Kate's Point of View

A suitcase. It means adventure. Escape. Freedom. Rejection. Next steps. Goodbyes. Inside a suitcase, you put everything you need for a journey, regardless of whether you’re packing quickly so you can jet out of a place or methodically in anticipation of something great.

This past weekend I was in Dayton with Wonder Boy and we were going through some of his grandmother’s things. She passed away recently, and while no physical thing can replace her or provide true comfort, they can serve as reminders of good times, happy experiences and love.

Being an in-law during moments like those is weird. You want to strike the right balance of paying respect and laying claim on things. That’s especially tricky because we all have different ways we like to remember people and different takes on the importance of mementos.

When we drove home, our trunk was filled with an amazingly large amount of cat art (all credit, if that’s the right word, to Wonder Boy), some artwork created by Wonder Boy’s grandparents, some odds and ends for around the house, some costume jewelry and the sweetest little blue suitcase.

Modern suitcases are made to be durable, lightweight and super functional. Vintage suitcases, arguable more durable, were made to be functional and, IMHO, super cute.

So while Wonder Boy’s family was going through antiques, memories and old household items, I was fixated on a tiny suitcase.

Do I need it? Absolutely not! Don’t take it. But it’s so cute! No, no, no. You don’t need it. But it’s so cute!

Cute won out. I don’t know how or why Wonder Boy’s grandmother used this particular suitcase. Make-up and other toiletries? Unmentionables? With some very stealthy packing, maybe as an overnight bag? My romanticized, uninformed version is that she used it to carry hew jewelry while going on a train ride. Massive amounts of jewelry.

However she used it, this cute (haven’t I mentioned yet just how cute it is?) suitcase helped her along in journeys and I’m excited for when I get to bring it on one of my own.

Post inspiration.

The younger of my two sisters recently had a baby. He’s adorable and tiny and so far I’ve really only seen him and sleep and squirm a bit. When I hold him, it’s like holding a football. He just curls up like a little pillbug and sits in the crook of your arm.

When my other sister had her second baby, I made him a baby blanket. I thought I’d do the same this time around but up the ante a bit. The blanket is a quilted state of Ohio against a green background with white, satin trim. For the state of Ohio, I pieced together pieces of clothing from my nephews great-grandmas, grandparents, parents, aunts, uncles and cousins.

I did not include anything from his canine sister’s extensive wardrobe, which has left some bad blood between Roxy and I. See how she’s glaring at me???

I honestly did think of her but wanted to keep the extended family fabric donation a secret so didn’t know how to subtly ask for some dogs clothing.

Everything else worked out okay though! I figured out how to incorporate some stretch knit from onesies so cousins could be represented. I made it so the word “Love” from one cousin’s outfit was right over Columbus, where my brother-in-law’s side of the family is from. I tried to make the Cincinnati Reds logo fall over Cincinnati but it ended up over Dayton. I successfully placed green over Athens, Ohio, for some subtle Ohio University pride.

I struggle when I do a craft to see beyond my mistakes. For instance, the way I quilted  means that things got squished a bit and Ohio is a little skinnier than it should be. My rows of quilting are pretty straight, but by no means perfect. Adding the satin trim is always a struggle and I’m never truly satisfied with how it looks, but by that point I am so tired that I just let it go.

When I do get past all the little mistakes, I am proud. Through what is basically no more than millions of little knots of thread, I have created a blanket that will hopefully last a long time and represent all of the love that my nephew will have in his life from all of his extended family.

I asked my sister for some pictures of my nephew with the blanket. She hooked me up!

I know I am biased, but this little guy is so cute!

Photo credit to my sister throughout!