GANEIDA'S KNOT.

Go mbeannai Dia duit.

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Quaker by conviction, mother by default, Celticst through love, Christ follower because I once was lost but now am found...

Friday, July 9, 2010

Whatever happened to...?

In Seattle you haven't had enough coffee until you can thread a sewing machine while it's running. ~ Jeff Bezos.

The haberdashers. You remember the haberdashers. Every department store had one, once upon a time. There you could buy by the yard [it was sold by the yard back then] lengths of pretty & interesting material for summer dresses, skirts, blouses, winter coats, warm flannelet for jammies, crisp linen for that chic work skirt, satin for girl's party frocks, silk ~ well, just because. One needs no excuses for silk. Whatever happened to the haberdashers?


You see we need one. This term Ditz is sewing. Not that I'm any seamstress. That designation belongs to my mother, who is quite extraordinary, but I can sew a straight seam. If pushed I can turn a crotch. Extra patience is needed for collars & button holes but I can manage if I must. I don't have my mother's eye for detail or an obsession with perfection ~ possibly a good thing when teaching a child to sew.


In the entire shire there is just one place I can buy material ~ plus those other essentials of a well turned out seamstress: spare needles; thread; elastic; patterns; pretty ribbons, lace, bias binding; I do not make my own bias binding! At least there is one place. Unfortunately that seriously limited our choice of materials. It was pink ~ or ...pink. We aren't pink girls.


I said, I did say, didn't I? I'm not really a seamstress so I squashed Ditz's visions of *that nifty little number with the full skirt & a train for gala concerts*! No way, Hosea! "Girl", I said, "you need to learn the basics before we tackle anything that big" ~ & if I have my way I'm packing child, pattern & gloriously shiny material off to my mother to do battle with! But I digress.


Ditz's idea of *something simple* was boxers & flannel bottoms. Hmmm. I can actually do shorts so I agreed, having limited Ditz's choice of patterns to either Butterick or Simplicity ~ two firms I know make their instructions super easy & clear & who's patterns don't cost an arm & a leg. As stated, our choice of material was pink...or pink. We will start with the flannelet. Nice long seams to practice on & material that won't slide all over the place. If that is reasonably successful I will let her loose on the shiny fabric she wants for her boxers.


Dear & beloved readers, pray for us, now & in the hour of our need. I think extra doses of patience will be needed this term. On the plus side, Ditz has actually chosen to do this...

22 comments:

Catherine (Alecat Music) said...

I'm sure they'll turn out just fine.
Slippery fabric IS challenging though, Ditz. Go slowly. Measure twice/thrice and cut once.
Wishing you lots of patience, Ganeida ... it gets a bit 'scary' watching the children learn to sew. :)

Ganeida said...

Thanks, alecat! ☺ I had to walk away from Liddy: she wouldn't listen at all. Ditz is actually easier that way ~ & she is more methodical. I think she will do great. Me, not so sure. lol

Ruby said...

Ah, this brings back memories! I had a capable mother but one of my sisters was and is and exceptional seamstress. Oh, she made me pcik and unpick. Pick, pick, pick! I preferred the cooking side of the domestic sciences.
When my girls got to that stage I braved the sewing machine and we made cushion covers :-) Then I handed them on to some local ladies who took classes Phew!
Alas, even that little haberdasher is no more.

I love the coffee quote up the top! Will surely find a reason to requote that one.

Gerry Snape said...

Here in the north west we have an amazing family concern called Abakhan and that is like going to heaven if you are in to fabric and making in fact you don't even have to be in to making just buy a bit and throw it over the couch!!Thread needles wool lace ribbon .....et al magic!

Ganeida said...

Ruby: lol I've threatened Ditz with my mother ~ who is a very detail oriented lady! We clashed when I was learning.

I had a hard time choosing my quote for this. The Quote Garden has some really great ones. For knitting too if you're into knitting.

Gerry: love, love, love material. The sewing? Meh, not so much. I just like the look & feel of pretty material. ☺

Diane Shiffer said...

Ahhh Ganeida, this post just warmed the cockles of my wee little heart. Ditz is sewing? Yay! I just love to see yung'unz with a desire to learn. And you've chosen an excellent beginner project too. Flannel is perfect too. The shiny fabric... not so much. I avoid that kinda stuff as much as possible. But on the bright side, she'll learn that Mama really did know what she was talking about when she advised against it. Always good for the soul, I think!
Please please please post picks when she's done!

The HoJo's said...

oh how I would love to see step by step pics of this one :o) have fun xc

MamaOlive said...

Glad to have you back home; I was going into withdrawals. :-D Yeah, I've been home all week and still haven't written. My new desk arrangement isn't so conducive to typing.

Ganeida said...

Persuaded: Now what ARE you doing all the way on the other side of the world? If you lived next door [as planned & expected] we could have a little sewing party & you could make sure we got it right & we could drink coffee with choc bickies & chat while Ditz ran up her crooked seams. lol Definitely pics when done.

Hojos: Looks like I need to take more pics than planned. You will owe Ditz, you do realise, don't you? ☺

Mama O: That is serious, girl! Withdrawals? Tut~tut. We can't have that. ☺ I miss everyone too when I'm away. Any longer & I would have had to get on mum's computer & it is slow, slow, slow.

Sandra said...

I'm going to divulge a closely held secret; I am an accomplished seamstress. But I gave it up because I no longer enjoyed it. But I could make anything, including my own patterns.

Good luck with this. I will wish you good luck and good fortune. And remind you, you do have your mother as a back up. : )

Ganeida said...

Sandra: I should be more surprised but you do the homely art of cooking rather well also. ☺ Thanks for the good wishes. I'm lucky enough to have a really good friend on the island who sews extremely well, even drafts! If we get stuck we'll land on her ~ only she doesn't know it yet. lol

loving, laughing and learning said...

You need to try online stores, they have a better variety and can be cheaper. I did a quick ask around and most people reccomend Hawthorne Threads http://www.hawthornethreads.com/home
i think this place might do satin
http://www.fabricshoponline.com.au/epages/sfe.sf/en_AU/?ObjectPath=/Shops/sfe

loving, laughing and learning said...

and this place does raw silk lol
http://www.nappiescovered.com.au/products/Raw-Silk.html

Ganeida said...

Hey, Mrs Bean: Thanks for the links. I buy books on~line but forget the net is for more mundane things also. lol Will have a look as we aim on more than just the pants if all goes well. I am hoping simple will give Ditz success & sucess will breed enthusiasm for more difficult projects. Fingers crossed.

Amanda said...

I remember those haberdashery stores. My mum was a seamstress/dressmaker, and visited them often! I guess now we have Spotlight and similiar. Not the same though is it?!

I didn't inherit my mother's love of sewing, that's for sure ;) Patience would be my lack in that venture lol.

seekingmyLord said...

I would be in your little sewing circle too! I was thinking, after I get all this church website stuff done (which might be done in the next two months, hopefully--look who is kidding herself here?) and rearrange our entire office/homeschool area that I would like to again clean up my art/craft studio area and the Princess and I could sew an apron or a slip or something simple like that together for her to begin learning.

The reality is that there is one of those "would like to do" things that may not work out with the "have to do" things, but I can still wish, dream, and pray. It could happen!

Ganeida said...

Amanda: I like to quilt. It is the only sewing I ever *choose* to do. ☺ Everything else is from necessity.

Seeking: Lots of trouble with this computer. We are discussing updating & that may mean SKYPE. Stay tuned...☺ Not quite the happy sewing circle but may have to suffice. lol

seekingmyLord said...

Sorry your computer is on the blink, but should you update and Skype......I would be very happy!!!!!!

Happy! Happy! Happy!




Happy! :)

Happy Elf Mom (Christine) said...

:) I want to see the finished stuff!

Ganeida said...

Seeking:☺

Mrs C: She's actually nearly done with the flanelette duds so there should be pics soon ~ if my computer holds up. *sigh* I hate when things break down.

Jan Lyn said...

I dislike sewing and dislike it with all of my heart. And oh, how I wish it were not so! I too, have a mother who has been willing to teach my girls...bought them a sewing machine, no less. One daughter was thrilled, the other, well.....hates it. Guess we are all different, but I wish I could talk myself into being that type of girl. I'm just not. It is great Ditz is trying it.
I have an Aunt who tells a story about how my mother and her were in a sewing class together as children. Of course, my mother caught on quickly and had a nice dress to wear. My poor Aunt said it took her soooooo long and so many tries to sew her project, that by the time she completed it, she had outgrown it. ~big time sigh on that~

Ganeida said...

Jan Lyn: I'm not really a sewer. I can manage some things if I absolutely have to & I must admit I adore quilting but this could be a really fraught term. Yes, more than usual.