Bi Ama’s Sewing Book
Patch
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Creator
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Suraiya
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Story
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Bi Ama’s Sewing Book
Just as I was about to send my completed projects for this exhibition, my cousin and aunt shared a remarkable find - my paternal great-grandmother’s sewing book.
Bi Ama, as she was lovingly referred to by all, passed away in 1979, when I was about a year-and-a-half old. I have no memory of meeting her, but seeing these images of pages from her sewing manual, I wanted to reverse time. I wish I could travel back to spend a while with her. These visuals tug at my heart and stir deep emotions within. Each page beautifully written in the Urdu script contains individual instructions for different sewing projects. Some additionally have design samplers sewn to one corner of the page.
Bi Ama had seven children - my grandfather and his siblings - so she likely stitched and knitted items of clothing for each of them. Thoughts and questions consume my mind: At what point in her lifetime, did she compile this instruction book? Who did she learn from? Was it out of necessity or did she enjoy making things? How often did she sew? Did she have a stitching corner, or a favourite chair? Did she stitch alone or in the company of others? How did her hands move as the needle pierced the cloth making way for thread work? And on and on and on… it keeps going. The questions do not stop as the answers do not follow.
This piece is dedicated to the memory of Bi Ama, her sewing book, and a lineage of creative women I am so fortunate to belong to.
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Rights Holder
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Suraiya
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Rights
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All rights reserved.
