I am in a neighborhood sewing group that makes dresses for 3rd world countries through an interdenominational group. We were referred to it by our City’s Facebook sewing group. We are about 30 women. We get fabric and notions donated by church groups, and from thrift shops.
My mother and grandmother taught me to sew. Then I had Home Ec in 7th grade. I really was not interested at that time, but made the requisite items: gym drawstring bag, smock blouse, shorts, etc.
I was supposed to inherit my grandmother’s machine but it mysteriously disappeared at the hands of an envious cousin who didn’t sew.
I used my mother’s Singer 221 Featherweight to sew. My ex boyfriend’s mother gave me her machine to make a shower curtain and liner. She was so happy with it, she gave me her machine. It had a weird name but it was solid metal. None of her 5 daughters knew how to sew, nor did they want to. I got her machine.
During Covid, my city’s sewing group (1700) made scrub caps and masks. I burned through 2 machines in 10 months.
I now have a Singer Confidence, for quick patch jobs, and a Pfaff 720. I sew weekly. I turn my monthly donation of sewn dresses in tomorrow!