Men Who Sew

To All:

I learned to sew as a boy, repairing the harness for a mule named
'Bea,' which I later learned was short for Beelzebub after she taught
me I had a lot to learn as a mule skinner. But there was a war on,
gasoline was rationed, Victory Gardens were required and Bea, suitably
shod, brushed and harnessed, was our Cultivating Machine. With me
hanging onto the traces whether she liked it or not. The harness had
not been used for at least ten years but by the time V-J Day rolled
around it had been almost completely replaced, one stitch at a time,
sometimes more than once and mostly by me.

I also learned to sew shut a gunny sack of chicken mash and do so fast
enough so they didn't have to shut down the mill. At the time I
wasn't big enough to lift a full sack of mash but I was a demon with a
sacking needle.

All of us kids knew how to sew in the generic sense, replacing a loose
button or repairing a torn hem. Like most families we had a treadle-
type Singer sewing machine and we learned how to use it, my sis for
making doll clothes and us boys for important stuff such as knapsacks
and pup-tents.

Back then all boys knew how to make nets. We needed them for
basketball hoops and catching minnows and making hammocks and those
string bags our mom's used when they went grocery shopping. In fact,
my dad usethe same knot when rib-stitching a Piper Cub, although tied
flat and done with a needle instead of a shuttle.

So whathell is a message about SEWING doing on a Newsgroup dedicated
to Homebuilt Aircraft? I'm glad you asked :-)

About a week ago (24 March) I posted another installment about Flying
on the Cheap, this one having to do with rib-stitching; specifically,
the difficulty some have in obtaining suitable needles and thread. It
produced the usual yawn of disinterest plus some seriously silly - -
even offensive - - anonymous private messages from the Usual Idiots,
the gist of which was that men don't sew.

I didn't pay any attention to the messages. The anonymity of the
Internet makes it a playground for sociopaths. But I got another one
today, Sunday, April Fool's Days. Same theme but oozing properly
spelt, grammatically correct nastiness, in that my reference to
'sewing' made it clear I was some sort of fag and shouldn't be allowed
around airplanes except mebbe to design their upholstery because REAL
MEN DON'T SEW.

Personally, I think he's got it exactly backwards. Learning to do
things for yourself not only prevents you from becoming a burden to
others, it allows you to go places and do things far beyond the ken of
those who don't.

For example, knowing how to make and mend net came in handy when I
worked as a commercial fisherman and it was aboard a gill-netter
called the 'Ste Barbara' that the Portugu(ese crew took pity on me and
taught me how to knit so I make those little sleeves of raw wool they
all wore on their fingers that served to the protect the cracks in
your hands that would open up from handling those damn nets day after
day.

When I joined the Navy I was issued a 'wife,' which turned out to be a
sewing kit. (And a pocket knife [which I still have.]) I already had
a sorta-sewing kit - - every sailor does - - but the one they issued
had an assortment of the correct thread and buttons for taking care of
my uniforms, whereas mine was just some spare buttons on a safety pin,
a couple of needles stuck in a cork and whatever thread I happened to
have.

I'm not sure why some folks think the ability to sew should be gender-
specific. You really can't get along too well if you don't know how
to SEW, for crysakes! And I'm not just talking harness, sails and
airplanes. Sewing is a fundamental skill. In fact, you can buy a
simple sewing machine for less than forty bucks that will let you copy
your favorite shirt when it wears out. Just pick the seams apart,
starch it stiff as a board and use it as your pattern. The result is
clothes that really fit - - 'tailor-made' - - but without the tailor.
(Simple sewing machines are just 'stitchers;' they won't do button
holes and other fancy stuff. But then, neither did our old Singer.)

Seems to me, you're not much of a man if you have to rely on others
for something as simple as sewing. In fact, the only stuff you truly
own is the things you know - - it is always there, ready for use and
can never be taken from you. For some of us that means a broad
spectrum of useful skills and a wealth of experience-based knowledge.
But for others it appears to be only bitterness toward their fellow
man.

-R.S.Hoover

On Apr 1, 11:35 pm, Richard Riley wrote:

I haven't yet had any project that called for the super extra long
needle. I'm sure I will, and for such an occasion I have your post
filed away, in my "vdubber" folder.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Someone didn't understand my description of making an eye in a bamboo
skewer and asked if I could provide a photo. So I posted the article
to my blog with a clickable picture of some rib-stitching needles
(bobhooversblog.blogspot.com).

As you may have guessed, the price of a steel needle reflects its
length... and its availability. In some parts of the world the most
practical design for the budget-strapped home-builder is something
like Eric Clutton's 'F.R.E.D." which uses a thick, low aspect ratio
wing. While any city should be able to provide upholstery needles, in
some cases the longest needles available may be too short for a
particular wing design, hence the value of being able to make your own
even if you don't live back of beyond.

-R.S.Hoover

To All:

I learned to sew as a boy, repairing the harness for a mule named
'Bea,' which I later learned was short for Beelzebub after she taught
me I had a lot to learn as a mule skinner. But there was a war on,
gasoline was rationed, Victory Gardens were required and Bea, suitably
shod, brushed and harnessed, was our Cultivating Machine. With me
hanging onto the traces whether she liked it or not. The harness had
not been used for at least ten years but by the time V-J Day rolled
around it had been almost completely replaced, one stitch at a time,
sometimes more than once and mostly by me.

I also learned to sew shut a gunny sack of chicken mash and do so fast
enough so they didn't have to shut down the mill. At the time I
wasn't big enough to lift a full sack of mash but I was a demon with a
sacking needle.

All of us kids knew how to sew in the generic sense, replacing a loose
button or repairing a torn hem. Like most families we had a treadle-
type Singer sewing machine and we learned how to use it, my sis for
making doll clothes and us boys for important stuff such as knapsacks
and pup-tents.

Back then all boys knew how to make nets. We needed them for
basketball hoops and catching minnows and making hammocks and those
string bags our mom's used when they went grocery shopping. In fact,
my dad usethe same knot when rib-stitching a Piper Cub, although tied
flat and done with a needle instead of a shuttle.

So whathell is a message about SEWING doing on a Newsgroup dedicated
to Homebuilt Aircraft? I'm glad you asked :-)

About a week ago (24 March) I posted another installment about Flying
on the Cheap, this one having to do with rib-stitching; specifically,
the difficulty some have in obtaining suitable needles and thread. It
produced the usual yawn of disinterest plus some seriously silly - -
even offensive - - anonymous private messages from the Usual Idiots,
the gist of which was that men don't sew.

I didn't pay any attention to the messages. The anonymity of the
Internet makes it a playground for sociopaths. But I got another one
today, Sunday, April Fool's Days. Same theme but oozing properly
spelt, grammatically correct nastiness, in that my reference to
'sewing' made it clear I was some sort of fag and shouldn't be allowed
around airplanes except mebbe to design their upholstery because REAL
MEN DON'T SEW.

Personally, I think he's got it exactly backwards. Learning to do
things for yourself not only prevents you from becoming a burden to
others, it allows you to go places and do things far beyond the ken of
those who don't.

For example, knowing how to make and mend net came in handy when I
worked as a commercial fisherman and it was aboard a gill-netter
called the 'Ste Barbara' that the Portugu(ese crew took pity on me and
taught me how to knit so I make those little sleeves of raw wool they
all wore on their fingers that served to the protect the cracks in
your hands that would open up from handling those damn nets day after
day.

When I joined the Navy I was issued a 'wife,' which turned out to be a
sewing kit. (And a pocket knife [which I still have.]) I already had
a sorta-sewing kit - - every sailor does - - but the one they issued
had an assortment of the correct thread and buttons for taking care of
my uniforms, whereas mine was just some spare buttons on a safety pin,
a couple of needles stuck in a cork and whatever thread I happened to
have.

I'm not sure why some folks think the ability to sew should be gender-
specific. You really can't get along too well if you don't know how
to SEW, for crysakes! And I'm not just talking harness, sails and
airplanes. Sewing is a fundamental skill. In fact, you can buy a
simple sewing machine for less than forty bucks that will let you copy
your favorite shirt when it wears out. Just pick the seams apart,
starch it stiff as a board and use it as your pattern. The result is
clothes that really fit - - 'tailor-made' - - but without the tailor.
(Simple sewing machines are just 'stitchers;' they won't do button
holes and other fancy stuff. But then, neither did our old Singer.)

Seems to me, you're not much of a man if you have to rely on others
for something as simple as sewing. In fact, the only stuff you truly
own is the things you know - - it is always there, ready for use and
can never be taken from you. For some of us that means a broad
spectrum of useful skills and a wealth of experience-based knowledge.
But for others it appears to be only bitterness toward their fellow
man.

-R.S.Hoover


Well said, and another great post, as always.

About all I can really say, with regard to the idiotic responses, is sailing
without sewing sounds like an impossibility; and as to the rest--think of a
soldier with buttons missing and a seam unravelled, or any sort of survival
kit that doesn't include needle and thread. Further, rib stitching must
still be part of the mechanic's workmanship standards--but it isn't news
that the responses were idiotic...

Peter

On Apr 2, 8:46 am, "Peter Dohm" wrote:
To All:

I learned to sew as a boy, repairing the harness for a mule named
'Bea,' which I later learned was short for Beelzebub after she taught
me I had a lot to learn as a mule skinner. But there was a war on,
gasoline was rationed, Victory Gardens were required and Bea, suitably
shod, brushed and harnessed, was our Cultivating Machine. With me
hanging onto the traces whether she liked it or not. The harness had
not been used for at least ten years but by the time V-J Day rolled
around it had been almost completely replaced, one stitch at a time,
sometimes more than once and mostly by me.

I also learned to sew shut a gunny sack of chicken mash and do so fast
enough so they didn't have to shut down the mill. At the time I
wasn't big enough to lift a full sack of mash but I was a demon with a
sacking needle.

All of us kids knew how to sew in the generic sense, replacing a loose
button or repairing a torn hem. Like most families we had a treadle-
type Singer sewing machine and we learned how to use it, my sis for
making doll clothes and us boys for important stuff such as knapsacks
and pup-tents.

Back then all boys knew how to make nets. We needed them for
basketball hoops and catching minnows and making hammocks and those
string bags our mom's used when they went grocery shopping. In fact,
my dad usethe same knot when rib-stitching a Piper Cub, although tied
flat and done with a needle instead of a shuttle.

So whathell is a message about SEWING doing on a Newsgroup dedicated
to Homebuilt Aircraft? I'm glad you asked :-)

About a week ago (24 March) I posted another installment about Flying
on the Cheap, this one having to do with rib-stitching; specifically,
the difficulty some have in obtaining suitable needles and thread. It
produced the usual yawn of disinterest plus some seriously silly - -
even offensive - - anonymous private messages from the Usual Idiots,
the gist of which was that men don't sew.

I didn't pay any attention to the messages. The anonymity of the
Internet makes it a playground for sociopaths. But I got another one
today, Sunday, April Fool's Days. Same theme but oozing properly
spelt, grammatically correct nastiness, in that my reference to
'sewing' made it clear I was some sort of fag and shouldn't be allowed
around airplanes except mebbe to design their upholstery because REAL
MEN DON'T SEW.

Personally, I think he's got it exactly backwards. Learning to do
things for yourself not only prevents you from becoming a burden to
others, it allows you to go places and do things far beyond the ken of
those who don't.

For example, knowing how to make and mend net came in handy when I
worked as a commercial fisherman and it was aboard a gill-netter
called the 'Ste Barbara' that the Portugu(ese crew took pity on me and
taught me how to knit so I make those little sleeves of raw wool they
all wore on their fingers that served to the protect the cracks in
your hands that would open up from handling those damn nets day after
day.

When I joined the Navy I was issued a 'wife,' which turned out to be a
sewing kit. (And a pocket knife [which I still have.]) I already had
a sorta-sewing kit - - every sailor does - - but the one they issued
had an assortment of the correct thread and buttons for taking care of
my uniforms, whereas mine was just some spare buttons on a safety pin,
a couple of needles stuck in a cork and whatever thread I happened to
have.

I'm not sure why some folks think the ability to sew should be gender-
specific. You really can't get along too well if you don't know how
to SEW, for crysakes! And I'm not just talking harness, sails and
airplanes. Sewing is a fundamental skill. In fact, you can buy a
simple sewing machine for less than forty bucks that will let you copy
your favorite shirt when it wears out. Just pick the seams apart,
starch it stiff as a board and use it as your pattern. The result is
clothes that really fit - - 'tailor-made' - - but without the tailor.
(Simple sewing machines are just 'stitchers;' they won't do button
holes and other fancy stuff. But then, neither did our old Singer.)

Seems to me, you're not much of a man if you have to rely on others
for something as simple as sewing. In fact, the only stuff you truly
own is the things you know - - it is always there, ready for use and
can never be taken from you. For some of us that means a broad
spectrum of useful skills and a wealth of experience-based knowledge.
But for others it appears to be only bitterness toward their fellow
man.

-R.S.Hoover

Well said, and another great post, as always.

About all I can really say, with regard to the idiotic responses, is sailing
without sewing sounds like an impossibility; and as to the rest--think of a
soldier with buttons missing and a seam unravelled, or any sort of survival
kit that doesn't include needle and thread. Further, rib stitching must
still be part of the mechanic's workmanship standards--but it isn't news
that the responses were idiotic...

Peter

A few years ago a friend of mine joined the Navy to become a SEAL.
(He had a reasonable shot at it, but he didn't make it through BUDS
(SEAL School) because a) he was 30 years old and b) his knees blew
out.)

But one thing he said was that every SEAL takes "Glide" brand dental
floss with them whenever they're on a mission. Both to floss their
teeth, and as the strongest thread they can find, for repairing rips
and such, with the milspec sewing needle they have in their kit.

"Peter Dohm" wrote in message
news:qw9Qh.19623$B7.6064@bigfe9...
To All:

I learned to sew as a boy, repairing the harness for a mule named
'Bea,' which I later learned was short for Beelzebub after she taught
me I had a lot to learn as a mule skinner. But there was a war on,
...
I didn't pay any attention to the messages. The anonymity of the
Internet makes it a playground for sociopaths. But I got another one
today, Sunday, April Fool's Days. Same theme but oozing properly
spelt, grammatically correct nastiness, in that my reference to
'sewing' made it clear I was some sort of fag and shouldn't be allowed
around airplanes except mebbe to design their upholstery because REAL
MEN DON'T SEW.


Sez who? Hard to get into muscle biplanes without at least learning how to
rib stich... Can't get more manly than one of those. Ugh - Ugh - Ugh.

Personally, I think he's got it exactly backwards. Learning to do
things for yourself not only prevents you from becoming a burden to
others, it allows you to go places and do things far beyond the ken of
those who don't.

You da MAN.

...
About all I can really say, with regard to the idiotic responses, is
sailing
without sewing sounds like an impossibility; and as to the rest--think of
a
...

Less and less every year. Sails are turning into glued / laminated
composits. If you are only out for a few days repairs are done with dacron
or ripstop tape (depending on the sail).

On the other hand, for really long races, you are likely to find a sewing
machine (and a sailmaker) aboard. If you ever get a chance to borrow the
movie "Drum" (the movie about the yacht Drum in the Whitbread around the
world race with race with Simon LeBon - not other movies with the title
"Drum") - they complain about how hard it is to sleep with the generator and
sewing machine running. And, of course, it is the sailmaker that stiches one
of the crewmembers face back togeather out in the middle of the Pacific...

--
Geoff
The Sea Hawk at Wow Way d0t Com
remove spaces and make the obvious substitutions to reply by mail
When immigration is outlawed, only outlaws will immigrate.

I personally own four sewing machines.
- A Singer portable, about 50 years old (it has a name, but I don't
remember it just now)
- Another heavy duty Singer, treadle converted to 1/3-hp electric motor
- My Grandmother's turn of the Century (1900, not 200) White treadle
converted to electric in the 1920's
- And a European brand electric multi-stitch I bought 20 years ago.

My mother was a seamstress, so I was taught at a very early age how to
sew by hand then with a machine. My mother put together a small sewing
kit that I took with me to school. The kids laughed until one of them
need a button sewn on one cold day during the winter so he could go out
for recess.

I've got an old Singer treadle machine. Works very well, though the
belt has stretched out a bit. A few years ago I used it made a
RenFair tunic on it of loose-woven plaid, with a long diagonal seam on
the bias. I'm proud to say the pattern matches up *exactly*.
I've also got an electric machine, plus an assortment of hand-sewing
gear for leatherwork. (That reminds me, my A-3 needs some repairs.)
Once I make some more progress on the airplane, I've got a Hawaiian
shirt pattern I'm waiting to try out on several yards of a terrific
airplane print.

I'll wager the "real men don't sew" crowd would probably also starve
to death or die of dysentery if left to themselves, since they
probably think "real men" shouldn't cook or wash dishes, either.

I've got an old Singer treadle machine. Works very well, though the
belt has stretched out a bit. A few years ago I used it made a
RenFair tunic on it of loose-woven plaid, with a long diagonal seam on
the bias. I'm proud to say the pattern matches up *exactly*.
I've also got an electric machine, plus an assortment of hand-sewing
gear for leatherwork. (That reminds me, my A-3 needs some repairs.)
Once I make some more progress on the airplane, I've got a Hawaiian
shirt pattern I'm waiting to try out on several yards of a terrific
airplane print.

I'll wager the "real men don't sew" crowd would probably also starve
to death or die of dysentery if left to themselves, since they
probably think "real men" shouldn't cook or wash dishes, either.


I have a small walking-foot machine. It hasn't been getting any use
recently, but that is obviously subject to change.

Peter

"Wilbur could sew a shirt as good as any woman" ...Katharine Wright,
1900

"The flying machine is in process now. Wil spins the machine 'round by
the hour, while Orv squats around marking the places to sew. There is
nowhere in the house to live" ...Katharine Wright, 1902

"When are you going to get your wing off my sofa and out of my living
room?" Rosemary Ooyen, 2002

Without sewing men, there would be no airplanes. I'm proud to call
myself a sewing man.

Harry Frey
Wright Brothers Enterprises

When I restored my '51 International half-ton truck, I sewed
up the upholstery for the seat. People (men, mostly) ask me who did
it, and when I tell them that I did, they say "Huh! Wish I could do
that!" I've done upholstery for several boats I built as well as my
Jodel. I make other stuff from fabric: logbook bags, pouches, storage
containers for the tiedown ropes and chocks and for survival kits for
our Citabrias. Whenever I see another $5 sewing machine in a garage
sale I grab it, especially if it's better than the one I'm using.
(Same goes for old electric irons, for shrinking aircraft fabric; the
new ones aren't nearly as accurate at holding temperature.)
Sewing ain't hard. Just need to think it through, take old
stuff apart to see how it was done, and go at it. Saves money and
allows you to do more of the total job.

Dan