By Laura Gomez
HAVANA TIMES – Finding someone to mend a piece of clothing is very common for some everyday Cubans, although often the high prices and delays in services are limiting factors. Odalis, 56, is a seamstress who was recommended to me for fixing some pants. In her room, there are piles of clothes in the most unexpected places, like on the old Singer machine she has to clear to be able to sew.
“Don’t mind the mess,” she tells me, though it’s impossible not to notice.
I think all seamstresses are the same, aren’t they?
I don’t know, you can’t generalize. The ones I know do have their houses full of piles of clothes. I am a seamstress and a pattern maker, although I prefer sewing and embroidery. I have patterns saved from when I worked at El Quitrín, the Industrial Handicraft Development Center, patterns for all sizes. However, I barely use them; being a pattern maker takes a lot of time and the daily rush doesn’t allow me to create new pieces. Not to mention how difficult it is for me to get fabrics, as they are only sold in MLC [magnetic dollars]. Many customers bring me the materials, but I prefer sewing; it’s simpler, although a lot of clothes from customers pile up, as well as some clothes people no longer want and bring to me in case I can make use of them.
How did you start in sewing?
My first steps were here at home. My mother had a UNION make sewing machine and I had the chance to make clothing models that I saw in magazines. As a child, I fantasized about being a good seamstress and having my own clothing label. When I finished my studies as a Middle Technician in Economics, a friend told me about a course at El Quitrín. Within a year, I was one of the most advanced. There, I learned to make traditional Cuban clothes with a touch of modernity. There was a lot of competition and barely any time to socialize. At that time, the salary was very good because we were tied to production. I remember the sewing machines, their sounds in unison, the seamstresses with their eyes fixed on the stitches. Those were very good times.
Are you still there?
No. That was decades ago. I had many problems at once and decided to quit. Not only because of personal situations but because the Special Period crisis of the ‘90s was a difficult process for everyone. My late arrivals due to the transportation situation and other family problems limited me. I remembe
