Farm Wife Chronicles

Stitches

I began to sew while I was still in elementary school because my mother was a seamstress who insisted no woman could survive a normal life if she did not know how to sew.  There was a time when every shirt, pant or dress I wore was stitched on my trusty 1970's model Dressmaker sewing machine.  My sons grew up in 'Mom made' clothes and today are not immune to requesting that I create some personal item for them--such as the gun case from Army green canvas and hunting jacket from camouflage burlap I made for my youngest son. 

            In recent years my sewing expertise has centered around creating household and craft items I give away as gifts.  Sewing can be costly and must always take time and care.  To break it down, it takes approximately two and one-half hours to cut and sew a 3' square lap quilt depending upon the depth of the design.  Materials purchased through a place such as Wal-Mart would cost approximately $12 to $15.00.    So, cost for a lap quilt at $10 per hour plus material and notions should run about $40.00 plus tax and postage.   $25 to create and $15 for the materials.  Baby Quilts are larger so would take more time and cost more.  My mother charged more than $100. for homemade full sized quilts twenty years ago.  Today they, too, are far more expensive and harder to come by.

  Below are photographs of some of my recent ventures.   None of the items are for sale.  Sewing is just a past time--something I like to do.  I've thought of selling craft items or sewing for others from time to time but writing tends to take whatever creative time I have.  I will continue to sew and to paint gifts for family members and friends--because I like to.  Sewing and/or painting provides a necessary break for a mind gone numb from creating words to paper...err...computer page.