Sew What?

Bessie started sewing very early. She made her first dress when she was five years old.

This is hard to imagine, but it is true, as was verified by her mother. The following is the account, as was told to this reporter many times, of Bessie sewing her very first dress.

This story is very inspiring in several ways. Bessie wanted to sew a dress for herself. Her mother not only encouraged her, but let her select a piece of material and proceed on her own, without guidance, “helpful” criticism or “micro-management” of any kind.

If Bessie was anything like her five-year-old great-grand daughter, nothing could have stopped her once she made up her mind to take on the project. She was determined. She had made up her mind that she could accomplish the task.

    

As it was told, Bessie folded the material in half and laid it out on the floor. She got sissors and cut a hole for the neck and shaped the sides in for the waist and then out to the edges for the sleeves. She then hand-sewed the seams up each side and underarm areas, turned it right-side-out … and there was her completed dress.

One of the best parts about this story is that her mother not only acknowledged what a great job she did, but she let her wear the dress. Bessie was a very determined little girl. She set out to make a dress and that is what she did.

  

Her mother never criticised how it was done, or how it looked. She took pride in the fact that Bessie took on the project and completed it all on her own.

This was the start of many years of sewing. Bessie made her own clothes for many years after that. They were beautiful and stylish, and the envy of other girls from “well to do” families. The only difference between what she sewed and the “store bought” clothes was that Bessie took much more care to perfection.

Bessie made clothes for her younger siblings, often taking garments that were outgrown by others and re-making them into fashionable clothing. She would take a suit jacket or slacks and cut it down to re-make it into a suit, coat, or dress for a child. As she related the details of how it was done, it was just amazing to hear how she accomplished the deed.

After she was married and had children, Bessie made clothing for her four children that rivaled anything that could be purchased in a store, for style and quality. 

   

She made play clothes, dress shirts, slacks and jackets for the boys. When her daughter came along, she made dresses, coats, hats and leggings for her. 

Bessie also knitted, making everything from beautiful warm sweaters, mittens, gloves and hats to baby layette sets, shawls and blankets. Although she did some crochet, knitting was her favorite.

Bessie was also an artist and drew pictures in pencil of her children and other subjects. She did not persue this skill as much as the other artistic talents since the sewing and knitting seemed much more practical as it provided garments for use.