Imagine my surprise this morning when , on the front page of one of the sections of the Houston Chronicle, I found an article that describes in detail how to make a felt Christmas ornament - complete with a "Sewing Primer" which describes in detail how to do a blanket stitch!!!
Duh -- hello folks! Where have you been for the last fifty plus years? My son, (I won't tell his age but he draws social security if that tells you anything) saids "Mom, we used to make those in grade school!"
Makes me wonder how many other things folks don't remember - like my sweet mother-in-law and my grandmother Jordan ("Ma") sitting in their rocking chairs crocheting and discussing the events of the day. And the beautiful handmade pieces they created - doilies, baby blankets, tableccloths and bedspreads - yes, I sais bedspreads!
Or my mom with her embroidery needle flying to work bautiful designs om dish towels, pillow cases, or dresser scarfs - these memories are locked in securely in my mind....And what about quilting - first piecing the blocks, then setting them together and putting them into the frames io quilt.
First the frames had to be let down from the ceiling where they were suspended
with binders twine. Then the lining had to be put in, actually sewed to the frame in large overcasting stitches. Then the batting had to be placed ever so carefully over the lining. In even my Granny's later years, batting could be bought by the yard or by the roll. Long before this, it was corded into bats about 6'" by4".
Imagine making enough of these to cover a bed size quilt lining!! Not to mention actually quilting the quilt, which involved stitching through all 3 layers with small stitches - p
referabl.y 10 to 13 stitches per inch. Now THERE was a craft to write home about!!
Speaking of "writing home", I have a letter from my Granny to her parents . Mr. and Mrs S. C. Hager, dated March 8, 1912. And I quote, "Well Mama. I have 9 sweet little chicks. They are shure pretty. I had 10 and the hog tuned the coop over and killed one , and broke up one hen that would have hatched next week, I was shure mad." This letter bore the complete address
of mr S. C Hager, Corn Hill, Texas and the postage was 2 cents. My, my, how times change!!
Enough "til next time - - - Nanny
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About Me
- Nanny
- This is my first attempt at blogging - thought it might be interesting to see other folks that remember some of the things I do. Me? I'm 80+ years old, grandmother of, hummmm, have to count them- -nine.Great-grandmother of 12, and yes. I stay pretty busy, Love to sew, quilt, play cards and "42", go on day trips, visit family. Have LOTS of extended family - cousins galore, and we get together when we can. Let me hear what you 'member about times gone by!
4 comments:
Hey Mom...sounds pretty descriptive to me. People have forgotten so many of the necessary skills that we now call "crafts", but in those days were more of a necessary tool for day to day.
Good post...keep up the good work.
It all sounds very interesting. I want to take up quilting, but I don't know where to start. And the store-bought quilts these days just aren't the same. Very sad.
Hugs,
Ashley
Good to see you back! I enjoyed the post and I, too, wonder how people read this and get all excited thinking they have found something new. Come to think of it, though, I guess it is new to them. Many people weren't as blessed as we were with a loving and teaching family. Sad in today's world where people think both parents have to work and children will never make the ball team or cheerleading squad unless they go to all the expensive camps, that there is so little time for "crafts". Even today when we see a "helpful hint" sent somewhere from a faithful reader and we laugh and say we never would have thought of sending this in because everybody already knows it and practices it. Oh well, they get the $50.00 so whom is the smartest?
Keep reminding us.
Love you.
Thanks for the words of encouragement, guys. I just had to vent about this. Oh well, times marches on, as the news reels in the movies used to say.
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