WORKING ON CREATING THINGS

 

My Grandma Louise’s Singer sewing machine.  My Mom taught me to sew on this machine when I was around 13 years old and from then on – more when I was older – I made many of my own clothes.

I made big-skirted dresses in the mid-to-late ‘50s, and short sheath dresses in the ‘60s along with Bermuda shorts and peddle-pushers and two-piece sets to match.

By then my Mom had a new machine, and not long after I bought my own machine.  When I was married I continued to make some of my own clothes as well as clothing for my children. 

I also made most of my costumes when I was active in the Golden Chain Theatre.  This gown of satin taffeta for dancing the Can-Can was one of the hardest things I’ve ever made.  Part of the bodice was cut diagonally on striped material, the skirt with its variegated gores lined with rows & rows of white ruffles underneath was a bear to put together!

The gowns were beautiful, but heavy as the dickens!  In fact, because of the weight of the skirt with all those ruffles, plus the type of material the gowns were made of, and the dance being so energetic, we were all having trouble keeping our bodices and skirts sewn together!  I finally solved the problem by reinforcing the seams on the inside with duct tape. ;)  I’m on the left, by the way.

Then there was this project.  I had to come up with a ridiculous gown for a part in a play.  I was supposed to be a rich man’s pampered daughter whom the villain was attempting to marry for her family’s money.  I think I succeeded fairly well.  The audience laughed aloud when I came onstage for the first time in this getup.  And then I started to speak - in a high baby voice with a lisp and the audience practically rolled out of their seats.  It was great. J

I sewed more than dresses, Bermuda shorts, and horrible gowns of course.  I made this quilt for my youngest daughter’s first-born and succeeding siblings cuddled in it as well.  I believe it’s in storage now, awaiting the appearance of my daughter's first grandchild - whenever that might occur. J

This quilt is a work in progress.  The squares were made 48 years ago when my husband was working for the U.S. Forest Service in Gasquet, CA.  We Forest Service wives got together & formed a quilting group.  There were 15 of us and each of us created a pattern for a square to represent our families, then made 15 of them which we exchanged with each other.  I made a few too many squares, so ours are at each corner and one in the middle.  The one in the middle is more elaborate.  After I finished that one I decided I had to simplify the design a bit.  It was based on the fact we lived in four different places over the 7 ½ years we lived there.  Gasquet was a resort area and people close to retirement age would buy places, then rent them out until they retired.  We lived in the first place – a log cabin – for 4 years; the second place – another cabin – for 2 years; a remodeled schoolhouse for 6 months; and a cute little 2-bdrm bungalow for 8 months.  The red, white, & blue color scheme came from it’s being 1976 and the country’s bicentennial.

A friend made this lovely tree quilt for us for Christmas one year.  

There are other ways, besides sewing, to create lovely things.  Another friend does beautiful cross-stitch work.

I like to knit – making blankets for granddaughters & grandsons. . .

 

. . . or caps.  These, in particular, represent different fruits.  L-R back row: strawberry, grapes, apple, & pineapple.  Front row: kiwi, orange, and watermelon. J

Neapolitan ice cream

A baked potato with butter.

I was planning to make an all vegetable throw/lap blanket but I never got beyond the baked potato square.  Maybe one of these days I’ll finish the idea.  Takes 35 squares to make the blanket, however.  Are there that many knitable veggies?

My mother’s knitting was a ‘bit’ more intricate!  She made these beautiful sweaters for my 3 siblings.  She made a boat-neck sweater for me with a cable stitch down the center in a lovely shade of coral, but unfortunately I don’t have a picture of me wearing it. 

She made this one for my Dad.  I wish I had a better picture of it, but this at least gives an idea of all the work Mom put into it.  She had so much patience to knit things like this with so many patterns to keep track of – counting rows and stitches & crossing yarns over and back.  Whew.  In the picture Mom, with Dad’s guidance, was pumping up an inner-tube for sliding on the snow.

My Grandma Louise (my Mom’s Mom) also knit, but preferred to crochet and did beautiful work as evidenced by this gorgeous fringed bedspread with white daisies.  It must have taken her a hundred hours plus, but what a beauty! 

In closing, I’m remembering, for a moment, the first thing I ever sewed for myself.  I was 11 or 12.  I did it by hand.  It was a summer bra-like top in blue cotton.  Mom helped me cut the pattern out and I was so proud of it.   Only problem – I forgot to double knot my thread.  I wore it one day to shop at the local dime store (remember those?).  I was looking around at things in the store when the shoulder strap on one side come loose, closely followed by the other one.  Thank goodness the button in the back held, but I was so embarrassed and had to walk home holding the straps up.  After that I triple knotted my thread! J

:->

La Nightingail