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A while ago I watched a documentary about how Victorian era women inadvertently hurt themselves. One way was by wearing corsets. Females at every level of society from the highest born lady to the lowliest maid wore them. Some wore them not only during the day but at night as well. To not wear a corset was unthinkable; otherwise you were considered “loose”.

Being a modern woman, I declared that there was no way in heck I would wear one of those things! I guess I would have to be thought of as disreputable. Yes, that’s all there is to it. A trailblazer, I’d be! The one to lead all women in rebellion!

As always, life came up with a way of making me eat my words.

Over time, I’ve had increasing nerve issues. There is one in my torso (where a certain undergarment rests) that causes me enough distress to make it difficult for me to breathe. During the winters I was able to skirt the issue by wearing bulky clothing and avoiding the “certain undergarment”, but I didn’t know what I would do if the pain continued at its current level over the summer.

I researched what alternatives were available online. Most women seemed to have trouble with straps/shoulders, so there were a lot of suggestions. With those of us who have problems with the band, our options seem to be either wearing a cami or making peace with how you look going natural.

“No, I could never do that!”

“Why not?”

“Because I would look like a loose woman!”

“Ooh, what a trailblazer you are.”

This spring I spent way more time than I’d care to admit wearing overalls and looking online for loose-fitting, shirred, garishly printed tops that might disguise my naturalness. Depending on your stage of life when wearing one, the tops I found might be mistaken for maternity wear. They might also look like what apple-shaped old ladies wear with polyester pants.

I’m hoping mine are mistaken for maternity.

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As long as I can still be your baby during thunderstorms, I don’t care what you wear.

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An Armed Forces Themed Alphabet Quilt is a great way to introduce little ones to the world Mommy and/or Daddy work in. it could be a gift to a hero who has already served.

Each picture is hand appliqued and hand embroidered. There is an incredible amount of detail in this piece, taking hundreds of hours of work. The method used for making this type of quilt is paper-basting applique which is done entirely by hand. First each block is broken down into colors, then paper pattern pieces are created for each color. Starting from the background to the foreground, each each layer is sewn with tiny stitches, then pull the paper out either from the back or the side. After this, all details are embroidered by hand. Once assembled, the quilt top, batting and backing are basted and quilted. The binding is also applied by hand. The border on this quilt is quilted in a stars and stripes swag design. Quilt has not been pre-washed, so when you do wash it, it will develop that lovely, crinkled look. Each quilt I make is not only a quilt, but a work of art.

This Armed Forces Alphabet Quilt and other fine gifts are available at my shop at L Bowman Studios.