Coddled Eggs

Coddled Eggs

Saturday 17 May 2014

                                         .......A Material Girl...........

My Mother was a dressmaker. Mum designed and drafted the patterns for almost all of the clothes she made.
Mum was also very gifted at crotchet (my babies all left the hospital clad in pure wool layettes)  crochet jacket, woolen singlet, helmet or bonnet and each had an exquisite shawl.
My daughter has her shawl and no doubt this new baby (when it arrives)  will  be lovingly snuggled in it.
My youngest daughter will get hers when she has her first baby.
I remember every few months a large parcel of fabric arriving. I never knew if Mum ever bought these mail order fabrics or if they were returned but I do remember Mum  making some lovely dresses for me.
One in particular was a dusty light blue with a gold thread through it .
I had a little dress with a petticoat.
 My sisters had dresses made too in the same fabric The elder sisters dress was a sophisticated style , mine very simple with a tie that tied in a bow at the back and of course the petticoat and my  two youngest sisters got matching little frocks . 
I don't know if that is where my love for fabric or buttons started but I remember that blue and gold thread so vividly and Mums button tin which was a big tin that had once held Quality Street Confection.
I found this picture on the net. I don't know what happened to Mums button tin or her many books where she kept all our measurements for years .



At our local recycle centre I pick up some lovely fabric and from time to time I get some amazing fabric.
These were covers on an old feather down  ......








If you like the cover check out the eiderdown its so ancient the feathers are flying but its so gorgeous.

I have a special new friend whom I think will love a piece of these fabrics so I will cut them up and pop them in my basket for when I go to the city ....

Mum was also very good at making Doilies, Lace collars and embroidered  table cloths.

For my 30th birthday I got the most exquisite collars ... one with tiny seed beads.
Mum really was very talented and I am so grateful.
For my 49th birthday I got a tablecloth that took Mum years to make I treasure it and will share that on a later  blog.


the lace for this came in a roll of little scallops that Mum painstakingly tacked together in florets then crotched  around. to tie it altogether.
The scalloped lace run came from an elderly Nun named Sister Saint Anne.






I love the tiny pearls.

The find of the day though would have to be a lovely vintage Summer frock that would look splendid with a pair of black gummies ............

...........and below Tea cosy extraordinaire ............

The challenge of the day is to work out how these delightful little flowers were made......

They are made with the tiniest bits of wool.



Mum never threw anything out ...she continuously said "I must go through my fabrics, my cottons, my wool my sewing room and clean it out ....she never really did and I am glad because I squirrel away all these bits and then just like today I find a little treasure and  a big challenge........... and  out  comes my collection ...........The problem.....
 Where to begin
 Little flowers or bags ...
and do the hotties covers wait

Never have a dull moment people busy hands happy heart 
...................






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