July 2010
In March of 1975 I went to Sears and made a purchase. As a young stay at home mother of 2 daughters, I decided to use the knowledge I obtained from Mrs. Wright in my Jr. High school Home Economics class. I bought a sewing machine with a cabinet for $174.95. I spent an extra $34.95 on a green vinyl sewing chair that had a lid on the seat so you were able to store sewing supplies in the seat. 1975.....the era of great colors...everything was green, yellow or orange. Throw in a 2 year service maintenance contract and the total came to $226.25. That was a big purchase in 1975!
I started purchasing patterns and adorning my little girls in all kinds of fashions. There were the corduroy capes with the fringe balls, matching Easter dresses, rompers, sundresses and even Holly Hobbie floor lenght dresses with matching bonnets. Then for myself I made dozens of polyester pantsuits in colorful colors. Hancock's carried lots of polyester! Plus dresses for church and my favorite...a duck cloth white sailor style stripped shirt that I absolutely loved. Loved it so much I still have the pattern. I even have the pattern for the corduroy capes. Somehow I don't think my granddaughters or their mothers would think they are as cool now as they were then. With that machine, I made 5 dresses for my little sister's wedding...3 for the candlelighters and 2 for the flowergirls. I made Easter and Christmas dresses until my girls started high school. In the late 80's I cranked out lots of crafts with the machine and sold them in craft shows to make money to pay tuition while I was attending college for a nursing degree. I made bears from old quilts, rabbits, Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls, Annie dolls and various other dolls. The last few years the machine was mostly used for mending, window coverings, and crafts. In it's old life it was getting catankerous, skipping stitches, making loud noises and in general just acting up. A few weeks ago, I packed it up and dropped it off at the Goodwill. Just a piece of metal and wires, but boy it tugged at my heartstrings. Not the machine itself but all the memories it made. Sew long old girl......
And SEW we say goodbye.
9:04 AM
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Labels:
crafts,
fashion,
sew
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4 comments:
You forgot one of the last things this machine repaired was a pair of acid washed denim shorts that simply came apart at a weak place in the seam. Maybe we should of kept it for another 1/4 century..Dave
That is so cool, and to still have some of the patterns, I could not have gotten rid of it, i would have kept it
I still can't believe you got rid of it. I will forever remember the sound that machine would make sometimes late into the night. I do think I'll pass on the fringe capes but you are welcome to make something a little tamer like a blanket. :)
Wow Linda, you do have a way with words! you are a wonderful writer. And i can only imagine how it did tug at your heartstrings to send it on.....that machine also made a lot for me and Tonya!!
Becki
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