Playing Favourites

Playing favourites with Shay over at Quilting in My Pyjamas.

My favourite thing this week and probably my most favourite thing of all time - my Inheritance.

I am not talking $$$ I am talking about the skills and knowledge which were so readily shared in my extended family.

I have been reminded on several occasions recently that not every one has these priveleges growing up and I have been sharing my skills with members of my craft group many of whom are much older than myself.

The pictures - yes, there are a lot - show the essence of my material inheritance, my treasures. When you are part of a large family who insist on living well into their 90's they manage to spend their hard earned $$$ before they run out of life to live, just as it should be!

This school case is over 50 years old and belonged to my aunt during her Primary and Secondary school years. It holds a collection of mostly knitting and crochet patterns which I 'inherited' from my Grandmother when she entered Nursing Home care at the age of 95.

Timeless treasures -crochet supper cloths - these are from a magazine dated 1957.

The series was Australian flora and fauna in filigree crochet.

Patons and Baldwin Baby knitting books, which also contain crochet patterns and Semco Tatting and Crochet books from the 1930's

This one is full of crochet lace edgings for doilies and I have her miniature crochet hooks to do this with.

Look at all those choices for bonnets, bootees, socks and leggings - made like stockings with ribbons to tie them at the top of the leg.

Tatting edges - not a craft I have actually tried but I like to look at the pictures any way.

A complete layette on the following two pages.

That's right it is sticky tape you see in the pictures above and below, these books have been much loved in their life time.

These are later books from the 1950's which contain reprints of earlier patterns.

How cute is this romper suit?

What about cat's ears?

I have a distinct memory of making this one in the 1980's - not sure who the lucky recipient was.

Remembering that these garments were mostly made in wool, not easy care varieties like we have today, I can imagine that a mother's work was never done!

My grandmother also taught me that it is never too late to complete a project, she started a gorgeous knitted baby shawl in the finest cream wool for her first daughter and finished it almost 40 years later for her youngest grandchild.

Check out other favourites today over here.