This week I was torn between a few stories to write about as many memories arise around this holiday. In the end a memory of my Mom won as Easter was her favorite holiday. My Mom always claimed that she was not a creative person however it was this holiday that her creative aspirations shined the brightest. In this post I share fond memories of her gift for sewing.
As I write this entry I can hear the precise click of her sewing scissors, the hum of her sewing machine, and the focus and concentration in her big brown eyes. Although not many people got to witness her create, it is in honor to write about this precious moment and share it with each of you.
Eddie and Lucy skipping in their new spring outfits.
Dear Readers,
I wish all of you a blessed Passover and happy Easter! Regardless of how we celebrate we all share one common link. These holidays provide an opportunity for us to gather with loved ones and immerse in the traditions of generations past. It is treat to see images of families celebrating and enjoying special meals. Easter had always been a favorite holiday in the home I grew up in. It encompassed spring dresses and bonnets, visits to relatives, and a large Sunday dinner with treats we only baked for this specific season. I do recall it being my Mother’s favorite holiday and as a grown woman I believe I have a better understanding of why that was so.
My Mom was a gifted sewer. After cooking, sewing was an activity that I saw my Mom engage in continuously and be absorbed in for hours during my childhood. Often I would sit on the floor in her sewing room watching her a work. With the gentle hum of the sewing machine and pins in her mouth Mom would gracefully sew pieces of cloth together creating various outfits but most especially our annual Easter clothes. About a month before Easter we would accompany her to the fabric store to pick out a pattern, fabric, and trimmings. This was a task where each of us were granted full freedom in our choices and I treasured these trips. In the days and weeks following my Mom would lovingly layout the fabric on the kitchen table cutting the needed pieces for her creations. Without fail come Easter Sunday my sister and I would be adorned in our new Easter dresses and my brother in a suit also made by our Mother. There were several years where she also made a dress for herself. I wore these dresses with a glow for to me my Mother’s designs were the equivalent of an original piece from Coco Chanel or Christian Dior. During our Easter visits, relatives would complement my Mom on her beautiful work and I smiled with pride for the recognition of her creativity. As we got older this tradition evolved although whenever I see young children dressed up in their holiday clothes I think of my Mom’s beautiful creations.
Only a few days away, I am eager to hear what was left in everyone’s Eater baskets and see little ones in their spring outfits. I imagine the happiness I experience is similar to the joy that our loved one’s felt when we arrived for our holiday visits. Looking back, there was one Easter dress in particular that my Mom designed that I especially loved. It was pink and green but most importantly it had a full skirt. On days I wore it there were many happy hours of twirling in the school playground accompanied with feelings of pure bliss. Although I am grown, I still twirl from time to time and find that same joy that I had in a dress designed by my Mom.
Love Always,
Kristina Lucia xoxo