Recent Sewing Projects and What I Like to Remember about October

This is the dress I made for Ellie. It's a delicate corduroy with a cotton print for the lower band. The brown stripe is velvet ribbon. Hindsight, I wouldn't have used such a thick ribbon. I had to handsew it on.

This is the Christmas apron, which is a different pattern from the first apron I made. (see last post). Hard to see the cute fabric. It has squares of block printed Christmas images. Really cute. The contrasting fabric is a red and green kind of check, with gilded thread woven in it.

Another view.

So, those are the next things I've sewn. There are flaws, and I tend toward being really bothered by things like that(errors), but I don't think I obsess anymore. I'll just work on it. The errors are seams and stitches that aren't exactly right. The dress of Ellie's -the buttonholes aren't great, obviously, since I have no experience with buttonholes. I have a friend whom I plan to ask for buttonhole tutoring. She is a great seamstress.

What I Like to Remember about October

Well, obviously, there are lots of things I like to remember. As a child I can remember most of my Halloween costumes and most of my Trick or Treating experiences. I was in a Halloween Parade , in the 3rd grade, along with all the other elementary school aged children. (Did I say that right?)

Let me start with what I think is the first Halloween I can remember. Mother and Daddy were in Troy, Alabama because my granddaddy had died. He died on November 1, 1956, so they must have gone over to Troy, knowing that he was near death. I knew they were there because of his being sick, and I know that while they were there he died. I have a vague recollection of hearing that information. I had turned 5 on July 14, 1956. I went Trick or Treating with my cousins and of course Mary Ann. I bet she has a better memory of this event.

I have no idea about my costume.

I remember 2 things about this.

We were walking back from Trick or Treating (and the street and house are described in my post titled The Northcutts.) My uncle Waynard jumped out from behind some bushes to scare all of us. At that time I was 5, so Mary Ann was 7 - Rusty, 7, Rachel, 3, Suzanne, 11. I have a vague memory of an adult being with us - probably Florence, because she would have had to have been with Rachel. Waynard's attempt to "BOO" us must not have been too scary. I can still see him smiling - but don't remember feeling very scared, just a little surprised to see Waynard come out from behind a bush. :-) So funny.

The next thing I remember is wanting to eat more of my Trick or Treat Candy than I needed to eat. I have a memory of Ella being more firm than I was accustomed to - she wasn't usually in that role with me. But there was a lot of compassion coming from her, which gave me some leverage. Mary Ann was siding with Ella and both of them were agreeing that Mother wouldn't want me to eat anymore candy. I was eating a purple(grape) sucker(I see the color) and enjoying it....and going in for my next "bite" of the "spoils". That's when Ella, backed by Mary Ann, stepped in. I have no recollection of Elbert in any of these scenes. I'm guessing he was chilling out - TV? Book? Magazine? Cigar? Just thinking? It was 1956.

I conceded. They were right. I know that the next thing was that we had to go to bed. That's all I remember. I'm visual, therefore, when I remember this, I'm seeing the scene - as if I'm on the outside watching it happen. Is that the way everyone remembers something?.......through their mind's eye?? I wasn't unhappy. I was very safe and very secure.

That is my 5 year old Halloween experience.

October 31, 1956

Question: Are these grapes?

Answer: Nandina Berries. Aren't they so pretty?

So Here Is What I've Been Doing

These are my three pumpkins

Green

White

Hydrangeas in the Fall

Mother's Singer - I can see her sitting there with her foot on the pedal. This is the second one she owned. The first had a wood grain table like this, but the machine was black with gold lettering. It, too, was a Singer. I wish I had a really really nice Cadillac of a sewing machine. I bet it would practically do the sewing for me. That would be nice.

My collection of thread - Ella's sewing Box - I remember her at a sewing machine which was not electric - the foot pedal had to be done with Ella's own personal energy. She had it - the energy. Same feet I can hear tapping the floor in a rhythm when she rocked me - I was in her lap and she was singing "Polly Wolly Doodle All the Day". She was really short, and her feet would come off the floor, then back on, back off, back on, off, on, etc.

This is going to be a Christmas Apron. I love aprons! I also like to cut out the patterns. I really like the sound of the thin pattern paper. It crinkles. I also like the way the fabric and the paper feel pinned together - the weight of it. That's crazy - or maybe not. I bet other ladies like that. I like the pins. I like the tape measure hanging around on surfaces - table tops - I just like all of that. I loved hanging around mom when she was sewing. I did my own little handsewing but nothing ever really good - just messing with it. Too bad. I just always let Mother do all the sewing

My first handsewn apron.

It looks like a dress, doesn't it?

Excuse me. I just remembered! This is not my first apron. I was in the Fifth Grade - involved in 4-H and I did make an apron! I remember now. I have a picture but don't know where it is. Wish I had the picture and a scanner.

I am now going to return to my sewing. That's all. Just pictures today.