''The GREATEST GIFT''

Hello, My name is Wanda Alejandro. I was born in Ponce Puerto Rico in 1965. I Came to the states at the age of three. I am a fifty-six-years-old mother of five children, 3 beautiful daughters -in-law 1 great son -in-law , grandmother of 15, and great grandmother to one beautiful granddaughter. My story began on my seventh birthday when I went to my grandmother's house to visit and was gifted a sewing machine. As long as I could remember she was always sewing, so it was only fit for her to pass on such an incredible gift on the hopes of picking up on some of her skills myself. As any other child with a new toy , my creativity started to overflow. My mother and father bought me my first few fabric pieces, so I started to explore and teach myself how to sew . Before I knew it, my passion for sewing had bloomed. One day while at school ,we were asked to make an apron for a project. I could not believe it, not only to show what I have learned on those countless days and night had come. So, I put myself to the test . I had made a complete outfit,shirt and pants. The school was amazed at what I had accomplished , as the other young children had just struggled to make an apron which had seemed so simple to me. I ended up being published in the newspaper that year for the town. From that time on, my peace and passion had come from making ,creating and showing my work to other. Throughout the years, I had created lots of things that have brought me and others joy. As I became a mother , it was only second nature after that. I would make clothing for my daughter for school and prom dresses for other family members. As a grandmother, I made baby pouches which was somewhat like today's swaddle blankets. I would make customized time-out dolls for family friends. I have re-upholstered chairs for funeral homes, interiors of classic vehicles that have won awards for originality. One of my humblest moments came when I was asked to create a themed baby shower and sweet 16 which the clients wanted to feel as if they were immersed in '' Alice in Wonderland.'' So, i obliged, over eighty percent of the stuff was custom made by me. Creativity has always been such a great part of how i did things. A client would give me an idea and my head would overfill with ways to bring their vision to life. Everything had to be cut and measured perfectly with scissors. From the Cheshire cat that was drawn, then cut from cardboard then decorated with foam to the life-sized flowers with faces made from tissue paper cutouts. I Also made the caterpillar and card soldiers which was all free handed drawn and cut. I continued with life size mushrooms made from cardboard and covered with colorful tissue paper and accented with lights under the gills. Yet, my greatest accomplishment came from creating a ''Winter Wonderland'' for my grand-daughter's Sweet 15. I had drawn on cardboard, cut, shaped and wrapped fabric onto what would become two huge polar bears. I had also customized a chair for her to sit during the ceremony and so much more. Sewing, crafting and creating things is my happiness. Seeing something come to life with my creation, brings so much joy to myself and others. It makes me feel like I have brought some good into someone's life even in the darkest moments. I created a memorial pillow for someone who had lost their spouse, which meant the word to them. It felt good to had helped them with a little bit of closure. My dream has always been to make more people happy with my work. I had created a Facebook page with some of my work over the years called ''Perfectly Propped'' I do regret not taking more pictures of my work, but i know the work that I have out there speaks for itself. My work takes time and patience, but the smile on my clients faces speaks volumes and that is when I know that I had received the GREATEST GIFT.