Gotta hand it to those Sewing factory gals.

I had an aunt, actually my grandfathers aunt that worked in a local shirt/dress factory in our town. 

This past summer I finally got some time and walked around inside the building, which has been converted into a arts building for artists studio work and sales. They have kept the interior as it was mostly, breaking it into small spaces for each vendor artist. Lining the walls in the hallways are large black and white photographs of the women working at their sewing machines, dozens of these photos, I was transfixed feeling like this could have been my past; I felt a connection to these women and the garments they produced.  I sooo wish I had talked to my aunt about her years working there and what she did, and what it was like to work in that kind of setting. The things we think about after the fact, she of course has passed on many years ago.

I only offer a meager contribution to our family history, I occasionally get a bug to sew something and can't stop for a week or two. 

Here is my current fixation, soup bowl holders. I must admit they are awesome, fun to make and useful to boot.

This photo below was taken by a neighbor that I gave one to, showing me she was using it, I like this picture. 

I don't think I could sit at a sewing machine for eight hours at a time, or even listen to dozens of machines zinging along hour after hour.  But I sure would have loved to hear the stories about what it was like from someone I knew.

And, I was sure I saw my aunt in some of the photos on the walls there. Actually, all the women looked amazingly like my aunt, which surprised me, because I always though she looked unique.  Looking back at her, now that I know more about her, she was a representation or her environment and peer group Humm....wonder how I will look to some way younger relative, when I get to be in my eighties?

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