Back-to-School Sewing Anyone?

Returning to school in the fall and sewing went hand in hand when I was growing up.  My mother custom made all our basic clothing.  Prior to August meant trips to downtown Brownsville, Texas, and hours of sifting through bolts of fabric at El Corte Ingles. 

For less than $20 in fabrics and materials, we could plan a year's supply of basic clothing so we could splurge on designer jeans which were $27.50 at the local mall.  It’s amazing how one remembers things so vividly.  My mom and I usually planned how many tops and pants (I wasn’t one for skirts) she could sew.  I remember watching her through the patio doors as she sewed in the detached sewing room. 

I would always check in to see what garment she was finishing or starting up next.  Her talents went beyond dressing the female figure. Making tuxedos and men's casual clothing were well within her skill set. I'm sure my brother remembers his qiana nylon collared shirts.

Oh yes, the sewing room was a special place. It housed a small investment of industrial machines powered up by clutch motors. It’s no wonder my first injury came by way of a sewing machine belt. I still have the scars. It’s also no surprise that I have been sewing for at least 35 years myself. 

It was while attending college in Lubbock, Texas, that I sewed my first solos. I didn’t have my pattern-making skills honed at that point, so I resorted to patterns out of the envelope.  Now I have access to custom-fit patterns by computer which are based on my own measurements developed by an accomplished pattern-maker and computer junkie. Thanks Mom!

My own kids?  Growing up they were into hockey, trumpet lessons, and scholarly pursuits but they also did craft projects, gardening, cooking and woodworking.  And, yes, my lawyer son and my entrepreneurial genius both know how to operate industrial sewing machines and will actually sew when in a pinch.  Nothing to do with gender and all to do with picking up skills from one's environment.   

Have we lost the value of -- dare I even say it -- old-fashioned domestic skills? I think the computer age might have contributed to that.  I'm into CAD and computer-generated clothing patterns so I'm all for high-tech skills.  But low-tech abilities can also add untold value to our lives and surroundings.  They can generate so much wealth in our psyches -- males and females alike. 

And psychological wealth has lasting and untold benefits.  Putting a price on that kind of well-being cannot be defined with words.  It has to be experienced.