rusty

i have not used my sewing machine since early january, so i felt a bit rusty sitting down in front of it on tuesday. i think the machine itself was literally rusty because it was making this strange whiny, squeaky noise. hmm. anyway my friend sarah asked me to make a bag out of this cool fabric she found at an estate sale. there is a sweet story behind this bag that i want to tell. sarah went to uganda last spring and made friends with a man named moses in goli. moses came to philadelphia to study and didnt know a single soul in the states except for sarah. she flew him to kansas city so he could spend time with her and meet her friends so he wouldnt feel lonely, having left his wife and five children in uganda for the duration of his studies. such a sweet and amazing man that moses is, i was lucky enough to have lunch with him while he was here. anyway, recently moses told sarah how his roommate's at school celebrated his birthday and that he was so touched and a little bewildered because he had never celebrated such an occasion before. sarah explained that here we enjoy celebrating birthdays, for the most part anyway. moses then decided that when he went home to uganda and the end of term in may, that he would surprise his wife miriam with a birthday party. of course she has never had such a thing, or ever received a birthday gift before. sarah is leaving tomorrow (already sarah???) for a three month trip to uganda where she will be working with an anglican church in kampala. wow. and lucky me, she asked me if i could make a bag for miriam's first birthday celebration!!! with a little bit of nerves and a whole lot of determination, i finished the bag up yesterday following this great tutorial, and it will be heading to miriam soon. i hope she likes it!