DECADES LATER I can still feel the slight resistance as I draw yarn through holes punched into light-weight cardboard.
I can hear, too, the grating of thread against pulp, as deplorable to me as chalk squeaking across a blackboard.
Yet, my remembrances of stitching yarn into sewing cards rate mostly as a favorite childhood activity I had long forgotten until recently rediscovering those cards tucked away in a chest of drawers.
I pulled out the cards and studied them, for the first time, as vintage works of art.
The cards are smudged and grimy and creased, corners bent, one even torn. But that adds to their character, to their nostalgic folk art appeal.
It is during these years of aging, of realizing less of your life lies ahead of you than behind, that the past rushes back.
These sewing cards opened the doors to memories of nursery rhymes…
“There was an old woman who lived in a shoe…”
…and frightening stories of goats crossing bridges where trolls lurk…
“Three Billy Goats Gruff”
…and Cinderella fairy tales with happily-ever-after endings…
…where frogs turn into princes
…and vivid recollections of evil roosters that pursued and pecked (for real, not in any fairy tale)…
The real, pecking, children-chasing roosters were not at all this pretty.
…and calves that needed to be fed and certainly didn’t smell of daisies.
The calves I fed were black-and-white Holsteins smelling of barn.
Powerful memories are stitched into these time-worn cards that I now prop as rotating art on the chest of drawers once shared by my dad and his oldest brother.
It seems some days that my thoughts dwell more on memories than the future.
HOW ABOUT YOU? Do you have a particular possession that evokes strong childhood memories?
© Copyright 2012 Audrey Kletscher Helbling
Minnesota Prairie Roots 
“The Wrench with a Hole in It.” A real tool that my father wanted to use at the exclusion of all other wrenches of identical size. I did a riff on it in my novel. The many many quilts my mother made that we have. The collection of fish lures from my father framed on my wall.
I just opened a bag of coffee, which reminded me that when my mother opened a can of Arco coffee (a NE MN thing, Arco coffee) she would always let me smell it.
Now that is interesting. Did you ask to smell the coffee? Do you remember how this tradition started?
That wrench sounds particularly interesting. And quilts, ah, they can tell such stories especially if the fabric choices carry special significance. And lures, I can only imagine the tales.
Not quite sure how that started, probably when I played under her quilts. I bet I liked the smell then so she would make a point of opening a new can when I was around to let me smell it.
If you want to read about playing under her quilts, here is a fictionalized version.
http://beneathaquiltedsky.wordpress.com/2012/11/28/novel-epilogue-and-chapter-one/
Clyde, thanks for directing me back to the quilt story. It was just fine to read again. I love that your mom would give you this small pleasure of smelling the coffee when she opened the can.
Oops, you have read that and commented. I’m old!!
We all have memory lapses. “I’m old” made me laugh.
I had those same cards! I greatly disliked the “3 Billy Goats Gruff” for the reasons you stated!!! It does cause a body to become quite pensive when contemplating your suggested thought that much more of my life lies behind than ahead!!! It is far too dismal today to dwell on this thought!!! A cup of coffee and off to my sewing domain!!! Yippee!!!
I always liked the “Three Billy Goats Gruff” story because the goats outsmarted that mean old troll. And every time we drove over one of those old bridges, you know the kind with the overhead trusses, we would knock on the roof of the car to scare away the troll who supposedly lived underneath. Such childhood memories, huh?
Happy sewing. I am working on poetry today and then perhaps will start reading a book.
One of my few memories of any specific event in grades 1-6 is when we read the story of the Three Billy Goats. I remember thinking how stupid it was; at the time I was bothered by non-realistic fiction, an attitude fostered by how stupid and canned were the Dick and Jane stories we pored over in grades 1-2, especially the portrayal of a farm. But here I am a devoted fan of Tolkien, which is itself an outgrowth of that kind of Nordic children’s tale.
You were a deep thinker already at a young age, which explains the insightful comments you always post here.
I love these! My kids have some but not nearly as cute as your old ones. They’d be adorable framed for your grandchildren’s nursery someday! 🙂 (With or without the yarn!)
There’s an idea. But first I need a son-in-law…ahem…
Yes, that definitely needs to come first!
Soon, I’m hoping.
🙂
I haven’t thought about sewing cards for years. Loved ’em. My kids had some too I think, but don’t know what became of them.
My kids had sewing cards, too, but not nearly as sweet as these from my youth.
Ahhh yes the sewing cards, I used to love to do them. My granddaughter got some this Christmas this year but she’s not really into them, maybe in another year! My big thing was trading sports cards (I was such a tomboy) I gave my collection to my two boys, not quite sure how they will eventually divey them up!
I am so glad to hear that sewing cards are still around. I thought maybe they were a “thing” of the past. Perhaps in another year your Audrey will get into them. A sports card collector, huh? That would have been my brothers. I have a few “Lost in Space” trading cards. Does that count?
The sewing cards were purchased at a speciality toy store, dont think you can get them at walmart or target,so they are a bit hard to find….and NO! “lost in space would not cut it” Ha ha
Ah, those specialty stores always have the coolest toys. We used to have a great little toy store in Faribault. No more. I loved “Lost in Space.”