Anyway, I also belong to a sewing 'square', we call ourselves a 'square' because we're all really funny, and there's only four of us.
It's an elite group of sophisticated ladies. As you can see.
I went to school with the other three nimble-fingered, creative-types. We get together fairly irregularly because often when we've arranged to meet, our plans are dashed by one or more selfish children who only think of themselves and decide they're sick and have to go to the doctor at the exact time the square is set to meet.
So today, we caught-up after a long hiatus. The hostess of today's gathering has volunteered to make some things for her kindy fete, and she planned on doing some work towards that this morning.
Here she is ironing one of the bags she was making. Genius.
I brought along these two books for inspiration.
Just in case, I also had this book in the car. As I had to drag the 4xChilds with me, I was concerned it could spell disaster at someone else's nice home.
In Basic Home Repairs Illustrated, which was printed in 1971, I found this old shopping list.
It has a combination of my mother's and father's writing.
I think it is evidence they were planning on building a 1970s Adult Leisure Centre, because on the list are the following:
- Flagons;
- Wine;
- Sherry;
- (Another) Flagon;
- Canadian Club whiskey;
- Boulders;
- dishwasher;
- boat; and, finally,
- beach buggy.
Back to the sewing meet - I did nothing, but stand about and take a few photos - the busy ladies seemed a bit uncomfortable with this, so the photos are few.
I completely understand their bashfulness. Because we're all working on complicated designs, to publicise these before they're completed means the groupies who follow our work are prematurely tipped-off to the next BIG THING!
The hostess had some very funky vintage crockery. Remarkably, her father picked them up for a song at some local markets. They were a fabulous shape and a delightful, glossy green. And they looked brand new!
I had a discussion with the furry G-M (furry Godmother to Child 4. She's one of the sophisticates.) about making some pillowcases using this fabric and book.
There were also lots of well-behaved children about, but I didn't photograph them. They deserve their privacy, don't you think?
But I photographed an easily excitable Child 4. She's always thrilled when sewing's involved!
What was the name of the home ec teacher again? It is good to see so many are still using the skills she attempted to teach. I remember getting in trouble for embroidering half the boarders PE kits.
ReplyDeleteI like the sound of a sewing square and might start one asap with my friends. What sort of things do you and your school friends make? Do you all have to carry your sewing machines over there?
ReplyDeleteI know you say don't follow fashion but sewing groups and clogs are really popular these days!
my favourite thing in this post is your shopping list. Very funny. Were they planning a party?
ReplyDeletedid you knit that scarf?
ReplyDeletemy god daughter calls me her furry godmother.
ReplyDeleteATC,
ReplyDeleteyou are a devil! I'm sure the boarders appreciated your assistance. If they didn't, I'll go out and flog each one of them for you. I don't mind. I'll see if FG-M remembers the Home Ec teacher, the other three only came in Gr 11 ... by then we were on more advanced subjects, like 'Social Maths'.
Anonymous,
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure if you're one person, or five different people of Grecian heritage with unoriginal parents.
The sewing square is quite easy. We used to meet once a week, but that is too-short a time to decide on a project and start sewing it. So now we meet once a month, or so. We all have children who, unfortunately, take up a lot of our otherwise spare time.
Sometimes we bring our sewing machines to each other's houses, just depends what we want to do. I prefer to sew at home, as Child 4 finds it easier to repair the machine, on-site, if something goes wrong.
We generally sew domestic/children's stuff - cushion covers, library bags, skirts, smocks, boxer shorts, pj pants, pillowcases. Some of the others have made curtains, super hero cloaks and so on.
We're not advanced sewers. There is a fine line between slogging-it-out making something incredibly difficult and finding something similar at Country Road for $40.
I am very definitely unfashionable; to the point that fashion eventually comes around, so for about five minutes I seem cool, and then fashion moves on and I'm left happily in its wake.
That is all I'm typing.
your sewing 'square' sounds marvellous - but that shopping list is fantastic!
ReplyDeleteMrs Bartlett,
ReplyDeletethank you for your comment. Sometimes I think, 'I need some sort of response here, people,' and you come through with the goods! I have had no explanation yet for the shopping list!
Yours, in hope you've had a Christening already,
MMMC
Your sewing square reminds me of a cobwebby memory of Walton's Mountain where all the women folk came together fer a quiltin'. The eldest daughter (who was a bit of a tear away by 1920's standards) preferred to run around with her beau until she saw the light and bonded with her female kin in the ancient art of a chin wag, a cuppa and a bit of craftiness. Good night MMMC. (annie)
ReplyDeleteI too love the shopping list, especially the Cdn club but I'm probably biased. Love childx4's expression of excitement, sort of resembles mine sometimes. Love your sewing square, didn't you know it is Hip to be Square?
ReplyDeleteAnnie,
ReplyDeletehi. If that was you thinking of starting the sewing square, I say 'do it'. It's fun. As I said, we are not professional seamstresses so it's nice to have someone else to refer to on how to tackle a project. It's also nice to be able to discuss fabrics etc! Who'd have thought. And we are a bit tear-away!
Deb, Child 4 tells it like it is, and isn't afraid to hide her disdain when it comes to the attention not being on her!