My Norwegian Grandmother
by Barbara
Some people have memories of comfort foods, cardamom, bread baking in the oven, or a special dessert. Not me -- my comfort is the smell of sewing machine oil and memories of the black wrought iron base of the old treadle sewing machine that my grandmother used. I sat on the floor by her feet and played with her tin can filled with buttons while she pumped the treadle making doll clothes for me. She created little panties and slips with lace, dresses, pajamas for my favorite doll which still sits in my sewing nook next to the red lid Plantation Chocolates can that grandma used for her buttons.Grandma taught me to sew on her treadle machine and later I was allowed to use my mom's "modern" black electric straight stitch Singer machine. When in 8th grade we were required to take Home Ec Class. We had to sew skirts with yards of fabric gathered onto a waistband. Even the slimmest girls looked like they were dressed in a tutu in those skirts! I refused to wear it because it was so ugly. I made a dress that I liked better. My friends were taking sewing projects in 4-H and I was motivated to keep up with them. Though I wasnt in 4-H, I sewed lots of clothes that I wore to high school.After I was married I bought a JC Penneys zig zag machine. The next upgrade was an Elna with cams and decorative stitches. From remnants I sewed creative clothes every week for my daughter who became known as the best dressed kid in her elementary school. I was obsessed! I entered garments in the State Fair, in the Grange Make it With Wool Contest and any other competition I could find. Through the years, I attended sewing classes and workshops on sewing with knits, lingerie, tailoring, sewing ski clothing, pellon usage, quilting, and other new techniques until I was finally teaching the workshops myself I and became a 4-H leader. I wore out the metal gears on my Elna sewing machine. The repair man told me he had not seen many machines that were used as much as mine. I upgraded to an Pfaff, and later to a Bernina and a Bernette serger. Click here to read or post comments.
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