WHAT ARE SOME CRAFTS I’VE MADE THAT I’VE ENJOYED MAKING:
WEDDING & BRIDESMAID DRESSES, FORMAL WEAR FOR MY GIRLS:
One of the best things that I truly enjoyed making was both Tanya’s and Tera’s wedding gowns. I also made the bridesmaid gowns for Tanya’s wedding. I made all the table clothes for the extra-large round tables in Aunt Margaret’s house (a ‘heart’ aunt). All tables, whether round or smaller oblong had matching under skirt with topper. I also catered the intimate reception held after the wedding at Aunt Margaret’s. They had a larger reception at the club house of the apartments where Tanya lived until she and Joe married.
Tera and Kenny got married in the living room of their new home. She had lived at home until their wedding. The reception was held that night also in their home. Nan Nan (Ann Lee-Kenny’s mother) and Maw Maw (me) catered that reception and it rained cats and dogs that night.
CLOTHES FOR MY CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN: I made almost ALL of my children’s clothes when they were growing up. Tanya and Tera’s dresses sometimes had hand embroidery or applique on the skirts and/or bodice and sometimes on the seat of their panties when babies. When they were small, I made matching outfits for Tim and Tanya since they were almost twins. It was less expensive (cheap) to make his a shirt to match her dress and panties. She and Tera had matching panties for all their dresses. There was a time when you could buy fabric by the pound and we bought enough to make many of the girls’ dresses for 25 or 50 cents. Of course, that was mostly when we lived in Georgia and Tanya was 5. Pinson, Alabama, had a store that sold by the pound after we moved back to Alabama.
When they were in high school and college, going to proms or being in beauty pageants, I made every formal they had until after they finished college. Sometimes, I covered their shoes with fabric to match their formal. I continued to cover shoes for a long time. When I was 76, I was in a pageant, Ms. Senior Cullman County, and won. It was said that the shoes that I covered to match my interview attire helped me win ha.
I made and embroidered the bib Tim’s overalls when he was a baby and when he was the “mascot” at Erwin High as a junior and senior, I made him two pair of overalls with a satin stitched eagle on the bib. The red pair of overalls was sometimes worn with a navy blazer and the bib looked like a vest. Uncle S.L. said that was one fine outfit. When Tim was about 17, I made him a white stripped black three piece suit; pants, vest, coat. It didn’t look to good on the inside but it was one hot number when he had it on. We bought him a really nice black shirt and black and red print tie (cost more than the suit) which set it off. In fact, he still had it a few years later and wanted to wear it when he and Rene’ got married. It was suggested he looked too much like AL Capone and his purchased green suit was more appropriate.
When Katie and John were small, I sewed for her, Dianne and Katherine all the time. John wanted to know why I never made him something. I asked him if he wanted a dress and he stoutly said, “You could make me a shirt”. So I did. All the GG boys got flannel shirts one Christmas. Not sure anyone ever wore one but at least they had a Maw Maw shirt. Sam and Davis both got pajama pants at some point. It was such fun to be able to sew for my boys as well as the girls.
But, back to the girls, I taught Tanya and Tera both to sew and am thankful God allowed me to do that. I had learned from my mother beginning at age seven so I began to teach them at age seven. They far surpass me in ability.
At some point I made Thomas and Tim ‘leisure suit coats’ and then made some for others. Thomas decided I might could make his work shirts. I was thrilled when he went shopping with me to Hancock’s or TG&Y for the fabric for his shirts. I would get the buttons to match and it didn’t take long to whip up his shirts.
EMBROIDERY WORK, HAND AND MACHINE, and APPLIQUE: I also began embroidering at a young age. My ability at hand embroidery was fairly good and I enjoyed making special pillow cases as gifts. As a poet, I sometimes wrote poetry to attach to these gift cases to complete the thought behind the work on the cases. If the cases said on one YES and the other NO, the poem was written for that pair of pillowcases. If a pair of briefs was appliqued on one case and a pair of lacy panties on the other, the poem was appropriate for that. There were many different things I put on the cases and wrote a personal poem for the recipients of each pair of cases.
As time passed, a friend with whom I had ‘run around’ and sewed with, Vicky Autry, died. A few years later, her husband asked me if I was interested in buying all of her sewing equipment. I bought two sergers, one sewing machine, one embroider machine and a LOT of fabric – a 10 x 10 room full to the ceiling with a large number of sewing items such as lace, zippers, thread, snaps, really too much to name PLUS many sewing helps. The embroidery machine died recently, Katherine has one of my Berninas and Dianne has the other. I have about worn out everything. I do still have two embroidery machines that work and last year I bought a commercial embroidery machine which Chase will teach me how to use when he and I have mutual ‘free’ time.... My cousin, Leona Davis Nichols embroideries by hand and has finished several pillowcases for the GG girls.
QUILTS: When I found out I was expecting Tim, I hand embroidered an animal quilt for him. I think it’s at his house somewhere. Since Tanya came so soon after Tim, I don’t remember a special quilt for her. She probably used his blue one. It’s been many years since I hand quilted but when my grandchildren were expected, I handmade and hand quilted each of them a quilt. Katie, Dianne & Katherine had chair cushions, curtains, etc. to match and the boys had twin size quilts. Several nieces and nephews had quilts too. Jessica and Seth both had a quilt and Jess never played with hers but Seth about wore his out. Adeline had a quilt with much heavy gauge lace in it. I thought it was pretty.
BAGS & THINGS: SHOE BAGS, APRONS, HAND-UP KITCHEN TOWELS, and PURSES, CARRY ALL BAGS: Oh, the hundreds of embellished bath towel sets I’ve made over 65 years. Some of these had lace trim, some were monogrammed, and some kitchen towels hung on the drawer pull of kitchen cabinets and/or oven doors. Many were machine embroidered,
Aprons were once a special item for me to make. It was fun to mix and match fabrics so that the aprons were not all alike. I’ve made a few aprons for my GG granddaughters and Andrew my GG grandson who enjoys playing in the kitchen.
Shoe bags are a recent item. A friend asked me to make her some before a trip. She bought others to use as BINGO prizes at the Senior Center where she is in charge. She has also gotten hang up towels, bread basket covers and other items to use for this. I used a shoe bag on my last trip.
Scarves were a special item when I first got a serger. I also made napkins and table clothes. FUN.
PLAY CLOTHES FOR MY GREAT GRANDCHILDREN: It has been enjoyable to make a few play clothes for the GG girls.
DOLL CLOTHES: What a joy to see the GG girls have fun with their doll clothes. I bought handmade rabbits one year and washed them and their clothes. Some required new clothes and I made those.
JEWELRY: Not a big jewelry maker but have delved into making pins and hair barrettes. I have used mini paper flowers and made a few that were quite pretty. I know I should not compare my crafts with Tera’s talent but I do anyway and come up real short.
WRITING: GENEALOGY BOOK, POETRY, STORIES: For many years, I wrote poetry for any reason I found. There were poems about birds, for birthdays, anniversaries, memories of a deceased loved one upon their death, or other subjects when it was requested. Many of these are published in “Let Me Tell You about MY Grandpa” I had published some years ago. Children’s stories have been written but never submitted to a published. When I was in the Ms. Senior Cullman County and Ms. Senior Alabama pageants, my talent was quoting a poem I had written.
MY FAMILY: Though this is not a ‘craft’, my most treasured thing I’ve done is having my wonderful family. Thomas & I married, had three magnificent children, Tim, Tanya & Tera. With God’s help, we have three marvelous offspring each a responsible adult who works hard and able to provide or help their spouse provide for their families. Without any assistance from me and Thomas, our three children married such perfect mates and have raised good families. If they didn’t want children, that was their decision and it was a good one for them. They are all their own person. This is what I am most proud of.
Each family that chose to have a family has done so honorably and with responsibility. Those who have grandchildren are just the most wonderful grandparents around. Those who wait for this honor do so with patience and just ‘adopt’ others children as I have done throughout my lifetime. What a blessing to have a grandchild of my heart come up to me when they see me to give me a hug and say, “I love you”. My children have done this also. Thomas said he could never love a child that wasn’t his blood. Ha. He did so love Loida and her kids. When I came home from work one day, he bragged and went on and on about that new little ‘girl’ who moved across the street. That new little girl was a married lady and soon had a daughter and a son. She is still a child of my heart. Not quite the same as those of blood but precious nonetheless. I can’t count my children of my heart. Each is loved.
It seems I have once again strayed from the topic of this story but, it is my story and it includes my soul mates story. My life would not be the same with Thomas not in it any more than it would be the same without Christ as my Savior. Anything I can do for HIM is something I am most thankful for.
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