Recalling Past Events to Improve the Future: Let’s Make, Alter, and Repair Our Own Clothes

18-year-old Helena Muffly wrote exactly 100 years ago today:

Wednesday, April 2, 1913: About the same as the other days.

Triangle Shirt Factory Fire--March 25, 1911 (photographer unknown) — Triangle Shirt Factory Fire–March 25, 1911 (photographer unknown)

Her middle-aged granddaughter’s comments 100 years later:

I’d like to thank Kristin at Finding Eliza for sharing a link with me that I found fascinating and provided the inspiration for this post.

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Since Grandma didn’t write much a hundred years ago today I’m going to write about an important issue both a hundred years ago and today: poor working conditions for garment workers.

On March 25, 2011 I wrote a post about the hundredth anniversary of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire in New York City that killed many workers. The public outrage over that fire led to many safety and labor improvements in the garment industry (and other industries).

To commemorate the 102nd anniversary of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire on March 25, The Sewing Rebellion website included a downloadable pattern for the shirtwaist that was made by the Triangle Factory.

The Sewing Rebellion points out that many garment workers in other countries still work under very poor conditions, and encourages people to emancipate themselves from the global garment industry by learning how to alter, mend and make their own garments and accessories.

What goes around, comes around. It’s intriguing to think that instead of buying new clothes each season, maybe we could again learn how to make and alter our clothes.

April Fooled Some People

18-year-old Helena Muffly wrote exactly 100 years ago today:

Tuesday, March 25, 1913:

The beginning of April or the time to be fooled.

To make people mad and make people gay

It’s the time of the year which we all must fear.

So be very careful about what others say.

April fooled some people today. And got fooled some myself. We had quite a row tonight while practicing.

Her middle-aged granddaughter’s comments 100 years later:

On the first day of each month Grandma began the diary entry with a poem.

I knew my elderly Grandmother. Her diary provides a window into what she was like as a teen. It’s fun to see how remnants of the fun, quirky teen in this diary were part of Grandma’s personality throughout her life.

Awhile ago several relatives wrote guest posts about their memories of Grandma. My cousin Anne Marie wrote about an April’s Fools day when Grandma was in her late 60’s or early 70’s.

One April Fools Day Grandma took an old newspaper from her basement and carefully glued all of the pages together and quietly placed it in our newspaper box. I can still hear Mom laughing when she tried to read the paper that day and it didn’t take her long to figure out who the prankster was.

Photo of the house that Grandma lived in during her later years.

See more guest posts with relative’s memories of Grandma by clicking on the Family Memories category.

(This comment is a repeat of the comment that I made last year on April Fools Day. I apologize for being repetitive–but it seemed so appropriate and relevant for this diary entry.)

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The class play is on April 5. It sounds like the cast was getting really stressed out as the big day approached. The previous day Grandma wrote that they almost decided not to have the play–but decided to persevere.

Still Struggling to Complete Homework

18-year-old Helena Muffly wrote exactly 100 years ago today:

Sunday, March 30, 1913: Went to Sunday School this morning. Went to Carrie’s this afternoon and went to church with Rufus this evening. Just got home a while ago. Don’t have my lessons out very well for tomorrow, but anyhow, I’m not going to get them out tonight.

Her middle-aged granddaughter’s comments 100 years later:

I guess the week-end didn’t cure Grandma’s case of “senioritis”.

The previous Thursday she wrote:

Didn’t get home from practice till about half past eleven. So you see I didn’t get my lessons out either.

March 25, 1913

And, on Wednesday she wrote:

Teacher gave the school a lecture, but it was really meant for me. I don’t think what I did was so bad, but I guess I won’t do it again. I might catch it right there.

March 26, 1913

And, she was ready for the week-end on Friday:

Am glad this is the last school day for this week. I guess, I’ll be glad when school stops. Am counting the days.

March 28. 1913

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Grandma sometimes referred to her sister Ruth as Rufus in the diary—especially when she was annoyed with her (though Grandma doesn’t seem annoyed in this entry, so I’m not sure why she wrote Rufus).

Carrie referred to Carrie Stout. She was a friend of Grandma’s and lived on a nearby farm.

Old Postcard from a Piano Store

18-year-old Helena Muffly wrote exactly 100 years ago today:

Saturday, March 29, 1913: Ma and I went to Milton this morning. The chief object of which was the buying of me a graduation dress. It is a plain white batiste to be trimmed with lace insertion and edging. I got some other things besides. Ma bought a piano. I’m so glad for now I can learn to play.

Caption: Patience Personified

I recently visited the Roller Mills Antique Center in Lewisburg and found this old post card that advertised a piano store in Milton. Did Grandma and her mother buy their piano from C.A. Bennage?

Her middle-aged granddaughter’s comments 100 years later:

What a fun shopping trip!—It’s amazing that Grandma and her mother bought BOTH a graduation dress and a piano on the same trip.

A piano is a major purchase. In this era before women’s rights, I’m surprised that Grandma’s mother was able to make a purchase of this size without her husband coming along. Even today, I think that both spouses would generally be actively involved in making a purchase of this size.

Thank God It’s Friday!

18-year-old Helena Muffly wrote exactly 100 years ago today:

Friday, March 28, 1913: Am glad this is the last school day for this week. I guess, I’ll be glad when school stops. Am counting the days.

Her middle-aged granddaughter’s comments 100 years later:

Sounds like Grandma had “senioritis.” She was counting the days until graduation, and two days prior to this diary entry her teacher lectured her on her behavior:

Teacher gave the school a lecture, but it was really meant for me. I don’t think what I did was so bad, but I guess I won’t do it again. I might catch it right there.

Grandma—I have you have a relaxing week-end.

Rainy Morning and Flooded Creek

18-year-old Helena Muffly wrote exactly 100 years ago today:

Thurday, March 27, 1913: There was quite a flood here today. Had to go a different way to get to school.

Ruth’s school stopped today. Had to help carry some stuff over there this morning. I got rather tired with carrying it and got my dress all wet in the bargain.

Recent photo of the stream that flows through the farm Grandma grew up on. The old Muffly barn is in the background--and the cows were probably pastured in this field. — Recent photos of the stream that flows through the farm Grandma grew up on. The old Muffly barn is in the background. It would have looked very different when the road was flooded a hundred years ago today,

Her middle-aged granddaughter’s comments 100 years later:

It sounds like a miserable morning. Rain. . .cold, wet clothes. . . and a flooded creek that cut off the normal route between the Muffly farm and McEwensville.

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Grandma’s sister Ruth was a teacher at one of the small rural schools near McEwensville. Why did Grandma need to carry things over to Ruth’s school?

Does “Ruth’s school stopped today” mean that school was cancelled due to high water? . . or was it the last day of the school year? (School years were shorter back then, but it seems really early for it to be ending.)

Got a Lecture from the Teacher

18-year-old Helena Muffly wrote exactly 100 years ago today:

Wednesday, March 26, 1913: Teacher gave the school a lecture, but it was really meant for me. I don’t think what I did was so bad, but I guess I won’t do it again. I might catch it right there.

Recent photo of the building that once housed McEwensville High School.

Her middle-aged granddaughter’s comments 100 years later:

Hmm—what the heck did Grandma do? The previous day she wrote that she got home from play practice at 11:30 and didn’t have time to do her studies.

In the past, Grandma had some issues with cheating. Might she possibly have reverted to that old habit?

Two years prior to this diary entry, on February 7, 1911, she wrote:

Some of the boys at school found the teacher’s Latin questions in examination, and we all expect to make a good mark. I do at least, but I might be fooled as some cheats are.

And, she got away with it that time. The next day (February 8, 1911) she wrote:

Had some of our exams today. Came out all right in Latin. Our arithmetic wasn’t so easy though. My fingers feel rather tired.

The next year, things didn’t go so well. On January 25, 1912 Grandma wrote:

Gave my ear to a free-for-all lecture this afternoon. It was delivered by Mr. Teacher, the chief part of which was about cheating on examinations. I’ve been so worked up at this, although Conscience tells me not to. Anyway I believe it is time to stop, and do better in the future. So now, I will try to bid adieu to all ways of crookedness and get the things in my head instead of having them on paper.

But, Grandma did reform her ways—at least temporarily. A few days later, on February 9, 1912 she wrote:

I am disgusted with the marks I made in my examination, but although my marks are low I am not losing faith for I can truthfully say, “I didn’t cheat.” I had not much of a desire to cheat after that awful lecture and what desire I had left I managed to trample down. I intend to improve for next month and make my next teacher happy.