Generational gifts.
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Spent the day yesterday driving up to Seattle to pick up my Mom (her car was here) and bring home a couple chairs my sister is sharing with me (love you Jess). A long drive, but made much more delightful with Mom and me chatting along down the freeway.
She is here for a couple days scrapbooking. She loves it. And of course, this is a good place to come if you want to scrapbook. Just a couple goodies here and there. It is fun watching her work and I love hearing her share stories and feelings about the pages she is creating.
She gave me this sewing machine awhile back. It has been in the closet...living a quiet existence until I could find a new home for it in the studio and figure out how to set it up just right. Mom brought it in here today and set it up for me and I am all ready to sew on my pages now. I love that look. Some of my favorite scrapbookers, like Cathy and Mellette, do tons of sewing on their pages. Having the machine set up like this will make it easy for me to add a zig zag here and there as I go along.
This morning she typed up the following for me...something I will use on an upcoming layout:
Generations of Women Helping Women....
The History of the Singer Touch and Sew Sewing Machine.
After graduating in Clothing and Textiles from Oregon State University in 1971 Al and I moved to Coos Bay. I was able to get a job at the local Singer Sewing store teaching classes in Sewing with Knits. This sewing machine was the top of the line Singer in 1972. It cost around $200. Al and I didn't have $200. So my Mother-in-law, Marie, loaned me the money to buy this machine. I used this machine to teach classes at the Singer store and less than a year later, got a job teaching Sewing with Knits and other sewing classes at Southwestern Oregon Community College. When we moved to Federal Way in 1982, I became a Clothing and Textile Advisor for Washington State University and taught more sewing classes for women around the Seattle/Tacoma area. Ali, John and Jessica all learned to sew on this sewing machine taking various sewing workshops through the 4-H programs that I was involved with. Thanks to Marie for helping me buy this machine and now I am sharing it with Ali so that she can add stitching to her scrapbook pages.
I love being able to have another voice on my layouts. Her personal perspective in my books. And the generational sharing continues...she has purchased all kinds of computer equipment for me over the last few years. Things that I could not afford on my own, things that have made a difference for me in my job and my pasions. Thanks Mom.
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43 comments
Your Mom sounds great Ali. Enjoy her company.
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I wondered why I hadn't seen any sewing on your pages. ;) I know all about how things can sit until you are ready to use them. The trick is to leave the sewing machine OUT so you will use it more often. It looks like you are...
waiting for the sewn pages from you now. LOL
Will your mom share her pages?
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Your mom is the best!!
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I saw the picture of your sewing machine and got choked up. My mom had the EXACT same one and I learned to sew on it. It's good to know there are others out there that are still learning to sew. I hope our generation can pass this talent on to the next. I can't wait until my daughter is old enough to learn. Keep up the good work and enjoy your new "toy".
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My mom has that sewing machine and it still works like a champ. Enjoy!
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Wow - I'm a sewing mom too and I loved your mom's story. I can't wait to see how you incorporate sewing on your LO's. I'd love to see some of your mom's pages too!
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My grandmother taught me to sew on her Singer. I can still remember sitting beside her while she gently helped me guide the fabric under the needle.
Thanks for sharing your Singer story and helping me remember mine!!
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It must be so wonderful to be able to share your passion with your mom. Hope you have a wonderful time together. So great that she gives so much to your pages.
Michelle
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That's just too cool.
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Your Mom is a gem!
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I am a fabric and textile artist, my focus and body of work consists mainly of art quilts, but I do alot of colage and assemblage and altered work. Cheers to your mother for the emphasis placed on the "Womanly arts" as an education goal and career. It is very fustrating when people do not recognize that any ability and desire to create produces art. They feel its almost remedial and that "craft" denotes mindless or useless. I feel that anything created is art. And there you go.
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GASP! That is my mom's Machine! I learned to sew by amking an apron in 4th grade 4-H clothing project on that very same machine. All of the Sew with cotton dress I made were made on that same machine. Since I now scrapbook with my mom , when I sew on my pages, I still use that machine, even though I bought myself a new ( at that time) Singer while I was in college, I still really like that Touch and sew....Love the little Duckies swimming in a row stitch...Maybe I need to scrap a page about that sewing machine and include a photo of me in one of the lovely double knit polyester outfits my mom made for me back in elementary school! Thanks for sharing your family's memory to jog mine!
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my mother is a big-time sewer. I am not, but i love that look too (inspired by Cathy & Mellette's work too!)... i think i can manage a zig here and a zag there. time for mom to show me the ropes (or the threads, if you will) ha ha
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so cool of your mom to share the history of the machine with you! my MIL has an ancient Bernina that totally ROCKS more so than any of the new machines.
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That's awesome Ali!!! Your mom RAWKS! Can't wait to see your "stitched" pages!
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what a great mom! Aren't mom's the best!!! I love that she is adding her voice to your pages and that she is creating her own pages- what a treasure.
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great machine! have fun w/ your mom.
I still have my sewing machine from high school - some 20 yrs old. I need to find a place for it so its OUT for use. Thanks for the push.
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Aww, great post, Ali! I wish my mom lived closer so she could help me with my sewing machine battles. Enjoy your time together :)
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Thanks for sharing. My mother passed away 6 years ago. Reading about your relationship with your MOM gives me time to pause and reflect on the one I had with mine. Tears of joy! I miss her. Thanks again.
BTW. Great sewing machine. I have one from my mom that was from hers. Circa 40's. It's a beast and currently not working, but I've saved it for the memories. Lisa ;)
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OH MY GOODNESS - I am ca-racking up right now because as I went to post my comment I pushed my foot down as if to start sewing. LOLOLOL - can't wait to go up and tell Brad.
Now I forget what I was going to say dangit!
Anyway, you will love it - what an incredible history kinda like Simon's bed. Things that have a rich history have so much more personality:) Even though my machine has no history, I love it that it was a gift from Brad AND I also love the fact that one of my favorite people on this earth taught me one night at her kitchen table (Susan's mom).
Can't wait to see what you pump out......
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