Miriam, thanks for the stories about your mother. Wonderful to hear about the clothes she made - especially the coat! And a wedding dress from a silk parachute. I never would have thought. Nowadays, though, I'll bet the parachutes are nylon. So could not accomplish the same thing. Ah, well.
I heard recently from my parents about the thrill it was to be using electrified machines rather than treadle. Dad can't imagine why I am on the hunt for a National two-spools. (My grandmother had one, and Mom learned to sew on it. I remember it from my visits to the farm.) He has bought Mom the latest computerized Viking sewing machine. She gave her 'old' one to my sister.