Sharp scissors and tailor’s chalk

My mother was an amazing woman. She was petite, had an eye for detail and a big heart full of love. She had many passions and one of them was the artistry of making clothes. She was born in an era when Guyana in South America was British Guiana and many girls were educated in convent schools. She was warm and caring and it seemed to me that she was a woman well before her time.

My mother taught me many things and for those who know me, especially online, you will understand when I say that saying thank you is really important.

I benefited hugely from my mother’s expertise as a dress maker. As a teenager we regularly went to John Lewis, the department store in London to search for Vogue patterns and material so that my mum could make my clothes. No matter whether it was my summer school uniform dress or my white tennis dress or my university ball gowns, my mother always enjoyed the process of making clothes. I still have some of my gowns and while I may not readily wear them, I will always cherish them. I can still remember the sound of material being cut on a table, the hum of a sewing machine and the image of my mother clasping pins with her lips.

So as we celebrate Mother’s Day this Sunday take a moment to think of all of the mothers who have expressed their love through sharp scissors, tailor’s chalk, and pins and needles.

Maggie semple