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Aunt Norie’s sewing column

By Eleanor Mckee - | Jul 16, 2003

“Old Timers” hint back to those heavy iron pots and wood burning stoves when potholders were so very important. A good potholder was made of firmly woven fabric and good in size, about seven to eight inches square. A good and treasured potholder always had a layer or two of wool in the center, depending on the thickness of the wool, of course. The secret is that wool is a non-conductor of heat, and those iron pots could get and stay hot, very hot.

Then there was that lifter to lift that stove top off to add more wood. You sure better have a good potholder for that job.

Those woolen centered potholders were really welcomed as Christmas gifts. My grandma used to help me make some for my mom for Christmas. Then I got Mom to help me make some for Grandma. That really surprised them both.

The back side of men’s woolen trouser legs made nice squares, usually two layers, or one layer of wool if cut from an old coat worked well. Wool was never wasted. Those heavy coat pieces went into braided rugs, while lighter pieces were used in those warm winter quilts and comforters. Very small scraps, too small to cut into squares and such for quilts, were even saved to be used in the so-called “crazy quilts.” I guess they were named that because there was no pattern at all to them.

Now I ask you why, if our forefathers were so careful about never wasting anything (and we know they were), what has happened? Why are we known to be the most wasteful nation in the world? I think we are trying to turn that around since we’ve learned how to recycle, but how many of us even try to do that?

For now, bye and God Bless.

Aunt Norie , P.O. Box 265, Tonganoxie, KS 66086-0265.