Thursday, June 5, 2008
My first school project a sampler,well sort of...
During my school days in Berlin/Germany by age 12 all girls took a subject called
" Handarbeit" [translation handwork ] . Here we learned the secrets of creating with our hands. My first project was , historically legendary , a sampler in the form of a folded "purse" for keeping handkershiefs and it was cross stitch which we learned along with stitching the sides with a sewing machine. Soon thereafter followed learning the use of knitting needles and the crochet hook with various projects, then we learned the use of the sewing machine and eventually switched with the boys, where they learned the useful purpose of needle and thread while the girls were in the workshop with hammer and saw creating of all things a fancy letter opener made of fine wood made from scratch.
At age 14 I was flatly told by my Mom, who had made all of my clothes up to then, that she was tired of my complaints and from now on, I was to make my own clothes . What a proposition, and how could I refuse? I found a wonderful teacher in my Mom and made a simple pleated skirt for myself out of plaid wool as I remember and was proud as can be of myself. The following projects were childen's clothing for my little cousin Thorsten. A real boys shirt and pants...I remember that I forgot that boys close their pants from left to right and wondered if the 2 year old would mind?...But I did not fix it, hey ,making the buttonhole had been a big project and turned out good even if it was on the wrong side of the waistband. It was a simple Singer Treddle Machine ,which a caring school teacher in recognition of her students achievements gave to my Mom many years before , that I loved to play with. Soon I learned to make and fit my own patterns and made my own clothes for many years , even my first Wedding dress.....
" Handarbeit" [translation handwork ] . Here we learned the secrets of creating with our hands. My first project was , historically legendary , a sampler in the form of a folded "purse" for keeping handkershiefs and it was cross stitch which we learned along with stitching the sides with a sewing machine. Soon thereafter followed learning the use of knitting needles and the crochet hook with various projects, then we learned the use of the sewing machine and eventually switched with the boys, where they learned the useful purpose of needle and thread while the girls were in the workshop with hammer and saw creating of all things a fancy letter opener made of fine wood made from scratch.
At age 14 I was flatly told by my Mom, who had made all of my clothes up to then, that she was tired of my complaints and from now on, I was to make my own clothes . What a proposition, and how could I refuse? I found a wonderful teacher in my Mom and made a simple pleated skirt for myself out of plaid wool as I remember and was proud as can be of myself. The following projects were childen's clothing for my little cousin Thorsten. A real boys shirt and pants...I remember that I forgot that boys close their pants from left to right and wondered if the 2 year old would mind?...But I did not fix it, hey ,making the buttonhole had been a big project and turned out good even if it was on the wrong side of the waistband. It was a simple Singer Treddle Machine ,which a caring school teacher in recognition of her students achievements gave to my Mom many years before , that I loved to play with. Soon I learned to make and fit my own patterns and made my own clothes for many years , even my first Wedding dress.....
Labels: My early needle creations
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