Sunday, August 9, 2020

A different kind of YOP post...

This isn't a typical YOP update in that I don't have anything to show in terms of interesting progress on any projects.   I ended up restarting my Leaps and Stripes Blanket because it was just too wide and I would have run out of one of the yarns if I kept going at the size it was.  Painful as it was, I ripped the whole thing out and started over.  All's good, but I have nothing to show than what I've shown before.

So what have I been up to for the last couple of weeks?

We (hub's siblings and me) have been filling spare time continuing to work at Mother-In-Law's house to remove things so that her house can be gotten ready for selling.  Mostly, I've been sorting through items that are fairly inconsequential to the sibs and, happily for me, those items have included crafty stuff (in this case, sewing stuff). 




I've mentioned before that my mother-in-law was a quilter and a mighty fine seamstress.  As you can imagine, she had quite a collection of cotton fabrics and the paraphernalia that goes along with those hobbies.



The first task in getting through this huge job was to consolidate everything into categories.  I decided to start with the fabric.  After collecting it all together, sorting it all by color, choosing some fabrics I might enjoy using, and asking a niece to take whatever she wanted - there was still probably a third of all the fabric left.  Determined that I wasn't bringing it home, the remainder of the fabric went to a "Little Dresses" ministry and what they couldn't use made its way to a local quilting group where it can be put to use.   

At home, I further sorted and figured out how to temporarily store what I am keeping, and I am both delighted and a little shocked at how instantly I came to own a little hoard of fabric. 




With the fabric neatly sorted and stored, I then set to the task of consolidating and sorting through all the rest of the items.  That would include seam bindings, spools of thread, needles, scissors, rulers, rotary cutters, buttons, unfinished projects, books, safety pins, straight pins, elastic, trims...   I'm sure I'm forgetting something. 

I'm pretty sure I missed a calling.   As exhausting as all that was, I do consider it fun (or maybe it's actually kind of relaxing, even meditative), to do this kind of work - especially when it involves things I'm more than a little fascinated with.  




Fascination did eventually wane, though (thankfully), and that helped me see clearly what to keep (which was relatively little) and what to pass along.   The items that landed in the later category are now neatly boxed up and back at MIL's so that others can look through it and take what they want before the remainder of that (likely) gets donated.



I kept some thread, and trims (above is just a sample).  A couple of small sharp scissors, a few of books, and for now some unfinished projects that I might enjoy showing here someday if I actually manage to finish them.   But today I thought it would be fun to show some differerent-to-me items I came across.



What I thought interesting above is that these little pins were originally 10 cents.  But there's a price tag marked 8 cents.  There was a time when 2 cents made a difference, I suppose. 

And there was this oldie, but goodie:




I'm struck that on the packaging above there is no mention of what is inside, but rather the outside of the folder of these needles was evidently prime real estate for advertising.  



MIL had dozens of little cards with snaps and eyelets on them like the ones above, and they are sweet to me not only for the nostalgia factor - in that they represent the time when I was a child - but given that there were a lot of cards with snaps and eyelets missing, I imagine she used products like these to sew clothing for her children and herself.



Now, the little scissors above are a mystery to me.  I'm sure at least one of you out there can tell me why there is a screw on them.   I've seen pictures of scissors like this before, but until I had some in my hand and played with them and still couldn't figure out what the purpose of that screw is, I wasn't motivated to even ask.  So now I ask. "Why the screw?"  I'll wait to read the comments before I google it.  Please don't spoil the fun and google it for me.  😉


The above is a sewing course in 6 little envelopes.  There are no instructions with this, but all the packets have a good amount of sewing done so I'm pretty confident my MIL used this.  It makes me wonder if she is completely self-taught using this type of thing.  Or if these, were perhaps materials for an in-person class.  I just don't know...






And there was this:

I found this manual (pictured above) called The Lutterloh System - and measuring tools MIL had purchased to go along with it (according to a receipt tucked inside).  The instructions look a bit sparse to me, but it appears that it's something of a beginning clothing design course, or just instructions for either perfecting already printed patterns, or perhaps drawing your own. 


I have no idea if MIL did much with this, but I certainly see the evidences of some beginnings at least - by her hand-written notes that were tucked inside.


~~~~~

All of this and more (that I hope to find opportunities to share in future posts) have really given me an appreciation for the creative soul my mother-in-law was.  It's one thing to see the finished creations and marvel over them, but it's another thing altogether to look through the minutia of what went into her creations, seeing little drawings and notes scribbled and imagining the time she dreamt of things she would make. My goodness...  as many times as I've gone to sleep thinking of color schemes for my next crochet project, I'm thinking she must have done the same thing when it came to quilts and sewing garments.  

It's one thing to know a person is skilled in an area, but it's quite another to connect to that inner, private part of a person that the world doesn't necessarily see when they only view the polished final products that result from hours of thinking, planning, and making.  

These things and thoughts feel bittersweet to me.  To discover them now.  But then I wonder if that's just the way it often is.  The private self is usually that - private.

All I know for sure is there's more contemplating going on here...




I hope you've enjoyed a tiny glimpse (and believe me, if you could see what all I've sorted through, you'd know just how tiny this glimpse is) of my mother-in-law's creative world.

More to come in the future, no doubt.  😊







36 comments:

  1. The AJ Bayless advertisement took me back to the late 70's. That was our neighborhood grocery store in Arizona! Your insight about your MILs life and creativity was quite touching and moving. It will be interesting to hear about those scissors. I will keep watching to find out.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Interesting about AJ Bayless. MIL is from South Dakota so I wonder if that is a store out west. As a life-long Hoosier, I've never heard of it before now. Thank you for your comments, Marsha. I'll have a definite answer about the scissors soon and will post in next week's YOP update.

      Delete
  2. What a walk down memory lane. Loved your post. The fabrics look beautiful.

    Is the screw to keep the scissors from opening between uses?? Probably would help protect the "blades". Can't say that I ever used a pair with a screw.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Maureen. The screw is to keep the scissors from closing all the way. That's the only thing I'm sure of. ;^)

      Delete
  3. I'm sorry, I'm no help with the scissors but oh my, the Lutterloh system! That brings back memories! My mother had it and used it for a while but I can't actually remember if she really made anything with it. It's supposed to be simple. You have all those miniture pics of pattern pieces, you figure out what size you need and then enlarge the pieces to your own meassurements. There should be a special ruler with the package. You just stick the ruler to the pic and a pencil to the other end of the ruler, or rather, to where your size would be marked, and just draw along. In theory, you end up with a perfect fit. In reality, I suppose you would still have to make adjustments. The fabrics you kept are so beautiful, I can't wait to see what you'll use them for.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Looking it up, and reading people rave about this system, one would think it would be simple, but looking at the diagrams in the manual I'm a bit overwhelmed. What you describe is eactly right, though I hadn't studied it closely enough to see what you're saying about drawing out the pattern. That is fascinating, if that's the case! I'm looking forward to playing with the fabric. I've been imagining all sorts of projects. But I need to get my crafty room cleaned up from all this sorting first. :) Today!

      Delete
  4. What an adventure you took us on. This was great to read. No idea about the scissors though.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you so much, Liz! I'm glad you enjoyed it. :)

      Delete
  5. Wow, what an interesting job, a real trip down memory lane. So exciting to see the process and not just the finished article. I have never seen scissors with a screw before, but perhaps you could use it to adjust how much they cut?!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, adjusting the cut must be the purpose. By why I couldn't imagine - until reading comments below. :)

      Delete
  6. Does the screw go through the other side, for child proofing? Or does the screw stop it closing all the way and enables you to cut into fabric not at the edge of the fabric but in a little bit? To make a button hole maybe? But then button holes go the other way. Hmmmm 🤔 I’m off to see what google says now, I won’t share here but I need to know lol. Thank you for taking us on a tour of your MILs things. It was really interesting to see those things and I’m glad she has a relative that is appreciating even the little things.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. No to the question of the screw. It's purpose does seem to be to keep the scissors from closing completely. You may be right about the button hole possibility - I'm replying backwards and saw that lovestoswath below is on the same page as you. In my playing with them I don't think I was ever going to figure it out. I'll share in next week's post after googling too. It's fun to get people's guesses - or even to see that others are as stumped as I am/was.

      Re: MIL's things, while I'm not sure her sons would find this stuff fascinating, I do think her daughter will. It is my intention to sort out the clutter (some things clearly can be thrown away) and gather some things (like the personal items that show her processes) together and save them for when the time is right share it with the extended family. I think it will be a great way to spend some time together. I've rescued a thing here or there of FIL's too that DH had thrown into the trash or recycling bag. Of course, it wouldn't be good to save everything, but I find it interesting to be both less emotionally attached to these things and at the same time able to see the potential emotional value of hanging onto some things if only to appreciate them for a while (even just a moment) before discarding or giving them away.

      Delete
  7. I enjoyed this post so much. It is interesting to see someone else doing this. I have done my share of it and our kids will too one day. It is interesting to think what she might have been thinking and dreaming with her notes and projects. I have no idea about the screw and can't wait to read other comments.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm glad a post like this is interesting to someone else. It's what's in my head so much recently, I felt I needed to get it out somehow. Thanks for reading, Sandy. :)

      Delete
  8. such a bittersweet post, lots of memories, but it is beautiful to see all that material passed on to good use!

    The Lutterloh system - you may also google "Golden rule", I have been toying around with the idea of buying, and it does cost a pretty penny, so that is a great find I think!

    On the screw: isn't it to prevent a full cut, e.g. when cutting the buttonhole near the seam?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That makes complete sense - about the screw on the scissors. Yes, depending on how much the screw is screwed in, it does stop the scissors from closing completely. What I couldn't imagine was why one would want to do that - but your explanation makes sense! I suppose that also could explain the little notch on the blades, too. I can now imagine how that would work cutting a hole inside the edge of a garment. Regarding Lutterloh System - inside the front cover is a page marked The Golden Rule. Googling this product today it appears they are the same, but it's been updated with more current clothing designs. Interesting that this is a system that people continue to use and love!

      Delete
  9. What a wonderful post. I had a similar experience going through my mom’s sewing supplies when she passed away. I also think a lot about my own supplies and what our daughters will think when they have that task!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Both of my parents passed over 20 years ago and because of the circumstances I never had the opportunity to go through their things to this degree. But then my mother worked full time supporting my father's two businesses so she had little time for hobbies or creative pursuits, though she did try to learn to crochet (from her sister who was 18 years older than her) in her last few years of life. I have things that my grandmother (her mother) made, though, so I've sometimes wondered if my mother had had the time if she would have enjoyed creative pursuits like I have. In thinking about it, I can see that she was always a big supportor of my hobbies as a child and young adult. Yeah... I think if she'd had the opportunity, she might have pursued creative activities more than she did. All this said, I don't think my three sons will want to sort through the paraphernalia of my hobbies, so I think I need to figure out a plan to make it easy for them to divest themselves of it when that time comes. ;^)

      Delete
  10. what treasures she must have made and also in her stash! how lovely that you are able to give so much of it away! God bless!!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This is exactly how I feel, Elizabeth. A good number of people will be blessed as the sibs share items that she collected. All of this drives my hubs to want to frantically get rid of more of our stuff. I'd like to continue to pare down, too, but I have such a different perspective on certain things now. While it's been a lot of work, I've considered all of this sorting through things something of a gift. The hard part is that it's also physically exhausting. And, no doubt, the emotional work of going through a parent's belonging creates it's own kind of exhaustion too. Being the "process" person that I am, I'm seeing the gift that this kind of work offers, whereas my husband (for example), who's much more an "end results" sort of guy, my way of thinking about it simply does not compute.

      Delete
  11. What a treasure trove of goodies! All those beautiful fabrics and trims. I'm sure it was a lot of work but I could see where it would be fun too!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes... like a kid in a candy store fun. :) Dangerous, too. ;^)

      Delete
  12. Actually the glory of all your Mother-in-laws craft items made me a little sad. I have seen other stashes of craft stuff that have 'outlived' the owner that loved them among my friends. It is always somewhat satisfying to see such stuff move on to other who will love it and use it. But it always thinks of my own grand stash of knitting and how I want to give it away myself, then have it given away by others after I am gone. So I have actually started doing that. As I do this, the stuff I keep becomes more and more precious - real treasures. Hopefully I can use them before I am gone. Lovely post. Thank you.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Elane. Yes... there is a sadness to all this. I have to turn that sad around quickly, though, or it will start to settle in. My MIL gave away much of what she made in her lifetime, but in terms of her supplies - honestly, I think she was still very much of the mind that she would use these things again. She was a caregiver to her husband for a few years before he died (2 years ago) and I know she longed to get back to her quilting group at church. But shortly after her husband died, her own health created issues for her that made sitting at a machine and sewing for any length of time difficult.

      The saddest thing was seeing a mask still on her sewing machine that she was trying to make for herself. I remember, at the time, my SIL telling me she struggled to get the needle threaded (I find threading needles challenging anymore, but she had macular degeneration). Anyway, when I heard that was the case, I made her three masks - and wished I'd made them earlier. I believe she wore one, but two are still in the bag I gave them to her in - looking brand new. She didn't have much need for a mask, but she did need at least one for when she went out to a doctor's appointment - at least once a week it seemed in her last few months. While it was sad seeing that unfinished mask still sitting at the machine, I was struck by her tenacity and desire to make something like that. I think she even said, once she figured out the pattern, she wanted to make masks for the little boys who lived next door. Aways making something for someone... :)

      Delete
  13. I enjoyed this post so much. It was a trip down memory lane as I inherited my aunt's sewing machine cabinet and it was full of similar treasures. She had every colour imaginable of bias tape! and oh, the thread, and the needles, and the odd assortment of hooks and eyes. Thank you - I have now idea what those scissors are about - I will go read the comments now to see if anyone else does.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I keep encouraging DH to look at this time of going through his parent's belongings as treasure hunt. Unfortunately, he's taken upon himself much less interesting things to go through, and the treasures on his searches are much fewer.

      Delete
  14. Becki, this is such a sweet post, full of memories and special treasures, and honoring to your mother-in-law!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you for your kind comment, Cheryl. I cannot wait to show off some actual things she's created. I brought home a beauty this week that will be its own post one day, but I've GOT to find the album of pictures she put together of her many quilts and banners.

      Delete
  15. Cute bits and bobs you've found there.

    ReplyDelete
  16. When my ex's grandmother passed the family rented one of those dumpsters and pitched everything. So sad. She too was a sewer and I am glad you had the chance to respect her passion by saving some items.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That is sad. I will say, though DH and his sibs contemplated getting one of those dumpsters (because, honestly, there is a lot that does simply need to be thrown away (and/or recycled), but it could only be rented for something like 9 days and we just didn't have the ability to get it all done in that short length of time. I'm amazed that we're where we're at with the whole process (which is nearly ready to put the house on the marker) in just over two months.

      Delete
  17. What a wonderful post - and such a special way to honour your MIL. I'm so glad you are finding things that she obviously treasured and that you're not simply tossing them out. It's a glimpse you are having into her life and that's wonderful. I found the Security Stamp of particular interest because I remember when I was a child my mother collected something similar that were offered by a local grocery store. When you filled a booklet with them you were able to turn it in on products. Seems to me she got her towels that way. The screwed scissors were of interest too but I'm afraid I'm of no help as to their purpose.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's the glimpse into her life that is really intriguing to me and what feels most valuable about doing this. When I was young there were S&H Green stamps that were collected and used to "purchase" products. I remember my MIL giving us some when we were young marrieds (in the 1980's) and I think my husband traded them in on a toolbox or something like that.

      Delete
    2. Green Stamps - that's what they were called! I couldn't remember the name. I know pretty much all our household towels came from collecting those stamps, just like a large number of coffee mugs came out of boxes of either rolled oats or puffed wheat cereal. Glasses came from the gas station.

      Delete
  18. Hi Becki :) That must have been hard to go through your mother-in-law's things like that. I understand how you would find it bittersweet. She had lots of really neat stuff. I'm glad that you are sorting it out and finding good homes for her treasures. :) No idea about the scissors, they are really neat though. They look old-fashioned. I'll have to read the comments above to see if anyone figured them out!! :)

    ReplyDelete