(an excerpt from: Singer Sewing Guild: A Complete Reference Guild to Sewing first published in 1949)
When you sew, make yourself as attractive as possible. Go through a beauty ritual of orderliness. Have on a clean dress. Be sure your hands are clean, fingernails smooth --a nail file and pumice will help. Always avoid hangnails. Keep a little bag full of French chalk near your sewing machine where you can pick it up and dust your fingers at intervals. This not only absorbs the moisture on your fingers, but helps to keep your work clean. Have your hair in order, powder and lipstick put on with care. Looking attractive is a very important part of sewing, because if you are making something for yourself, you will try it on at intervals in front of your mirror, and you can hope for better results when you look your best.
Again, sewing must be approached with the idea that you are going to enjoy it, and if you are constantly fearful that a visitor will drop in or your husband come home and you will not look neatly put together, you will not enjoy your sewing as you should. Therefore, “spruce up” at the beginning so that you are free to enjoy every part of any sewing you do.
____________________________________________________________________
Oh, yeah, this is soooo me. Hair brushed? Check. Lipstick on? Check. Clean dress on? Check. Little weird bag of powder next to my sewing machine for dusting my fingers, nevermind that I am a freak about dust between my fingers and toes, and am known for going to great lengths to avoid it, and why the hell would anyone be sticking dust all over their fingers at intervals anyway? Check. A lady must always be prepared, after all.
(Okay, hands up, who actually managed to get through either of the above segments with a straight face?? Who would actually have time to sew after all that sprucing up were done, anyway??)
Credit:
My Byrd House.. if you found it remotely funny, head on over to her blog, and giggle there...she's having a giveaway, to be specified, for all gigglers!
Posts
15 comments:
That's brilliant! I think the author of that would just die if she came to my place while I was sewing...
Hilarious! I have enough trouble keeping my sewing in order, never mind my hair!
You have got to be kidding! Did women really used to live this way? If I am at home sewing, I don't have makeup on and I am probably in jeans and a t shirt. And I am with you on the strange powder, it would freak me out to have that all over my hands! I wash my hands often while I am sewing because they feel dirty handling all of the fabric. I can't imagine chalk, french or not, not driving me insane!
I am so glad I live in the here and now!
I love this... I find I am always defining domestication as well..hehe I adore the vintage though = )
That's hilarious! And, it reminds me of another Irvine story for you. There was a family who lived two houses from us and the mom was often in a dress and all made up with perfect hair. This was circa 1971. My mother wasn't a hippie but she wore jeans a lot and didn't wear a lot of make up when she was home all day. One day, my mom and another mom were talking to the neighbor in front of her house and her husband came home from work a little earlier than usual. She didn't have a dress on or her face made up at the time. He rolled down the window of his car and actually said to her "Well, obviously you're not ready for me yet. I'll be back in an hour." He drove off and she went inside to fix herself up. And, my mom and the other lady decided she was a complete moron.
Oh yeah, I've tagged you to share some quirks about yourself. If you want to do this, details are on my blog.
OH My gosh... I meant defying... gesh.. hahaha
Guess I'd better go take a shower... It's only 1:30...
Since I love your blog, I am giving you an award. http://pipstitch.blogspot.com/2008/08/i-heart-your-blog-award.html
(Gee, just how many comments can I leave on this post?)
What, no dust? I disapprove of your sewing habits :-))
i have a cookbook with pretty much the same sentiments! it cracks me up!
so strange how we've changed {but sometimes, over here, i think it's so strange how we haven't really changed at all! you know?}
Patty-Are you serious?? That's a true story??? OMG..I don't know who I want to deck more...the moron who actually said that, or the moron who took it?? And thanks for all the tags, awards, and comments, lol!
Girl Japan-glad you clarified! (not being sarcastic! Was sitting there trying to work out what exactly that meant, and what the heck was I missing! lol)
And Tonya-no kidding with the handwashing!! Between the dust, and the residual starch, etc, frequent handwashing is a must! :p
hahaha I was thinking oh my - I bet she is trying to figure out what the heck I bloody meant....
How would one define domestication anyway when most of us are running from it. In Japan we have a word for husband "translation"- Master!
I don't even do all that when I'm leaving the house why on earth would I do it to sew?!
And I'm with you about the dust between the fingers and such...yuck!
oh my gosh...can I steal this too? this is great!
Terisa
Post a Comment