Why Sew?

August 5, 2014 — 1 Comment

Alma Llanera

There are not many stores that cater to sewing today because there are very few people who know how to sew. I always enjoyed the selection process as well as the craft and fitting. Now I feel like a kind of special agent of fashion because I know how to sew.  You do reap what you sew.  You also wear what you sew.  It can be the best way to truly express unique fashion choices.  I like to wear something that nobody else has, or even has seen.  I also have a funny commemorative way of dressing that harkens back to days when I did long trips all over the place.  I would assemble my trip wardrobe with great care and anticipation, thinking about weather and activities.  Time permitting I would sew something for the trip that would make a debut on the road.  I liked to associate certain clothing with certain places where I thought they looked their best.  I no longer globe trot at such a pace, nor do I plan so many back to back obligations when I travel now.  My wardrobe is casual like it is at home, with few exceptions.

Last year when I attended a reunion party at my old junior high I sewed a special skirt in honor of the home economics teacher who gave me a D on my apron in seventh grade.  She was not in attendance, but I had something to prove when I went on a tour of my old school with my old classmates.  The skirt turned out okay and I had my triumphant secret moment in the hallway where Mrs. G had been the hall monitor daily.  I swished right by her imaginary self and let her know that I could sew.  This year when I attended a reunion party in Austin with a group who lived in Venezuela in the 1960’s I made a signature pair of pants.  I found some fabric with little skeleton cards portraying Day of the Dead figures.  Tucson has a very big celebration of this holiday each year, so I decided to make a pair of pants as a conversation piece about my home town.  The pants are fine, and on the first day in Texas I found a tee shirt that matched perfectly and had a purple longhorn, too.  I was stylin’ and not too hot since the pants were loose fitting cotton.  I received many compliments on them during my visit, and then wore them to the Venezuela reunion party.  It was National Dance Day and I was ready. Here I am singing and dancing in my fancy pants, which I will forever associate with this party.  While I don’t think it would be good to try to have your clothes match everything you do, sometimes it is fun. That is why I sew.