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Across the Fence:  FarmGirls We Have Come a Long Way from 1949  |
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YellowRose
True Blue Farmgirl
6917 Posts
Sara
Paris
TX
USA
6917 Posts |
 Posted - Jan 28 2016 : 10:22:04 AM
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Advice from a Singer Sewing Machine Manual from 1949
Prepare yourself mentally for sewing. Think about what you are going to do. Never approach sewing with a sigh or lackadaisically. Good results are difficult when indifference dominates. Never try to sew with a sink full of dirty dishes or beds unmade. When there are urgent housekeeping chores, do these first so that your mind is free to enjoy your sewing.
When you sew, make yourself as attractive as possible. Put on a clean dress. Keep a little bag of French chalk near your machine to dust your fingers at intervals. Have your hair in order, powder and lipstick put on. If you are constantly fearful that a visitor might drop in or your husband will come home, and you will not look neatly put together, you will not enjoy your sewing.
Sara~~~ FarmGirl Sister #6034 8/25/14
FarmGirl of the Month Sept 2015.
Lord put your arm around my shoulders and your hand over my mouth. |
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ceejay48
Farmgirl Legend/Schoolmarm/Sharpshooter
13620 Posts
CeeJay (CJ)
Dolores
Colorado
USA
13620 Posts |
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nndairy
True Blue Farmgirl
3075 Posts
Heather
Wapakoneta
Ohio
USA
3075 Posts |
Posted - Jan 28 2016 : 11:55:40 AM
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I'm a bit of a young pup - what is the dusting your fingers with chalk about?
I think my husband would be wondering what I'm up to if I put on a dress and lipstick to sew! Times sure have changed.
~Heather
Farmgirl Sister #4701
September 2014 Farmgirl of the Month
http://nndairy.blogspot.com/
"The purpose of life is to enjoy every moment" - Yogi teabag
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YellowRose
True Blue Farmgirl
6917 Posts
Sara
Paris
TX
USA
6917 Posts |
Posted - Jan 28 2016 : 12:53:33 PM
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Heather I wondering the same thing about the chalk. The only thing I came up with was that it remove moisture/oil from fingers and would wash out. I then got the bright idea and looked it up in the dictionary.
...a very soft soapstone used for marking lines on cloth or removing grease spots...
I went to the quilt shop Tues and they had the 'advice' displayed on the counter. I commented on it and they made a copy and gave it to me. Now that's customer service.
Sara~~~ FarmGirl Sister #6034 8/25/14
FarmGirl of the Month Sept 2015.
Lord put your arm around my shoulders and your hand over my mouth. |
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levisgrammy
True Blue Farmgirl
9324 Posts
Denise
Beavercreek
Ohio
USA
9324 Posts |
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Blessed in Colorado
True Blue Farmgirl
6584 Posts
Debbie L.
Oregon
USA
6584 Posts |
Posted - Jan 28 2016 : 3:51:49 PM
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Oh my goodness, I love it! But, back in those days they were always dressed with their lipstick on even to clean house.
Like the instructions said you never knew who would drop by, neighbors or a salesman, plus you must look nice when hubby came home for lunch.
Can you imagine us the younger generation doing that today. I have a Dear Friend who is 81 and this is how she is. First thing she puts on in the morning is her pearls. Priceless, just like CJ said.
Thanks for sharing Sara and giving us all a chuckle!
Hugs,
Deb
#1582
Blessed in Colorado
"You must do the thing you think you can not do." Eleanor Roosevelt
Women are Angels,and when someone breaks our wings We simply continue to fly on our Broomsticks. We're flexible like that.
www.etsy.com/shop/MountainWingsAntique
www.Amazon.com/Blessed in Colorado
http://myworld.ebay.com/debbt |
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MaryJanesNiece
True Blue Farmgirl
6932 Posts
Krista
Utah
USA
6932 Posts |
Posted - Jan 28 2016 : 5:22:22 PM
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Wow. Oh how the times have changed. I think that if we did that now people would wonder what the heck was going on. Especially my husband, since I never wear lipstick. Many people now days won't even change out of their pjs to even go to the store or work let alone worry about what their husband thinks. Sometimes I like how society use to be. Such a great find.
Krista |
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LadyInRed
True Blue Farmgirl
6740 Posts
PeggyAnn
Vancouver
WA
USA
6740 Posts |
Posted - Jan 28 2016 : 10:01:47 PM
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Oh, Girls ALL you comments gave me a good laugh!!! But I almost choked on my late dinner. LOL
Chalking is not what you think girls. It is like French Tips on yours nails now...but back then
they used white chock pencils under neath their finger nails to give that same affect. The only
reason I know this is my Mother was from that era and use to use it. The powder was before the
pencils came out in the 50's. At least that is what I think they are referring to since it is
listed in the paragraph about staying attractive when you sew in case guests dropped by or
your husband came home early.
Hugs,
Peggy
Farmgirl #1326
Dec 2011-Farmgirl of the Month
http://ladyinredsite.blogspot.com
Don't allow others to steal the Glitz from your *SPARKLE*
Life is too short to knit with ugly yarn!
Leave Your Cares Behind...Join Us On The Porch |
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Bonnie Ellis
True Blue Farmgirl
2474 Posts
Bonnie
Minneapolis
Minnesota
USA
2474 Posts |
Posted - Jan 28 2016 : 10:08:20 PM
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I remember those days. The French chalk was to keep your hands from getting sweaty while you were sewing. Unfortunately some of have not kept the image. But what didn't change for me was that sewing is still fun.
grandmother and orphan farmgirl |
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katmom
True Blue Farmgirl
17161 Posts
Grace
WACAL Gal
WashCalif.
USA
17161 Posts |
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Marilyn Hartman Sullivan
True Blue Farmgirl
1138 Posts
Marilyn
Oxford
PA
USA
1138 Posts |
Posted - Jan 29 2016 : 11:35:03 AM
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Instead of going to the salon for a French manicure, we used to get a little kit at the dime store (there's another old-timey phrase!) that had an orange stick to push the cuticle back, and the white chalk pencil to use on the underside of your nail to keep the tips nice and white. And we generally did not actually polish the nails -- we used a buffer.
I think the French chalk in a bag here is talking about the little puff-bag that was kept in the sewing basket to keep the oils from your hands off your work. Keep in mind we didn't have air conditioning, so sitting at the sewing machine (and using that hot old steam iron) could get to be pretty sweaty work. I don't know how she did it, but my grandmother lived in southern Indiana all her life -- never had a/c -- and I never ever saw her do more than fan herself at church with the cardboard fan from the funeral home. I always felt like I was going to melt completely and run right down into my shoes all summer, but she always looked like the lady that she was -- complete with her hair pincurled all night and fluffed out in the morning, and her string of pearl beads. And always a dress!!! Floral housedresses for doing morning work with an "apern" over top, and something with a pin-dot for Sundays. She managed to raise 5 kids on poor farms after my grandfather died at 43, and I never heard her shout or swear or saw her sweat. My my -- ladies were called upon for an awful lot of different things back then. But we are called upon for just as many today -- they're just different ones.
Farmgirl #6318
"Where there's a will -- there's probably a family fight." |
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Red Tractor Girl
True Blue Farmgirl
6592 Posts
Winnie
Gainesville
Fl
USA
6592 Posts |
Posted - Jan 30 2016 : 06:34:46 AM
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Sara, this vintage reminder is priceless! I just love the advice. You know, sewing does require that you have your wits about you and I find that I always do best when I put my best foot forward. You know the business adage: Dress for Success apples to this to sewing as well.
Winnie #3109
Red Tractor Girl
Farm Sister of the Year 2014-2015 |
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Bonnie Ellis
True Blue Farmgirl
2474 Posts
Bonnie
Minneapolis
Minnesota
USA
2474 Posts |
Posted - Jan 30 2016 : 8:32:54 PM
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Yes, Marilyn, I remember those too. But the chalk I was talking about came in a little bag that you pounced on your hands. Oh, wait a minute, I have to put on some make-up, someone is coming...lol
grandmother and orphan farmgirl |
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JessieMae
True Blue Farmgirl
702 Posts
Jessie
Raleigh
North Carolina
USA
702 Posts |
Posted - Jan 31 2016 : 12:53:36 PM
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That tidbit is AWESOME! I had a good laugh reading it...thanks for posting!
Jessie Mae
Farmgirl #134 |
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Kangaroo Kate
True Blue Farmgirl
253 Posts
Teresa
Red Oak
Texas
USA
253 Posts |
Posted - Feb 11 2016 : 9:01:12 PM
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that was a fun topic!
I dress up sometimes to do housework or chores outback
(animal area) lol just makes me feel better granny always looked good no matter if she left the house or not my mom did too.
was feeling pretty bad time back too many hospital stays taking a toll. been frumpy too long. one morning thought hum I need new look a new mental outlook, I'm goin to dress up to go do chores! make up ,fixed my hair, earrngs,did my nails, no frumpy cleaning clothes I felt so good. sun was shining was a beautiful day. it gave me a different energy. I decided I needed to do that all the time- that I could.
I understood what the old time focus was about that granny lived by.
I am getting the cute yellow chicken rain boots, already have pretty flower sloggers as my doing chores shoes. I spiff up my outback doin chores look now- even splurged today got new hat at tractor supply. I found myself humming as I did chores.
point being it does give you a different attitude !
Dance Like No One Is
Watching. |
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Sobyn
True Blue Farmgirl
752 Posts
Sabrina
Kansas
USA
752 Posts |
Posted - Feb 12 2016 : 04:17:25 AM
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How fun! I think there is value in some of this advice, although perhaps over the top a bit! I've seriously considered revamping my wardrobe to be more 30s and 40s inspired including wearing a hat and gloves when leaving the house. I don't know about putting on lipstick to sew but I think we can glean some wisdom from our foremothers about taking care of ourselves and putting forth a good image. (I'm totally sitting here, mid afternoon, in yoga pants, a tshirt, no makeup and unfixed hair holding a messy sleeping baby so I'm far from living this image! lol)
Sabrina Farmgirl Sister #3275
http://kidscrunchandchrist.com
Norwex www.sabrinascheerer.norwex.biz
Usborne Books and More! https://j4070.myubam.com
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forgetmenot
True Blue Farmgirl
3602 Posts
Judith
Nora Springs
IA
USA
3602 Posts |
Posted - Feb 12 2016 : 09:55:08 AM
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I've seen this advice before...and yes, I remember my mom always looking great while working...however, I am still rofl!
Farmgirl sister #3926
"Courage is not the absence of fear, but the belief that something is more important than fear." Ambrose Red Moon |
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Dare2BUniquelyMe
Sharpshooter / Chapter Guru
143 Posts
Sherrilyn
Lake Tapps
Washington
USA
143 Posts |
Posted - Feb 22 2016 : 2:48:57 PM
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I like to garden in my calf length dresses and wide brim hat. The hat keeps my face from getting sunburnt and the dress not only allows for airflow, keeping me cooler, but it doubles as a basket if I need to haul some garden produce in (hence the long skirt). While I don't usually wear lipstick, I almost always have lip balm in my pocket.
There is a lot to be said about putting on a little glitz to add a little pep to your step. My sweat pants may be paint spotted, and my t-shirt has holes starting, but my diamonds are in my ears bringing out the sparkle of mischief in my eyes.
Sherri
Sister #1350
Farmgirl Sister of the Year 2016
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Across the Fence: FarmGirls We Have Come a Long Way from 1949 |
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FarmGirls We Have Come a Long Way from 1949
