“Time NOW… to Start Making Your Gifts”

Nov 2nd “Time NOW… to Start Making Your Gifts”

Learning to Make Something

On Mondays, from 1:00 to 2:00pm, instead of going back to classes at school, we assembled at the tables in the playroom… This was for Girls only!

Each girl had an assigned seat, and each Monday, you were sitting ready to receive your bundle of “Handiwork” to work on.

Each girl was taught by the Nun in charge, Sister M. Colombo.

You would learn to do embroidery work, and also to crochet, and she would find out what was best for you to do!

Since, I had not done any of this fancy stitching, had to start with a plain white cloth with a lot of ” xxx’s” on it, and told how to pull the threaded needle up and down across the area .

Then, was told to turn the hoop and start where I had left off and make an “X” … one completed “Cross-stitch.”

Now that I think about it – I did make quite a few squares of material with Cross-stitch. Whatever the design, I did not really take notice, ( I was only eight years old) but I’m sure, with enough squares completed, if they are joined together, you could easily have a small quilt?

My eyes were surveying what the older Girls were making, and how fast their fingers and hands were going – like they had a mind , all of their own!

I, need to continue this by answering – Why? For What? and More!

Learning to Make Something pg.2

Continuing – When I was eight years old and learning to do Needlework – learning that the more you do it – the better you become with the project!

Also, was learning , “Haste makes Waste.” You need to take your time and be careful so that the small stitches produce the look and design intended for the project.

Large sloppy stitches and carelessness won’t pass muster, with the Nuns!

One visiting Sunday, I had told my Mother, that I was learning to do “Cross-stitch” and she thought that was “Terrific!”

Some time later Mom brought me some threads of various colors, and a small linen hand towel, requiring someone to select the right colors of thread and do the design .

Well, that’s what I did, but I was in a hurry, and when I had completed it – I did not like the finished towel.

I could see first hand… my very own sloppy work – looks bad no matter how you look at it. All I could do was to now be very careful to undo everything, that… I had just done?

It was getting close to “Christmas” – and I made up my mind – this is going to be done right – there’s no other way!

This needs to be done and done perfectly, because I will be making this … “Towel as a gift for my Mother!”

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What a wonderful day it was…. all the family getting together for Alan’s big BIRTHDAY Party… and all of us finding things to do… while the finishing touches were being made on the “Good Eats” that Alan had requested.

When there are little ones … especially when they are your favorites’ and just want to be helpful and learn new things to do… I kinda planned on this ahead of time… by bringing my “arts and craft” handy dandy box of stuff , that would keep Little Lex and ME busy doing… making some important stuff… while everyone else did all the hard things, that you need to do when getting everything ready and done up and “OH” just right on!

Little Lex was so busy with all of the “stickers” that we had to work with … putting on sheets of paper that would turn out to be “BIRTHDAY CARDS… for his UNCLE ALAN” and then…

We had every color of pencil and many crayons… fat and thin of every color possible… we had lots of string to make garlands and even a hole puncher … just to make plenty of holes for the hanging of all of our ART Work!

As you can see… we are working so well together… we even have envelopes for all of the finished products …. just so we could tell “Uncle Alan”… all of these beautiful creations… just came VIA the Express MAIL… from our extra special “Mail Carrier, “Lex”… himself!”