As a young girl, we lived in a small cul-de-sac. Just Mum, me and my sister. Across the road lived an elderly lady who had spent time in India as a young woman back in the days of the British Empire.
In order to keep in touch with things back in Blighty, her relatives had sent her piles of magazines which she had neatly kept. She very kindly passed some of this collection on to me. These date back to the 1920's and nearly all featured some form of craft. Usually needlecrafts, often including embroidery patterns and, in some cases, iron-on transfers. Spending time with 'Aunt Flossie' meant that I learned free hand embroidery, cross stitch, doll-making, pulled-thread lace and various other textile crafts.
In order to keep in touch with things back in Blighty, her relatives had sent her piles of magazines which she had neatly kept. She very kindly passed some of this collection on to me. These date back to the 1920's and nearly all featured some form of craft. Usually needlecrafts, often including embroidery patterns and, in some cases, iron-on transfers. Spending time with 'Aunt Flossie' meant that I learned free hand embroidery, cross stitch, doll-making, pulled-thread lace and various other textile crafts.
Just before she died, aged well into her 80's, this wonderful life-long spinster gave me her collection of threads, fabrics, magazines, patterns and doll-making supplies as her eyesight had deteriorated and she could no longer sew.
I have no real knowledge about Flossie's life story, except that her actual name was Florence. She had spent most of her adult life living with her (also unmarried) sister and that, as far as I know, she had no remaining family.
I will always be grateful for her kindness, patience with a curious child and her generosity of spirit. Her support was one of the many stepping stones on my lifelong crafting journey. I often think about her and the times we spent together and it makes me think of bone china tea cups, lace table cloths, half-drawn curtains to prevent the rugs from fading in the afternoon sun and of those faded, beige paper magazines from almost 100 years ago.
I have no real knowledge about Flossie's life story, except that her actual name was Florence. She had spent most of her adult life living with her (also unmarried) sister and that, as far as I know, she had no remaining family.
I will always be grateful for her kindness, patience with a curious child and her generosity of spirit. Her support was one of the many stepping stones on my lifelong crafting journey. I often think about her and the times we spent together and it makes me think of bone china tea cups, lace table cloths, half-drawn curtains to prevent the rugs from fading in the afternoon sun and of those faded, beige paper magazines from almost 100 years ago.
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