"Sew" what!

I enjoy “Wednesday’s Walk Down Memory Lane” that my friend, Lynnette, started ~ it forces me to go back in time and remember fun times to share with you. I encourage you to join us by clicking on the link on the right side bar. You’ll enjoy sharing in other’s memories, as well as reminiscing on your own.

Is sewing a lost art? I rarely hear of anyone sewing anymore, albeit mending, repairing a zipper, putting a button back on, letting out a hem, etc. I just don’t hear anyone say they make their own clothes, or their children’s clothes…seems like in today’s world everyone runs out and purchases what they want when they want/need it. Instant gratification in our fast-food, microwave generation! I remember my grandmother, Mom Bessie, making nearly all of my clothes as a child. We often visited her on the weekends; she lived about an hour and a half away in a duplex shared by the Jones family (as in Larry Jones of “Feed the Children”, his brother, Mike, and parents!) Getting new clothes she made was the best gift ever! No candy or toy could ever compete with that! (Well, maybe every now and then…..like when she walked us downtown, a few blocks away, to the Five and Dime and bought us some little ole cheap toy! Notice I said “walked us downtown”! You know, “we walked 5 miles up hill both ways to and from school in the snow, back in my day! Ever heard that line?!

My sweet grandmother, Mom Bessie

My Mom put my hair in a bun or pulled the front of it up with a bow, which matched the outfit I was wearing! My Daddy used to say often, “Deda Marie (my nickname), I really like your hair pulled back off your face like that!”

As I reached my early teen years, my Mom bought me new school clothes. However, for my piano recitals and, later, for sorority presentations (yes, I was in a high school sorority) and proms, my Mom made all of my formals. She usually designed it on paper, discussed it with me, took me to assist in the choosing of fabric, and then labored long hours until she got it just perfect! It looked like something professionally made (just without the label in the neckline). Looking back on photographs now, I laugh at the styles, and cannot believe I ever felt fashionable and “in style”; yet, I was!

My sweet Mother tried to teach me how to sew. As a perfectionist, she wanted to instill those same principles in me. I can remember a few occasions where I determined to make something new for myself, and every single one had a zipper in it. I put the zipper in, so proud of the work I had done. I took it to Mom, and she always complimented me on what a good job I had done, and told me how proud she was of me….followed by a “but”! OUCH! I hated that! Her words went something like this: “Honey, you really did a good job. But if I were you, I would take it back out, baste it this time (I hated basting ~ that was double work and seemed so needless), let me see it before you sew it, then sew it back in. I promise you it will be much straighter if you will baste it first”. Suffice it to say it only took about 4 or 5 times of that, and I threw in the towel on sewing! I had to do a little more sewing when I took Home Economics in 8th grade (hey, do they even offer Home Ec anymore in schools?), and I detested every bit of it. All of that made me nervous, and all the fun went away when the “do-overs” came e-v-e-r-y s-i-n-g-l-e t-i-m-e! Forget it! Just take me to Wal-Mart and let me purchase something!

Then the Lord blessed me with 2 girls, and all of their clothes were store bought. Sad! Don’t take me wrong! They wore the cutest clothes, usually purchased by my Mom or sister…my girls always looked adorable! They never had hand made clothes; (oopps…take that back. When Britney went to the National “Beautiful Baby Pageant” –DON’T EVER DO THAT!—in Dallas, TX. she had to have a variety of outfits and my Mom made those for her—see photos) yet they never knew the difference. I did make sure, before either of them left home after high school, that they knew how to sew a button on, how to repair a hem…you know, basics like that!

So (or “sew”), what do you think? Has the art of sewing been lost? Or is it just me?

We have a little joke around here: when someone makes a comment that we either do not choose to respond to or disagree with, we often just say “So!” Usually the response from the other is, “No, do you?” (Well, really, that’s just between my husband and I, but it’s kind of funny! Truth of the matter is, often he IS the one to sew whatever needs to be sewn. He’s a jack-of-all-trades, you know!)

Have a glorious, blessed Wednesday, praising the Lord!

Thank-you, Jesus, for the gift of my memory! I take that for granted, Lord and I'm so sorry! Father, I hurt so much for those who have Alzheimers ~ their precious minds seem to just slowly erode, leaving them strangers in their own home. My sweet Mom Bessie had what, in that day, they called "hardening of the arteries". She could remember things from her chilhood but could not remember the answer to the question she had asked 5 minutes before. She was tormented, Lord, as she felt such a burden to us all. Oh, Father, please eradicate this horrible disease from our earth. And, Lord, please help me to remember to thank you daily that I can use my mind, think clearly and rationally, and remember! I love you so much, Jesus!