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Aunt Norie’s sewing room

By Eleanor Mckee - | Mar 3, 2010

Any hometown weekly newspaper goes so far and wide, and is waited for and enjoyed. Our Mirror has a wonderful feature: “Remember When,” by Billie Aye.

In the 100 years ago section, she recently had this story:

The Edminister school was to give an entertainment and box social, this was for Dec 21, 1909.

“Please bring dressed clothespins and boxes”

Which brings up this little question: Does anyone know what is meant by dressed clothespins?

I’m sorry, Billie. I clipped that out with a chuckle, thinking “she’s too young to know, of course.” I meant to answer that one right off.

There were no automatic washers, etc., in those days. Of course everyone had clothes lines and hung laundered clothing on the line to dry. Oh, that fresh breeze and sun made everything smell so fresh — whites were so white from the sun.

Wooden clothes pins held the clothing on the line to dry. It was a really big thing when the spring-loaded clip clothes pins came on the scene, replacing the one piece, with the round-headed one. It actually had a head-like top, with a neck rounded-out shoulder-like top going on down to then be split from the bottom up, forming two legs that pressed down over the garment’s edge, holding it firmly on the clothesline as it dried.

Those pins can still be found, however, I think only in craft shops.

Those clothes pins with their neck, head and legs were often, and still can be, dressed with fabric, ribbons and lace, making cute and clever little dolls.

All they lack are the arms, so many times pipe cleaners were wrapped around their necks to form arms.

The boxes were of course boxed dinners made by all of the women and girls, goodies of all sorts, and then auctioned off; her lunch, to be eaten and shared with whoever purchased her box. All the young lads would do everything they could to find out how “she” had decorated her box.

• My bulbs are coming up regardless of all of the snow we’ve had this year.

• Abe Lincoln once wisely said: “And in the end, it’s not the years in your life that count; it’s the life in your years.”

God bless. Please pray for our leaders, and their struggles to get things right for us.

Aunt Norie, P.O. Box 265; Tonganoxie 66086; auntnorie@att.net.