by Linda Joyce

Created on: May 16, 2009   Last Updated: July 03, 2009

Sewing for me began in junior high school where half of the year the class took sewing and the other half was devoted to cooking.

We had a rather eccentric middle-aged teacher named Mrs. Bratton, who the girls liked to tease and who would become exasperated and yell, "Gir-rls, gir-rls," trying to settle us all down. Some of the more rambunctious of us would sneak up behind her during sewing class and stick pins in her bun. I swear she looked like a satellite, and I often wondered what she thought when she got home and finally took her hair down.

Years later, when I was pregnant and didn't have much money, I undertook sewing with one of my sisters; and our first project was summer dresses for our three small nieces. I think we got one of them finished before my sister bowed out of the project.

I became more serious about learning to sew and eventually made several maternity outfits that turned out quite well. Later, when my daughter was born, I had the fun of making clothes for her.

One of my favorite items I made her was a wedding gown when she was about four for her to wear on Halloween. It was beautiful as any bride's gown with a fitted bodice, a full skirt, and filmy lace-trimmed sleeves. It also had a lovely veil and headpiece. Unfortunately, on Halloween when we went to visit her grandparents before she went trick-or-treating, she fell down on the pavement outside of their house and ripped the tulle overskirt on the gown. Oh, well.

Another favorite item I made for her was a shiny red vinyl raincoat with a hood and flannel lining. That coat was a fashion statement, and she wore it until one day she accidentally ripped the sleeve at one of the armholes and it was put out to pasture.

Through the years I continued to sew, making several items of clothing for myself and even some household things like tablecloths, pillows, drapes and more. In those days, I always enjoyed seeing a piece of cloth turn into something wearable or usable. It gave great satisfaction and a feeling of accomplishment comparable to any artist's creation.

Imagine my delight when my daughter came to live with me briefly and decided she wanted to learn to sew. She taught herself and far surpassed the things that I made, even tackling complicated projects such as handbags, hats, and evening clothes. She made me several dresses, jackets, and pants, some of which I still have. I was so proud of her and her talent for sewing, but I should have known she would be successful at it because she is so artistic in every way.

As you can tell, I have many wonderful memories of sewing, and although I don't do as much today as I did in the past, I still enjoy picking up a needle and thread now and then to work on a small project.

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