Esta foi a primeira que pintei. Este quadro foi-me oferecido por uma pessoa a quem neguei vários “trabalhos” de costura, género arranjar sacos de viagem descosidos e fazer baínhas. Para me escapar, costumava dizer a brincar “Eu não faço arranjos”. Achei imensa graça ao dizer e pendurei-o ao lado da minha máquina de costura.

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This was the first one I painted. I was given this by a person to whom I refused a couple of seamstress little jobs, like mending travel bags or hemming trousers. I used to joke and say “I don’t mend” when I just didn’t feel like doing the job. How can I translate this? It’s something like “In this shop we don’t mend (we only make original pieces)”. In traditional Portuguese cafés or grocer’s there are sometimes a little piece of metal with an inscription stating “we don’t sell on credit”… this pretends to be something similar to that. Anyway, I thought it was funny and hung it near my sewing machine.

A outra esteve sempre nos meus quartos e emoldura um bordado que a minha mãe fez quando nasci.

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This other one has always been on my bedrooms. It frames a little cross stitch my mum made when I was born.

E posto isto, passemos ao armário… mas só quando estiver pronto!

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And next, the wardrobe… but only when it’s finished!