Sew Crazy
A fat softcover book arrived today called SEW ON. Fat, because it was padded with five patterns in the back pocket.
The woody smell of the pattern paper drew in memories of my grandmother and mother. They sewed dresses for my sister and me when we were in elementary school. Rather, they competed -- or, my mother competed. My grandmother had sewn a gorgeous triplet of burgundy velvet dresses for my mother, younger sister, and me, and my mom pointed out the nap of the velvet was pieced the wrong direction on one of the dresses. "She should know better, sewing all these years," my mother said.
I thought the dresses were beautiful. The nap laid all funny anyway when we sat down.
My grandmother sewed all her dresses. Except for her RN uniform,I don't remember her wearing anything but her Singer-sewn dresses. And there was her gold necklace she wore every day -- Our Lady of Guadalupe pictured inside, Jesus and Joseph on the other side of the circular two-sided pendant. It was mysteriously beautiful.
My mother and grandmother wanted me to sew. If they taught me, I blocked it all. I also blocked knitting and purling.
But for a short time, living three-thousand miles away, when I was pregnant for the first time, I bought what seemed like bolts of denim and a pattern for a maternity dress with a flat-pleated top and a tie that was generous enough to make it around nine-months of belly. And the skirt was full. I finished it just in time to wear it when I was seven, eight, nine months along, and the jumper was admired. A friend of one of my girlfriends -- I don't even remember who -- begged to borrow it, she would give it back.
It must be out there somewhere, that denim jumper. At times I wish I could have it to pass on to my children, and then I just wonder how many pregnant bellies it has covered in these many years. And I wonder if I have any talent, handed down from my mother and grandmother, for sewing. My sewing machine is in the garage. The pattern on page 80 of the silky scarf, halter wrap-around dress looks lovely.
But I do have my grandmother's necklace that she wore every day. She bequeathed it to me.
The woody smell of the pattern paper drew in memories of my grandmother and mother. They sewed dresses for my sister and me when we were in elementary school. Rather, they competed -- or, my mother competed. My grandmother had sewn a gorgeous triplet of burgundy velvet dresses for my mother, younger sister, and me, and my mom pointed out the nap of the velvet was pieced the wrong direction on one of the dresses. "She should know better, sewing all these years," my mother said.
I thought the dresses were beautiful. The nap laid all funny anyway when we sat down.
My grandmother sewed all her dresses. Except for her RN uniform,I don't remember her wearing anything but her Singer-sewn dresses. And there was her gold necklace she wore every day -- Our Lady of Guadalupe pictured inside, Jesus and Joseph on the other side of the circular two-sided pendant. It was mysteriously beautiful.
My mother and grandmother wanted me to sew. If they taught me, I blocked it all. I also blocked knitting and purling.
But for a short time, living three-thousand miles away, when I was pregnant for the first time, I bought what seemed like bolts of denim and a pattern for a maternity dress with a flat-pleated top and a tie that was generous enough to make it around nine-months of belly. And the skirt was full. I finished it just in time to wear it when I was seven, eight, nine months along, and the jumper was admired. A friend of one of my girlfriends -- I don't even remember who -- begged to borrow it, she would give it back.
It must be out there somewhere, that denim jumper. At times I wish I could have it to pass on to my children, and then I just wonder how many pregnant bellies it has covered in these many years. And I wonder if I have any talent, handed down from my mother and grandmother, for sewing. My sewing machine is in the garage. The pattern on page 80 of the silky scarf, halter wrap-around dress looks lovely.
But I do have my grandmother's necklace that she wore every day. She bequeathed it to me.
Labels: bequeath, grandmother, mothers, patterns, pregnant, Sew On, sewing
posted by Diana Page Jordan @ 10:58 PM
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