May 1984 (Volume 015)

 It was May of 1984, and we were on our way to Mexico.  Teddy was 9 months old.  He didn't have enough pajamas for week or more on the road, so the day before we left home, I made several knit sets like these.  Pictures taken in a couple of the motels where we stayed.  

In the first two shots, I'd carried Teddy into the room and set him on the floor, then helped Larry carry in our luggage.  Teddy's blankie got left in the car (Peugeot station wagon) until someone noticed it.  Teddy looked around forlornly, spotted a sock, and made do.  😄

July 1979 (Volume 014)

 

July 4, 1979, eleven days before our wedding.  Larry still says this was his favorite dress of all I've ever had.  It was dotted Swiss.

Larry took this picture of me without warning; can you tell?  😐  We'd just gotten home from our honeymoon, and, then as now, I couldn't stand to let a moment go by before throwing the dirty clothes into the washing machine.  That dress looks like a blouse and jumper, but it's really all one piece.

1975, 1978, & 1983 (Volume 013)

Sarah Lynn, age 14, 10th grade, 1975

I was quite proud of this outfit, for the top had multiple pintucks all down the bodice.  My machine had a special foot for pintucks, and it did a bang-up job on them, and this was even double knit!

Sarah Lynn and Larry, date night, 1978.  We were 17.  Larry is wearing the slacks, vest, and satin shirt I made him.  I made my dress, too.

Vest and skirt is a Gunne Sax pattern.  It was only recently that I used the very last of the black fabric with the little purple and lavender roses in a quilt.  

(Please ignore the shellshocked face.  I was gathering up toys on the floor, Larry said, "HEY!", I popped up -- and he snapped the shot.)

1981-82 Easter Clothes for Friends (Volume 012)

Hannah, 6 months, August 28, 1981

Her jumper was made from the fabric I cut from a floor-length jumper of mine that I cut to knee-length, and her blouse was made from leftovers from my own blouse.

The next photos show the dresses, suits, shirts, and bow ties I made for friends -- siblings -- for Easter.  Those bow ties were so big, the little boys could rest their chins on the knots and have naps during the service, and no one would ever be the wiser!

Christine, who married my late nephew David, is the owner of Walker Foundations, where Larry and several sons, sons-in-law, and grandsons work.

Rebecca

Mary is now our son Caleb's mother-in-law.

Ralph

Charles, who married my niece Susan, is the manager for Walker Foundations.

Esther

Ann

Keith & Hannah, 1980-82 -- Volume 011

 August, 1981.  Keith was a year and a half; Hannah was 6 months.  The Olan Mills photographer did not even try to get the babies to smile.  So they mostly looked shell-shocked.

I sewed my blouse to go with the jumper, which was originally floor-length.  From the fabric I cut from it to make it just-below-knee-length, I made Hannah's matching dress.

Hannah, age 1, February 1982

Keith, 2, and Hannah, 1

I sewed Keith's 3-piece suit for Easter, 1982.

1976-78 -- Volume 008

 

Three-piece western suit and satin shirt I made for Larry when we were 17.

This was my maid-of-honor dress for my friend Martha's wedding.  The bridesmaid had one like it.  They were made from a Gunne Sax pattern.  They were of the stretchiest single knits we had ever worked with, and it took an Act of Congress to get the hems straight.  The other bridesmaid's skirt stretched after she was done with it, and wound up dragging the floor. 

But let me tell you what happened on the wedding night, after the sermon:

 My father finished preaching, prayed, and then said, "Will the wedding party take their places."

 The bride and her attendants arose, as did the groom and his groomsmen.  We stepped forward to the alter, and the wedding ceremony commenced.

 And then Martha and Carey Gene were husband and wife, and it was time to step back to the pew and then file out while the congregation sang the closing hymn.  The newly married couple would go first, followed by Larry and me, then the other bridesmaid and groomsman, the candlelighters next, and finally the ringbearer and flowergirl (my nephew and niece, Robert and Susan).  Since the pew was only a few steps back, we did not turn around; we just backed up.

 Problem:

 Sitting in that strrrretchy single knit dress through the service had stretched the back of the skirt, and it was no longer half an inch above the floor.

 I stepped on the hem.

 This pulled me backwards a little, so I automatically stepped back quickly with the other foot to catch myself.

 That foot wound up even farther up the hem, jerking me back all the more.

 By now, I was leaning backwards at a precarious angle, as I effectively walked up the inside of the back of the skirt.

 The outcome would have been nothing less than ignominious, if the backs of my legs had not suddenly ka-bonked into the pew, which brought me up short and prevented me from landing flat on my back in front of the entire congregation.

 I did not willingly wear a floor-length thneed (à la Dr. Seuss' The Lorax) ever again.

Playing Jackson's piano

Someone gave me flippers to try on -- and then Lyle, Larry's father, showed up with his camera.

I made that striped skirt.  Do you think it goes with the flippers?

School Pictures, 1973 & 1974 (from Album 007)

 Pictures are messed up from being in Larry's wallet.  If I find better ones, I'll replace these.

Sarah Lynn, 9th grade, age 13

You can't see much of this top, but I was quite proud of it, as it had a wide placket in the front, and the side fronts were gathered into it.  I thought I had really arrived, sewing-wise, once I made that!

Sarah Lynn, 10th grade, age 14

Double collar, double collar!  I thought my cleverness now knew no end.