[nana911]

I sewed clown costumes for my skinkids when they were little and if you looked real close they had little railroad tracks all over them from where I ripped out many many seams and started over... thank god they were clown costumes, 'cuz the absurdity of it was acceptable.

My mom had her mother's ancient treadle black singer a late 1800s or early 1900s model. She sewed MOST everything on it, but she complained to my father that she could not make anything fancy, like a square dancing dress, only shirts and pants, etc.. (they belonged to a club and she wanted a dress with the ruffles, lace rick rick, bells and whistles), my father, the engineer who also taught me how to knit and crotchet, bought a pattern and on that old machine made her the most beautiful red and white square dancing dress complete with layers of ruffles and poufy sleeves, gathered waist, underskirt that made it pouf out, sweetheart neckline, rickrack everywhere, god it was fancy and gorgeous and gaudy. Minnie Pearl and Loretta Lynn look out. Fit her like a glove, she shut up and when she died at 84 she still had not gotten a new sewing machine.