Story behind a blouse 不一樣的襯衣

Not a fashionable wear nor a costly blouse but it's made of love - my mum made it.  That's the leaves print fabric I made then my mum turned it a blouse.....

一件襯衫, 不是時款也不是什麼貴價物料, 但祗此一件慈母手中線, 是我八十多歲母親以我的植物印染布料給我設計的上衣, 能不珍惜 ?

My mother is 80+. She's quite independant.   I mentioned before we go to collect windfalls for my ecoprints at times.  Pictures taken above were after strong storm.  Lots of euc branches and other flowers blown off.  She picked for me to do prints and petals to put on a dish for her home decoration.  She used to be resilient and confident.  She still manages quite well her  routines and goes to church every Sunday.  Can't deny she's getting aged.  She said  she's getting poor memory and not capable as before.  She finds life content but scares may be of dementia that would be a burden to us.  She wished if she could go to heaven in the sleep without any burden to us would be good.  I told her just follow God's guidance and not to worry anything.   I console her even I myself is not smart in memory.  I wanted to make her find her capability again and asked if she could make me a blouse of the cotton fabric I printed with leaves. 

 

She makes her tops by hand stitches at times.  I've no doubt to ask her to cut it a "T" shape of front & back and do the running stitches without measurement.  A few days later she gave me the semi-finished blouse for my final touch-up.  I was quite happy that she made it.

 

I machine sewed the seams,  I intentionally keep the blue thread of her running stitches on waist lines.

 

The neckline and both arm lines I sewed with the "not-so-good" leaves printed silk fabric to have a bit color.

 

Here's the piece my mum and I made.

 

Prints are of iron mordant eucalyptus and rose leaves - kind of subtle and organic on cotton.

 

The blouse I dressed to office with iron dyed scarf as waist wrap.... casual walk in the suburb with iron printed fabric belt ...........

 

When I was a pupil I  found my school emblem nicely stitched,  the surface looks like machine sewed.

  I  treasure the blouse she made and the moment we're together.  

Being children we should care our parents, spend more time, be patient..... when they know who we are.  I've some friends who's dad or mum doesn't recognize their children because of dementia.  It's sad.