Q1.
1. Have you ever seen someone stitching at home or in your neighbourhood? What were they making or fixing?
Answer
Yes. Stitching goes on around us all the time — at home, at the tailor's shop, at the cobbler's stall and in every school bag repair.
Sample answer: “Yes, I have. My grandmother sits near the window in the afternoon and stitches. Last week she sewed two buttons back on my school shirt and put a patch inside the knee of my brother's trousers. There is also a tailor's shop near our bus stop. The tailor sits at a machine and turns the wheel with his hand while the cloth moves under the needle. I have seen him stitching a blouse, and taking in a shirt that had become loose.”
| Who was stitching | What they used | What they were making or fixing |
|---|---|---|
| Mother or grandmother at home | Needle and thread | A button, a torn hem, a loose pocket, a bag from an old saree |
| The tailor (darzi) | Sewing machine, scissors, measuring tape, chalk | Shirts, kurtas, blouses, salwar-kameez, school uniforms; also shortening trousers |
| The cobbler (mochi) | A thick curved needle and strong waxed thread | A torn chappal strap, the stitching of a shoe, a leather bag handle |
| A woman doing embroidery | Needle, coloured thread, a hoop | Flowers on a dupatta, a cushion cover, a wall hanging |
| Someone making a quilt | Needle and thread, old cloth pieces | A godhadi or quilt joined from many small pieces |
| The shopkeeper who sells sacks | A big needle and jute string | Closing the mouth of a filled grain sack |
What to notice about the work: Every one of these people is doing skilled work. The tailor must measure, cut and join so that the cloth fits a real body. The cobbler must push a needle through leather. These are trades that take years to learn, and a village or a town could not manage without them.