This sewing machine was my grandmother’s trademark; it has many stories to tell of the many dresses, shirts, pants and blankets it had created for many people over the years and I am honored to be able to continue this tradition. My Grandmother was born and raised in Puerto Rico. As a young child she learned how to sew from her mother. My grandmother would sew clothes mostly for her 9 siblings. As she got older, she started sewing for her children and her grandchildren. Where my grandmother lived, there were many families who could not afford to buy new clothes for their children, so my grandmother started sewing clothes for the kids in the neighborhood in Puerto Rico. Neighbors were so thankful for her. My grandmother would live in New York for 6 months with her son and then would live in Puerto Rico for the following 6 months with her daughter. She lived like this for many years because she wanted to equally share herself with her children. She would travel back and forth every year and would always have sewing machine with her. This is what she loved to do. Neighbors and people she came across would always offer her money for the clothes she would sew but my grandmother would never accept the money. She always told me, the clothes she sewed were always done with love and she would do it out of the kindness of her heart. This is what people loved about her. I plan on continuing this tradition of sewing and hopefully passing it down to my children.

– Erica Burgos

Relationship:  unknown unknown