Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Wednesday..memories in Black and White

As a child growing up in the South..
in the time before malls,
and tattoos.
.weeird hair,
outrageous attire..
all became the norm rather than an exception..




Easter meant a new White dress,a bonnet and gloves and white patent shoes for Church..
these outfits were also worn when we went DOWNTOWN to shop on Saturdays..

no shorts allowed!.
summer attire meant  white sandals and white, lightweight play clothes ..
sneakers were for when we went camping and fishing..

August,was a very busy month.
In addition to her summer picking,
preparing, 
canning and freezing of summer fruits and vegetables,
Mom spent a lot of time sewing our school clothes..
in preparation for school starting the Monday following Labor Day.
with four kids and a cousin in the mix,she had a job cut out for her..
one thing for sure, she could look at a pattern and improvise..
no two creations were ever the same..
all were beautifully finished..



1950's Girls Dress and Bolero McCall's Pattern 3594 Size 10
all from heavier, more sturdy fabric which would hold up well for four growing kids..
which were sewn on her Singer treadle sewing machine..
as we became older, this same machine is where  we learned to sew..

the summer whites were washed a final time and put away on Labor Day..
Am not sure where the tradition started..
perhaps back at the turn of the century...r
but I for one always enjoyed the coolness of the lighter weight fabrics..
remember,we kids played outdoors all day long..
in the heat and humidity of the South..
creeks and mudholes beckoned us one and all..
we also were allowed to play with the water hose..
often with Mom spraying us down ...
just to find us under the layers of sweat, dirt and mud.
occasionally though, as a special treat on Saturday afternoon..

Dad would load us up and off we'd go for something cool..
really cool!








no TV allowed during the day! usually a family affair after dinner....


these were the days long before air conditioning became a household staple..
most of our better dresses were of Eyelet, Pique,Searsucker,or Dotted Swiss..
everyday sundresses were of lightweight cotton..
winter brought heavier cottons as well as serge..
the boys wore cut off  jeans that somehow had shrunk in length..
we rip and roared,  all summer long..
laughing by day..
sleeping soundly by nite..
relatives came , 
went ..
and often camped in our back yard...
.
with the Labor Day Picnic finished..
we knew come that Monday morning..
It was time for school..
back to the books..
business as usual..
so long to another summer..



hope yours has been awesome!
White Wednesday
Outdoor Wednesday
Watery Wednesday..

9 comments:

  1. We definitely have similar memories Lou! Love this post!

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  2. Hi Loui, i love this post. So nostalgic. Love the caravan out back!

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  3. My mother never sewed but her sister made our clothes and especially our Easter dresses! Brought back fond memories!!!

    The wild thing is that pony must have gone around a lot! My husband has a picture of him on a pony that looks just like that one!

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  4. Wonderful memories! Sort of makes you want to go back there when you see some of the 'goings on' these days. Love that Singer sewing machine and well remember making my own dresses. I may have to resort to that again, since none of the stores offer clothes for the 'mature woman'.

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  5. those were wonderful times!...simple and sweet....and not as confusing. ,,,the last weekend of summer is here...oh my ....how I miss the good old days....

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  6. oh my...you described my childhood to a T. Mom made all our clothes. She would shop the boutiques, sketch a dress, then go home and make it. We played hide n- seek after dark....after we chased the fireflies. I can remember coming in and being all itchy from rolling in the grass. Sweet tea was downed in one gulp with it being so hot and no air-conditioning. :)

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  7. What a fun post, I enjoyed this. I love the innocence and fun of yesteryear. hope you have a great holiday weekend. I will be wearing crispy white clothes, to enjoy summer's last hurrah.

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  8. Holà Loui !
    you describe your childhood with so much tenderness...ah these were definitely the good times ! when you mention the words piqué and seersucker, i immediately think of the children's clothing stores here in Spain. As you know, here we still have this tradition to dress up on sundays and it's so cute to see little kids in seersucker jackets.
    Do you come back to Spain from time to time?
    Have a great sunday !
    Lala

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  9. I wish things were still that way...I guess a lot of people feel the same :)
    I was just at my grandparent's 110 year old home up in Michigan. I always am so curious and fascinated by the things they have held on to.
    Thanks for the lovely post!

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welcome to my world of salty sunkissed breezes..
where time is not measured..
linger leisurely..
sift sugary white sand between your toes..
Make and take those wonderful memories..
leaving behind..only your footprints...