tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3259455441759015869.post5924010660803524628..comments2024-03-14T16:03:32.434-04:00Comments on Gertie's New Blog for Better Sewing: Now with Domestic Servitude Included!Gertiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04314542159287533507noreply@blogger.comBlogger88125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3259455441759015869.post-40709861536039285692010-10-20T23:11:34.011-04:002010-10-20T23:11:34.011-04:00I don't think there is a clear understanding o...I don't think there is a clear understanding of what a pinafore is on a girl's dress. First of all, it is a charming accessory that would give more than one wear to the same hard working dress. The dress was darker and serviceable so as not to show stains easily. Children get dirty very easily and they all had chores back then. If this is an "apron" why are they included on fancy church dress or on a wedding dress? Vintage sewers and heirloom sewers need to meet sometime because it is like two distinct cultures.dawnrpsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3259455441759015869.post-23821905077596334612010-07-11T13:10:01.246-04:002010-07-11T13:10:01.246-04:00I have a slightly different perspective on what wo...I have a slightly different perspective on what women did in those days and how they worked. <br />I _choose_ to be the Work at Home mother of 3 children under 10, daughter of a nurse who worked all the time I was growing up. My grandfather wanted (and pressured) my mother to become a Dr like him, but she chose to get her RN degree (in the early 50's) instead. <br />I am also the granddaughter of a nurse and the great-grandaughter of a single mother who worked her @ss off in the oil fields out by Wetherford Tx doing whatever she could find that paid a legal wage to support all my great-aunts and uncles. All my great aunts went into professions as young women (Teacher, Nurse, ect.) in the teens and 20's BTW.<br />I think we read the novels and see the "TV version" of what life was like in the first half of the 20th century, and mistakenly think that was reality. Work, especially rural work was back-breakingly hard on both sexes just to make a subsistence living. The TV image especially of 40's and 50's femininity in her dress and pearls or life in Mayberry is on par with the image of today's botoxed trophy wife rather than in step with the rank and file. <br />Yes women were oppressed, but many women are still as oppressed today. Domestic violence is still with us, as is mental abuse and controlling authority figures. The difference is that now women have legal recourse.<br />Feminism has made great strides in that a woman now has the chance to make (almost) as much as a man in the same job, but women worked before the movement. Indeed, we owe Feminism for gaining womens' equal treatment under the law. From listening to my aunties and my own mother however, there were choices as far as careers to be made if women were strong enough to buck societal peer pressure and go for them, just as there are pressures today against homemaking.<br />All that said;<br />Personally I LOVE the apron with attached oven mitts. I want one, not just for it's fetishwear appeal, but for its utility.<br />I also intend to sew some leashes on our current mitts for my husband who is always complaining about not being able to find one of the darn things when he wants it. I can tether it to his belt!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3259455441759015869.post-44435205993524925622010-05-06T17:20:32.993-04:002010-05-06T17:20:32.993-04:00Forgot something: re aprons. In the days when wome...Forgot something: re aprons. In the days when women wore them, washing was sometimes done in old wringer washers, or hung out to dry, time and labor intensive activities. Then they had to be gathered, sprinkled, left to thoroughly dampen in pillowcase in refridgerator [yes], and ironed on ironing day. All of which is incentive to keep your dress clean to last the week. Most women had 2, or at most 3 housedresses. They had to last more than one day.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3259455441759015869.post-57214461842882890062010-05-06T17:17:15.063-04:002010-05-06T17:17:15.063-04:00In defense of apron and pot holder use: I am 66, l...In defense of apron and pot holder use: I am 66, living with son, 2 grandsons, girl friend of one, and baby. I cook a lot from scratch, as I always have for 2 reasons. I am very frugal by inclination [I remember meal planning when we were broke, when I was 5; my mother was inept in the kitchen.]and one can stretch the food dollars a lot further by cooking from raw material. Second, I'm nutrition conscious and I like to know what's in my food and use healthy ingredients. <br /><br />That said, I'm messy in the kitchen. I'll have carrot peels on the floor for missing the garbage<br />basket, flour on my clothes, oil on the stove and so on. I do try to clean as I go, but I still need to scrub the kitchen down when I'm done, but I can throw down a meal in a hurry for a hungry crew. I need and use pot holders, and rags, and towels. I don't use paper towels, just cloth [to wash].<br /><br />Women needed that stuff. If I get<br />cranky about cooking or dishes, I'll just make a general announcement, I'm not cooking today, doing dishes today, etc.<br />That would not have flown well years ago, but oh, well. However cooking remains an untidy venture for the most part, fraught with peril: hot stoves, sharp knives, flying flour.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3259455441759015869.post-49819861855367518042010-05-06T17:07:17.336-04:002010-05-06T17:07:17.336-04:00Does that apron "thingy" go all the way ...Does that apron "thingy" go all the way around or just in front, because my stepmother had a dress with a peplum that was also in back.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3259455441759015869.post-26386533650938831662010-05-03T07:09:02.487-04:002010-05-03T07:09:02.487-04:00I've heard all of the arguments for or against...I've heard all of the arguments for or against aprons, whether they're feminist or anti-feminist or oppressive or empowering. I get that aprons are practical and can even be fashionable; really I do. And in theory I don't see anything wrong with them. A cute little overskirt could be the perfect addition to some outfits.<br /><br />However I still can't bring myself to embrace the apron trend. See, my mother (70s do-it-all working cooking cleaning sewing supermom that she was/is) had a fabulous collection of pinafore-type aprons which she had, of course, made herself - including little matching aprons in each style for us three daughters (which really are adorable, and are still in use by her grandchildren).<br /><br />Every venture into the kitchen, cooking or crafting or mealtime, was prefaced by "Put on an apron." As a kid I resented it. Aprons to me have always meant "You're sloppy and clumsy and can't be trusted not to spill on yourself." Apron equals bib, you big messy baby.<br /><br />Obviously I have issues and have way over-thought this matter.<br /><br />The POCKETS on those patterns, though! I crave those pockets. There are far too few pockets in women's wear nowadays. Maybe we should discuss how concerns about body image have taken precedence over practicality - we mustn't be able to carry any necessary items that might ruin the line of the dress!<br /><br />Recently I saw an old photo of two women and a young girl (3 generations of a family, probably) wearing traditional dress including skirts (aprons?) that, when held out in front, turned into a capacious built-in carrying basket. How ingenious! I'd love to see someone bring those back into style.Big Katnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3259455441759015869.post-77347939595576642642010-04-25T01:06:54.489-04:002010-04-25T01:06:54.489-04:00Gertie, I am a time-stressed working mom and I wea...Gertie, I am a time-stressed working mom and I wear an apron every day. In fact, some days, I forget to take my apron off as I head out the house to my paid job.<br />http://badmomgoodmom.blogspot.com/search?q=apron<br /><br />It would be so awesome to have a matching dress/jacket/apron combo.<br /><br />I did make my daughter some aprons in the (vain) hope that she would wipe her hands on them instead of on her clothes. (See pix in the link above.)<br /><br />You know why my aprons need to have really large pockets? So I can stuff clothespins in them. That really speeds up hanging clothes out on the line.<br /><br />(I am a PhD holding physicist and I stress about global warming both at home and at work. Thus, I obsess about the carbon footprint of our family's lifestyle.)<br /><br />I love, love, love the Claire McCardell. The quilted pocket reminds me of Japanese traditional work clothing. If my potholders were buttoned to my apron, perhaps my husband wouldn't walk off with them all the time.<br /><br />I don't think it is a gender thing; it's habit and personal preference. My husband cooks and does the dishes most evenings, but he won't wear an apron. His grad school roommate, a 6'5" Iowa farm boy, used to sew his own flowered cowboy shirts and aprons. He wore them all the time.<br /><br />BTW, I posted a free apron pattern here.<br />http://badmomgoodmom.blogspot.com/2009/08/retro.htmlbadmomgoodmomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11569728075698885020noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3259455441759015869.post-60066738927417958562010-04-23T21:57:38.966-04:002010-04-23T21:57:38.966-04:00Once somebody unearths a cache of 1950s patterns f...Once somebody unearths a cache of 1950s patterns for men's outfits with built-in oven mitts and matching aprons, I'll be happy to add my voice to the calls for a more reverent attitude to the message these patterns and designs represent. Meanwhile, Gertie, thanks for the post and for the salutary reminder that the 50s wasn't all fun and games.lucy tartanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09244574932248425378noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3259455441759015869.post-28595989022252516382010-04-23T03:17:52.780-04:002010-04-23T03:17:52.780-04:00Oh for the love of sewing, can anyone read the com...Oh for the love of sewing, can anyone read the comments above them before commenting? Gertie has not only apologised once but twice. She clearly meant no harm and now that's all cleared up maybe you "2 cents" people can read some more of her posts which are inspiring. Yes Gertie is human like the rest of us and sometimes things don't come out the way we intended. Build a bridge and get over it. Maybe if we women weren't so hard on ourselves we wouldn't feel the need to justify ourselves to each other, whether we be stay at home moms or head honcho career women! I appreciate the women who commented early and gave a different point of view but aren't we now just flogging a dead horse? I swear sometimes we are our own worst enemies.Nessnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3259455441759015869.post-24919471352603007762010-04-22T10:20:05.737-04:002010-04-22T10:20:05.737-04:00Ooops, one more thing, my grandmother worked, she ...Ooops, one more thing, my grandmother worked, she taught school and shared cooking w/ my grandfather. However, I believe she did much of the housework, but he had his own chores, too. Yes, it was a different time.MelanieOhttp://modernorganicfabrics.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3259455441759015869.post-5826755934101203822010-04-22T10:18:08.205-04:002010-04-22T10:18:08.205-04:00I didn't have time to read all of the comments...I didn't have time to read all of the comments, but just adding my 2 cents :) I think it's really a show of practicality. Women made meals from scratch & didn't want to change their clothes to go out for errands or to visit or what-have-you. When hosting dinner parties it's really a practical idea to have an apron that matches your dress. My grandmother could never understand why modern women didn't wear aprons when cooking, instead sacrificing potentially nice clothing or "it will come out in the wash".MelanieOhttp://modernorganicfabrics.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3259455441759015869.post-66319225217467695482010-04-22T09:57:28.541-04:002010-04-22T09:57:28.541-04:00I almost posted yesterday, but decided to wait and...I almost posted yesterday, but decided to wait and read where this went. I stay home with 4 kids, college educated, but it is a wash if I work, after day care and other expenses, I can't earn enough to make much more than my husband earns now with me home and being frugal. I do not see aprons or housedresses as chains, rather practical items to keep good clothes clean. Kids aprons are also for painting, artwork, etc. My mom and grandma wore housedresses at home so the good clothes stayed nice longer. I have at home clothes and clothes for going out of the house. Gertie, your blog is always so interesting, even though your readers come from different points of view.Myrahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16163175961766563965noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3259455441759015869.post-36964007973555671922010-04-21T21:03:25.435-04:002010-04-21T21:03:25.435-04:00wow, what a mixed bunch of comments. I am at work ...wow, what a mixed bunch of comments. I am at work but just wanted to sneak in a quick word that i love the blog and think all these opinions are valid. i liked the post and thought it was just a bit of a laugh really. i work 9-5 also but dont look down on other lifestyle choices. it would be so boring if we were all the same wouldnt it! anywho, have a nice day ladies, its always nice to read these thought provoking comments :-)Bettys Closetnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3259455441759015869.post-19325532125297105302010-04-21T19:15:22.008-04:002010-04-21T19:15:22.008-04:00Sarah, thank you for your kind words. I do agree ...Sarah, thank you for your kind words. I do agree that we need to educate our teenagers, both male and female. They need to know how to stand up for what they need in life and how to make that choice. I'm glad that your husband's "education" is going well. :) And hurrah for all the good guys!Kristahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06964580963048511157noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3259455441759015869.post-72639981256885447852010-04-21T17:39:48.744-04:002010-04-21T17:39:48.744-04:00I'm coming into this late, but I have to agree...I'm coming into this late, but I have to agree with the person who commented that the dress at the top was fab. I'm a SAHM/housewife/whatever you want to call it, and most of the time I don't bother putting any thought into my outfits because I'm constantly running around doing work around the house, etc. So I end up wearing t-shirts, jeans and a pullover sweatshirt. It's frustrating. If I actually had a dress like the top one, I would actually feel it's worth putting that extra effort into how I look. And to be honest, I'm quite sure my husband would love to see me even a little dressed up from time to time, though he would never say such a thing. He insists I look great no matter what. :-PJanahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00085496180801555852noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3259455441759015869.post-53131572104110614832010-04-21T16:02:33.189-04:002010-04-21T16:02:33.189-04:00Thank you for your comment, Krista. I can see how...Thank you for your comment, Krista. I can see how it would be upsetting to hear men being put down for something that the men in your life don't do. I hope that through discussion all men can be educated to behave like the men you are referring to. I would just like to say that I'm not making it up - I have definitely seen this behaviour in men that I know, starting with my own husband, whom I am trying with very good success to educate. But in order to that I had to first get educated - when I first had my daughter, I was "young and stupid" and I didn't realize what was fair or unfair - that's why I mention talking to teenage girls so that they know what to look for in a spouse.<br /><br />It's okay for us to disagree on how men are - but I hope we can agree on how they should be - giving their spouses voices in financial matters and equal access to the family income.Saranoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3259455441759015869.post-81774077496471196792010-04-21T14:44:11.622-04:002010-04-21T14:44:11.622-04:00Sarah, I gotta say I'm a little upset at your ...Sarah, I gotta say I'm a little upset at your portrayal of men and money because that hasn't been my experience. Rarely do I come across a man that feels that he can keep most of "his" income away from a SAHM to play.<br /><br />I know in my little family my husband works hard at a job that drains him (night shift and everything) so I have the opportunity to stay home with our children. Are there days I don't want to stay at home? You betcha. But I know he has days where he would rather spend time with our quickly-maturing children than sleep all day to work a job at night.<br /><br />I've always said that we are a two-career family when it comes to money: he makes the money and I save it.Kristahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06964580963048511157noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3259455441759015869.post-73780046841964033322010-04-21T12:52:46.867-04:002010-04-21T12:52:46.867-04:00Oh my gosh! Do not apologize at all Gertie! This ...Oh my gosh! Do not apologize at all Gertie! This post has turned into the most thought provoking and stimulating in all of blogland!<br /><br />What I would say has already been expressed here and very well. I agree with the vein of thought by Clare and centrallyisolated as well as some others. I also see that the prepetuated ideal of what the perfect woman should be was also not the reality of that time either. <br /><br />I also see the point of view of "why not have clothes for working at home that are beautiful and stunning?!" <br /><br />I think we are all grateful the times have changed in that we have more freedom to choose how to make our lives meaningful. It is when we are denied that choice that we feel like we are in servitude whether it be in the home or at the office.maryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03912178296552987471noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3259455441759015869.post-14561394789896390872010-04-21T11:53:29.181-04:002010-04-21T11:53:29.181-04:00This post doesn't criticize modern day stay at...This post doesn't criticize modern day stay at home moms; it criticizes the "one size fits all" gender roles of the 1950's.<br /><br />A few things that may interest/entertain you to know: many 1950's mothers worked; they just had crappy jobs. Read "The Way We Never Were" by Stephanie Coontz. In many ways, designs like this were intended for an "ideal housewife" who didn't exist.<br /><br />Also, scientific time use studies indicate that modern SAHMs spend more time interacting with their kids and less time on housework than their 1950's counterparts.Rachelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15784646957513154943noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3259455441759015869.post-61911203754995092192010-04-21T10:40:38.444-04:002010-04-21T10:40:38.444-04:00I love that you created a place for such lively di...I love that you created a place for such lively discussion, Gertie. Thank you!<br />About the topic at hand: like Casey pointed, the important thing is nowadays we have choice. That being a homemaker is as valid a choice as deciding to work (and vice versa). The problem is, women did not always have that, and those patterns convey that.<br />By the way, my grandmother still thinks it's not okay to wear "outside clothes" at home, and has a whole set of housedresses. No mittens or aprons attached, though – they look more like long jersey dresses, often black and made of velvet knit.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3259455441759015869.post-36964904713584473172010-04-21T09:58:29.048-04:002010-04-21T09:58:29.048-04:00After reading this blog and comments last night, I...After reading this blog and comments last night, I decided to go searching for some feminist blogs. Did you know yesterday was equal pay day? By working all of 2009 until yesterday, women had finally made what men made in 2009.<br /><br />Today is jeans day as part of sexual assault week. Carrying on a protest of Italian women who wore jeans to work the day after a rapist was found not-guilty after he showed that his victims jeans were too tight (so tight that the young victim had to help her 44-year old rapist remove them). So wear your jeans to work today ladies.Saranoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3259455441759015869.post-36731854941980146282010-04-21T09:37:19.787-04:002010-04-21T09:37:19.787-04:00Steph, I see you deleted your own comment! I wasn&...Steph, I see you deleted your own comment! I wasn't going to, I swear. But seriously, if my blog so upsets you, maybe it's not the place for you? I won't be offended if you don't visit anymore. Life is too short, you know?<br /><br />Thanks again for the lively conversation, ladies!Gertiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04314542159287533507noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3259455441759015869.post-91488845718085096972010-04-21T09:32:14.200-04:002010-04-21T09:32:14.200-04:00Is there some over-sensitivity going on in the com...Is there some over-sensitivity going on in the comments here? I just re-read this post to try and work out why some readers should take offence and think Gertie's poking fun at their lifestyles but seems to me it's really about the clothes from 50 years ago... <br /><br />Since I do almost all of the cooking in my house, I'd love to see a pair of jeans or maybe a belt with the ingenious design feature of an oven mitt attached - I'm always losing my silicon trivets. In fact, as someone who has attached elastic to her gloves (as an adult), I think I might try the attached oven mitt. Thanks for this post, you've given me ideas!Clarehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11068859188360245469noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3259455441759015869.post-51573451293401262162010-04-21T07:14:36.200-04:002010-04-21T07:14:36.200-04:00Maybe I'm just messier than women in the 40s, ...Maybe I'm just messier than women in the 40s, but does anyone else notice that their oven mitts get really dirty really quickly? Mine gets washed every few days because it's got bits of whatever I've been taking out of the oven all over it... and I would not like that attached to whatever I'm wearing, regardless of whether it's a housedress, apron or jeans and a t shirt... bleurgh! Crumbs!Carinahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05782358402051448781noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3259455441759015869.post-75009714937843727722010-04-21T06:36:21.219-04:002010-04-21T06:36:21.219-04:00i love that this blog raises so much fascinating d...i love that this blog raises so much fascinating discussion - it's so much more than the work of one person, although you're responsible for bringing everyone together in the first place. <br /><br />great stuff :)sophhttp://stitch.hellooperator.netnoreply@blogger.com