Bittersweet Thoughts..

My son Blake was just married. A rite of passage it is, but nonetheless, it carries bittersweet thoughts for me, as I watch my boy move into his next phase of life.

For several weeks prior to the wedding, I immersed myself in various types of preparations. While I worked, either sewing, laying out graphics for printed goods, or working on various other projects, my mind wandered constantly,reminiscing, as only a mother can as she prepares to see her son marry.There were tears, of course, but a happy pride ruled as I relived key moments of his life. Here you see Blake and I when he was about three. He loved to be read to, and that we did. I still like to read aloud today.

The image below shows you a graphed image of Blake on his first birthday. This graph was prepared in my software, Stitch Painter. Blake is wearing the first full sweater I ever designed and knit on the knitting machine. I had spun the yarn, designed the sweater, punched a jacquard card for the sheep, and then knit the garment. It actually won a design award. I suppose I should tell you, he only wore this once, as I had miscalculated how big a baby's head is, and I barely got the sweater on him.


Jump ahead many years, and here you can see how handsome Blake became as a young man. He is an amazing musician, and plays the guitar beautifully. I have always loved this photo as it shows his passion for the moment one has with music.

The photo below was taken on my birthday. I asked Blake to be my escort to the opera, and we went to see Mozart's Magic Flute. I bought him his first suit, and I fell apart in the menswear store as he tried suits on. I couldn't believe I was watching my 6'2" son look like such a man. In the photo, I am knotting his tie, and holding back the tears of pride.