Happy National Thread The Needle Day!

July 25th marks National Thread the Needle Day. This made us think about the first time we threaded a needle and what sewing means for us.  Generations of people have been using various materials as needles and thread to put two objects together.  According to the website Sewing Mantra, prehistoric needles made of animal bones, ivory and antlers were used (1).   In ancient times thread was made from animal parts including veins, catgut which is intestine fibers from a sheep or goat (2), and tendons.  For us personally, the idea of sewing two pieces of fabric together with a piece of goat gut makes our stomachs turn.  Today threads are made from a variety of materials such as cotton, polyester, rayon, silk, and wool.  We could even purchase water soluble thread that will dissolve in water to temporarily put two fabrics together (3).  Something our ancestors would be so impressed with.  This is the history of sewing for us:  

Holly Ward

Holly Ward

Sewing wasn't second nature for our most advanced seamstress. In high school, Holly Ward was so bad at sewing that she actually flunked home economics. Sewing wasn't a priority for her at all until her children were little.  She wanted to make dresses and pinafores so she enlisted the expertise of her sister Vicki to learn the ins and outs of sewing.  Now that her girls are grown, Holly enjoys sewing curtains and home decor in a country Victorian style. 

The Be Attitudes Quilt

Hillary Morris
For Hillary Morris turning fabric scraps into family heirlooms is her favorite part of working at Feelgood Falls.  A quilter at heart, her favorite project she ever made was "the be attitudes" quilt that she made her mom one Christmas.  "It took me an entire year.  I started January 1 and took right up to Christmas Eve.  The finished project was so amazing.  It was worth every stitch,"  said Morris.  In our family, Hillary is known as the girl who in any medium could make beautiful art.

Mandy Brands
(with the girl who started it all)

Mandy Brands 

Growing up with a mom like Holly, Mandy had exposure to sewing machines but like her mother didn't show much real interest until her first daughter was born.  "My oldest daughter has never really fit well in commercial clothing.  As a toddler, she had a thin waist but was taller than most of her peers.  One day I decided that I was going to learn to make her a pair of pants," Brands said.  Brands laughed as she recalled the horror of those first ill-fitting pants but with practice feels confident making garments and designing home decor. 

Maybe sewing isn't your passion but you can still celebrate Thread the Needle Day.  The saying thread the needle could also mean to "walk a fine line between two things or issues, or to do something difficult" (4). 

Bibliography

1.  Origins of Sewing - Sewing History.   Sewing Mantra.  http://www.sewingmantra.com/index.php/sewing/origin-of-sewing-sewing-history/

2.  Catgut.  Wiki.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catgut

3.  Thread (yarn).  Wiki.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thread_(yarn)
4.  Thread the needle.  Holiday insights. http://www.holidayinsights.com/moreholidays/July/threadtheneedle.com