Aunt Erika, who began an apprenticeship in tailoring, got married in 1958. Photos of sewing rooms and all their amenities, taken by her husband, reveal a plan: to choose the perfect gift for his wife. An electric Singer 215 with a sewing table was added to the couple’s new home in North Berlin.

"Irene at work"—that's how my grandfather titled the photo, which shows my grandmother Irene and her older sister, Aunt Erika, bent over a sewing machine. But the question arises: was it truly work on that vacation day in the Bavarian Forest in 1985?

My aunt asked me to choose my carnival costume, and I wanted to be a dog—like my grandparents' dog, whom I loved dearly. To Aunt Erika's disappointment, I wasn't very amused when I saw the finished red panne velvet overall she had lovingly created. "But dogs are brown," I declared tearfully, critically inspecting the hood's floppy ears.

At kindergarten, I was repeatedly met with the same exclamation: "Oh, you're a bunny!" No... I was not.

Sewing, crocheting, laughter— 

The special days were the sewing days. Aunt Erika would neatly put away the jewellery boxes, brass mirror, and tablecloth that usually covered the sewing machine table. She would show me how to use the machine for my first sewing projects, introduce me to crocheting, and help me save my handicraft assignments for arts class at school. Her most outstanding character trait was her patience.