From Generation to Generation

Our trusty sewing machine that has and still is serving us well 😊❤️

When we were little my mum used to sew most of our clothes, bake our birthday cakes and trim our hair. I guess I take after her in that I sew, bake, and cut my own and my boys’ hair ✌🏻

I actually learned to sew, crochet, cook and bake in school. That subject was Home Science. That, in my opinion, was the most interesting and useful class. I didn’t know it then but those lessons were the start of my future endeavours.

But I have to start from the beginning, where my interests and “talent” came from. My parents. They were super talented! They learned to sew by themselves. My mum would use an existing garment as the basic pattern drawn on newspaper. Then she would draw the design she wanted over it. That’s how she sewed clothes for the whole family! And my dad, WOW! When he was courting my mum he got her measurements and order the patterns from Singapore. AND he sewed her dresses by hand!!! 😱😱😱

My mum’s 84 this year. She hasn’t sewn a garment in a long time but everyone still goes to her for repairs. I must say she’s still very good at it and beams with pride when she completes a job! This birthday cake I made her pretty much says it all 👇🏻

When I was 17 my eldest sister bought some Japanese fashion magazines called Soen. They not only had the latest fashion but also patterns for the designs. Everything, including the instructions, was in Japanese and I had to figure out what the lines and numbers meant. Once I got them figured out I started sewing my own clothes. Shirts, shorts, trousers, skirts, dresses, and pyjamas. I was so proud of myself. And so were my parents! I would like to think that I take after them 😁

Several years ago my daughter found an interest in sewing and started taking classes. I decided to show her the magazines I’d used and teach her how to read and understand the patterns. I was devastated when I couldn’t find a single one of those magazines! They were lost!!! 😭 I started searching the internet (thank God for the internet 😅). I couldn’t find them but I found similar patterns👇🏻

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These patterns were so awesome. They gave us standard patterns and taught us how to make adjustments according to our measurements so that the clothes fit perfectly.

My daughter and I were so excited when we found some up-to-date Japanese fashion books online. We bought a few thinking they taught the same method but they didn’t. The patterns came in 3 sizes, S, M and L! 😳 That just wouldn’t do. I felt so disappointed and demotivated. My daughter continued with her sewing classes and made some beautiful clothes, including a dress, an apron and a Japanese knot bag for me ❤️

Now that I’m on my zero-waste/sustainability journey I don’t think I’ll be sewing anything soon. I’ve found a great second-hand store which serves my purpose. I’ve bought clothes, bags, shoes and even toys (for my bunny) which were in great condition.

By buying second-hand I save a lot of money and do my part for our planet. And the clothes are one of a kind. I don’t have to worry about bumping into anyone wearing the same thing 😉