Sewing - It Skips a Generation

This post is inspired by a prompt from Reflections of a Mother's Heart

The prompt was "Did you learn to sew? What did you make?"

My mom is the seamstress in our family.

Easter 72 - Mom made these dresses

She made dresses for my sisters and me all through our growing up years. There was always the matching dresses for Easter, but the most awesome item that I know of was her own wedding dress.

The dress displayed at Mom & Dad's 50th

Satin & Chantilly lace with a cathedral length train. 

She said she had all her bridesmaids over for a "hemming party" on the train!

Me on the other hand, 

did not really have a good relationship with a sewing machine. For that matter, I can't think of a machine I do get along with.

Not that I didn't try. I joined a Home Ec 4-H club at the age of 9. I liked crocheting and baking, but can't really remember anything that I successfully finished in sewing.

What I do remember is have issues with sewing, such as broken needles, knotted up threads, and tearing out incorrectly sewn seams. Once while tearing out some work, I accidently ripped the fabric as well. Making the fabric useless for that project. I think that was the last straw.

In 7th grade, we were required to take Home Ec at school. I begrudgingly took the class. I didn't mind the cooking, though it was pretty elementary to me by that time, but I hated the sewing portion. I think I made a skirt.

Again, what I remember was having to tear out my work because I used a shortcut my mother had taught me. My teacher said it was done incorrectly.

Now here's the kicker ..

 we moved to another state at the end of 7th grade. In my new school, Home Ec was required in the 8th grade. Ugh!!!!!

I did continue to try 

to make things through high school, but somewhere along the line I figured out that it is much cheaper to go to a store, try on a dress, then if you don't like it, you just put it back on the rack!

I learned enough to hem my slacks and sew a straight line. This has allowed me to keep my family in the right length clothes and to do a little quilting along the way.

Now my daughter enjoys sewing.

She's not big on sewing clothing but she's done some curtains and hemmed slacks. But she mostly enjoys quilting. I guess it skips a generation.

Oh, that wedding dress mom made 

 .... I wore it for my wedding too.

... And my daughter had it restyled and wore it at her wedding. (2018) Click here for more info and pictures.

Some interesting facts ...

Mom's cost to make the dress in 1956           $36

Cost to alter the dress for me in 1989            $36

Cost to clean and preserve the dress in 1990  $36

I wonder how much it will cost when my daughter wears it in the future?

Reminiscing!