I am so glad I learned to sew. From the time I can remember, I was fascinated with Mother’s sewing machine, an ancient treadle machine. It sits in my house today. It is still functional. It is the best machine to use for heavy jobs like hemming jeans.
My first dismal attempt was in 4-H. I chose a sewing project, a simple project I was supposed to enter in the fair. One of the initial instructions in the booklet was “Ask an adult for help.”
Let me preface this with, the fact that my mother was definitely not a helicopter parent. My project was MY PROJECT! The project instructions didn’t have any advice for a situation where Mother had a newborn, a severely overburdened budget, and no time or interest in teaching a nine-year-old to sew.
The prize-winning apron the agent showed us was of a heavy fabric like denim with perfect seams. It looked exactly like the one in the project guide, even down to the color. I imagined my perfectly executed project looking exactly like it with a big blue ribbon at the county fair.
As Mother held the colicky baby, I told her, “We need to go to store and buy material for an apron. For 4-H.”
She answered crabbily. “No we don’t. I have a drawer full of material Grandma sent.” She was always crabby when the baby cried.” I’m busy now. I’ll find you some later.” Though I asked three more times that day, I didn’t get fabric for an apron. The second time I asked, she sent me to dist the living room furniture. The third time, she sent me to hang out a load of diapers. I gave it up for the time being.
To be continued
Nutsrok 
I used to sew but I have given it up. My mother could sew anything and made many of my clothes. Denim is hard to work with.
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Did you like what she made? I made everything my kids wore till they got ild enough to protest.
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I was amazed at my Granny’s ability to sew with crossed eyes. She was an expert and loved to sew. I have her mothers old cast iron sewing machine.
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You are so fortunate to have that prescious relic. Did she teach you to sew?
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I was impatient and my eyes could not keep a stariaght line with the needle. One time when I was little she let me make something, the back was way to long, it was a mess.
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The first few projects are always a mess, a cause for fit throwing.
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Did her crossed eyes impact her vision much?
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She never drove and it impacted her confidence more than anything. She was also very shy.
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She was probably teased mercilessly. Now it’s such a small thing to correct.
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Her mother lost one eye to disease and Granny went crossed eyed at 3 yrs old. They didn’t have the money to go to school so at least least she didn’t school kids bothering her.
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Your grandmother had it rough.
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Yes, in many ways. Her father died when she was 9 and they plinged into poverty. There were six kids but luckily a couple were older and could get jobs to help out. Granny was the baby.
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That sounds like my dad’s situation.
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I tried to learn to sew I sucked at it, I can hem stuff and sew on a button that’s about all
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Even that helps a lot. I worked with a guy who threw shirts away if they lost a button.
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Well that’s silly sewing on a button is the easiest thing
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That’s what I thought!
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