Life as the youngest grandchild has its advantages. I loved being the youngest of all of my first cousins, two of whom were teenage girls, Betsy & SuSu. When we were at the beach, Betsy & SuSu were charged with looking after me. They loved this task, because they could parade me up and down the beach, attracting cute teenage boys. Apparently, as a toddler, I would say hi to everyone, including those cute boys. When we were at my grandmother’s house, however, the tables were turned. They were far more interested in the boys that came to “court” them, so I was on my own to wander and explore this house filled with curiosities. Nothing could have made me happier. One fateful day, I opened the closet door at the top of the stairs. There were so many things, most of them out of my reach. But there on the floor was the magic. A sewing box. Granny’s sewing box. Full.
As I opened the box, overflowing with fabric scraps, lace and thread, something came tumbling out. Two interesting looking cords with hand tied leaves and little balls that looked like cherries, only two of them were blue. In the 50s, the idea of a cherry on top was something special. If you had a dish of ice cream, a cherry on top made it special. Restaurants would often put a cherry on top of the ice in your soda or lemonade – just to make it special . (or perhaps to ensure a kid was smiling and not screaming!) Even Mother’s lipstick was called Cherries Jubilee. So, to find these “cherries” was like discovering the holy grail to a 5 year old.
When the grownups came home that evening, I ran to Granny to ask her about the treasure I’d found. She told me about the silk velvet evening gown she had made to wear at my mother’s wedding. Granny had amazing skill as a seamstress. Her dress was typical of the 30s – sleek, feminine and fluid. The only embellishment was draped cherries on each shoulder. Made of silk cord, with silk leaves hand wrapped onto the cord. The cherries were ultimately made of silk velvet. The cherries I found were her test samples. Looking closely, I could see that she tried embroidering the top edge of the fruit, and tried different shapes for the leaves.
I was hooked. Completely smitten with the idea of making something so cool from a little bit of fabric and some cotton stuffing. My love affair with textiles had begun. It would take a couple of years before I was allowed near the sewing machine, but I “wrapped” dresses around my dolls, creating new looks for them. Life would always include making things from fabric. I still love fabric, trim and sewing. Creating something from nothing but a bolt of cloth. It makes my heart sing. That day, at the top of my grandmother’s stairs, I found my cherry on top.
