Paper Dreams.

image, a photo by angorarabbit on Flickr.

Very recently I went into my container of old patterns. I was looking for a particular sewing pattern and a great nostalgia invaded me. It had been a long time since I had opened that box and the memories of sewing projects with their many hours of studio work suddenly came to mind. I did not find the old Vogue Patterns sewing pattern that belonged to my mother, so I did a web hunt and found the way to chose a pattern, buy it and get it shipped to Mexico City, all done online. When I received it I was thrilled.
It is a new world indeed, I still recall back in my Mom's and Grandmother's time the Patterns section at the big department stores where huge books placed on large tables were available to chose as many sewing patterns as you wanted. All from Vogue, Mac Call's, Butterick, etc. I also remember the fabrics department next to the patterns one and the wide variety of notions needed for sewing. It was, in my tender childhood years, like walking into a wonderland. Little did I know then that many years later everything related with creativity done with fibers and fabrics would be my calling.
I am very happy with my new sewing pattern, nevertheless I can't help to long for those days with my grandmother and mom when the activity of sewing was part of life at many homes. It was not weird to know how to sew or knit, it was a respected craft. My generation was the very sad witness of the demise of the craft when department stores started cancelling the sewing pattern departments, then it was the fabrics departments and lastly the yarn departments. I was in my late twenties then, the time when I was launching my own fashion design business. Then it all shifted to the market of little fabric and yarn stores where obviously prices were and keep on being quite high.
Very recently I had to visit those small stores because now I need the fabric for my new pattern. It was fun but I still have nostalgia of those past days. I feel so very fortunate to have had that experience thanks to my grandma and mom.
Time to open my new pattern, what a wonderful feeling!