OK - FLOODS OF MEMORIES - AN ARMY HOUSEWIFE SEWING KIT!

YEP, This sewing kit was Army issue - wouldn't happen today.








I believe I had one of these, or if I didn't I certainly needed it.  Pretty much every evening when my hubby was in AIT (Advanced Individual Training) with the US Army, he came home more than once a week needing his patches taken off and sewn on again, to the point where I dreaded seeing him coming.  Not because I dreaded seeing him, but because I knew he'd excelled in his class and or duties again, and we'd be ripping out stitches and sewing on patches, or measuring, marking, aligning and trying to pin and sew perfectly straight, to the nth degree another patch or two on every piece of clothing he owned with US Army on it.  Some had to be removed and moved up or down by micro specs until they were perfect.  I was experiencing nausea, vomiting and overwhelming fatigue from pregnancy and he was on edge from threats from superiors.  I wonder if the military knows how much pressure they add to families, just thinking on paper here.

He was a PFC at this point, oh do I remember these patches.

My only saving grace was a treadle sewing machine we found at a yard sale.  The needle was bent, so it broke the thread constantly (believe me there were some tense moments).  He worked crazy swing shifts, went for drill and came home with new patches.  I worked, babysat and cleaned house for a family with 6 kids.  Oldest 12, hated me, and the 2 year old was either climbing out windows or flushing very large objects down toilets in Army base housing.  CRAZY doesn't describe it.  I couldn't eat anything but saltine crackers. 

Did I mention this was a tough 13 months in our marriage.  We celebrated our 1st anniversary right after he finished basic training.  Our second anniversary was at Fort Devons, Mass.  Our third he was in Korea, our 4th in Two Rock Ranch CA and our 5 in Ft. Meade Maryland.  I sewed enough patches to make two full outfits for each of us in those 4 years.  I think this may be why it's hard for me to finish any craft that requires a sewing machine.

I need prayer!  I'd love to sew again for my pleasure.

A bio on one of my knit felt handbags. Upcycled to say the least!

This was an interesting purse.

All of this holding two strands of wool yarn together, even when adding the multicolor yarn for the center stripe.

First of all I knit the base nearly twice as long as the coco bag free pattern (see pattern: COCO Bag pattern) 5 rounds on circular needles, then knit them back into the base in a "Tuck" pattern to give the base the extra rib.

Once I had the base completed, I knit in the round bringing up the sides. Explained in Coco pattern.
Then I started knitting around on circular needles but about every 10 rounds I decreased 2 stitches just before the turn and just after the turn on both ends. (that's 8 decreases - knit 2 stitches together x2, at each corner.

Then I started adding sock yarn once I determined I was about 1/3 done with the height of the bag - remember the bag will shrink in felting by 30% in height and 25% in width when washed in hot and cold water.

At this point I knit and continue to decrease by 8 stitches about every 10 rows, but keep bringing in the additional 3rd strand of a multicolor sock yarn.  I drop the sock yarn and finish the last 1/3 with two strands of original color, end bag with an I-cord finish.  knithelp.com explains this method.

The sock yarn???  Leftovers from my granddaughter's hoodie, SAIGE from Berroco.

I took the yarns to my weaving loom, dressed my loom and handwove the strap and attached it with some rings from an old belt.  Added a big button and a crochet loop to latch the purse.

The solid deep green yarn I bought off of Etsy.com from a lady who upcycles wool sweaters back to yarn.  AWESOME.

Finishing touch - braided my fringe on the strap.  That is a really fun technique.

So the news article got me on a research project of my own, shirtwaist factory fire of 1911, What is a "waist" factory.

I heard about the Triangle fire earlier this week when someone moved up a level on the Millionaire show by answering the trivia question correctly.  Then today I watched a commentator on CBS cover the tragic story.

Searching for a "waist" factory, I discovered my new Blog title photo.

Shirtwaist dresses aren't new - they wore them a hundred years ago, but I decided to do a little era research on the "shirtwaist" through the years.

Just curious about the trend through the years.

This is fun... A wool knit bag:1918 Pattern from "Exercises in Knitting" Cornelia Mee

I may try knitting this sight unseen, strictly from the written pattern and see what happens.  I've read and read it and I believe it ends up being a semi circle.  We'll see!!

Shell Knitting for a Bag, in German Wool.

(taken from Exercises in Knitting, by Cornilia Mee copyright 1918 no illustrations!!)

Pins No. 14.

Take 11 shades of wool, begin with the darkest and 4 rows of each shade; that is, 1 pattern done of each.  Cast on 155 stitches, 57 on 2 of the needles and 38 on the third.

(She's referring to double pointed needles)

First Round- Knit 4 stitches, plain.  Bring the wool forward knit 1, bring the wool forward, knit 1.  Repeat this 8 times.  Knit 4 plain, seam 3.  Repeat this all round.

Second Round - Knit 2 plain 2 together, 15 plain, slip 1, knit 1 draw the slipped one over the knitted one, knit 3 plain, seam 4 repeat this all around.

(Note:  when she says "seam stitch" she's referring to purl stitch)

Third Round - Knit 2 plain, 2 together, 14 plain, slip 1, and pull 1 over as before, knit 2 plain, seam 3.

Fourth Round - Knit 1 plain, 2 together, 14 plain, slip and pull over as before, knit 1 seam 3

Fifth Round - Knit 2 together, 14 plain, slip and pull over, seam 3

The stitches will now be reduced to their original number.  Tie on the next shade and repeat the 5 rows as before.  Repeat this 15 times, Then take very small needles, and knit a binder, in simple ribs, in any of the shades 15 rows deep.

The handle is made by knitting on 2 needles of the same size as those used for the bag, with double wool, in the following manner:  Cast on 14 stitches, slip 1, bring the wool forward, slip 1, knit 1, pull the slipped one over the knitted one to the last 2, which are both knitted; without bringing the wool forward fold the two edges into the middle and sew together with the double wool.  Silk tassels to match.


Open for suggestions from people who know how to read older knitting patterns.  I'm stumped on yellow highlighted comment.

I know, I know it's a sickness - trying to get my mind around the technique in the early 1900's.

That was fun! I bought myself some watercolor pencils.

After buying the watercolor pencils, stepping through all the techniques in a little book then spending a day at the park trying my best to paint one silly tree ... I saw this picture on my screen saver.

I decided to give it a whirl.


The end result:

Seriously, I assumed all my still painting talent was totally gone, it's been so many years.  I over did it in a few places, just have trouble leaving it simple.

But after winning a still painting contest in elementary school and getting a summer scholarship, I decided painting wasn't for me, too structured.  My little tablet has about 1/2 dozen tries in it before I landed on painting a photo of a purse.  I may try another one ... I've been wanting a new logo for my blog.