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Thursday 9 December 2010

Sewing through grief

This week I have been sewing up things made from the ribbons that decorated the hall for a dear friend's funeral back in the summer.  We have a party tomorrow night to celebrate/commemorate what should have been her 41st birthday.  As the ribbons are all I have that link to her I have been trying to make some gifts for her 3 children & husband.  They were my husband's best friends at school who then went on to fall in love & get married.  To my mind they were always an item.  It breaks my heart to think that it is just M without Aileen. 

So stitching has been bittersweet this week.  I have enjoyed trying to make things using this ribbon, whilst wishing from the depth of my heart that I didn't have to.  I have spent the week thinking about her.  In my head she is still very vibrantly alive.  She was a real shining star, my friend Aileen.  And I miss that I won't be able to talk to her again.  Although they lived in New York, facebook kept us all in touch.  She used to post funny & cryptic updates on her status which sometimes infuriated me that I didn't know what they meant.  She had lots of friends, would talk to anyone & everyone, got angry with injustice or irritating people.  She had an infectious laugh & smile.  Knew how to apply perfect lipstick.  Showed me how to pluck my eyebrows many years ago.  Loved being a Mum.  Arranged the most outrageous parties & gatherings.  Put people together.  A baby is due this week from her matchmaking another lovely couple.
She is missed by so many.  Damn that driver for not seeing her Vespa.

Husband & Aileen early 1990's. A year before I met him.  He looks like a kid! Wasn't she Beautiful.


8 comments:

  1. awww your post has made me have tears.I am sorry to hear about your dear friend, what a tragic waste of a lovely lady. but what beautiful and touching gifts you have been making which have been made with love and memories, and will now create more love and memories.Hope the evening is a happy one for you all. Dee x

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  2. What a lovely idea to make something with your dear friends ribbons! It is so hard when people are taken from you when they are far too young :-( Hope it goes OK. x

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  3. Oh, I'm so sorry about your friend. Why is it always the good ones that are taken so soon? Your post was lovely and your bags are such a lovely, heartfelt idea.
    Much love.
    oxo

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  4. What a lovely idea to make the gifts from the ribbons, and what a beautiful post. She was obviously a very special person, and beautiful inside as well as out.

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  5. Yes she was beautiful as is what you are making from the ribbons - how lovely.
    My cousin died aged forty leaving two little girls who wore their party dresses to her funeral & all the children put butterfly stickers on her coffin. It was amasing, touching, happy & sad.

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  6. the bags are beautiful. it is too bad that the circumstances couldn't have been better.....

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  7. She was beautiful... the ribbons and bag are a lovely idea x

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  8. This is just so awfully sad, I stopped by last night to say thanks for the comment on my blog but this just threw me.
    I went to bed feeling grateful for being here and thinking just how precious each moment is.
    What a lovely idea to make gifts from the ribbons. Sending you love, x

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