April 14, 2020: From Each According to Her Inability -

My friend Elizabeth, who works at a long-term care facility, was coming home each night and sewing protective gowns. Apparently, gowns are scarce. I offered to assemble some, and she gave me what she called “kits:” five bodies, ten sleeves, some homemade bias tape (bias tape is also scarce) for necklines and ties. I picked up my kits last Thursday, and commenced.

It was a steep learning curve on the sleeves.

A year or so ago, inspired by a friend who was making cool clothes, I bought a new sewing machine. I did own a machine already, a Sew-Mor (honest) that had belonged to my mom. It was a workhorse, and could stitch forward, backward, and - by turning a little dial- zigzag.  I needed nothing more (“nothing mor”) in terms of features. If I sew, I generally make flat things, curtains and pillowcases and such.

But I had a grandkid coming and I thought I might suddenly develop some sewing chops (note: this did not happen). And mainly, I wanted a new machine because I could no longer pick up the Sew-Mor. It weighed 45 pounds and had a rickety handle. I used to joke it was a “portable” sewing machine from the days when “portable” meant it wasn’t bolted to the floor.

So I called the high school where I used to choreograph, and asked if they wanted the Sew-Mor for the costume shop, and they said YES, and I drove it over and stood on the stage where I’d worked on so many shows and did a little bit of lump in the throat, and then I went off and took some “meet your cool new machine” classes at the local sewing place.

The women who taught these classes were awesome. The skill, the artistry, the knowledge, the tips and tricks, the willingness to help newbies, and the ability to keep from rolling their eyes – all were masterful. But the howls of laughter that would erupt when those teachers left the room were by far the best part.  One teacher tried to tell us it wasn’t rocket science, but we disagreed. And yes, I did take Home Ec, way back when. It wore off.

At some point one teacher told us to go through our thread stash and throw away any thread older than X years, because thread goes bad. I of course assumed this nonsense was a scam perpetrated by Big Thread, to keep us buying.

I was wrong.

I say this as someone who has now practiced getting tiny bits of horrendously goozled-up thread out of the innards of a new sewing machine. If your thread can't withstand a gentle yank, splurge, and get yourself some newer thread.

Anyway! I am delivering the gowns today, and taking home a few more kits, primarily because I haven’t contributed materially (haha) to the effort much so far, and it does feel good to be useful, but also because Elizabeth was so sweetly grateful.