They Don't Make Them Like They Used To

My mom has recently decided to take up sewing again...which is great news because she is so good at it. She dug out my Grandmother's old early 1970s sewing machine and thinking that it might not work or at least need to be taken in for 'servicing', she discovered that it still works like a dream. Amazing. Inside the box was this user manual that came with it. I love the illustrations on it. I was a young child in the early 70s and I remember staring at fashion illustrations constantly...admiring how well drawn they were and how pretty the ladies are. I wanted to be one of those ladies and I wanted even more to be one of the illustrators who could create them. I am certain that all this observing (and copying...I would spend hours trying to draw like that) has contributed to my style and skill. I also love how companies really used to make an effort to make things nice to look at in those days. The manuals that come with stuff nowadays are so boring...black and white...only with 'functional' illustrations and diagrams. Mass production and the need to save money has taken the lustre off of almost everything on offer these days. I also love my Grandmother's writing on the cover. Feminine, optimistic and old-fashioned. It reminds me of her. She passed away several years ago. I miss her terribly.

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