I Cannot Count My Day Complete, Till Needle, Thread and Fabric Meet
The title of this blog is both humorous and antiquated. But this anonymous quote at one time would have been spoken by many a wife and mother. In fact, the homemaker who didn’t know how to sew would have been lacking clothes, not to mention decorative items such as curtains, tablecloths, tea towels, and throw pillows. Add to that the fact that many of their clothes would not have been patched and mended.
Poor Marcy
In my novel, Tiger Beetle at Kendallwood, the cheer squad decides they’ll sew their own cheer outfits – much to the chagrin of our main character, Marcy. Not because she doesn’t know how to sew (she certainly does), but because her schedule is already bursting at the seams. (Pun intended.) LOL
Poor Marcy – her stress level is shooting through the roof.
Sewing Back in Vogue
When did the art of sewing fall by the wayside? It may have been partly due to the 1970s “feminist movement” that claimed women were being chained to their homes and needed to be liberated.
Whether or not that’s true, sewing is definitely back in vogue. Try Googling something like: “Sewing projects on Pinterest.” Wow! Thousands of results! (Photo on the left: http://www.sewlab.net/)
Sewing a Big Part of My Life
I grew up around sewing; the sewing machine was always in use at our house. From my toddler years throughout elementary school years, my mother sewed every dress my sister and I ever wore. And they were cute and ruffled. It followed that my sister and I would sew as well; learning mostly through 4-H projects. (See this post about 4-H)
What I loved most about sewing was that I could design most anything and whip it up in no time. It satisfied my desire for creativity.
Change of Priorities
Later, as a mom myself, I was still sewing, but the passion for writing knocked sewing right off the priority list. I quickly discovered I could not do both! Writing won out!
My daughter (wife and mother of three) loves to sew – when she has time. And my granddaughter, Elisabeth, loves to crochet. (She’s 13.)
Does sewing (or needlework) have a place in your life? Does anyone in your family sew? Perhaps quilting? Or knitting? Chime in by leaving your comments below.
Free First Chapter!
If you haven’t done so – get your free first chapter of Tiger Beetle at Kendallwood right here.
Meanwhile, keep on reading…
Norma Jean
PS: If you haven’t received your FREE copy of Flower in the Hills – you can get it right HERE!
PPS: Tiger Beetle at Kendallwood is title #2 in the Norma Jean Lutz Classic Collection. Read all of Chapter 1 for FREE. Click HERE!
I love to sew, but don’t have a lot of time for it these days. When my children were small I would design and sew their Halloween costumes. My mom would make dresses for my sister and me when we were young. 😀 My sister is a very talented seamstress. She even designs and sews wedding dresses and all kinds of formal gowns.
I also crochet. One thing I always wanted to learn was knitting. Maybe one day soon I’ll find time to take classes.
Hi Kathy — my story is almost identical to yours. I also grew up in a “sewing” family. If it hadn’t been for my mother and grandmother sewing, my sister and I would have had no clothes at all. I too sewed for my two until they were in middle school. That’s when I came to a fork in the road. I had to make a choice. I had to lay aside the sewing in order to devote my spare time to writing. It was the best decision.
Thanks so much for leaving your note.