Wednesday 14 October 2009


My Mother was born in 1930. She made this for her Aunt, my Great Auntie Wyn. The doll has a silk & lace dress sewn at the hem and with a slit in the back.


Inside is a small piece of paper where mum wrote;


WHEN YOUR HANKIES HAVE DONE THEIR WORK
JUST PUT THEM IN THIS LITTLE SKIRT
STUFF THEM IN AND LET THEM STAY
UNTIL YOU SEND YOUR WASH AWAY
By R Downs
It's so charming. Auntie Win was a marvelous woman. She never married though she wasn't short of suitors according to her dance cards and written invitations which I now own.
We have wonderful photographs of her and my grandparents in the 20s & 30s and when I get printing on to fabric, I'm going to base my work on these.
Auntie Win worked in Ladies ' Gowns in Marshall & Snellgrove Southport. When I was a teenager she had just the right trim or accessories for me. Sadly a lot were lost when we moved here from Spain.
She lived to see my daughter grow to be a toddler and walk around with her walking stick which she thought was a hoot.
The skirted doll reminds me of the poem by Robert Luis Stevenson


WHENEVER AUNTIE MOVES AROUND
HER DRESSES MAKE A CURIOUS SOUND
THEY TRAIL BEHIND HER UP THE FLOOR
AND TRUNDLE AFTER THROUGH THE DOOR
We miss you Auntie Win .

9 comments:

  1. It must be wonderful to hold that history in your hand. We dont have much like that, but it is things like that I want to leave my family with

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  2. Oh my goodness what a wonderful treasure to have, Penny! Thanks so much for sharing it with us. Your Aunt sounded like a fine lady. Xx

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  3. What a fantastic combination of family history, memories and crafting! That really is so moving, thanks.

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  4. That's fantastic to have all that history, Lovely post Penny. XXX

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  5. Thank you. we are hoarders really so the things are kept, but I keep seeing things on Blogs & say " Oh we had one of those " Can't keep everything.

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  6. Such a beautiful post Penny xx
    I love the poems

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  7. You must do some printed work based on this................. A lovely, lovely post.

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  8. thank you for your lovely comments

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