"A grownup is a child with layers on." - Woody Harrelson
Peeling back the layers.
As I have mentioned before, Mama sewed the majority of my clothes as I was coming up. So I always thought it was a special treat to get a store bought garment. It wasn't until my later teen years that I realized the clothes Mama made were made better than the store bought. No unfinished edges. Her sewing skill far surpassed most of my friends mothers abilities. But today, I am remembering a couple of store bought memories.#
One, was a a plastic multicolored skirt attached to a bodice. A very now and happening little outfit, like a go-go girl would wear. I received this dress from either Sarah or Edna, when we were living on Cooks Road. Proved to be hot, sticky and uncomfortable to wear, but I remember the excitement upon seeing it.
Another memory is when two of Daddy's sisters blew into town. I say it that way, because Elana lived in Oakland, CA and Mitzie lived in Las Vegas, NV. They'd team up and fly in together once a year or so to visit family. When they came, it was always a whirl wind of excitement and activity. One year, after they arrived, nothing would do them but they take Clayon's daughter shopping downtown. I remember they bought me a silky baby blue pajama set, matching silky, quilted robe and houseslippers with blue feathers across the top. I felt like the Queen of Sheba! Certainly nothing fire proof about the outfit, I remember later Mama warning me repeatedly not to stand too close to the gas space heater in my robe. Finally, one day I got in a little too close and melted a big patch of my quilted, slinky robe.
What about you?
Homemade or store bought?
Ever lived with gas space heaters?
Many of our clothes were home sewn and grown Barbara. Especially my ballet tutus and such! But always a treat to get something new. I'm off this morning on safari to Botswana so will be off line for several days (no wi-fi). My posts are prescheduled and will go up, and yours I will return to on my return.
ReplyDeleteHow exciting that sounds! I'm off from work and on the couch looking forward to washing clothes.
DeleteI really like your theme about revisiting the tender days. I am going to catch up on your posts. Nothing like nostalgia to for warm and fuzzy feelings. :)
ReplyDeleteI had mostly store bought. But I think my mother did sew my school uniforms. And I remember sewing made her happy.
Cheers,
Seena
#AtoZChallenge- N is for Naming the baby
Thank you, Seena! Your comment warmed my heart, the part where you said "I remember sewing made her happy".
DeleteHi Barbara,
ReplyDeleteHappy to be here again.
A wonderful childhood memories you brought in thru this piece. A very interesting read.
I like the statement: "Another memory is when two of Daddy's sisters blew into town." the words "Blew into.. is really a wonderful expression indeed. A well fitted phrase!
Thanks for sharing your nostalgia.
Keep sharing
Thanks a lot for your valuable presence on my page.
Keep visiting, i do reciprocate LOL
Have a great weekend
Best Regards
~ Philip
Thank you! It's actually just an expression we use from time to time. ;)
DeleteAs a baby and toddler, my mother made many of my clothes. But she went back to work, and she no longer had the time for that sort of thing, so store bought after that.
ReplyDeleteI hear you! Working full time changes lots of things.
DeleteMy mother too made all my clothes, apart form my school uniform. She was apprenticed to a tailor at the age of 14 and was still making her own clothes in her 80's. I am enjoying your "Tender Year" memories and thank you for your visits to my blog.
ReplyDeleteFamily History Fun
Thank you! And your mom sounds amazing!
DeleteLovely memory. Reminds me of all the clothes my mother had made for me.
ReplyDeleteAneeta from
How to Tell a Great Story
Happy to know my memory stirred your own memories!
DeleteI have had sweaters made for me, I didn't appreciate them then, now would be a different story. NICE POST, Now you are almost near the end!
ReplyDeleteWelcome in the letter "N"... thank you!
Jeremy [Retro]
AtoZ Challenge Co-Host [2016]
Stop over and find a free "SIX STRINGS: BLOGGING AtoZ CHALLENGE" Here: http://www.jmhdigital.com/
HOLLYWOOD NUTS!
You know you want to know if me or Hollywood... is Nuts?
Thank you, Jeremy! I think often times we don't appreciate everything the way we should as a child, just because our scope of understanding is still so limited.
DeleteHow upsetting it must have been for you to burn your robe. Also scary how bad it could have turned out for you.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I shudder at the thought of having such an attitude when I was a kid, I did not like handmade garments. I think I associated homemade with being too poor to buy from a store. One of my aunts made me a skirt when I was a young teen and I never wore it. It was made of polyester, the version that I think is called double-knit and I call it "icky-ester". Looking back, I think my problem wasn't so much that it was homemade, but the material in that particular instance.
We had a big heater in our living room on Wellington Street and I think it was gas, but I don't know for sure. The only thing I really remember about it was that it stuck out into the living room floor and we had to be careful of it if we were running circles around inside the house. :)
Have a great day!
Oh, yes! I remember running the circles! LOL
DeleteAs a young adult, I spent a couple of years living in a one-room apartment over a variety store. It was heated by a gas heater set up in a window. One night I placed a wet towel on it to dry, then promptly forgot about the towel until the smoke alarm went off. That heater was hotter than I thought!
ReplyDeleteYou were fortunate nothing more come of that!
DeleteReally early memories are of things that resembled radiators and got extremely hot.
ReplyDeleteGreat grandma made our summer clothes, shorts and shirts. My step-mom once made me several school dresses that I thought were only for Church until she told me they didn't go to church so I better wear them;-) You're right, homemade clothing was always better quality.
It was nice of your step mom to think of you and go to that trouble. I made come play clothes for Hannah when she was a toddler, then I figured out I could get them at Wally World already made cheaper than I could buy fabric, and I stopped.
DeleteMy mama sewed our clothes, she was very good at it. We would catch a ride to San Antonio and walk up and down Houston street looking in the windows to see what was in style. Mama could go home and copy it from memory. Space heaters? Yes, yes, yes. Two different times the curtain blew into it. Both time Mama jerked it down and ran outside with it.
ReplyDeleteMy sister Sarah could do that look at something and then go home and sew it thing. Mama needed a pattern. Once I had seen a beautiful dress for Easter I wanted in a catalog. They wanted over $40 for it! Mama went to the fabric shop, chose two patterns and then identical materials and came home and made it for me. Thank goodness your Mama was quick to notice those curtains!
DeleteBarbara, I am SO chuckling. I made most of the clothes for my kids. I remember my daughter, when she hit about sixth grade, saying "Mom, can't I have a store-bought dress!"
ReplyDeleteYour post brought back many memories. Thanks. I enjoyed it.
You are welcome. Glad you enjoyed your time in Caneyhead!
DeleteJust seeing this post for the first time and I really like it.
ReplyDeleteI remember the wall gas jets. Do you remember those? I am from a family of 7 siblings. We were not rich by any means being share croppers in Texas. We had those Dearborn space heaters to keep warm in the winters. We would stand in front of the space heater and get beat red but your back side would be freezing!
http://enchantedfantasies.blogspot.com/
That's exactly what I'm talking about, Thea! Hubby if from a family of seven as well. Those heaters and the old wood stoves were/are excellent sources of heat, but once you stand by one it is very hard to get away from it. Everywhere else seems cold by comparison.
DeleteThese posts of yours are priceless! You bring back so many memories. We had a space heater that we had to get seven kids around. Those were the days. The side away from the heater would always be freezing.
DeleteWe didn't get too many store bought outfits either. Mamaw made most of our clothes out of flour feed sacks with little flowers on them. Once a year we'd get a few new things before school started. Mama had a sewing machine, but I think she was too busy talking care of kids to use it much.
Sunni
http://sunni-survivinglife.blogspot.com/
With seven kids, I can imagine your mama was more than busy! Glad you are enjoying this theme. Thanks for sharing!
DeleteYour mum sounds awesome. I come from a large family, my mother would never have had time to make clothes for everyone. Mostly we receive hand-me-downs.
ReplyDeleteI had one older girl cousin (Kim) who I would occasionally receive hand-me-downs from. I suppose that may be why Mama made them.
Delete