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Previous Challenge Entry (Level 1 – Beginner)
Topic: Sewing (02/22/07)
My Mother had a severe postpartum depression when I was in the sixth grade. It was a confusing, somewhat bewildering time for me. I was anticipating going to what we called junior high and would be moving to a new school building so it was also a time of childhood to teenager anxieties. We were what most folks called poor, although most other folks were too; at any rate it was how it was. My clothes were mostly hand me downs, made overs or thrift store specials - rarely ever homemade with new fabric and never new. I knew my folks couldn't buy me a new dress or even much fabric so somehow I decided I would make myself a new dress.
I had pretty much taught myself to sew - first with needle and thread and a little help from Mom. Then I progressed to the treadle machine. What a glorious day when I was finally allowed to sew on it and my doll clothes didn't take as long to make! I figured out various sewing skills with Mom's guidance when she had time.
So I saved my pennies and birthday money and carefully perused the dime store's flat fold fabric bin. How I loved to look and touch and dream! Being rich must be the ability to purchase as much fabric as you liked with all the matching thread and trims!
"Shifts" were in style then. They were simple straight dresses with very little fitting and no waist. So I thought and thought about how to make one - surely it wouldn't require much of a pattern. I figured and figured just how much fabric I'd need and how to finish the neck and sleeve openings.
Eventually the day came and I bought a turquoise blue lightweight cotton fabric with tiny white flecks that conveyed a faux denim look.
I measured and cut and sewed. Hmmmm.... how could I decorate it and then the idea came! A big sunflower on the front would be just right! I cut out the thin bright yellow fabric flower petals and stitched them on turning under the raw edges and adding a brown circle to the middle for the flower center. Oh yes, Mom had some bright yellow rick rack that would work around the neckline and armholes. I finished sewing the dress pieces together, sewed on the trim, hemmed it and voila! The Sunflower Shift!
I could hardly wait to show it off at school and chose one of the last days of school to wear it!
I guess the teachers had all been alerted to my Mom's condition and of course the dress was obviously new. The teacher asked me a few questions and then announced to the class that I was a clever girl to have designed and made the dress all on my own! I basked in the praise and thought it was quite the latest fashion. I wore the dress a lot that summer so it faded quickly and soon wore out. I saved it for a long time!
As my fashion consiousness level rose, I realized how overwhelmingly ugly it really was - how humbling to think I had thought it beautiful and actually worn it in public! The yellows didn't match to say nothing about having a huge sunflower on your front! It was very embarrassing to even consider!
Lately I've been thinking how often we try to decorate our lives with a bit of sin design or a trim of righteous prideful tinsel here and there and end up looking like a rag bag although we think its beautiful! The Lord Jesus brings us to a place of humility where we see how awful we look, despite the world's praise of the rags that match theirs. After our tears, He gently points the way back to His "pattern" book. Blessed be God who takes our rags and dresses us in His righteousness!
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Member Comments
Member
Date
Clyde Blakely
03/02/07
I like the flow and "pattern" of your writing. I'm not a semstrist (sp?) but you presented your material well enough for this dumb guy to follow. Good job.
I liked your conclusion. It was different from what I thought it would be - a wise teacher who recognized a time to praise (it worked) and a guiding mother who was there even during the not-so-best times. God bless. Keep writing.
Jacquelyn Horne
03/03/07
We can all look back on times when we thought we were on top of the world, until we realized it just looked that way because of our height. It's the same way with our spiritual height. We think we're on top until we look back and realize we're still climbing. Good article.