Some of the First Things I Ever Sewed (from Volume 001)

From Volume 001 of my scanned photos.

We were visiting Uncle Howard, Aunt Evelyn, and my cousin Janine near Arthur, North Dakota.  Rhonda is up to her usual tricks, hiding herself immediately behind me.  I'm wearing a jumper and blouse I'd made.  I was about 14.

Sarah Lynn with Sparkle, Rhonda with Uncle Howard's cat, and Janine with Blossom Belle Brisbane.

Daddy and me at the park in Ft. Morgan, feeding the ducks and the geese.  Janice made me the red polka-dot dress, and it was a much-loved favorite of mine.  One day not long thereafter, Loren, who was selling sewing machines at the time, brought home a Singer sewing machine just for me.  He taught me how to thread it, how to clean and oil it -- and he rummaged up a piece of leftover red polka-dot fabric and helped me make a triangular headscarf, lined with blue silky stuff.  He showed me how to sew blue grosgrain ribbons on the corners for the ties.  

You cannot imagine how delighted I was.  My sewing career was off and running!  It was 1968, and I was 7.

Here's Victoria wearing that same red scarf, a good 35 years later:

There I am with my little Sunday School class of 4-through-6-year-olds.  The dress I'm wearing is double knit.  I was 13, still using the Singer.

This is possibly the first suit I made myself.  Of course, it would be plaid, and it would have an inset waist, and it would have curved fold-back cuffs.  I didn't worry about the difficulties of any particular pattern; I simply picked what I liked best, and then determinedly worked my way through it.  I was 14.