Does anyone remember ordering packets of sewing notions from the back of Rickrack wrappers? My mother sewed for all the other neighbors around about. When the dresses were trimmed with rickrack she would give me the wrappers. They were such a treat. If one saved them they could be used to redeem a package of odds and ends of sewing notions. If I remember correctly, the wrappers were sent in with a dollar and in a few weeks a medium size manilla envelope would arrive. I waited with great anticipation and the 6 or 8 weeks it took for the package to arrive seemed like an eternity .When it came I could hardly wait to open it! There would be pieces of lace, pretty buttons and other kinds of trim. I learned to sew on Mamma's old treadle sewing machine when I was 6 years old. These pieces of trim would keep me occupied for days making my doll new clothing. These sure are good old memories!
The art of homemaking was passed down to me by my mother. It was never done in a way that made me feel like I was being forced. I watched ever thing mom did, I wanted to learn to do every thing she did. I don't know how old I was when I began to sew doll clothes with a needle and thread by hand, however, I was making clumsy attempts to do so before I ever learned to use the sewing machine.
The first thing I sewed on the old treadle machine was a quilt top made of 6 inch square blocks. I can remember cutting them out by a cardboard square mom had measured and cut out for me. I began my seamstress education by sewing these blocks together. If you have never tried to sew on a treadle you have no idea how difficult it was to learn to give the wheel a forward whirl to get it going and start pressing the pedal in the correct direction in a coordinated manner. If you whirl the wheel forward and pedal backwards, it's a mess. I don't know how many timed I did this until I got pretty good at getting both going in the right direction! I don't ever remember mom getting aggravated with showing me how again.
There was also the times I sewed right through the side of my finger trying to feed the cloth through! This was extremly painful. Once the needle sewed 3 stitches through and then broke off. The needle was sticking out both sides of ny index finger. Daddy had to pull it out with a pair of wire pliers. Did I get taken to the doctor? Of cource not! Back then it was cleaned, dabbed with a little mercuracrome, and wrapped with a clean cloth that was tied on, not taped. I was right back at it the next day.
I can remember sewing ( my feet would barely touch the pedal and me stretching ) until the back of my legs would get cramps, then I would cry. Mom would say " get up and play awhile and let your legs rest and then you can come back and sew a little more, you can't do it all at one time". Whatever I tried to learn to do, she was always encouraging and patient. I finished sewing the full size quilt top together and gave it to Jewel as a wedding gift when she married Lynn.
Crocheting and Knitting were two other skills I learned from mom. I learned to crochet using long strips of cloth taken from old clothing that was ripped and then the ends tied together to make a continuous string. They were about 1/2 inch wide and were of all colors, some solid and some had patterns. Because it required a really big crochet hook and we didn't have one, my dad whiddles one out of a piece of walnut wood, he sanded it down smooth and it was my pride and joy. I used it and the rags to crochet round rugs for the floor. I learned how to do a single stitch and how to increase to keep the work flat. After I got good enough at it , I graduated to 'real' yarn and made potholders. On these I learned to do double and triple stitches. I could crochet simple circles or squares by the time I was 10. By age 12 I was knitting scarves and toboggans for my brothers.
By the time I got married at age 18 I could follow a pattern and make my own clothes. I have made curtains and accessories for my home through the years, saving a lot of money and being able to decorate on a budget. I stopped making my clothes when the material got to be costlier than store bought and when I became a single, working mother with little leisure time. I still maintained a love for sewing and crafts and began to focus on smaller, more fun projects. This coalesced into cloth doll design and construction. Making clothing for them was still one of my pleasures.
I am retired now and finally have leisure time again. I have developed a new interest that includes my love for fabric crafts and for creative design. I have decided I would like to learn the art of millinery. That is the almost lost art of designing and creating ladies hats. I have a special interest in learning to make them using wire frame and buckram for a base, this covered with a variety of cloth and embellishments. I am currently looking for workshop opportunities in this area.
Mother was a wonderful mother. After all, I was the baby of ten and she took time to teach me these skills that have sustained my creative side all my life.
I love and miss you Mother!
