Bell bottom blues, and learning new skills.

    When we were teenagers, my sister and I used to sew our own clothes. Actually, we made clothes for the entire family. My sister and I were the seamstresses; our mother did the handwork and the finishing. We were quite a team.

    Of course, we each had our strengths, and our specific skills. I was a pretty good little seamstress and fairly accomplished at the Singer. But, for some reason, I was never permitted to sew the zippers into the garments that I was making. Instead, my mother would instruct me to ask my older sister to put the zipper in for me.

    It became a tedious ritual. I would reluctantly hand over the garment to my sister and begrudgingly ask her to sew the zipper in place for me. She in turn would sigh, give a long suffering look, and patiently explain to my mother that I would eventually have to learn to do it myself. Our little ritual was reinforced every time we repeated it.

    One day, I had enough. After all, the zippers came with a complete set of instructions. Surely if I could read and follow pattern instructions, certainly I could put in my own zippers. It was time for me to throw caution to the wind, take the plunge and sew my own zipper in the bell bottoms I was making for myself. You know, the low riding hip hugger type that was so stylish when I was a teenager.

    I announced my intentions to the team. My sister looked grateful. My mother looked skeptical. I looked determined. I stepped up to the Singer, got to work, and meticulously followed the directions. Honestly, it really wasn't that difficult. And I did a great job, if I do say so myself. I proudly showed the finished project to my sister. She looked at it carefully, and complimented me on a job well done. Then she asked why I put it in the pant leg instead of the waistband where it belonged. Sheesh!

    It was one of those funny and silly things that we laughed about for years, and a story that got a lot of mileage. But the life's lesson in this silly story is that it's okay to make mistakes when you are learning new skills. It's important to try new things, and you can't let the fear of failure get in the way. After all, if you are trying, you are learning. If you are learning, you are succeeding. Most of all, don't be afraid to interrupt old habits and patterns to allow for new ones to emerge. That's when the real learning begins.


Be healthy, and keep learning!
Cheryl Ilov, PT, GCFP

Sew what???

    It's hard to believe that I once was a pretty good seamstress. As a teenager, one of my sisters and I made all of our own clothes. And they were beautiful. Our clothes were not home made, they were hand made. There is a difference. Not only did we make our own clothes, but we made them for the entire family. From play clothes, school clothes, Sunday clothes and formal wear, we made them all. We even made our Mom's maternity clothes when she was expecting our youngest sister, but that's another story in itself.  

    My mother helped us with our sewing. She wasn't a seamstress, but she was meticulous about the handwork, finishing, and all of the details that would otherwise slow us down. Between the three of us, we had a regular conveyor belt going in our dining room. In a matter of hours we could turn a few pieces of cloth into several outfits ready to wear the next day. Trips to the fabric store was a lark. It was great fun for us, but we often left the salesclerks exhausted by the time we left the store.

    I continued to sew after I left home, but it just wasn't nearly as much fun, or as fast. Eventually I stopped sewing altogether, even though I kept my machine. I haven't used it for over thirty years, but at least I remember where I put it. Recently I thought about my machine when I met with one of my colleagues. She had beautiful fabric covers for her foam rollers and pads. I asked her where she got them and she said those three magic words, "I made them."

   Hmmm....that got me thinking. Maybe I could pull out the old Singer and see if I still had it in me. After all, how hard could a few straight seams be for someone who used to make her own prom gowns? Still, I felt a little intimidated and overwhelmed. How would I know what to do? I can't even remember the last time I was in a fabric store. Maybe I could just stop in Joann's and take a look around.

    Once I got to Joann's I almost turned around and left, but I accidentally made eye contact with one of the employees, who felt compelled to point me in the right direction. I found a beautiful soft fleece that I thought would work. So far so good, until I got to the cutting table. The young lady wanted to know how much fabric I needed. Since I didn't have a clue, I made up a number, and ten yards sounded about right. It seemed like a lot, but what did I know?

    I got home and stared at the heavy pile of pretty blue fabric. Now what? Oh, yes, I should wash it. Easy enough. While the fabric was in the laundry, I pulled out my sewing machine. For someone who used to be responsible for life support equipment, I sure was perplexed by a simple sewing machine. The Singer and I spent a few minutes eye balling each other until I finally took charge. It took several attempts, but I finally threaded the machine. I think I even did it correctly until I realized I forgot about the bobbin. How do I wind a bobbin? I thought about calling my sister for help, but I put on my big girl pants and figured it out on my own.

    Before I knew it, I was cutting fabric, pinning seams together and being serenaded by the familiar (but long forgotten) whirrr of my sewing machine. I felt the satisfaction of completing each project as well as the frustration of making silly mistakes and pulling out the seam ripper to start over again. Eventually, I had soft, beautiful covers for all of my rollers and some of my pads, even though I still have a few more to make.

    Honestly, it felt good to get back in the saddle again, or at least at the pedal of my Singer. I guess it's a lot like riding a bike....once you do it, you never forget. Now that I got a little bit of self confidence back, I am happy to report that I can walk into Joann's without breaking out in a cold sweat. When my clients ask me where I got my pretty covers, I modestly tell them, "I made them." I am wondering what other simple projects I can do, because I really did have fun. But the truth is, it's just not the same without my Mom and my sister beside me.     

Be healthy!
Cheryl Ilov, PT, GCFP