Lilac Home & Garden: Mum and Grandma's Handy Work

Mum's Embroidery

This is where I got my love for sewing and handy work.

My mother was a very talented sewer, a perfectionist as you can see by the detail in her work. She was taught by her mother, who won many blue ribbons at our local agricultural show each year with her fairy knitting. I remember in those days the Show was one of the big highlights of the year in the community. There was always very strong competition between the country women with their entries in the baking, preserves and all sorts of sewing and needle work, but grandma usually come out on top with her fairy knitting. Grandma's daily routine was to get most of her chores done in the early part of the day and to prepare a hot lunch for grandad. Grandad came home from his farm work for morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea. There was never a shortage of home made goodies. I remember my stays during the school holidays with them very fondly,lovely home made biscuits (Anzacs, cinnamon raisin and jam drips to name a few). Later in the day grandma would sit and do her fairy knitting till it was time to prepare dinner, which was usually cold meat and salad. If I remember rightly it was at this time she would send us down to the chook pen with the scraps and to collect the eggs. I used to love helping grandma preparing meals, baking the biscuits and she always had time to teach us how to play card games and board games

Grandma's Fairy Knitting

As her grandchildren grew up, got engaged and married, we all knew what our gift from grandma and grandad would be, and very much looked forward to it. No prize for guessing what we would get. She knitted a supper cloth or something similar for each of us.