SandyinZ4

Thought you all would enjoy this.

From a 1940 Singer Sewing Manual

"Prepare yourself mentally for sewing. think about what you are going to do...never approach sewing with a sigh or lackidaisically. Good results are difficult when indifference predominates. Never try to sew with a sink full of dirty dishes or beds unmade. when there are urgent housekeeping chores, do these first so 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 yur 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 will drop in or your husband will come home and you will not look neatly put together, you will not enjoy your sewing as you should."

How times have changed...Thank Goodness!!!!

And did you know that from one fat quarter you can cut...
99 ...2 inch squares
56....2.5 inch squares
42....3 inch squares
30.... 3.5 inch squares
20...4 inch squares
16....4.5 inch squares
12 ...5 inch squares
12... 5.5 inch squares
9... 6 inch squares
6... 6.5 inch squares
1... 18 inch square.

eann

That is so funny! Times have REALLY changed, thank goodness! Thanks for sharing, the fat quarter measurements also.

nivosum

Ha! I guess they are referring to the Donna Reeds of the world back then.

KimmerB

My husband and friends would crack up laughing if they saw me dressed up to quilt. Jeans and sweatshirts or Tee-shirts mostly. Sometimes the housework stuff is put aside to quilt.

Debbie C

"Put on a clean dress?" I don't even OWN a dress!!! Thank goodness have changed!!

jeank

Now we stay in our PJ's and if hubby comes home, he had better bring take out for dinner. LOL

IBQUILTIN

I am so glad we are liberated. lol

jeanharville

This is funny, but in the small Arkansas town where I grew up in mid 40s thru 50s it was pretty much that way. The women I knew wore dresses every day and always had their hair neatly combed or put up. When I got married in 1961 my mother made me a trousseau of house dresses. And we were indoctrinated to always look appealing to our husbands and please him. Boy did that go out the window. Here I sit in my pjs at 3:00 pm. When I started to work outside the home in 1974 dresses were still required. But like another mentioned above, I don't even own a dress now. I too like the more casual dress code of today. However, PJs at wal-mart is taking it a little to far in my. opinion :>)

Lorileik

Wow! Thank goodness it isn't like That

now! Thanks for the info on how many blocks you can get out of a fat quarter.

captlynhall

I don't own a dress either. I dress for comfort when I am at home, and do my best to do the same for work within the confines of what's appropriate. Perhaps back in the day, before women had their own cars, computers, cell phones, TV's and outside jobs, 'taking care of ' the husband was their job. So much for the good old days.

I have one of my grandmother's cookbooks and it describes how a well set table should be part of every meal, with fresh flowers, or a trinket of some kind as a center piece. I set the table nicely for company, but the rest of the time we eat the easiest way we can, without a bunch of fanfare. Again, so much for the good old days.

Thanks for sharing that.