Sexism in Sewing

by JCMaxwell Posted on April 7, 2012

This is the third in a series of musings on sewing. Part 1: 15 Essentials for Sewing and Part 2: Sewing Machines I Have Loved (and Hated).

This image comes from the Singer Little Touch and Sew sewing machine manual. (Link goes to a PDF.)

       Along with images such as this, there is a story about a family, and some directions/instructions to the young sewer, specifically “young lady” as well as “Dear Mother” because of course she is doing the teaching here, right?

So this makes me wonder a few things:

1. Is Brother hanging around because he wants his snazzy pants mended? (LOVE the 60s pants!)

2. Is he looking on and learning because he is a proto-Tim Gunn/Issac Mizrahi/Todd Alexander/Tommy Hilfiger?

3. Is he admiring the cut of that doll’s dress because some day he hopes to look “fancy” too?

4. Is he being a supportive brother and admiring his sister’s handiwork?

5. Or is he mocking the whole enterprise? Continue reading →

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Sewing Machines I Have Loved (and Hated)

by JCMaxwell Posted on April 5, 2012

When I was writing my post, “15 Essentials for Learning to Sew,” I hit a rabbit hole on Google and started thinking about machines and tools I’ve used since I learned to sew..

Probably around 1965, I vaguely remember a Singer kid’s machine that sounded like a tank. It is the Singer Little Touch and Sew, ca. 1966. (I’m reading teh intarwebs and apparently, it was battery operated but also came with an adapter. According to the manual, you could crank it or use power. I do not remember a foot pedal, though.)

On this machine, I made horse blankets for my Breyer horses. I also learned to sew the snaps on by hand, with vague flashes of watching her knot the thread, why you shouldn’t cut it with your teeth (Aunt Ella had a notch in her tooth from doing that! Also: don’t run with scissors!). Continue reading →

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Fragments

by JCMaxwell Posted on March 31, 2012

I found myself writing on a paper towel yesterday, during a business lunch. Why?

I have a perfectly good Moleskine notebook. Three of them, in two sizes, in fact. All “in progress.” I have a lovely project notebook that I got at Waldemart for $3. It’s half-full.The pages say PROJECT NOTES at the top with a box for date and initials. Very useful.

However, the chaos in my head right now can be symbolized by a paper towel at a BBQ place, ripped off the roll and scribbled upon. It was absolutely vital that I document my thoughts, get the list made before it slipped out of my head. Rather, a lot of wonderful ideas seem to get crowded out by a whole string of more wonderful ideas. Grabbing the closest paper and scribbling seems like a pretty smart thing to do, now that I think of it.

Perhaps I could develop a line of cocktail and dinner napkins, paper toweling and toilet tissue for writers. Pop-up Post-It shirt sleeves. Index card insets on the thighs of jeans.

For what it’s worth, the paper towel felt like a Bounty or something high-quality. It held up quite well to the Pentel rolling ball pen I used. In purple.

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Getting Social

by JCMaxwell Posted on March 23, 2012

I’m doing the social thing (broken links to baffle the spambots)…

http://www.facebook DOT COM/jcmaxwellwrites
https://twitter DoT com/#!/JCMaxwell
http://pinterest DOT cOM/jcmaxwell/
and I don’t know what the Google+ ID is… probably just my name, maybe with periods after the initials?

I’ll get the little boxes on the side soon too! whee!

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Yoga Lessons

by JCMaxwell Posted on March 8, 2012

Oh yes, my shoulder hurts – which is connected to my neck, and arm, and head, and other shoulder, and other arm. Which means that my upper body is torqued and I cannot fully turn my head to the right.

How did this happen? I was amazed that I could do halasana, or plow, with such newfound mobility. I could touch my toes to the floor! without effort! for the first time! Not sure what happened then, but something went uh oh and that was that. Continue reading →

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Resistance

by JCMaxwell Posted on March 7, 2012

I am not sure why I resist doing things, but this morning, it feels easier to sit here and play with my blog than to go to my favorite yoga class. I’ll feel better all day and my body will thank me. But my brain looks at the screen and says, OOOOH, SHINY.

Nothing bad will happen if I go to yoga, and I’m not missing anything here. That’s what I will tell myself. And then I’ll just go be a body moving in the ocean of oxygen, carbon dioxide and nitrogen (etc.), and engage my brain later.

My yoga practice extends to the edges of my mat, and across the universe, but that’s all. No one judges me, no one cares if I do it or not, and this is not about anyone else. Just me.

Namaste.

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