My mother didn't really enjoy sewing, though she dutifully made little dresses when my sister and I were small. But she loved to embroider.
Convent educated, she learnt the skills of fine needlework from an early age, and became adept at embroidery, crochet and knitting. She taught me to embroider too, although I don't think my work ever came up to the high standards of the nuns.
This was her workbasket (though from the style of it, possibly my grandmother's originally). I inherited it when Mum died, and brought it out today to compare with the project I've just finished.
The dear old basket is crumbling now, and the lining is perishing. But wasn't it grand?
These scraps were tucked into one of the corner pockets. I don't know where the lace originated, or the lovely button, but the embroidery came from summer pyjamas that Mum had in her trousseau. Her work is finer than anything I could do - perfect satin stitch berries in shaded cotton, and the tiniest of chain stitches for the leaves and stems. And it's worked on art silk, which was really a kind of rayon (would have been done in the 1930's, as Mum married in 1939).
The cloth under the basket is coarser, embroidered in thick, unplied silk thread. The back, of course, is almost as neat as the front. This was intended for a cushion cover, but never made up.
I've never had a workbasket, but recently I bought this sewing box. A cheap, possibly Chinese, import, it was finished in that peculiar red stain that tends to come off on your hands.
A scrub and polish fixed that, and I turned my attention to the interior, which was roughly lined with cheap, nasty cotton.
But look at it now! I lined it in an olive-y green furnishing fabric, and added pockets on the lids.A little embroidery added a touch of class, and I even made a matching needle book.
This will be my Bauble-box, holding all the threads and equipment for decorating a Bauble.Just to let Mum have the last word, here's a close-up of that white cloth. She was good, my Mum, wasn't she?
Yes, it looks like she was a clever lady - Mum's are special and always remembered - I think though that her creative skills have been passed on, even if you do may not recognize them. A lovely momento to have of her stitching days.
ReplyDeletelove what you've done with your bauble box - and mum's [or grandma's ] is a treasure. I'll have to send Maz over here to have a 'looksee'
ReplyDeleteThat's a wonderful basket! I love the treasures you found in there. The lace is exquisite and the embroidery so delicate!
ReplyDeleteAnd what a fantastic job you did on the wooden sewing box too. I once had one of those...(now where did it go?) but never thought to make it nice and especially mine.
And your mother's cut out work is wonderful too. You should have that framed.