Fragment: ABOTONADA

So...my little baby is GROWING...

It all started out with a little treasure I found one day at an art exhibit in Casa de Teatro....I then tested my creative habilities by trying to make one myself...when I saw that the result was pretty decent, I began to make little gifts to people with my new creations...then I pondered: if I bought one of these so excitingly, I assume other people will do mine...so I started selling...I came up with an allusive name and started my ABOTONADA blog....with my sister's and my mother's input the ideas kept moving forward...from bracelets to necklaces to earrings to rings and the most recent, headbands....then came the business cards, which I made in like 2 minutes one day, out of recyled materials...then came the little jute and felt gift bags....then came the bill/receipts with my logo.

I've sold quite a bit of ABOTONADA creations and my skill keeps getting better and better. Never in my life had I learned-or even been remotely interested in learning-how to sew a button! In our super traditional culture, knowing how to sew a button is sort of a pre-requisite to getting married, same as cooking ;) I couldn't do any of these two, until my own need of learning came about..."I can not go on with ABOTONADA and not know how to sew a button!", I thought. I NEEDED to learn...so....."Mom, can you show me how to sew a button?" My look was sort of shy, hers was more like, "FINALLY! :)" P.S. cooking is still on the waiting list!


These days, my terrace is full of buttons and threads laying on the floor. I love going up there and looking at my organized "buttoned" mess; it gives me this little pinch in my heart that makes me feel: ALIVE. ABOTONADA has been therapeutic even! It's kept my mind busy, my hours productive, my soul cleansing, my pocket filling a bit more ($), infusing my stubborn self with passion...WHAT?! passion? A little word I've been searching for........for quite a long time.