Memory of my cotton-padded coat
2016-02-14
For
us northerners, feather coats are a conventional dress worn by people of all
ages in the sub-zero weather. When I was young, there were hardly any feather
coats sold in the department stores, though there are an abundant supply of
them for us to choose from whether in the physical stores or online shops now.
There did exist extravagant mink coats but only the super-rich could afford the
luxury. For the most majority of common people, cotton-padded coats were the
best choice in winter. In order to keep warm, the elderly would make
padded-coats for the younger generation. I have no idea since when Chinese
people began their tradition of making padded-coats, but it has become part of Chinese
folk culture, which will be passed down for generations to come. In
traditional Chinese culture, when a new baby comes to the world, its grandma
should sew some cotton-padded coats and trousers as a welcome gift. As a little
kid, the most memorable gift from my grandma is a pair of blue rompers and a
red padded jacket. The two colors are a perfect match according to traditional
folk culture. Dressed in the gear, I looked like a typical country girl, simple
but lovely. Grandma lived in the countryside all her life and she got so close
to nature that she had accumulated plenty of knowledge about old customs and
changes of seasons. In August when the crops were gathered in, grandma would
set out to make padded clothes for the family. She would take me to our local
department store where I was allowed to choose my favorite cloth patterns. The
cotton we used was from our own farm, which saved us much money to make new
clothes. In warm afternoons, grandma would gather all her tools and materials
including needles and thread, scissors, cloths, and cotton onto her bed and
after putting on her presbyopic glasses, she began the sewing work.
First, she measured my body and cut out
the coat and trousers out of the cloth making sure they fitted me well. Then
she put layers of cotton onto the cut-out cloths to make them thick enough to
keep warm in winter. Finally, she began to pass the needle through the cloths,
back and forth. Being a kid, I especially liked watching my nanny doing the
needle work, assuming that nanny was the craftiest artist in our village. While
sewing, grandma was used to telling me old stories from her childhood set in
her hometown 30 kilometers southwest of where we lived. She talked of how they
went hungry in the wartime and how they saved pancakes for soldiers in the front
lines. I listened and nodded frequently, though I merely heard half of the
story. The padded coat has been my constant companion for the first ten years
of my life.
Later,
when we entered the 1ate 1990s, great changes took places in the Chinese
mainland and our economy began to take off. With plenty of money at their
disposal, people were better off than ever. By then I had become a 15-year-old
girl, an age when vanity would get the better of me. Considering that I may
look plump and awkward in that cast-off clothing, I discarded nanny’s cotton-padded
coat. Nevertheless, that gear still stays fresh in my memory up to now,
reminding me of a time when grandparental love outweighs all material wealth in
this world. Thirty five years has passed since my grandma made me my first
padded coat. At age 85, grandma still remains a healthy and energetic lady. Seeing
my son wearing a similar padded coat made by the same old rough hands, I felt
great warmth inside. Wish my grandma would live her full life and be a witness
of her great grandson’s wedding ceremony.
There is Nothing like a feather down coat to keep you warm. Soft, fluffy and very warm. Comfortable.
And nothing like a hand-made coat from your Grand Mother to make you feel loved in the family unit.
GrandMa couldn't work with Down Feathers, she could only work in cotton and fabric, but GrandMa was wonderful.
She gave me what I needed.
It was not always pretty but she kept me safe and warm. She was the true Grandmother.
All my life I have tried to be like her. Caring, loving, always knowing the right thing to do, to say and how to give to others.
I have failed. I can not possibly be so wonderful as her. Maybe because I have a greedy heart.
All I know is GrandMa was unconditional love. If you were cold she would give you her coat.
If you were hungry she would give you the last bite of food.
This world would be a better place with more more GrandMas. I would be a better person if I was more like her.
I feel cold. It has been too many years since she has kept me warm.
sound very promissing. strive to have five generations under one roof.
Thanks for your sincere wishes. The eldest great granddaughter of my grandma is about 8 years old. Perhaps my grandma can live well up to her wishes.
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