May Belle Fabric
My paternal grandmother May Belle Hemmers was born on December 10, 1912 and lived most of her life in or near Pleasant Home Oregon.
May Belle Hemmers 1912-2001
When I was growing up, we would take drives out to the country to visit Grandma. When we arrived she would have quite a smorgasbord of food awaiting for us. This almost always included hot dogs, pork and beans, and Jell-O. Always Jell-O.
I remember the am/fm radio sitting in the kitchen window or on the kitchen table playing country music.
If my siblings and I spent the weekend with Grandma, it would include watching wrestling, Lawrence Welk, and Hee Haw!
There were always bowls of oranges, bananas, and apples. Along with a lazy susan full of nuts in their shell.
She had an old iron bed in a tiny room with one small window, several layers of peeling wallpaper, and a single lightbulb on the celling with a string attached to it. Pulling the string turned the light on or off. That’s where we would sleep when we spent the night.
She doted on everyone, and I never felt anything but love from her.
May Belle with my dad and his sister circa 1944/45
When her 3rd and last husband passed away (she outlived all three of her husbands) she spent much of her time at the local senior center. She would bring us day old bakery goods that different grocery stores and bakeries would deliver to the senior center.
Grandma’s marriage to her first husband in 1934
We often received a visit from Grandma on her center days. She would pull up in her blue Nova with an armful of cookies, cakes, pies, or donuts.
We lived in Grandma’s house for 13 years. I spent many hours on the property in the flower beds and garden, tending to Grandma’s plants, flowers, shrubs, and fruit trees.
Grandma in her yard
When we moved to our present home 21+ years ago, I brought many cuttings, starts, and bulbs with me and continue to treasure the plants that have thrived here from the old place. To this day whenever I’m tending to one of her plants, I have fond memories and wish she was here to see them.
It only seemed fitting that my first fabric line was inspired by and be named after the grandmother who loved me unconditionally, and without even knowing it - set an example of a homemaker which has been my favorite job ever. She, her family, and her roots inspired May Belle fabrics.
My mood/inspiration board for May Belle fabric
The image above is of my mood/inspiration board when I started designing the May Belle fabric line. I’m pretty sure Grandma would have been tickled to see a fabric line named after her and the designs and colors I chose.
May Belle Fabric designed by Jodi Nelson in collaboration with Riley Blake Designs 2018
