I was thinking about my sewing legacy. My mom sews and quilts. She dabbles in crochet and knitting. She taught me to sew when I was very young. I learned to thread a needle and make stitches at about 6 years old. They weren't the best stitching, but it was a start. I began to learn to use a sewing machine about 7 or 8 years old.
My other grandmother didn't live as long, but she too, knew how to sew. She also knew how to quilt, crochet and tat. Looking back I wish I had asked her to teach me how to tat. My mom shared with me that grandma could figure out how to sew garments without using a commercial pattern.
I'm certain my great grandmothers, through necessity, knew how to at least do some basic sewing. Tho' I suspect they knew more. I am the product of all these women. I was amazed as I stepped into the adult world years and years ago, that my ability to sew and mend (which I took for granted) was not shared by my peers. If I showed up to work in a new blouse, the question of, "Where did you get it?" was answered with, "I made it." and the conversation died. I suppose sewing and other fiber arts are fading away. There was no curiosity. It was chalked up to me being a little weird or maybe they didn't believe me.
When my son was young, I made most of his Halloween costumes. I'd even make him the occasional piece of clothing. I remember one such incident when fleece jackets were in style. I couldn't afford to spend the money on one of these specialty items. I took him to the fabric store where the fleece was on sale. He picked the fabric and the style of jacket. I was able to purchase it for 1/4 the price of the finished goods available in the stores. Once made, he wore it to school. He was asked where he'd gotten it and proudly claimed that I had made it for him. He was accused of lying even tho' one bold youngster pulled the back of the jacket to check for a label and discovered there wasn't one. I was saddened that the kids couldn't even comprehend that someone knew how to sew.
I have always taken this skill for granted. It is so much a part of me that I give it no thought. It's something I know how to do. Missing a button, let me look in the buttons I have and replace it. Zipper's broken, I can get a new one and sew it in. A rip, tear, or hole in the pants, a little stitching and it's mended. If a skirt or pants are too long, I can hem them shorter. I just do these things without thinking about how I came to have the skills. The skills have expanded beyond clothing. I have made costumes, bags, toys, pillows, and curtains. I have gotten to the point of designing the patterns I follow rather than buying one, especially for the stuffed toys.
Sewing is my inheritance from the women in my family. I want to thank each of them for their part. And, even tho' I threw temper tantrums at the sewing machine while learning, I am honored to be part of that tradition.
