These first appeared in March of 2012 and I’ve added a few
memories to them . . .
I ended the last article with retiring from teaching at the ripe old age of 24. I actually went back to my old job at Service Engraving during the months I was pregnant with my daughter (a lot less stress). I got pregnant 3 months after we lost our premature son. Our daughter was born that following Dec. 27th the same birth date as our son, within 45 min. of the same time. I stayed home the first 10 months with my daughter and did a few freelance art jobs. My husband was working at Chrysler Foundry and at over $5 an hour, we thought we were doing great. He got laid off and I knew I needed to go back to work as soon as possible. I saw a help wanted sign in the window at Lee Wards Creative Crafts on Pendleton Pike and I started as a cashier in August of 1974. The store seemed only to hire crafters, and with my art background, it was the perfect fit. Soon the manager hired me full time as the display person, meaning I displayed all the craft samples, made the sale signs and handled getting samples made. We had a great system for getting the samples made — the person making the craft would get credit they could use to buy finished samples, so they could buy back what they had made after the season or a sample sent in by one of the craft companies. My mother, Mary Jewell was quite a crafter and she made most of the macrame samples, including a hanging table. She was also the best rug hooker we had.
I loved the job — I got to decorate and make pretty all day long. It did take some time to get use to setting up that 12 ft. ladder and climbing to the ceiling to hang things, though. Since Christmas gift making was the biggest selling time of the year, we started early. I had to decorate a dozen Christmas trees in July so shoppers would buy early to get everything made in time for gift giving.
The manager, Dean Singleton was a very creative man and helped make the store a showplace. I remember one weekend he decided we’d make giant beaded boutique Christmas ornaments to hang over the ornament kits. He bought huge styrofoam balls and we created a dozen huge beaded ornaments — it was so much fun!
Lee Wards as a company was great to work for — they wanted their employees to help come up with creative ideas to use the products. They even had boutique ornament contests for the employees with cash prizes. I remember making a cat out of styrofoam covered in beads and sequins and a poinsettia — I never won the contest but sure loved trying.
After a few years of doing display, Ed, the man in charge of the craft classes and demonstrations moved to Chicago and I got his job. With my teaching background it was good to get back into the classroom. We had over 50 classes a month with everything from quilting to stained glass. I had over 10 very talented craft instructors. They all worked part time, which is what they wanted. I worked around their schedules too, knowing if they preferred days or nights or weekends — that way we were always covered and they were always happy. We had a great group of people who loved what they did. I had experts in every craft field — Jane could do stained glass and design original windows (I was in art classes with her at Tech) and she could also do Tolé painting (decorative folkart painting) like you wouldn’t believe. She could do everything — she still does. Rita could do tatting with her eyes closed — that’s making tiny lace by hand with a little bobbin — amazing. Gennie could weave a basket that would put Longabergers to shame. Gennie made me quilted coasters that I still use — they just don’t make fabric like that anymore. During a Christmas project this year I finished off a spool of thread from Lee Wards that was still strong and smooth and much better than anything I can buy now — what has happened to quality?
Not only were the instructors talented, every employee had their own special talent. Nancy, head of the Fabric/Yarn department was the best quilter I’ve ever known — I still keep in touch and she’s still quilting. She was also an incredible knitter. Mary in the Arts & Crafts department could paint beautifully and still does crafts in Florida. Even Bruce, the stock boy was great at photography and I still have one of his barn photos framed in my bathroom. Maggie, who was a clerk could do everything — I have her wooden marquetry chicken plaque still hanging in my kitchen and her etched mirror in my dining room.
We all lived and breathed crafts. On break I would work on needlepoint pillows and when I got home I might work on that stained glass window that I think was on the end of my dining room table for at least 2 years. While visiting Aunt Margaret in Cincinnati, I saw on her sofa the basketweave needlepoint pillow I made her over 40 years before — it looked great (she said she doesn’t let anyone sit on it).
We were all obsessed with crafts in the 70s and 80s. We had a Head Craft Advisor (that was my title) Convention one spring up in Elgin, Ill. (home office). They sent in the top crafters from around the country to teach us the latest trends — like Patricia Nimcock (her art supplies are still on the market). It was an incredible experience for any crafter.
In 1982, Ray Rice from Channel 8 News called Lee Wards and asked if I would demonstrate a craft for their Noon News. That started a 32 week run of Tuesday spots between the weather and I can’t remember what. Debby Knox was the co-anchor for the Noon News back then. She was actually living in Irvington then and we only lived two blocks apart. I had a 4 to 5 minute spot to demonstrate a craft with Ray and Debby asking me questions and sometimes trying the craft themselves. It was LIVE, with no rehearsal. I didn’t take notes with me, I just demonstrated the craft like I did everyday with the customers in the store. I never knew what Ray or Debby would ask and sometimes it was pretty funny. One time I was Tolé painting a daisy on a wooden plaque, when Ray asked how long would it take. I told him about a minute, so he started counting off the seconds — I made it just in time. On another show, I was going to have Debby do a soft sculpture head along with me (you stuff a pantyhose with polyfiber and stitch a face on it) but she lost the thread out of her needle and fumbled trying to thread it as I went on and finished the demo. I did a wedding bouquet in 3 minutes (everything precut of course). Another time I was demonstrating how to make roses from ribbon and Debby ask me when I had learned and I told her I couldn’t remember and she said “you mean you were born knowing how?” My husband Steve would go with me and we’d always stop for lunch afterwards. The spots ended in April of 1983, because Lee Wards was reorganizing and all the full time people (including me) lost their jobs. I was devastated — it was the end of an era. I had worked there 9 years and would have stayed the rest of my life.
Lee Wards was like no other craft store and I know all of us crafters still miss it. It opened in 1947 as strictly mail-order and in the early 80s opened retail stores. They had stores in 45 states and sold their 87 stores to Michaels in 1994.
I was pregnant as my job ended at Lee Wards. I stayed home with my son for 2 years and did freelance art jobs and taught Calligraphy classes at Howe.
www.paula.weeklyview@yahoo.com
Next time: My job at
L.S. Ayres Advertising Dept.
