Still Knitting for the Troops in 1945

From the August 12, 2020, MidWeek  "Looking Back."

1945, 75 Years Ago.

"Activities at the Red Cross production centers in DeKalb will be resumed tomorrow after a vacation period the past few weeks.

"There is a rush order for knitted items including V-neck sleeveless sweaters.  Women are asked to call for the yarn, 50 pounds having been received at the sewing center."

Still Knitting for the Troops.  --GreGen

Her Wedding Dress Made From Husband's Parachute-- Part 6: About That Nightgown

For months, Gerald Bonsonto recovered in hospitals in France, England and Capri, Italy.

While in France, he asked a woman to make a nightgown for his bride out of parachute material;.  The long-sleeved, sashed gown even has a nickname, "Edith," embroidered across the top left side.

Aida said that Gerald told her the cost of the seamstresses' work was two packs of cigarettes.

It was a different time, Aida said, and even though she only wore the nightgown on her wedding day, she machine sewed the originally hand-stitched seams to add durability.  She has also hand-washed the gown over the years.

Back then, the parachutes, said Jerry Bonsonto Jr., "were thin and lightweight, designed to get the men down fast so they wouldn't be targets in the air."

Caroline Bonsonto said the parachute nightgown "looks delicate but it is sturdy as steel."

--GreGen

Help Needed In the Sewing Center in DeKalb in 1943

From the September 12, 2018, MidWeek  "Looking Back."

1943, 75 Years Ago.

"Mrs. Clarence Swanbum, chairman of the production department of the DeKalb chapter of the Red Cross, is making an appeal for women to help in some of the work at the sewing center on the second floor of the Chronicle Building.

"Production this year is lagging because of the scarcity of helpers and any women who are able to devote some time to this work will be welcomed."

Sew, Sew, Sew Your Way for the Boys.  --GreGen

Red Cross Sewing Center in DeKalb

From the February 15, 2017, MidWeek "Looking Back."

1942, 75 Years Ago.

"The Red Cross sewing center located in the Ellwood School in DeKalb will be open on Thursday afternoon only.

"The sewing center located on the second floor of the Chronicle building is open every afternoon."

Sewing for the Boys.  --GreGen

"We Patch Anything": The WPA's Sewing Rooms-- Part 3

I had never heard of this operation before coming across it in one of my "Looking Back" posts.  I especially liked how they took the WPA's initials and turned it into "WE Patch Anything."

Seamstresses took pride in what they did and would say the WPA stood for "We Patch Anything."  Each item they made had a WPA label on it and the inscription "Not to Be Sold."  I wonder if there are any remaining WPA garments?  Perhaps even collector articles now?

By 1940, the Fort Worth sewing room had 650 women,ages 35-64, and had produced 2,341,369 garments and 130,408 household items.

As the United States drew closer to war, the women began finding better paying jobs in defense industries.  Starting pay in the sewing rooms was $35 a month for 140 hours.

WPA sewing rooms disbanded in 1941.

Something Else I Didn't Know About.  --GreGen

"We Patch Anything": The WPA's Sewing Rooms-- Part 2

Some women were placed in clerical jobs by this program.  Others became librarians, worked in canning, gardening and sewing.

Nationally, some 7 percent of WPA workers were women engaged in sewing projects.

The Fort Worth sewing room opened in 1935 and later had separate sewing rooms for black and white women.  It provided job training for illiterate women also included basic education.

The federal government paid the women's salaries while the city and county paid a portion of the expenses.

--GreGen

"We Patch Anything": The WPA's Sewing Rooms-- Part 1

Continued from the January 7 and 8 blogs.

From the May 27, 2013 "Living New Deal site "We Patch Anything: WPA Sewing Rooms in Fort Worth, Texas."

This is in reference to my posts of January 7 and 8 referring to the closure of the sewing room formerly housing the KPA (actually WPA) in DeKalb and reopening as a Red Cross sewing room, now for the war effort.

Most think of the U.S. government's attempt to get the country out of the Great Depression called the Works Progress Administration usually referred to by its initials WPA as mostly men working on highways, parks and schools.

But, there were also programs for women starting in 1933 through the Women's Division of the Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA) and later under the auspices of the WPA.

--GreGen

Looking Back to 1942: Sewing for the Red Cross in DeKalb

From the January 4, 2017, MidWeek (DeKalb County, Illinois) "Looking Back."

1942, 75 Years Ago.

"Announcement was made today by the DeKalb Chapter of the American Red Cross that it will open a sewing center in DeKalb.  The center is to be located on the second floor of The Chronicle building in quarters previously occupied by the KPA sewing project.

"The chapter invites all women who wish to do sewing or knitting for the Red Cross to go to the center any afternoon that is convenient for them."

--GreGen