Final answer:
Sewing is associated with the narrator's mother's kindness and patience, reflecting motherhood's nurturing and providing roles.
Step-by-step explanation:
Sewing is most closely associated in the narrator's mind with her mother's kindness and patience. The passages depict sewing as an act of love and devotion, often related to the care and nurturing typically associated with motherhood. Characters like Louisa Ellis from "A New England Nun" experience a deep, intrinsic pleasure from the simple task of sewing, indicating an association with serenity and peace. Moreover, sewing is portrayed as a thread that connects people, aligning closely with values around motherhood that celebrate nurturing and providing for others in a delicate and artistic manner.