Wrong Era

Like a HUGE number of Mormon housewives, my mom was a talented seamstress. I see it as part of the Mormon heritage, but my mom does have a knack for it. I remember when I was very little, other Mormons hiring her to make fancy beaded wedding dresses for them. Until my teenage years, she made a large portion of our clothes. Although the clothes looked great, I was always embarrassed because in my mind she was doing it mainly to save money. As a teenager, she taught me how to sew, but it never became a passion for me. I probably just wanted to distance myself from the whole housewife scraping to make ends meet image.

A few days ago, I discovered that there is a whole community of sewing moms who make unique outfits and then re-sell them on Ebay for a surprising amount of money ($40 – $100). Some even make “custom” outfits to sell. I saw a few going as high as $150. I now realize my mom could have made a killing if she was a sewing housewife now.

Part of me feels a little guilty that many of the skills my female anscestors had might fall by the wayside. I don't quilt, can food, or sew. I guess the best way to have those continue would be to send Lexi to visit my mom for a month every summer. ...hmm something to think about.