BACK TO MY CHILDHOOD

Welcome to my childhood. The one of living between two cultures. The one where I was different in small ways - some of my language was different, my pronounciation was different. My clothes were different and my toys were different. No doubt there were many times I wished I was just like my friends, and had the same toys as them. But I didn't. And oh how grateful am I for that now as an adult and looking around at what is avialable for my children. I have been surprised through my journey as a mother, what I find most compelling from my childhood. There is so much I would like to re-create, and if I can, then I will. Not to try and capture something which no longer exists, but because I agree with how they were done, what they stood for, the meaning they had in our lives, or the enjoyment we got from them.

There are a number of toys and clothes items which I would love to have again for my children. Some of them no longer exist, but occasionally I come across something and leap across and get it. I grew up in Clothkits - that epinonymous british company selling clothes and accessories for the whole family in kit form - beautifully screenprinted fabrics ready to cut and sew together, the pattern pieces part of the screenprint and often with smaller scaled version of the clothes printed in left over space for dolls clothes (I mean, how wonderful a thought is that!! I used to love it, I can tell you, to have doll clothes that matched mine). I can remember pouring over the catalogues. It seemed an incredibly tangible connection back to a land I no longer lived in. It seemed also to stand for everything I understood England to be, and to a large extent still is. It is a country which nurtures small business, particularly those businesses steeped in traditional craft based industries. Clothkits was born out of the same stable which produced Designers Guild, Habitat, Heals, The Body Shop. A love of crafted items and a chance to mass produce but retain a sense of compassion and design aesthetic and quality. Clothkits as it was went out of business in the lat 80's....

But it has been reborn. And thanks to the kindness of one person who let me know about it, I can now have some of these pieces for my own children. They have just relaunched and their collection is very small and nowhere near as detailed as it used to be. I am unsure at this point how their business has launched, and what ties they have to the old Clothkits. I am wary, I have to say, about expectations of living up to what Clothkits used to be. But in the meantime we are enjoying the pieces we have ordered. Skirts, a dress, and, of course, the staple, a Cloth Kitty Kiki doll and kimono top. I will in due course go forth and buy all the outfits as they become available. It is the only decent thing to do really. For Kiki. She needs clothes. And for Pia. Who likes to take them off.

Comments

[Jo]

we didn't have Clothkits as a child, but my Mum made all of my clothes, and of course an exact set for my doll as well - I loved it, and hope to be able to do the same for my children too.

this is a wonderful post alison, it sent me back to a happy time too - my childhood. thank-you.

[Marina]

Thanks for sharing this. Have always loved Designers Guild since discovering it in London many years back and am looking forward to trying out some of the new Clothkits products..... I think Reprodepot also have (or recently had) some US designed sewing kits with reproduction designs/ pattern pieces printed onto the fabric....

[tyler]

what a wonderful concept and sweet designs. love the 'russian doll' dress. hadn't hear of clothkits before but my mother also sewed. i have fond memories of halloween and holiday-wear. i made many many outfits for my stuffed animals as well and now find myself learning to sew for my daughter. the craft and tradition are very nurturing. thanks for the post, i'll be interested to see how clothkits continues.

[charlotte]

oh how lovely to see her in all her beauty.
I for one am happy you've introduced us, so that Astrid can have Clothkits as a part of her growing up.

[alice]

How interesting, thanks for pointing it out.

[martha]

ack. This looks like something I would have flipped over as a child.
The russian dolls dress is my favorite, I think.
But of course they don't have boy clothes...

[Veronique]

That doll is adorable! I also grew up caught between 2 cultures and never being able to be fully part of one, but I never had cool clothkit clothes!

[Donna]

What a sweet little doll, thanks for sharing the link!

[Creature of Habit]

I've never heard of Clothkits, how wonderful! My Mother and Aunt made all of my (and my sisters) clothes when we were little, but these are really cool and I would've been out of my mind for them.

I know the fabric stores here had doll patterns (for the actual dolls as well as clothes) that were printed right on the fabric, it's how I learned to sew! But I have not seen patterns this neat, nor anything for real kids. It's brilliant and I'm glad you shared it with us!

I can't wait to see what you make from them.

[joyce]

thanks for sharing! she's adorable!

[michelle]

Oh exciting!

And they have a Rob Ryan skirt! eeek!
Thanks for sharing. Off to explore further......

[amisha]

it is so nice to be able to share those parts of your childhood that you treasure with your own children. how well i understand that feeling of being 'different'... which i sometimes resented as a child and now appreciate so so much.
for me so much of that difference, and what i want to pass on, comes in books. i love the idea of starting a new clothkit tradition though too... what a wonderful concept! xox

[michele]

sweet post and doll. childhood. seems like so long ago.

[Norma]

What a BRILLIANT concept. We didn't have anything like that, though making replicas of clothing for the dolls is something I used to do for Abigail -- but oddly enough -- I don't know why -- it was only for Halloween costumes! I had forgotten this 'til your post.

[Jen]

How brilliant! I'm also the product of a "trans-cultural" upbringing. I loved being different yet at the same time yearned to fit in... especially in my teens. Living in France at the time, I had never heard of Clothkits, but I love the concept. I so totally connected with the phrase "It seemed also to stand for everything I understood England to be..". That's why I came back to England to live: there were so many little things like this that I missed!