Aunt Norie’s Sewing Room
Two more just this past week have asked me, “How come you call your column ‘Sewing Room’ when you write about so much more than just sewing.?”
A lot of you know that story, but I guess a lot more of you don’t. Well it’s like this: We had retired and moved to the Ozarks to this small country town on the lake, where everybody knew everybody else, everyone had time to just “sit a spell” and”don’t rush off now.” Downtown, there were well used benches around the square and on the courthouse lawn.
I soon set up my small sewing room, began sewing just for the neighbors and family. We had this nice porch swing, huge oaks to shade the whole house, so nice and cool. Bill’s “barber shop” was right down the street, where the men would just pass the time of day. Their wives might be at Aunt Nories for a fitting or just sitting out in the old porch swing.
That was just back in 1980.
I’m realizing now as I sit here writing this just that far back I don’t think people were racing around as fast as they are now, were they?
When the editor’s wife stopped in for a fitting one day, she asked, “Aunt Norie would you consider writing a column for our little paper?”
After thinking it over for a few days. I decided why not.
It began just as we behaved, as the girls came by, as we visited, exchanged recipes, hints, while we sewed. I already had a small sign out front “Aunt Nories Sewing Room.” It was just natural, there wasn’t anything else to call the column.
I remember when Anne came with this beautiful wool, trying to cut a coat for her daughter. The fabric just would not lay flat on the table, It was stretched in the middle; obviously it had hung over the end of the bolt in the fabric shop too long. I remember we spread the wool over a towel on my cutting board, then floating the steam iron over it to dampen it a little and lightly pressing it back in shape.
So just keep on keepin’ on, send (or call) with your ideas, hints problems etc. It’s been such fun. Hugs now, and slow down. I even grabbed the camera and darted out to try and catch those falling bright yellow leaves. I had looked out to see them showering down — no wind — such a calming peaceful sight to start the day.
Love you all now and God Bless!
— Write to Aunt Norie at P.O. Box 265 Tonganoxie 66086 or via e-mail at auntnorie@bdc.net