July 14, 2009
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The family biz…
I was just busy in my sewing room, my awesome new machine humming away, and went into one of those contemplative states that I find myself in when all is quiet and peaceful, and I am working at something that I enjoy. I started thinking about my relationship to sewing, and how many times over the years I have sat at a sewing machine, busy creating, and in that same calm meditative state. it was then that I realized that it only makes sense that at least part of my business involves sewing. It is the closest thing to a ‘family business’ I have.I have acknowledged since I started Especially Fur You with the help of my cousin Shirley and Aunt Mary that all three of us have years of sewing experience, from different approaches and disciplines, but still it all comes down to sewing. Between us, we have over 130 years of combined experience!
But it goes much further than that. From what I know of my family tree so far, my …
paternal great-grandmother (married name Ball, from Alsace-Lorraine) was a tailor
paternal grandmother (Mabel Eggert, nee Ball) was dressmaker and did alterations for a living
father’s sister (Aunt Grace Andicko, nee Eggert) does needlepoint and used to make hand-hooked rugs
maternal great-grandfather (Frank Uszkay, in Budapest, Hungary) was a shoemaker — that involves sewing, too
maternal grandmother (Mary Evans, nee Uszkay) worked for her brother — (my great-uncle) in a dress factory when she first immigrated from Hungary, and then after marrying my grandfather (William H. Evans) she became a typical farm wife, doing anything she coulkd to bring in a little extra money to help the family — this included making stuffed toy animals and doing various other sewing
mother’s sisters, my aunts Mary and Agnes both did interior decorating work, making draperies, bedspreads and so on, and also some upholstery work
mother didn’t sew for a living, but when she found the time, she enjoyed sewing various projects around the house, like curtains and chair cushions.
cousin Shirley (Aunt Mary’s daughter) designs and makes clothing, including the formal dresses she created when she owned and ran a bridal shop, and she has also done upholstery work and machine embroidery
Down to my generation, the only woman in my “immediate” (extended) family — which I define as my grandparents, their children and their offspring — that does not sew is my cousin, Rosemarie, who is a hairdresser. And of the ones who do (or did) sew, only my Aunt Grace and my mom just sewed for pleasure and never for a job. Of course, times have changed, I guess, because the the generation after me doesn’t seem to have followed suit at all. I don’t even think that any of them have any type of sewing or needlework as a hobby. But, they are starting to produce the next generation (four girls and one boy so far, with another boy coming – the one whose baby shower was this past saturday) so who knows what those children will grow up to do.
Funny, I never really analyzed it this way. But it really is a family legacy, the closest thing we have to a fmaily business, in a strongly matriarchal family. In a way, I am just a tad dissapointed in myself for not being as much of a rebel as I thought I was, but on the other hand, it makes me proud to carry on one more tradition…
Comments (2)
That is all very interesting. I just started looking at genealogy. You have a lot of information about your ancestors!
@Orlando - the reason I have so much information is because I grew up in an extended family situation — all three of my maternal grandparents’ daughters built houses on their farm, all in a row - so we all grew up together, six cousins who were more like siblings with a couple of extra mothers each! And Grandmom taking care of all of us, as built-in babysitter (grandpop was our built-in fix-it and build-it guy!). Since both of my parents worked long hours, my brother and I were raised mnore by our grandparents than parents, we were also the house immediately next to theirs… And I loved to hear her stories of her childhood, along with as many of the other family elders I could talk to. My dads side of the family wasn’t as close but I did spend a lot of time with his mother and sister in my younger years. This should be material for more blog entries, shouldn’t it?