Me sewing mukluks.
Item. Operative word.
A knife made by Dean for his dad, that I inherited for sewing. A sewing Ulu made by my dad for my mom, that I also inherited when she stopped sewing.
My husband makes me some awesome stuff. My dad makes me some awesome stuff. My mom makes me some awesome stuff. My aana makes me some awesome stuff. My grandma makes me some awesome stuff.
My son's mukluks made by an elder in Kobuk.
Makes. Operative word.
My sister sewing her ruff onto her hood. Polar Bear and Beaver.
So, I don't really have a "most treasured item" per say. But a lot of treasured stuff. If really take it down to the level of fear and asked me, "if your house was on fire, and your kids and dogs were OK, and you could grab ONE item, what would it be?" I'd say nothing. You couldn't give me fifty million dollars to go into a fire and get one item.
My 11 year old son making a pair of sealskin mittens for himself. (Which he still has, and wears)
No matter what.
Four parkys that I made, two that my aana's made.
I might throw my computer out the window to see if it would survive on my way out the door, but I don't think anything is worth risking my life over. Even if I have photos stored on the computer that would be devastating to lose.
Calfskin mukluks my mom made for me when I was 25. Dean's sealskin mukluks I made for him as a wedding present.
But, if I were moving and could only pack a few things, here's what I'd choose:
A hunting knife for me, made by my husband mirroring my Saami heritage.
Fur Parkys made by me and my Aana. Quilts made by Roxy and my Grandma. Knives and Ulu's made by my dad and my husband. Mukluks made by me and my mom. Atikluks made by me for my kids. Fur hats made by my me and my aunts. Mittens made by me and my aana. Niksiks made by my uncle and my husband.
Mukluks I wish I had the talent to make. Or the money to buy!
My most treasured items are things that people have taken the time to meticulously hand sew, hand craft and actually think about how it would make me feel to receive.
Gloves made by me for my Mother-in-law.
Thankfully, I've inherited the sewing bug. The gene that allows me to look at something and say, "I can make that." The blood runs deep within my veins to sew by hand, by machine and while I dream.
My great-grandmother sewing seal pokes for storing berries and seal oil, taken in 1952 in Sisualik.
And I do love to share that with other people, which is why random people are also the recipients of my sewing goods. :)
My daughter wearing her Atikluks. Atikluks are made by me for my kids, their friends and my family.
4 comments:
You're bloody fascinating to me. I mean, I'm from a pretty darn rural area, and I grew up walking very carefully into the garage to get my bike as you never knew what sort of carcass you might walk into hanging from the rafters. I'm good with a gun. Really good.
I'm good with a needle and leather. I am certainly familiar with a snowmobile being a valid most of transportaion in the winter.
But dang, woman. You're just the bomb. Those Mukluks are STUNNING! And you make incredibly gorgeous kids. :D
(And oh those knives. I think I drooled a little and possibly wet my pants.)
OK, hopefully this doesn't come across as creepy, but I had a dream about you (along with several other bloggers and celebrities) and your craftiness! I was bounty hunting with Dog and Beth Chapman and we ended up at your church and found a room full of crafty goodness that you had made.
This must mean that you are in the cool blog club! Way to go hahaha.
I am the same! I am addicted to my sewing and am always looking at things other people are wearing and think- yep, I can make that!
Love it! I love handmade things as well, so do my children. I love sewing, though I'm new so I'm not great, but I'm learning. Someday I'd like to learn how to make mukluks, but I guess I'd have to make them from synthetic skins-does that work? I keep saying when our cat dies I'm going to make my husband a hat.
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