Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Sewing

My mom is a retired home economics teacher. She stayed home until I was in high school and she went back to the classroom. I couldn't wait until I was old enough for her to teach me how to sew. Our personalities clashed and I wanted to be treated like a daughter and she treated me like a student. Learning how to sew didn't go so well. I did sewing projects for 4-H for 3 years. There were many tears on my part and I'm sure my mom was ready to tear her hair out whenever something didn't go as I expected-and in sewing there are many times that you need to rip something out and do it over. Often my mom told me to take a break and I think after I went to bed she repaired some of my mistakes. I never put a zipper in without her sitting there coaching me step by step. I never put button holes in, she always did that part for me. I learned how to sew but I didn't enjoy sewing.
My favorite memories of sewing as a child were the few weeks of the summer that I went to my grandma's house. My mom would send me with my current sewing project, probably hoping that less tears would be at grandma's. My grandma had a nice new Kenmore and I still can't believe that she let me use it. I finished most of my sewing projects for 4-H at grandma's. I don't think she helped me with the project at all, she was just there to keep me company and help me if I didn't know how to do something on her machine. I think that is what I needed, to be on my own until I asked for help.
I had a friend at college that was good at sewing. She inspired me to borrow my aunt's very old simple sewing machine that was in great shape to take to college. I lived at college during the summer and I did a lot of sewing during college and the few years after college. Sewing was a great stress reliever while I was teaching. I never would have thought that if you would have asked me in 5th grade.
My last sewing projects were matching Hawaiian shirts for Ram and me to wear to a party that was planned but ended up never being held because of weather and schedules. Then I sewed and embroidered a red stole for Ram's ordination.
Then we moved here 8 years ago. My sewing machine sat in the closet. Then my aunt offered to send me my Grandma's old sewing machine. She had taken it when grandma sold her house and decided after a few years she wanted a different machine. I jumped at the chance to have my grandma's machine with those good sewing memories. So it was shipped to me and I gave my old machine to the Seminary for wives that made stoles. My grandma's machine sat in the closet until my mom used it to make matching aprons for the Lambs last summer.
I used my sewing machine last night! Photos and details of this project to be posted tomorrow.

1 comment:

Joelle said...

Of course, I now need to know who the college friend was. I know my dear roomie sewed some, was it her? Just curious...anytime you mention someone from college I want to know who :)