I have been sewing since I was 9 years old. That is when I started 4-H and that's about when I started sewing. Dirndl skirts were big back then. Little did I know that gathers are a pain and rather tricky for a kid. I remember getting so mad if the thread broke as you were pulling the gathers! I made so many dirndl skirts that it was years before I ever made anything with a gather. Then onto the shift dresses... made lots of those. Because my sewing garments were judged at the Jackson County Fair each summer, the inside had to be as good as the outside looked. I was quite a perfectionist, and very competitive, so need I say more.
When I was sixteen (1973), this is the dress that I modeled for the annual Jackson County Dress Review. They chose me to go to the State Dress Revue in Madison, WI! You are judged on the choice of fabric, (I still love the print) the pattern style, the accessories and how it looked on you. I was thrilled to be chosen to go to the State Fair and model my garment several times throughout the week. That was where I saw The Carpenters in concert (huge Karen Carpenter fan!) and actually touched the limo that wisked them away after the concert!
When I was a senior in high school (1975), I took my first sewing class... a tailoring class. I made this three-piece lined and tailored suit. (jacket, vest & pants) Years later I was stunned to find out that at that same time my future Mother-in-law was making this very same outfit for her daughter (my husband's sister Patty) using the very same fabric! Patty was killed by a 16 year old drunk driver when she was 18 and some of her last pictures were taken in that outfit.
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| Patty & her boyfriend Phil |
The winter before I moved to Phoenix (1977) I made this patchwork denim jacket and matching vest, using old jeans that my dad and brothers wore on the farm. I was all about recycling even back then! I even sewed a Levi pocket on the back of the vest! It was always fun to see what I would find in that pocket after a night out with friends! (money, ticket stubs, bottle caps, candy wrappers!)
During this season of downsizing, reorganizing and rearranging rooms, oh and Tyler needing to get into the costume boxes, I came upon these garments. Sure took me down memory lane. Kinda wish I had saved some of the Prom dresses and Homecoming and Winter Carnival dresses that I made back then. Those styles are coming back you know.
They always do
11 comments:
Thank you so much for stopping by at Pixie Wood and leaving a comment. Your blog is so rich and colourful. I shall enjoy having a snoop!
Cherry xx
Oh my gosh, this is so neat!!! You kept all of those and the stories to boot! Wow, that jean jacket is so tres chic! Do you still wear it?
Linda, you are quite the seamstress...what great stories you have!
wow you're so clever! I can only quilt or hem from my knowledge of sewing but I regret not taking home ec in high school.
Great stories and sewing...
How cool is that! You are so talented. All I sew is paper and an occasional costume.
These are so great! And girl, I totally see Miranda swiping that denim...
You are quite the seamstress, Miss Linda!
I can't believe you kept these for so many years---------with no basement to store them!! I just don't know where in the world you store it all!
by the way,LOVE the pink pyrex!
That's very cool that you saved all the outfits you made. I wouldn't worry about not having saved your prom dresses. I once read a quote from a curator of a textile museum saying they had plenty of ballgowns and wedding dresses in their collection, but she wished they had more examples of everyday clothes from way back when. So maybe yours are museum pieces of the future!
I am so glad you are back into sewing, you are so amazing at it!
You sew beautifully. Unbelievable that you still have these clothes. I used to sew clothes for years (60s - early 80s) but now I hardly sew anything. Fun post.
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