Why Why Why

@ 2012  Ethel Mitchell

A sewing basket comes to mind for this question, " Why do we keep things". The basket is not one of my Mothers, not my Grandmothers, it is an antique of the early 1900's but no family ties to it. But, it did remind me of one Mother owned with her mending in it and sometimes she kept her embroidery thread there also.

I would take the skeins of colored thread out and make rainbows on the rug and I was careful to keep the thread in a bundle so it would not tangle cause if it did it would be a long time before I could play again with it. I would use the paper bands that were around each skein for rings and each finger was bedecked with a ring.

The basket set on the sewing machine. not a Singer but a White. The machine had a knee press instead of a peddle which was a lot easier in my opinion. I learned to operate it in later years as we had that machine until Mother's demise.

Mother sewed night gowns for my daughters and I embroidered them. She had purchased a bolt of flannel she had found, as all this happened during the war years when many things were scarce and we used it freely. Even made dish towels, crib sheets. doll nighties. I was trying to remember if we had used all of the bolt but that answer evades my memory.

Grandma Emily's sewing basket was similar, round with beads on top but filled with letters and her darning gizmo (sorry I have forgotten the proper name for the article.) You put it inside when you are mending the sock and it gives you a solid surface to work against. I used a light bulb when I darned but gave up as it made blisters from rubbing. Her yarn was more like knitting yarn because socks were mostly wool back then. Her letters were from Sweden and in Swedish, I pretended I could read them. My imagination knew no boundaries when I was young!

I purchased a sewing basket during my antiquing era but alas it does not grace a sewing machine but sets on my dresser with sundry items resting inside but I still look at it and see it sitting in the front room on top of the sewing machine! Memories!

This answered one of my whys but not all. Later!