Turning into my Gran?

3 grandparents were deceased before I arrived, the remaining died when I was 3 so no grandparents memories. My own DM was terrific at knitting and crochet but sewing absolutely no, no. I took up the gauntlet and from early teens started sewing making clothes,curtains, upholstery, anything in fact. Still have my first sewing machine now 62 years old and a modern one, 35 years old. I do darn socks, repair tears in clothing etc. Don't have a mushroom, always fancied one though.

My maternal grandmother died before I was born, but her interest in crochet, knitting, embroidery and dressmaking was handed down to my very skilled mother. I didn’t start any of these crafts until I was in my twenties. The one I did not take to easily was dressmaking, but I’ve tried again recently and am more patient. My daughter started tapestries as a child aged 6 and later taught herself cross stitch. I wonder if these interests run in families?

I found myself buying & sewing on elbow patches the other day, they were on husband's favourite sweater! Does anyone else do that?

Lol. I used to knit my childrens socks! A) because I was broke and b) because I could. I don’t darn them though! My grandmother was quite nasty and had a man she met for tea every Wednesday afternoon, throughout her three marriages.

I still have my mums button box - my children used to play with it for hours - wouldn’t dare let my GC play with the buttons though - for obvious reasons ?

My son, aged 35, asked me to teach him to darm at Christmas. I suggested buying new socks, but he said I cantafford that, I'm a student! I had to Google it to tell him. I bouhta modern darning gadget, but can't work out how it works...

Asforbecoming my Gran, a would hate it, as she was a spiteful woman. My Scottish gran I only met 2/3 times but she seemed nice?

I've still got my mum's mushroom. Good on you.

My gran never wore jeans or trousers and now I see why. Dresses are so comfortable. I use her recipe to make salad dressing and I knit, plus read a book in daylight hours. I don’t share her love of snooker and wrestling though!

I wish! One was an American, who told me hundreds of stories I wish I'd written down. The other was the chicest (if there is such a word!) creature I ever saw. DH on the other hand is turning inexorably into his mother. Over the last decade he has acquired all her mannerisms and habits. He now has his own cupboard full of every sauce known to man (or Heinz actually) because he won't eat anything unless it's been anointed with something, plus a cup of salt and vinegar. As I'm a good cook and season everything as I cook it I think this might be grounds for divorce....

There are several videos out there on how to darn with style and turn into a feature. But I can never remember- looks so easy ;)

Wish I still had my Mushroom for darning. Thanks for the tip about coffee jar lids - I never thought!
I had an attack of moths some months ago and quite a few of my jerseys/sweaters sport darns which I display with pride. Strange thing is nobody comments on them. Are my friends so nice that they think I am too poor to buy new or that I am just too mean not to throw away, which I don't because of the planet.

BTW, got one antique darning mushroom, and several darning eggs, all inherited, and used.

You don't have to turn into your gran to realise it truly makes sense to darn socks, repair and adjust clothes, etc, surely.

I know people who throw away really expensive shirts because a button is missing, or other minor 'ailments' easy to fix. I agree that life is too short to stuff a mushroom- but we must all learnt to go back to simple repairs. Simple enough.

I only knew one gran, a socialite, cold and snobby- who would have had staff to do that sort of menial things! The other I think I would have loved, but she died just before I was born. Kind, simple, down to earth, social and fun. I am sure she darned things, as a widow left with 5 kids.

I never knew either of my grans, who died years before I was born, but wondered if I was turning into my Mum, when I caught myself looking at some of my son's decrepit boxer shorts and wondering if I could turn them into dusters - I remember doing the dusting as a child, using old pants of my Dad's!

I do make lace, using some antique bobbins circa early to mid 1980's, so does that count instead of inherited darning mushrooms?

I had my mum’s one until it broke in half ! Bought another on Amazon and have tried to teach my granddaughter how to darn, not enough concentration to finish a small hole in her jumper!!

Like Gwen I also have the button box (actually a beautiful old tea caddy) that I dip into when creating craft items. It has been a great source of soft toy eyes, fasteners for doll’s clothes and even decoration for clothes I’ve made. My mum always used it to keep any buttons she cut off old clothes before they became dusters and cleaning cloths. Thrifty habits learnt from my Nanna (Grandma).

I can’t darn socks but I do wear a vest!

About 3 summers ago we had a glut of plums. I remembered that my granny used to bottle plums so I bought kilner jars and successfully bottled enough to last a year. I was proud to learn a skill which had skipped a generation as my mother, who was an excellent cook, never bottled fruit.

I have a new darning mushroom DH made me on his lathe last year. My old one got damp and turned mouldy!

Lots of Grannie and Great-Aunt moments here, like waiting to light the fire til late afternoon, just like my Aunt Isa used to do to save on fuel.

Just yesterday I noticed that the socks my husband was wearing had a hole in them. I have a darning mushroom and was going to practice my best Brownie darning but he insisted on throwing them away!

I would be honoured to turn into either of my Grans, both honest, hard working, kind and brave.Wish I could be half the person they were.

I have turned into my gran too. My memory of her is seeing her knitting and the knitting bag at the side of her chair. I now knit and my bag is at the side of the sofa!

I don’t know about my gran, but sometimes I’m doing things like my mum, shock, horror ;) after all these years I’ve been thinking I’m never going to be like her..

I, also, inherited my grandmother's darning mushroom (which I have used). I refuse to darn DH's socks any more because the whole sole of the sock gets thin and he has had me darning the darns!! Incidentally I also inherited her buttons.

I am rubbish at sewing, knitting, darning and anything else that involves a needle.
However, I turn into my much loved maternal grandmother every year, because like her, I have a garden; and like her I preserve all I can of our excess fruit and vegetables. Some of these go in the freezer - some I have taken (when they would be welcome) to the local food bank; but so far there has always been enough left over for blackcurrant and raspberry jams, apple and runner bean chutneys.
Pre Covid, I offered a few jars to a visiting cousin to take home. She is ten years my junior, and sneered at the idea of anyone wasting their time doing such a thing these days, especially when the resulting product involves poison (sorry, sugar).
Fortunately for my self esteem, my son is of a different opinion when he visits; as have been our friends next door who keep an eye on the house whenever we are away (not often lately, I admit). Also, the new neighbours, who have been glad of a welcome.
My grandmother taught me these things. I still miss her.

And yes, like her, I am a member of the W.I.!