When Lynn was in the 5th grade and Alicia was in the 1st grade I made them both a shirt to get their school pictures taken in. Lynn's was at tiny blue flowered print and Alicia's was the same in pink. I thought I did a good job and they were very cute. When my Grandma Mary saw them, she said, "Did you use a pattern?"...I said "yes?" and she just nodded and kinda gave a little smirk. She said when she made clothes back in the day, she just sewed them up, no pattern. But when she said that and gave that little smirk, the shirts I made became worthless in my eyes. They didn't measure up. I still think of her comment whenever I sew (which I don't like to do very well anyway-ha). I say they became worthless because I felt like she was putting me down. They were still pretty little blouses.
Now I loved my Grandma Mary very much. She was a very independent woman. Her husband abandoned her and their three boys when my dad (the baby) was 5 years old. I admire how she got out and raised her kids by herself, back in the late 20s and through the 30s, often doing what everybody considered a man's work like pitching hay on a wagon, or cutting heating wood for her own house. She did all the things that needed doing to keep her and her boys fed and clothed.
She did a lot of things the hardest way possible, because of the times she lived in, the place she lived in and how she chose to live. Lots of people made clothes without patterns. Grandma probably couldn't afford a pattern if even if she wanted to use one or not. She probably HAD to sew without one. I admire her for that. I admire anyone that does things they have to do.
I have also had certain people ask me why I wasn't making a garden, why I wasn't canning, why I wasn't sewing, why, why, why??? It could make a person feel worthless. It's a good thing I have a healthy self appreciation. I have always thought I could do just about anything I put my mind to.
On top of that every person does not know another person's circumstances and why or why not they can or cannot do something. Maybe they physically can't, maybe they can't rake up the money to get started in some pursuit, no matter how small an amount. It's easy to sit on the outside of someone elses' life and decide what they need to do.
As I think about these memories, I think people could be a little more careful about comparing what they can do to what others can do. I don't mean just telling or showing something you have done. Everybody likes to see what other people can do, but don't put yourself above somebody else or feel superior because you can do it all and they can't. Not everybody has the same gifts or maybe don't want or need to do some things that others feel are necessary to know how to do.
It's nice to know how to do any number of things and it's good if you know how to do LOTS of things, like sewing, quilting, cooking, crocheting, knitting, gardening...I could go on and on...but it does not make you a better person in my eyes than anybody else. I still want to see the pretty quilts, the yummy food pictures, the crocheted items and beautiful flowers. Please just don't put down somebody else for doing things differently.
Just my thoughts.
Now I loved my Grandma Mary very much. She was a very independent woman. Her husband abandoned her and their three boys when my dad (the baby) was 5 years old. I admire how she got out and raised her kids by herself, back in the late 20s and through the 30s, often doing what everybody considered a man's work like pitching hay on a wagon, or cutting heating wood for her own house. She did all the things that needed doing to keep her and her boys fed and clothed.
She did a lot of things the hardest way possible, because of the times she lived in, the place she lived in and how she chose to live. Lots of people made clothes without patterns. Grandma probably couldn't afford a pattern if even if she wanted to use one or not. She probably HAD to sew without one. I admire her for that. I admire anyone that does things they have to do.
I have also had certain people ask me why I wasn't making a garden, why I wasn't canning, why I wasn't sewing, why, why, why??? It could make a person feel worthless. It's a good thing I have a healthy self appreciation. I have always thought I could do just about anything I put my mind to.
On top of that every person does not know another person's circumstances and why or why not they can or cannot do something. Maybe they physically can't, maybe they can't rake up the money to get started in some pursuit, no matter how small an amount. It's easy to sit on the outside of someone elses' life and decide what they need to do.
As I think about these memories, I think people could be a little more careful about comparing what they can do to what others can do. I don't mean just telling or showing something you have done. Everybody likes to see what other people can do, but don't put yourself above somebody else or feel superior because you can do it all and they can't. Not everybody has the same gifts or maybe don't want or need to do some things that others feel are necessary to know how to do.
It's nice to know how to do any number of things and it's good if you know how to do LOTS of things, like sewing, quilting, cooking, crocheting, knitting, gardening...I could go on and on...but it does not make you a better person in my eyes than anybody else. I still want to see the pretty quilts, the yummy food pictures, the crocheted items and beautiful flowers. Please just don't put down somebody else for doing things differently.
Just my thoughts.
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