This is such an amazing project. It’s a wonderful tribute to your mother and now you can show the world instead of keeping everything in a box!
I love that the patches are from all over the world. And I learned a bit of history today. I had no idea that in the past only white women were allowed to join bowling leagues. I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised about that. Your mother sounds like really cool and adventurous woman!
The sport of bowling is filled with exclusion…there were leagues that were set up just for people of color and they were not even allowed into some bowling alleys until the late 1960s.
There was even a dress code for women and when team shirts were introduced, women shirts were form-filling and tight and did not account for hardly anyone over the weight of about 130! There are a lot of women who rebelled…the history is fascinating to read…a peek into our culture that says a lot about how we have and have not evolved!
What an amazing bit of history! You chose a wonderful way to display her collection of patches, too. So much better than being tucked in a box in a drawer. And, I love that you included your patches too- it shows how one of the ways you are connected to your amazing mom!
Wahoo! Your wonderful project is one of this week’s Featured Projects! Thanks for sharing it here with us!
This is just an amazing project all the way around. Thank you so much for sharing this with us! The tote looks so cheery with all those colorful patches on it now.
This is so sweet and I loved reading the story behind it. My favorite patch is the “I beat my Coach”.
That one is mine…I was probably 15 or so…I think I bowled a 150 and even got a small trophy…when I bowled with Purdue, my average was 183…bowling allowed me to travel around the midwest with the team and experience snow and blizzards…lol
What a great project - and you have given me an idea of what to do with some of the Girl Scout patches my Mom & I acquired!
Here’s my mom (left) and her bowling team in West Seattle in 1950.
What a fabulous picture! I also have GS patches and pins…not sure what to do with them either…I don’t have enough to cover a tote bag and I don’t want anything to hang up…ideas?
I was thinking maybe some sort of small basket…exploring ideas! Can’t wait to see what you come up with!
This is a wonderful tribute and an amazing story!! Your mum sounds incredible, it’s inspiring to read 
love the patches and reading all the stories about your mom above. thanks for sharing!
That would mean a lot to me as well. My grandfather was an amazing bowler and was even sponsored. He was the first at his local alley to bowl a perfect game. I would have liked to have seen him bowl. It must have been something.
My parents both bowled so I spent a lot of time in the childcare section of bowling alley (yes, they had childcare there!). My mom has a swirly maroon bowling ball and my dad’s is black.
I like to take my son bowling at the nearby alley. They have it all decked out with neon lights, tvs, a billiards area, arcade room, and laser tag, so it’s kind of an all-in-one place. They have pizza and a bunch of other food including this dessert that is super yunmmy. It’s the kind of place you’d drop your teen and friends off with a fistful of money. Or at least that’s probably what I’m going to do one day with my kid.
Anywho. I’d like to be better at it, but I don’t think that’s going to happen any time soon.
The whole family atmosphere is what I miss…something for everyone! They have made it fun for kids and teens with laser lights…the scoring is easy and automated and no cheating…ha ha ha.
When we were in New Orleans, they had a Dance and Bowl with live music!
No matter what your skills, your child will remember the experience.
Love, love, love this bag!
I envy your hand sewing stitches! They are so perfect!
This was a great idea to make something where you can see all her patches all at once :). I collect patches, and sew them on my jean jacket. I can’t go anywhere in that jacket without compliments lol. It’s always better to sew the patches on something so everyone can see them. Patches have a very interesting history and it’s fun to talk about it with other people.
Welcome! And thanks! I also have a collection of patches that need to be seen…many from friends here who have custom made them for me!
I bought a lightweight denim jacket and want to sew them on with embroidery stitches covering any bare spots…sigh one more project for my “to do” list…lol
What a tribute to your mom! and a perfect way to display her memorabilia 
