It was only fitting that I dedicate my first post to my Great-grandmother, Hazel B. Taylor. We both have birthdays in April. Although I’m an Aries and she was a Taurus, we share similar personalities. I’m sure my passion for sewing, baking and crafting came through her. She was resilient and strong willed. She and my Great-grandfather came to Detroit from Kentucky during the Great Migration era. She did alterations and tailoring while raising eight children. They both worked very hard to provide a stable home for their children.
My Mom and I would visit her when we took my grandmother grocery shopping. This was almost every Saturday of my formative years growing up. I remember the smell of Hershey cupcakes wafting through the air from her kitchen. She would store them in her big cookie jar. They were so good; they didn’t need frosting. I always wanted two but knew that other relatives would be visiting her, so I exercised restraint and only took one. She loved to go antique shopping. She also collected porcelain animals that would sit on the sill of her bay window in the living room.
I think of her waiting for the city bus dressed in her hat, gloves, and sensible heels. Looking as if she should be riding in the backseat of a chauffeured Rolls Royce. No coat was complete without a beautiful brooch adorning the lapel.
The pattern for this coat is McCall’s M8013. The style reminded me of her, and the detachable faux fur collar is the finishing touch. My fabric choice is a lightweight felted, wool reminiscent of a tapestry that I would find in her house. I love the kaleidoscope of colors infused in the fabric. This is the perfect coat as we transition from winter to spring. “Sprinter” as we call it in Michigan.
Here’s to all the good memories. Thank you, Grandma Taylor!
