  by Kathy Gordon, 2010

Mom would be so proud that I am a quilter and I made these quilts.
BUT she'd be made as hell that I cut up her clothes to make them. 

Here I am with my son Eric, last Mother's Day, at the beach.
He puts the Mom in my little world.  

Wishing you all a Happy Mother's Day ! ! !