I learned to iron with a sad iron, almost as heavy as I was, so I doubt that our ancestors fired up a stove and pressed seams each time they stitched a seam.

My mother must have been a "modern" woman. I remember her having my child size ironing board next to her sewing machine with her travel iron. She did not quilt but did all kinds of other sewing.

Linda in MO

We had an old family friend who made beautiful patchwork aprons with the squares set on point and the aprons looked like upside down tulips. She sewed everything using her treddel (don't know why I can't spell it, her stitches were precise just like her seams. I learned a lot from her, but unfortunately I didn't have the opportunity to her teach me to quilt. Lots of things were harder back then, like doing your washer in the old wringer washing machine, hanging clothes out on the clotheslines, and in winter, having them hang up to try on temporary clotheslines in the living room, the warmest part of the house. Although mom would hang the sheets out even in winter where they would freeze, then she would bring them in to hang in the living room to dry; but they sure smelled good.

I remember seeing my DGM setting in her rocking chair hand piecing her quilt tops and don't remember ever seeing her get up to press anything until the top was finished. DM pressed as she went and taught me to do the same.

I have never thought the good old days of sewing were all that great myself. When someone tells me their great grandmother was a real quilter with a frame hanging in the living room I smile and say Bless her heart, that's all she knew back then.

My great grandmother was a seamstress - she sewed clothes and made hats. She was a small woman (4'9") and she had an iron that was a bit smaller than the travel irons of today. I was told she used it for small areas, it set on the stove. Since my mom sewed for us, she ended up with it, I have it now. Unfortunately she is not around to ask, but I cannot image that she would sew a seam and get up to iron it.

Good comments about working with the fabric as the quality of the fabric was crisper in days gone by. I have some 50's fabric that has such a good "hand" that it is a joy to work with..

When I learned to sew we did hand sewing wiyh cardboard templates.

My mom did the exact same thing, as did my Grandma. OT, I agree that Some of the unused words are hard to spell. English is the hardest language to learn for speaking and writing. Treadle is the word you were looking for. Hope this helps. :). All the best to you, Marge!

I don't remember my mother ironing ny of hers when putting them together. I know she used sandpaper to make templates because they didn't slip.