Cooking Classes

1.5.12

Wednesday is Sewing Day

When I retired from real estate, left my real life in Calgary and became a gypsy on a mission to find a new adventure, I bought a brand spanking new sewing machine to replace my old Pfaff that had become very unpredictable.  Why?  Well, perhaps it was because I wanted to get back to my original passion of sewing.  Or perhaps it was just very practical.  At any rate, I could not imagine my life without a sewing machine. 

My very first and only sewing machine was a gift from my father when I graduated from high school and enrolled in the College of Home Economics.  My father taught me how to sew.   I would love to know how he learned.   It would not surprise me if he taught himself this craft.

Well, that state of the art Pfaff served me well but after a very fruitful life and gradual demise and it was time for something new.  I purchased a Husqvarna with many of the modern bells and whistles.  It is a beautiful machine and I am so afraid to even touch it!  So far I have only done alterations and mending while I build my confidence.

A home ec friend that had done some sewing for me when I was deeply entrenched in my real estate career recently tracked me down at my new address.  She had a beautiful piece of fabric that I had left for her to make me an outfit!  She happened to be driving past my little town,  dropped it off and it is now my project.  I have an instant, and free, outfit - should I accept the challenge.  Now the real challenge is to muster up the courage to cut and sew.  

Can you even imagine that at one time women spent their Wednesdays sewing?  It could be a blessing or a curse.  I would love to have the freedom to spend my Wednesdays sewing without any other obligations.  I wonder if those women from my mother's era felt the same.  Would this have been a respite from the daily grind or a chore?  I vividly remember the many hours my mother spent with her needlework and I know it was a wonderful escape from the day to day chores for her.  Perhaps that is why I cannot imagine my life without sewing.


Follow my 5 week journey recreating the weekly schedule of women in the past:
Monday is Washing Day
Tuesday is Ironing Day

5 comments:

  1. Great post. After graduating from high school I got a great job that enabled me to go to college and make some money, too. I bought a new Singer sewing machine with my first few checks. It served me well for many years. When I retired two years ago, I replaced my Singer with a new Pfaff! Why I waited so long, I will never know. I am amazed at the new machines and I am having a wonderful time quilting. I must admit I am happy to not be limited to Wednesdays only!

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  2. Great stuff; I look forward to seeing how this progresses. My mother (and grandmother) used to make all of our quilts and the last of them are about to give up from 30 years of hard use (the quilts, that is). I keep thinking that learning to quilt might be a fun activity during the winter months.

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  3. My grandmother was a fabulous seamstress, having learned the art from her grandmother, mother and aunt in the nineteen-teens. Of course, having learned then, an electric sewing machine was considered the greatest invention ever! My mother could sew, but didn't, and I just worked up my confidence over time. Spend a little time with your machine's instruction manual, as I did when I bought my new one last month, and try something easy, maybe a knit top or simple a=line dress, before you jump into that Vogue pattern. That will build your confidence really fast! I'm rooting for you, and looking forward to seeing your project.

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  4. Homeowners always claim that they never wanna go through the process of buying a house again, not realizing that people in your previous profession get into it client after client. Do you miss the stress? Just kidding. :D But I’m sure you do miss that satisfying feeling when you know you’ve given the perfect house to a family.

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