My Trails into the Past

Mom made many of our clothes: dresses, jumpers, shorts, and pajamas. The only clothes she did not make were jeans, coats, uniforms, and items for the boys, though she once made matching outfits for the four oldest children.  She barely used patterns to make our clothes. Yes, she cut out the pattern pieces. She placed them carefully on the fabric and pinned them down before cutting. But I doubt she really read the instructions. She said she had her way of putting the pieces together.  One thing she did as a short cut was to forgo facings and linings. She rolled the seams at the armhole and collars. She made simple hems she could sew on the sewing machine. She had four daughters and made lots of clothes for them. One special time for sewing was those hours between when Dad left for work at 5 a.m. and we got up at 7. She hid the clothes away if they were to be gifts for birthdays or Christmas. She also made doll clothes for Barbies, baby dolls, and trolls, though the clot...

Having a large family sometimes made it tough to stay within budget. One way to keep expenses down was to shop using coupons, buy items that are on sale, cook your own food, and make your own clothes. My mother managed to do all of that. I have a few photos showing the outfits she made for us. This first shot is of her four oldest children. She made the outfits I think for the photo shoot. The photos were taken in black and white and when I tried to colorize the photo, the print of the fabric did not come out the correct color. These dresses and shirts were green gingham. Once, we took a train ride and she had us all wear these same outfits. I think it made it easier for her to spot us on the train and train platform, and it made it easier for the train conductor to see that we were all together. Mom also had a dress made of the same gingham.  She shopped at the nearby J.C. Penney for fabric, always starting at the sale bin of remnants. When I look at the prices for fabric back...