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| Dallas, taken in 1942 by Arthur Rothstein. |
| A more recent photo of downtown Dallas |
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| Stills taken from home movies |
Mother-Daughter Dresses made by Mataley Rogers, (my mother) for Easter in 1945 I think. When I was growing up in the 50s it was still ok to wear dresses that came from Simplicty Patterns. I think these must have as well. Mother had a Singer sewing machine. And my grandmother Mozelle Munhall (her mother) was a professional seamstress.
I also remember keeping some of those patterns for years, thinking I'd make another dress/skirt/suit with the same pattern...but I never did. I think, as a young mother myself in the 60s I made a few things for my mother. One of my last ventures was a pair of sports coats for my 2 sons for Christmas one year...polyester was the big rave by the 70s. I even had a mini-dress which I sewed for myself. I still have my own Sears sewing machine.
Enough reminiscing, which SS seems to trigger in my life easily. I invite you to to over and see some other collections shared with Sepia Saturday this week. (Click here then go to bottom of page for names of more links.)
Our tour of the world's photographic archives has become a newsworthy event: this week on Sepia Saturday our theme image is being reported on the radio. To be precise it is on Finnish Radio - or rather Finnish Radio is on it. This 1937 photograph from the archives of the Finnish Radio Company shows engineers on the roof of an outside broadcast van. For those looking for a theme there is radio, broadcasting, roofs or people doing unusual things on motor vehicles. You might also like to run with the little and large comparison suggested by the two vehicles alongside each other.
I really like your response to the theme. I remember being with family and driving down Dallas main street. It was in the 60's and it looked just like this. The glowing lights seemed strange to me from all of the store fronts. We ate at a cafe where they poured gravy on french fried potatoes.
ReplyDeleteSimplicity, Vogue, Butterick, however would we have managed without those wonderful clothing patterns.
ReplyDeleteYou’ve just made me nostalgic for mini dresses and singer sewing machines! It’s years since I did any sewing or knitting, all my spare time is spent online now. Rather a shame when you think about it. Thanks for another post full of memories! Barbara
ReplyDeleteYou mean it is NOT OKAY to wear clothes made from Simplicity patterns any more??? I guess I should get rid of all those I've been holding on to, just in case.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed both these threads, but I loved the stills from the movie. I have always sewed, following my mother’s example, and I have made clothes for my children and grandchildren, so I really appreciate the work that went into your matching mother and daughter dresses.
ReplyDeleteI always loved the idea of mother-daughter dresses but apparently my mother didn't because we never dressed alike.
ReplyDeleteSuch fun comments (so far!) and of course wearing hand crafted garments is still very OK. Knitting is my only pursuit these days, but I tend to not follow patterns, so I just make flat things, like scarves and afgans.
ReplyDeleteThe mother and daughter dresses are so cute and great for the theme.
ReplyDeleteI do lots of sewing & quilting. Besides my own machine I own my mother's and her mother's Singer sewing machines. I made lots of matching dresses for my two daughters.
ReplyDeleteMostly I sew to mend these days. But I used to sew a lot of my clothes when I was younger & because I was working, I sewed at night. One night a friend in the apt. next to mine knocked on the door. "What are you doing?" she asked. "I'm sewing." I replied. "Ah." she responded, noticing my sewing machine. "Maybe that explains it." Turned out every time my machine was running, their TV was messed up with all kinds of crazy patterns & they couldn't figure it out as, of course, the interference was sporadic as I stopped & started my machine. Luckily for us both, all I needed to do was plug my machine into a different outlet to solve the problem!
ReplyDeleteSimplicity is still selling patterns - I bought one recently and made a litttle dress for my granddaughter just before Xmas. I haven't sewn anything much for many years, but it turned out ok. I never made mother-daughter dresses though.
ReplyDeleteI cannot remember every having an outfit the same as my mother. However my daughter had a few dresses in the same fabric as my mother, who made them from the offcuts of her dresses.
ReplyDeleteI am hopeful that when I retire, I will have time to make clothes for my grandchildren.
I still have a drawer full of patterns. I'll never use them again so I should have a sort out.
ReplyDeleteGreat to hear from so many Sepias who are sewing clothes. I may not have mentioned why I never made mother-daughter outfits, since I had 3 sons!
ReplyDeleteI was only in Dallas once for a conference, it's a far piece from my southern Oregon home. Loved walking through the downtown area with its wonderful statues and bronzes. Also I very much like those 40's city photos -- always seemed to make it bigger than life. Lastly, your posts are great memory boosters -- my mother made most of my clothes when I was growing up, and I sewed for my daughters -- dresses, coats, prom dresses, swim suits. Along time ago.
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