Every fall, I remember how my mom, Joy Washburn Gillis, got out her sewing machine for my back-to-school clothing. It was a ritual we shared every year. She was a talented seamstress.
Several weeks before school started, she took me to a store where we could pick out patterns and fabric. She let me choose what I wanted, with some guidance. I got to choose the style of outfits and the colors and fabric.
One of my favorite aspects was seeing how the same pattern could make multiple outfits with slight variations. It seemed amazing she could do all that with one pattern.
My mom was very into the details. She put a lot of thought into the trim or the bows, whatever extras an outfit had. Every stitch was intentional. She insisted all the seams line up carefully.
After she had sewn each outfit, I had to try it on so she could tailor the fit. That part was hard, having to stand still while she pinned everything. But she was not going to let me wear something that didn’t fit perfectly.
The clothes were so cute. I still remember some of them. When I went to church, I got compliments and so did she because everyone knew she made them. To this day, I admire her talent.
When I reached ninth grade, she told me she couldn’t keep up with the clothing demands of a high schooler. She was willing to buy me the popular styles (within reason). As we shopped, her pet peeve was how the patterns on the material didn’t line up and match at the seams. She always complained about that.
In 10th grade, I wanted a sailor-style dress. That was very popular in the 1980s. I couldn’t find one that fit well, so she made one for me. It was adorable, and of course it fit perfectly. I still remember exactly what it looked like, white with red and blue trim.
When I left for college, I took a bunch of old clothes to a consignment store. They required that every item have a tag, in other words, not be homemade. Somehow the sailor dress slipped in without a tag. Turns out it was the only item that sold! What a huge compliment for my mom.
In college, I was into paisley. It was a retro style popular in the 1980s. I was also into baroque music, playing the harpsichord in college and attending chamber concerts. Paisley fit into that style as well.
As I told my mom how much I’d like a paisley jacket to wear to the chamber music performances at my university, she offered to make me one. It was beautiful with its golds and deep blues in a paisley design. It was tailored to fit and professionally lined.
With the same pattern, she made me a suit: black jacket and skirt. I loved it! People asked where I got those outfits. I was thrilled to tell them my mom made them.
My mom had lots of different creative talents that blessed people in many ways. I am thankful I was blessed by her sewing creativity and willingness to make those beautiful outfits for me.
Exploring Generations 