Childhood memories sewn together

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As a small child, I remember being put down for an afternoon nap. The whir of my mother’s portable Singer sewing machine on the kitchen table lulled me to sleep.

I also remember going to fabric stores and following her as she choose remnants to make this or that. She would hold the fabric up and say, “I can make a skirt from this or a dress or whatever.”

I was fairly young when I realized she was saving money by making our clothes.

As a second grader, I wore a purple wool coat with a cape that my mother had made. I loved that coat and still remember how good wearing it made me feel. I have always regretted that I never thought to tell my mother how much I loved that coat.

As an adult, I had a friend who had taken up sewing. She was very proud to show me her work space. I could not help but notice that the fabrics she was working with were very expensive. When I said to her, ”This is expensive fabric.” She said to me, “Sewing is my hobby. I do not need to make my clothes. Why would I use inexpensive fabric.”

The concept of sewing as a hobby was alien to me.  Sometime later, I was making a sweater for myself. When my mom saw the yarn, she told me how beautiful it was. How much did each skein cost, she asked.  She was horrified when I responded. I quickly told her that this was my hobby. I did not need this sweater for warmth.

As I have written before, my mother made sweaters for my children each fall. When my brother and his wife had their daughter Kayla, my mother was already quite ill. At Kayla’s first birthday party, my dad walked in carrying a very large box. When it was opened, there were several sweaters in different sizes for Kayla. The yarns that were used were just beautiful.

I was so happy that my mother had reached a point where she saw knitting as a hobby.

MAY-RONNY ZEIDMAN is the executive director of the Sandra Bornstein Holocaust Education Center.