Being the only child at home, my one brother was in Germany in the Army and my other brother was 18 years older than me, and when I was born, he had just left to live on his own.
The Christmas stocking was the most fun for me as I grew up. My parents filled it with goodies along with crafts and supplies. I think that is how I really began. My Babi (great grandmother in Polish) didn't speak English and almost every Saturday night, we went to her house to visit and my aunt who was taking care of her. Lawrence Welk would be playing on the Saturday night tv at 7:00 and I had nothing to do. So, I would bring my craft.
Let me tell you about some of the things I did when I was around 6 years old, and am still experimenting today.
I would make chains out of precut paper with lickable glue on the ends to stick together.
I loved the white glue paste they had. It smelled like wintergreen and I used to spread that on my newspaper articles like the Beatles and stick them in an old scrap book.
Punch art which I do not seem to see in any stores today was great. There was the yarn, the board with the pattern on it and the little punching tool.
I had How To Draw Cartoons soft paperback book by Walters I believe. And I, my cousin, pencil in hand along with cheap manila drawing paper, would draw and redraw the funny fat man, or skinny tall lady, the policeman with whistle in his mouth, the horse that had floppy legs..and on and on.
I had a small knitting tool, yarn and needles and would knit little squares and rectangles to put on my Barbie Dolls thinking they had on beautiful sweaters.
My little sewing machine was plastic and always got the thread and needle stuck in the fabric, having to pull apart the stitching, fix the sewing machine and start again.
I would cut fabric swatches and make carpets for my dolls.
As I got better in my sewing, I made a Raggedy Ann Doll and a little felt elf.
Junior High was an experience. Miss Needle Nose Neery they would call my teacher, taught us the fundamentals of the sewing machine, hand stitches and pattern sewing and simple pattern making. I was able to make a multi layered skirt, a cape, a plaid jumper, silky pants and blouse, and my own design of a bonnie bell type cotton shirt with the sleeves dipping a bit off of the elbows.
My high school did not have an art program nor music program. You could take an art class or be in the band which I did both. Realizing that these were my two loves and interests, I furthered my education.
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