Saturday, November 29, 2014

Notions

Here is the sum total of my sewing supplies:


Haha!  Not much, is it?  Well, I am not much of a sewer.  I can mend, but in a "make-do" sort of way.  Part of my coursework in college involved putting in hours in a costume shop.  The girl there sat me at one of those complicated industrial sewing machines that's all huge spools and threads going every which way and gave me some things to hem.  Well, when she came back by some ten minutes later, she found me with needle and thread hand stitching.

"The machine intimidates you," she stated.

I made a face and she took the stitching out of my hands and told me to go hunt up twenty-five pairs of white ladies gloves from the costume vaults.   I went--willingly! (She was brewing up a vat of tea and was going to pitch the gloves in to stain them ecru.)

I spent the remaining required costume hours backstage helping a fussy little actress in her quick changes between acts in I forget what play.

My sewing box is a white box librarian people might recognize.  It was swiped from a closet near the check-out desk at the college library. A good friend found the door unlocked and the closet stacked to the ceiling with these empty little boxes.

He was surprised as I was.  "Want one?" He asked, smiling.

I shrugged, "Sure!"

And I've had it ever since.

Inside, there is only one real treasure.  This:




Now this is an old object.  It belonged to my mother.  Imagine a grocery store needle holder she probably picked up (in Colorado Springs?) without ever imagining that some half century later her daughter would still own it! (or maybe it even belonged to my mother's mother).

Truly the little foil hole-y place for the needles is used up, but I would never throw this out.  Imagine--Cragmont Soft Drinks "In convenient cans"!  Hahaha.

Do they still even make Cragmont?

When I was a kid we didn't really ever have soft drinks at home.  We took them camping--all of us kids calling dibs on our favorite flavors--wild berry, cream soda, lemon-lime, grape--

Ah well.  Just a little tumble of memories this post.  While in my day-to-day I am trying to get organized for back-to-school and decide on which project to embark on after I finish my knitted shawl collar.  I'm tired of shawls and scarves and am ready to try for a sweater, though I don't think I can knit one yet.  Hmmm.




4 comments:

  1. Crikey - I wish I could pack all of my supplies in a tidy box - the house would be a lot tidier! Jane x

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  2. I would keep those things too and I am glad you showed them to us.
    You are brave saying you got that white box from the library, you might have a stern librarian come after you! Remember how they used to be in libraries? You had to very quiet, it seems very noisy to me now.
    And we also only had Cokes & Fanta Grapes when we were out, never at home.

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  3. I love how is says "West Germany" on the packaging - that goes back to a different era! Funny how such everyday objects can provoke a wave of memories. x

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  4. Hi! Thanks for visiting-nice to meet you! Your sewing box looks as if it has everything you might need and no more. I like the little needle case and the tale of the box. There used to be supermarkets here called Safeway-I wonder if it is the same business as your Mum's needle case? I have far far too many sewing supplies. I do uite a lot of sewing although not all the time, but when I do I never know what I will need. I started collecting old cottons as they come in lovely colours and have ended up with quite a few. Those and buttons are my favourite sewing materials!

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