A Revival And A First

As a teenager, I loved to sew. Four years of high school 'Home Ec' taught me so much about sewing and tailoring that I made all of my own clothes. In my twenties, as a 'stay-at-home' Mom with two young boys, I sewed clothes for the entire family. Even the then-popular Leisure Suits for Fred. While the kids napped, I sewed.

Then the world changed. The kids grew up. I got a job. The economy became 'global'. I haven't sewn clothes for many, many years.

But when Christie was visiting and shopping, she tried on a wonderful little spring coat. Waist-length, in a lovely teal-ish blue, with two LARGE buttons down the front. She loved it and it looked great on her. Her wide, isn't-this-awesome smile disappeared before my eyes as she read the $98 price tag. Even her new-found babysitting riches couldn't cover that.

Once she returned home, I decided to replicate the coat for her. Fortunately, the style must be très 'au courant' as there were several patterns to chose from. I was even able to find fabric in the same shade of blue. Today, I have revived my sewing skills. So far it seems to be like riding a bike - no tumbles yet.

And while a revival is taking place indoors, outdoors, it is a first. For this year, anyway.

My 'Little Book Of Firsts' tells me that in 2008, the first day of drying clothes outdoors was April 15th.